Method and apparatus for a low impedance anti-recirculation air moving inlet device

Abstract

An inlet recirculation apparatus for an air moving device includes a housing defined by a wall extending from a base. The base includes an aperture therethrough receptive to alignment with an inlet of the air moving device. A plurality of flaps each pivotally extends radially outwardly from a center pivot to another corresponding pivot disposed around a perimeter of the wall. The center pivot is coaxial with a center of the aperture. Each flap moves to an open position due to air pressure from the air moving device causing air to flow into the inlet wherein each flap pivotally rotates about the center pivot and corresponding pivot at the wall, and moves to a closed position when air pressure from the air moving device ceases wherein a space between contiguous flaps is eliminated when each flap pivotally rotates to the closed position about the center pivot and corresponding pivot at the wall to prevent reverse airflow through the air moving device.

1 . An inlet recirculation apparatus for an air moving device comprising: 
 a housing defined by a wall extending from a base, said base having an aperture therethrough receptive to alignment with an inlet of the air moving device; and    a plurality of flaps each pivotally extending radially outwardly from a center pivot to another corresponding pivot disposed about a perimeter of said wall, said center pivot coaxial with a center of said aperture,    wherein said each flap moves to an open position due to air pressure from the air moving device causing air to flow into the inlet wherein said each flap pivotally rotates about said center pivot and said corresponding pivot, and a closed position when air pressure from the air moving device ceases wherein a space between contiguous flaps is eliminated when said each flap pivotally rotates to said closed position about said center pivot and said corresponding pivot to prevent reverse airflow through the air moving device.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said each flap is triangularly shaped.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said each flap forms an isosceles triangle overlapping a portion of a contiguous flap in said closed position.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the air moving device includes a centrifugal blower.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of flaps may be disposed in any orientation as said plurality of flaps pivot between the open and closed positions independent of gravity.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said base defining said aperture and extending from said wall defines an air pocket receptive to forming an airflow induced inlet ring, said induced inlet ring reducing turbulence of air flow into the inlet to the air moving device.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the airflow induced inlet ring eliminates rounding the inlet to the air moving device to transition flow through an axial-radial-axial turn while reducing blade tip clearance, thereby reducing overall aerodynamic losses associated with separated flow.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the housing is configured to pivotally support said plurality of flaps while simultaneously creating an air pocket forming a blower inlet ring.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein both said plurality of flaps disposed at the inlet of the air moving device and said airflow induced inlet ring contribute to reducing the impedance of the recirculation device during normal operation and increasing a cooling capacity of the air moving device, thereby permitting lower rotational speeds resulting in decreased power consumption and acoustical noise.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the air moving device is one of a plurality of blowers placed in parallel, said plurality of flaps in the closed position prevent air recirculation during a failure of one air moving device.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said each flap is defined by opposing radial edges defining two common sides of an isosceles triangle while a base thereof is arcuate conforming to a radius of said wall.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each flap will have upstream and downstream edges that are interconnected in a first plane in the closed position, wherein the upstream and downstream edges are adapted to pivot to a respective plane substantially normal to the first plane, and the respective plane for said flap extending in a direction corresponding to airflow through the inlet.  
   
