Beltless high velocity air blower

Abstract

A direct drive, single stage, centrifugal compressor air blower assembly for increasing air pressure and air flow for industrial process air applications. The blower assembly consists of a scroll-shaped, single stage, centrifugal compressor air blower housing having an air inlet and an air outlet. The centrifugal air compressor housing contains an impeller that is mounted on an end of a drive shaft of a high speed asynchronous AC induction motor shaft. The drive shaft extends from the asynchronous AC induction motor into the centrifugal compressor blower housing. The compressor blower housing is rotatably attached to the motor housing which enables the direction of the air flow to be changed without repositioning the motor. A Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) is used to control motor RPM and hence blower output. The VFD and asynchronous AC induction motor combination provides 5 to 50 horsepower over an operating RPM range of 10,000 to 30,000 RPM.

1 . A direct drive, single stage, centrifugal compressor air blower assembly operable for providing a desired air pressure and air flow for industrial process air applications including: forced air cleaning of parts, rapid drying of wet items, removing dust or particles from items, or as a vacuum or exhauster device, said air blower assembly comprising: 
 a. a centrifugal compressor air blower housing having an axially disposed air intake port and a tangentially disposed air outlet port;    b. an integral, variable high speed, asynchronous AC (alternating current) induction motor having a rotatably mounted drive shaft extending from at least one end of said asynchronous AC induction motor into said centrifugal compressor blower housing;    c. an impeller housed within said centrifugal compressor air blower housing and mounted on said drive shaft to rotate within said centrifugal compressor blower housing when said drive shaft is caused to rotate; and    d. a variable frequency drive in electrical communication with said motor operable for controlling the rotational velocity of said drive shaft.    
   
   
       2 . A direct drive, single stage, centrifugal compressor air blower assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said centrifugal compressor blower housing is rotatably mounted on a substantially circular diffuser plate affixed to said motor such that said centrifugal compressor blower housing is rotatable with respect to said motor.  
   
   
       3 . A direct drive, single stage, centrifugal compressor air blower assembly according to  claim 2  wherein said centrifugal compressor blower housing is attached to said diffuser plate by means of a v-band clamp and wherein when said v-band clamp is loosened, said centrifugal compressor blower housing can be rotated 360° about said diffuser plate.  
   
   
       4 . A direct drive, single stage, centrifugal compressor air blower assembly according to  claim 2  wherein said centrifugal compressor blower diffuser plate is mounted directly to the motor C-Face with four bolts of the variable high speed asynchronous AC induction motor.  
   
   
       5 . A direct drive, single stage, centrifugal air compressor blower assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said variable high speed asynchronous AC induction motor operates at rotational speeds from 12,000 to 30,000 RPM  
   
   
       6 . A direct drive, single stage, centrifugal air compressor blower assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said variable high speed asynchronous AC induction motor outputs from 5 to 50 horsepower.  
   
   
       7 . A direct drive, single stage, centrifugal air compressor blower assembly according to  claim 5  wherein said variable high speed asynchronous AC induction motor outputs from 5 to 50 horsepower.  
   
   
       8 . A direct drive, single stage, centrifugal air compressor blower assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said asynchronous AC induction motor operates from variable voltages and frequencies supplied by said Variable Frequency Drive.  
   
   
       9 . A direct drive, single stage, centrifugal air compressor blower assembly according to  claim 5  wherein said variable high speed asynchronous AC induction motor RPM is controlled by said Variable Frequency Drive.  
   
   
       10 . A direct drive, single stage, centrifugal air compressor blower assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said single rotating drive shaft has two sealed radial bearings rotatably mounted about said shaft: one on the drive end (DE) of the motor, between said impeller and the motor rotor and one at the opposite drive end (ODE), each for rotatably supporting the combination of said shaft, said impeller, and the AC induction motor rotor assembly.  
   
   
       11 . A direct drive, single stage, centrifugal air compressor blower assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said impeller comprises a plurality of blades symmetrically mounted on a circular plate and radiating outwardly from said drive shaft.  
   
   
       12 . A direct drive, single stage, centrifugal air compressor blower assembly according to  claim 8 , each of said impeller blades having an arcuate blade surface, the plurality of the blades being operable for receiving air in a direction parallel to said drive shaft through the air inlet of said centrifugal compressor blower housing and for discharging air through outlet of said centrifugal compressor blower housing.  
   
   
       13 . A direct drive, single stage, centrifugal air compressor blower assembly according to  claim 1  in which two compressor housings, each containing one impeller, are mounted at opposite ends of a single rotating shaft of the same integral, variable high speed, asynchronous AC induction motor.