Blower Apparatus and Method for Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner

Abstract

A blower apparatus designed for PTAC use includes an impeller configured to be capable of rotating about a central axis; a low voltage DC motor arranged to drive the impeller; a housing configured to accommodate the motor and impeller fixed together; an inlet cover which draws fresh air into the apparatus and an outlet port that discharges the fresh air through an outlet port and at least two directional changes perpendicular to the flow of fresh air through the inlet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A blower apparatus for use in a packaged terminal air conditioner, the blower apparatus comprising housing, impeller, inlet cover, stainless steel shaft, self-lubricating ball bearings, self-adjusting load spring, and a low voltage DC motor operatively connected to a feedback control loop circuit. 
     
     
         2 . The blower apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the impeller rotates around the axis of the shaft and is driven by the low voltage DC motor. 
     
     
         3 . The blower apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the angle of the central vertical axis through the shaft relative to the outlet port ranges from 4-6 degrees. 
     
     
         4 . The blower apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the housing, when coupled with impeller, creates a scroll which pressurizes the fresh air to drive the fresh air out the outlet port. 
     
     
         5 . The blower apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the scroll configuration is based on the reduction of space between the housing inner walls and the impeller external surface. 
     
     
         6 . The blower apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the ratio of reduction is preferably about 4.2:1. 
     
     
         7 . The blower apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the impeller is centered between the housing and the air inlet cover. 
     
     
         8 . The blower apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the impeller has equally spaced fins or vanes equally spaced between the impeller center and the housing. 
     
     
         9 . The blower apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the impeller has 47 fins or vanes per side. 
     
     
         10 . The blower apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the ratio of fin height to impeller diameter is about 1:10. 
     
     
         11 . A method for drawing fresh air into a pressurized terminal air conditioner (PTAC) comprising providing a fresh air inlet port configured to receive fresh (outside) air, providing a centrifugal blower apparatus disposed in fluid communication with the fresh air inlet port, operating the centrifugal blower apparatus to draw fresh air into an impeller disposed that pressurizes and then redirects and discharges the pressurized air perpendicularly to the incoming air and upwardly from the blower apparatus into a receiving duct that redirects a flow of pressurized fresh air to be combined with a flow of inside air being recirculated by the PTAC.