Condenser Fan Orifice Rings

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001]This application is directed, in general, to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, and more specifically, to condenser fan orifice rings.

BACKGROUND

[0002]The following discussion of the background is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present disclosure only. It should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to was part of the common general knowledge at the priority date of the application.

[0003]Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems can be used to regulate the environment within an enclosed space. Typically, an air blower is used to pull air (i.e., return air) from the enclosed space into the HVAC system through ducts and push the air into the enclosed space through additional ducts after conditioning the air (e.g., heating, cooling or dehumidifying the air). Unless otherwise indicated, as used throughout this document, “or” does not require mutual exclusivity. Various types of HVAC systems may be used to provide conditioned air for enclosed spaces.

[0004]In many systems a compressor-condenser unit is placed outside the building. The compressor-condenser unit includes a fan for moving air across the condenser coils. While this has been the approach for decades, improvements are still desired.

SUMMARY

[0005]In an illustrative embodiment, a compressor-condenser unit for use in a residential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system includes a condenser orifice ring sized to receive one or more fan blades. The condenser orifice ring includes an annular member having a height extending between an upstream edge and a downstream edge. The annular member includes a wall that flares outward at the upstream edge and flares outward at the downstream edge. The flare of the wall at the upstream edge is between 5 and 20 degrees from vertical, and the flare of the wall at the downstream edge is between 15 and 30 degrees from vertical. Other condenser orifice rings and systems are presented.

[0006]In another illustrative embodiment, a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system includes a closed conduit circuit for moving a refrigerant. The HVAC system further includes a compressor fluidly coupled to the closed conduit circuit, a condenser fluidly coupled to the closed conduit circuit, an expansion valve fluidly coupled to the closed conduit circuit, an evaporator fluidly coupled to the closed conduit circuit, and a compressor-condenser unit that includes the compressor and the condenser. The compressor-condenser unit further includes a cabinet having a plurality of walls with a top panel. A fan motor is coupled to the cabinet and one or more fan blades are coupled to the fan motor. An orifice opening is formed in the top panel and a condenser orifice ring is disposed within the orifice opening, wherein the condenser orifice ring is sized to receive the one or more fan blades. The condenser orifice ring includes an annular member having a height extending between an upstream edge and a downstream edge. A wall of the annular member has an interior surface and an exterior surface, wherein the wall flares outward at the upstream edge and flares outward at the downstream edge. The flare of the wall at the upstream edge is between 5 and 20 degrees from a vertical, and the flare of the wall at the downstream edge is between 15 and 30 degrees from the vertical.

[0007]In yet another illustrative embodiment, a compressor-condenser orifice ring for use with an HVAC system, includes a substantially circular member having a wall with a height H, which is a vertical dimension when in an installed position. The wall further includes an upstream edge and a downstream edge. An inner portion of the substantially circular member forms an area to accommodate one or more flan blades and to provide fluid passage. The wall has an entry portion, a middle portion, and an exit portion. The entry portion has an entry inside diameter Den, the middle portion has a middle diameter Dm, and the exit portion has an exit inside diameter Dex, such that Den >Dm by at least five percent and Dex >Dm by at least five percent.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008]Illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, which are incorporated by reference herein and wherein:

[0009]FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of a compressor-condenser unit with a portion broken away;

[0010]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an HVAC system;

[0011]FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of a condenser orifice ring with one more fan blades disposed within an interior portion;

[0012]FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of a condenser orifice ring;

[0013]FIG. 5 is schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of an external wall of an illustrative embodiment of a condenser orifice ring;

[0014]FIG. 6 is a schematic cross section of an illustrative embodiment of a condenser orifice ring with one or more fan blades with a fan assembly shown; and

[0015]FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a top portion of an illustrative embodiment of a condenser orifice ring taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016]In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical structural, mechanical, electrical, and chemical changes may be made. To avoid detail not necessary to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosed embodiments, the description may omit certain information known to those skilled in the art. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the claims.

[0017]HVAC systems may take a variety of sizes and styles including small residential units and large-scale roof-top units for commercial applications. In the typical HVAC system, the one or more condensers receive compressed, gaseous refrigerant from one or more compressors and condense the refrigerant into liquid form. The condenser discharges compressed, liquid refrigerant, which is then delivered to one or more evaporators to cool air to be provided to the building. The liquid refrigerant is evaporated as it passes through the evaporator producing the gaseous refrigerant that is delivered to one or more compressors to produce a compressed gas refrigerant that is delivered to the one or more condensers.

[0018]In compressor-condenser units there is a fan blade near a top portion on many designs. At times large eddies or recirculation currents may be created in the vicinity of the fan blade rotation, resulting in energy losses leading to a drop in volume flowrate. At least some embodiments herein help to reduce the occurrence or severity of such eddies or recirculation currents. According to some embodiments, orifice rings have profiles provided that improve flow performance and diminish eddies/recirculation formation and propagation.

[0019]Referring to the drawings and initially to FIG. 1, an illustrative embodiment of a compressor-condenser unit 100 is presented. The compressor-condenser unit 100 comprises a cabinet 102 formed of a plurality of walls 104, including a top panel 106 and a bottom panel 108. The top panel 106 includes an orifice opening 110 formed therein for receiving a condenser orifice ring 112. The top panel 106 may include a grate in some embodiments. A fan is operable to be positioned within the condenser orifice ring 112. For clarity purposes, a fan assembly is not illustrated in FIG. 1, but an illustrative embodiment of a fan assembly 114 positioned within the condenser orifice ring 112 may be viewed in either FIG. 3 or FIG. 6.