   
       13 . A blower apparatus comprising: 
 a blower housing having an air inlet and an air exhaust outlet;    a housing disposed inside the blower housing at the air inlet, said housing defined by a wall extending from a base, said base having an aperture therethrough and aligned with the inlet of the air moving device; and    a plurality of flaps each pivotally extending radially outwardly from a center pivot to another corresponding pivot disposed about a perimeter of said wall, said center pivot coaxial with a center of said aperture,    wherein said each flap moves to an open position due to air pressure from the air moving device causing air to flow into the inlet wherein said each flap pivotally rotates about said center pivot and said corresponding pivot, and a closed position when air pressure from the air moving device ceases wherein a space between contiguous flaps is eliminated when said each flap pivotally rotates to said closed position about said center pivot and said corresponding pivot to prevent reverse airflow through the air moving device.    
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said each flap is formed as an isosceles triangle.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said plurality of flaps may be disposed in any orientation as said plurality of flaps pivot between the open and closed positions independent of gravity.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said base defining said aperture and extending from said wall defines an air pocket receptive to forming an airflow induced inlet ring, said induced inlet ring reducing turbulence of air flow into the inlet to the air moving device.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the airflow induced inlet ring eliminates rounding the inlet to the air moving device to transition flow through an axial-radial-axial turn while reducing blade tip clearance, thereby reducing overall aerodynamic losses associated with separated flow.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein each flap will have upstream and downstream edges that are interconnected in a first plane in the closed position, wherein the upstream and downstream edges are adapted to pivot to a respective plane substantially normal to the first plane, and the respective plane for said flap extending in a direction corresponding to airflow through the inlet.  
   
   
       19 . An apparatus comprising: 
 an equipment enclosure having a plurality of air exchange interfaces for exchanging air between the interior and exterior of the enclosure;    a plurality of blowers, each blower residing at one of the air exchange interfaces, each blower including a blower housing having an inlet and an exhaust outlet, each exhaust outlet sharing a respective common plenum; and    an inlet recirculation apparatus disposed at said inlet of said each blower, wherein each inlet recirculation device further comprises:    a housing defined by a wall extending from a base, said base having an aperture therethrough receptive to alignment with an inlet of the air moving device; and    a plurality of flaps each pivotally extending radially outwardly from a center pivot to another corresponding pivot disposed about a perimeter of said wall, said center pivot coaxial with a center of said aperture,    wherein said each flap moves to an open position due to air pressure from the air moving device causing air to flow into the inlet wherein said each flap pivotally rotates about said center pivot and said corresponding pivot, and a closed position when air pressure from the air moving device ceases wherein a space between contiguous flaps is eliminated when said each flap pivotally rotates to said closed position about said center pivot and said corresponding pivot to prevent reverse airflow through the air moving device.    
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein said each flap is formed as an isosceles triangle, said plurality of flaps may be disposed in any orientation as said plurality of flaps pivot between the open and closed positions independent of gravity.  
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein said base defining said aperture and extending from said wall defines an air pocket receptive to forming an airflow induced inlet ring, said induced inlet ring reducing turbulence of air flow into the inlet to the air moving device.  
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein each flap will have upstream and downstream edges that are interconnected in a first plane in the closed position, wherein the upstream and downstream edges are adapted to pivot to a respective plane substantially normal to the first plane, and the respective plane for said flap extending in a direction corresponding to airflow through the inlet.  
   
   
       23 . A method for an anti-recirculation and low impedance air flow in air moving devices, the method comprising: 
 disposing a housing at an inlet of the air moving device, the housing being defined by a wall extending from a base, said base having an aperture therethrough receptive to alignment with the inlet of the air moving device; and    disposing a plurality of flaps each pivotally extending radially outwardly from a center pivot to another corresponding pivot disposed about a perimeter of said wall, said center pivot coaxial with a center of said aperture,    wherein said each flap moves to an open position due to air pressure from the air moving device causing air to flow into the inlet wherein said each flap pivotally rotates about said center pivot and said corresponding pivot, and a closed position when air pressure from the air moving device ceases wherein a space between contiguous flaps is eliminated when said each flap pivotally rotates to said closed position about said center pivot and said corresponding pivot to prevent reverse airflow through the air moving device.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said base defining said aperture and extending from said wall defines an air pocket receptive to forming an airflow induced inlet ring, said induced inlet ring reducing turbulence of air flow into the inlet to the air moving device.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the airflow induced inlet ring eliminates rounding the inlet to the air moving device to transition flow through an axial-radial-axial turn while reducing blade tip clearance, thereby reducing overall aerodynamic losses associated with separated flow.