Fan having hollow vanes for cooling the motor with external air

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;   a first 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.   
     
     
         2 . The fan assembly of  claim 1 , wherein inlet hollow vanes are spaced axially apart from outlet hollow vanes. 
     
     
         3 . The fan assembly of  claim 1 , 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. 
     
     
         4 . 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. 
     
     
         5 . The fan assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the fan motor includes an open drip proof (ODP) type motor. 
     
     
         6 . The fan assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the fan motor includes a totally enclosed air over (TEAO) type motor. 
     
     
         7 . The fan assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the impeller is orated at a downstream end of the conduit. 
     
     
         8 . The fan assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the impeller is located at an upstream end of the conduit. 
     
     
         9 . A fan assembly, comprising:
 a conduit defined by an outer housing;   a fan motor located within the outer housing;   a first 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;   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; and   a second impeller to drive the second amount of air through the hollow vanes.   
     
     
         10 . The fan assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the first set of inlet hollow vanes includes two or more inlet hollow vanes. 
     
     
         11 . The fan assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the second set of outlet hollow vanes includes two or more outlet hollow vanes. 
     
     
         12 . The fan assembly of  claim 9 , wherein inlet hollow vanes are spaced axially apart from outlet hollow vanes. 
     
     
         13 . The fan assembly of  claim 9 , wherein inlet hollow vanes and outlet hollow vanes are spaced radially apart around the conduit at different radial locations. 
     
     
         14 . The fan assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the impeller is located at a downstream end of the conduit. 
     
     
         15 . The fan assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the impeller is located at an upstream end of the conduit. 
     
     
         16 . The fan assembly of  claim 9 , 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. 
     
     
         17 . The fan assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the fan motor includes an open drip proof (ODP) type motor. 
     
     
         18 . The fan assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the fan motor includes a totally enclosed air over (MAO) type motor.