Air flow amplifier for hvac system

Abstract

A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) unit includes an air flow amplifier coupled to a fan deck of the HVAC unit. The air flow amplifier includes a ring having an annular cavity and an air flow inlet formed in the ring. The air flow inlet is configured to direct an air flow into the annular cavity. The air flow amplifier also includes a first annular air flow outlet formed in the ring and configured to direct a first portion of the air flow out of the annular cavity and along an inner diameter of the ring. The air flow amplifier further includes a second annular air flow outlet formed in the ring and configured to direct a second portion of the air flow out of the annular cavity and along the inner diameter of the ring.

1 . A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) unit, comprising:
 an air flow amplifier coupled to a fan deck of the HVAC unit, wherein the air flow amplifier includes:
 a ring having an annular cavity; 
 an air flow inlet formed in the ring and configured to direct an air flow into the annular cavity; 
 a first annular air flow outlet formed in the ring and configured to direct a first portion of the air flow out of the annular cavity and along an inner diameter of the ring; and 
 a second annular air flow outlet formed in the ring and configured to direct a second portion of the air flow out of the annular cavity and along the inner diameter of the ring. 
   
     
     
         2 . The HVAC unit of  claim 1 , comprising an air supply conduit configured to extend from a fan positioned at a base of the HVAC unit to the air flow inlet. 
     
     
         3 . The HVAC unit of  claim 1 , wherein the air flow amplifier includes an additional ring having an additional annular cavity, an additional air flow inlet formed in the additional ring and configured to direct a third portion of the air flow from the annular cavity into the additional annular cavity, a first additional air flow outlet formed in the additional ring and configured to direct a first amount of the third portion of the air flow out of the additional annular cavity and along an additional inner diameter of the additional ring, and a second additional air flow outlet formed in the additional ring and configured to direct a second amount of the third portion of the air flow out of the additional annular cavity and along the additional inner diameter of the additional ring. 
     
     
         4 . The HVAC unit of  claim 3 , wherein the annular cavity and the additional annular cavity are fluidly coupled to one another via an intermediate conduit extending radially between the ring and the additional ring. 
     
     
         5 . The HVAC unit of  claim 3 , wherein the ring and the additional ring are offset from one another along a central axis of the ring and additional ring. 
     
     
         6 . The HVAC unit of  claim 3 , wherein the ring and the additional ring are concentric with one another. 
     
     
         7 . The HVAC unit of  claim 3 , comprising an annular support structure configured to secure the ring to the fan deck. 
     
     
         8 . The HVAC unit of  claim 7 , comprising a plurality of braces coupled to the annular support structure and to the additional ring. 
     
     
         9 . The HVAC unit of  claim 1 , wherein the ring includes an outer shroud having the air flow inlet and an inner shroud, wherein the first annular air flow outlet is formed between the outer shroud and the inner shroud and the annular second air flow outlet is formed in the inner shroud, wherein the outer shroud and the inner shroud are coupled to one another to form the annular cavity. 
     
     
         10 . The HVAC unit of  claim 1 , wherein the second annular air flow outlet includes at least two open sections separated by support ribs extending between portions of a shroud. 
     
     
         11 . A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) unit, comprising:
 a panel having an opening formed therein; and   an air flow amplifier positioned adjacent to the opening, wherein the air flow amplifier includes:
 a ring having an annular cavity; 
 an inlet conduit configured to direct a primary air flow into the annular cavity; 
 a first air flow outlet formed in the ring and configured to direct a first portion of the primary air flow out of the annular cavity and through the opening in a downstream direction; and 
 a second air flow outlet formed in the ring and configured to direct a second portion of the primary air flow out of the annular cavity and through the opening in the downstream direction. 
   
     
     
         12 . The HVAC unit of  claim 11 , wherein the panel includes a support flange coupled to a circumference of the ring to mount the air flow amplifier to the panel. 
     
     
         13 . The HVAC unit of  claim 11 , comprising a cabinet having the panel, a heat exchanger coupled to the cabinet, and a fan, wherein the fan is positioned within the cabinet and is configured to draw the primary air flow across the heat exchanger and to force the primary air flow into the annular cavity. 
     
     
         14 . The HVAC unit of  claim 13 , wherein the ring includes an inner diameter having a diverging portion that diverges radially, with respect to a central axis of the air flow amplifier, in the downstream direction, wherein the first and second air flow outlets are configured to direct the first and second portions of the primary air flow along the diverging portion to induce a secondary air flow across the heat exchanger and to direct the secondary air flow through a central flow passage of the ring in the downstream direction. 
     
     
         15 . The HVAC unit of  claim 13 , wherein the panel is a fan deck, the cabinet includes a base panel, and the fan is coupled to the base panel. 
     
     
         16 . The HVAC unit of  claim 11 , wherein the ring is an outer ring, the air flow amplifier includes an inner ring positioned within the outer ring, and the inner ring includes:
 an additional annular cavity configured to receive a third portion of the primary air flow from the annular cavity;   a first additional air flow outlet configured to direct a first amount of the third portion of the primary air flow out of the additional annular cavity and through the opening in the downstream direction; and   a second additional air flow outlet formed in the inner ring and configured to direct a second amount of the third portion of the primary air flow out of the additional annular cavity and through the opening in the downstream direction.   
     
     
         17 . The HVAC unit of  claim 11 , comprising a fan positioned within a central flow passage of the ring and configured to direct an additional air flow along the central flow passage and through the opening in the downstream direction. 
     
     
         18 . An air flow amplifier for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) unit, comprising:
 a ring coupled to a structure of the HVAC unit and having an annular cavity configured to receive an air flow;   a first air flow outlet formed in the ring and configured to direct a first portion of the air flow out of the annular cavity and along an inner diameter of the ring; and   a second air flow outlet formed in the ring and configured to direct a second portion of the air flow out of the annular cavity and along the inner diameter of the ring.   
     
     
         19 . The air flow amplifier of  claim 18 , wherein the ring includes an inner shroud having a leading edge and an outer shroud coupled to the inner shroud at an interface, wherein the outer shroud wraps around the leading edge to form a gap between the leading edge and the outer shroud, and wherein the gap is the first air flow outlet. 
     
     
         20 . The air flow amplifier of  claim 19 , wherein the inner shroud includes a first annular member and a second annular member coupled to the first annular member via a plurality of ribs circumferentially spaced about the inner shroud to form an additional gap, wherein the additional gap is the second air flow outlet.