Hollow vane fan and cooling method

Abstract

A fan assembly and associated methods are shown. Fan assemblies and methods include a fluid passage region defined between a fan motor and an outer housing. Example assemblies and methods include a number of hollow vanes located within the fluid passage region to permit an air flow between the fan motor and air external to the outer housing. In selected examples, fan motor cooling is facilitated using configurations described.

1 . A fan assembly, comprising:
 a conduit defined by an outer housing;   a fan motor located within the outer housing;   an impeller coupled to the fan motor to drive a first amount of air through a fluid passage region defined between the fan motor and the outer housing; and   a number of hollow vanes located within the fluid passage region to permit a second amount of air flow between the fan motor and air external to the outer housing.   
     
     
         2 . The fan assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the impeller is located at a downstream end of the conduit. 
     
     
         3 . The fan assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the impeller is located at an upstream end of the conduit. 
     
     
         4 . The fan assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the fan assembly is configured to move the second amount of air from external to the outer housing, through the number of hollow vanes, to the fan motor. 
     
     
         5 . The fan assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the fan assembly is configured to further move the second amount of air from the fan motor and to mix with the first amount of air in the fluid passage. 
     
     
         6 . The fan assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the fan assembly is configured to mix the second amount of air with the first amount of air at a downstream end of the fluid passage. 
     
     
         7 . The fan assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the fan assembly is configured to mix the second amount of air with the first amount of air at an upstream end of the fluid passage. 
     
     
         8 . The fan assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the fan assembly is configured to move the second amount of air from external to the outer housing, through inlet hollow vanes, to the fan motor, and back out through outlet hollow vanes. 
     
     
         9 . The fan assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the fan assembly is configured to move the second amount of air from within the fluid passage to the fan motor, through the number of hollow vanes, and to a region external to the outer housing. 
     
     
         10 . The fan assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the fan motor includes a totally enclosed fan cooled (TEFC) type motor with a second impeller to drive the second amount of air flow. 
     
     
         11 . The fan assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the fan motor includes an open drip proof (ODP) type motor. 
     
     
         12 . The fan assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the fan motor includes a totally enclosed air over (TEAO) type motor. 
     
     
         13 . A fan assembly, comprising:
 a conduit defined by an outer housing;   a fan motor located within the outer housing;   an impeller coupled to the fan motor to drive a first amount of air through a fluid passage region defined between the fan motor and the outer housing;   a number of hollow vanes located within the fluid passage region to permit a second amount of air flow to move from external to the outer housing to the fan motor; and   an exhaust passage for the second amount of air flow to move from the fan motor to a hollow portion within a hub of the impeller.   
     
     
         14 . The fan assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the hub further includes exhaust openings to exhaust the second amount of air flow from within the hub and into the first amount of air. 
     
     
         15 . A fan assembly, comprising:
 a conduit defined by an outer housing;   a fan motor located within the outer housing;   an impeller coupled to the fan motor to drive a first amount of air through a fluid passage region defined between the fan motor and the outer housing;   a first set of inlet hollow vanes located within the fluid passage region to permit a second amount of air flow from external to the outer housing into the fan motor; and   a second set of outlet hollow vanes located within the fluid passage region to permit the second amount of air flow from the fan motor back through the fluid passage, separated from the first amount of air.   
     
     
         16 . The fan assembly of  claim 15 , wherein inlet hollow vanes are spaced axially apart from outlet hollow vanes. 
     
     
         17 . The fan assembly of  claim 15 , wherein inlet hollow vanes are located on one side of the fan assembly, and outlet hollow vanes are located on a different side of the fan assembly. 
     
     
         18 . The fan assembly of  claim 15 , further including a second impeller to drive the second amount of air. 
     
     
         19 . A method of cooling a fan motor, comprising:
 moving a first amount of air through a fluid passage that is defined between an outer housing, and a fan motor located within the outer housing; and   flowing a second amount of air through one or more hollow vanes through the fluid passage between a region external to the outer housing and the fan motor, wherein the second amount of air cools the fan motor.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein flowing the second amount of air includes actively driving a second amount of air using an impeller. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein flowing the second amount of air includes flowing the second amount of air back through one or more hollow vanes to the region external to the outer housing after cooling the fan motor. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein flowing the second amount of air includes flowing the second amount of air into the fluid passage and mixing the second amount of air with the first amount of air after cooling the fan motor.