Airflow measuring centrifugal fan
US5586861A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 1, 1994 |
| Grant date | Dec 24, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 1, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02B30/70
- WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A centrifugal fan is provided with an inlet cone that serves to measure air flow through the fan. The inlet cone has a flared inlet for receiving air, a narrow throat, and a flared outlet for expelling air into the center of a rotating fan wheel. Pressure taps are provided to measure the static pressure at the inlet and the throat. The difference between these pressures, adjusted for the empirically determined characteristics of the inlet cone, can be used as an indication of air flow. In one aspect of the invention, a controller monitors the pressure differential, calculates a flow rate based on the characteristics of the cone, and adjusts the fan speed to maintain a desired air flow.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.