[0020]The compressor-condenser unit 100 further includes a compressor 118, a condenser 120. The compressor 118 is visible on the floor or bottom panel 108 of the compressor-condenser unit 100, and the condenser 120 is visible in the cut-away view of the unit 100. The condenser 120 includes condenser coils over which air flow represented by arrows124 is moved by the fan assembly 114. A control box 107 is further included in the compressor-condenser unit 100 for operating the unit 100.

[0021]In operation, air is moved through the compressor-condenser unit 100, as illustrated by arrows 124. The air is pulled into the compressor-condenser unit 100 through vents 122 and then the air is pulled up through the condenser orifice ring 112. The air then exits the top of the unit 100 through a grate 126.

[0022]Referring now primarily to FIG. 2, an illustrative embodiment of an HVAC system 130 is presented. The HVAC system 130 includes a closed circuit 132 of conduits for holding a circulating, working fluid or refrigerant. The HVAC system 130 also includes the compressor 118, the condenser 120, an expansion valve 134, and an evaporator 136, all of which are coupled to the closed circuit 132.

[0023]The compressor 118 compresses the refrigerant and produces a high-pressure refrigerant that is delivered to the condenser 120 for cooling. The condenser 120 then produces a high-pressure, liquid refrigerant that has been cooled and is delivered to the expansion valve 134. The expansion valve 134 receives the refrigerant from the condenser 120 and produces a low-pressure, liquid refrigerant that is delivered to the evaporator 136. A fan 138 having one or more fan blades 140 moves air along an air flow path, illustrated by arrow 128, across the evaporator 136, causing the refrigerant in the evaporator 136 to receive heat from the air, thereby cooling the air that is to be moved into an interior space. The HVAC system 130 may include the compressor-condenser unit 100, which is illustrated by dashed lines. The compressor-condenser unit 100 is shown figuratively with the fan assembly 114 having a fan motor 115 and the one or more fan blades 116.

[0024]Referring now to FIGS. 3-7, and initially to FIGS. 3 and 4, illustrative embodiments of the condenser orifice ring 112 are presented. FIGS. 3 and 4 show different perspective views of the condenser orifice ring 112, with FIG. 3 showing portions of the fan assembly 114 positioned within an interior 154 of the orifice ring 112 when in an assembled position.

[0025]The condenser orifice ring 112 is sized to receive the fan assembly 114, including one or more fan blades 116. In an illustrative embodiment, the one or more fan blades 116 are comprised of two blades. In another illustrative embodiment, the diameter of the fan blades 116 may be approximately twenty-eight inches. In some instances, a two-bladed fan may provide better efficiency over a three-bladed fan. Likewise, in some instances, a two-bladed fan having a larger diameter, such as a twenty-eight inch diameter, can produce better fan efficiency while maintaining reasonable noise levels for residential environments.

[0026]The condenser orifice ring 112 is comprised of an annular member 148 that includes a wall 150 extending between an upstream edge 142 and a downstream edge 144. In some embodiments, the condenser orifice ring 112 is formed of a flexible, plastic material such as glass-reinforced polypropylene. The wall 150 includes an interior surface 158 and an opposing, exterior surface 160. The wall 150 flares outward at the upstream edge 142 and flares outward at the downstream edge 144, as shown more clearly in FIGS. 4-6. The orifice ring 112 forms a converging-diverging profile for the airflow to help reduce eddy currents within the unit 100. Eddy currents can cause recirculation within the unit 100, which may reduce air flow volume through the unit 100, thereby reducing efficiency.

[0027]The annular member 148 may include a lip 186 formed on the downstream edge 142. The lip 186 extends outward from the exterior surface 160 of the wall 150. In some aspects, the lip 186 extends perpendicular to the exterior surface 160. In yet some aspects, the lip 186 extends the entire circumference of the annular member 148. The lip 186 may be in direct contact with the top panel 106 of the compressor-condenser unit 100, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, and as will be described in more detail below.

[0028]The annular member 148 further includes a plurality of positioning tabs 146 extending outward from the downstream edge 144. The plurality of positioning tabs 146 are configured for coupling the orifice ring 112 to the top panel 106 (FIGS. 1 and 6) and holding the orifice ring 112 in a desired shape or position. In some aspects, the plurality of positioning tabs 146 extend outward from the lip 186. Each of the plurality of positioning tabs 146 may include a hole or aperture 156 formed therein for receiving a fastener, e.g. screw or bolt, for securing the plurality of positioning tabs 146 to the top panel 106 of the cabinet 102. Securing the plurality of positioning tabs 146 to the top panel 106 may allow the orifice ring 112 to be pulled taut, thereby holding the orifice ring 112 in a desired shape that maintains the orifice ring 112 in a concentric shape about the orifice opening 110 (FIG. 1). Again, the plurality of positioning tabs 146 may be secured to the top panel 106 using fasteners 196, such as screws or bolts (FIG. 6). In some embodiments, the plurality of positioning tabs 146 include four tabs. In yet some embodiments, the plurality of positioning tabs 146 include six or more tabs. The plurality of positioning tabs 146 may be equal distance from each other or have some other spacing or may be arranged for aesthetic purposes.

[0029]The annular member 148 may further include a plurality of protrusions 162 extending from the exterior surface 160 of the wall 150. The plurality of protrusions 162 are positioned below but proximate to the lip 186. In some aspects, the lip 186 extends farther out than the plurality of protrusions 162. The lip 186 and the plurality of protrusions 162 are configured to engage with the top panel 106 (FIG. 1) of the compressor-condenser unit 100 to help secure the condenser orifice ring 112 to the top panel 106. The lip 186 and the plurality of protrusions 162 may engage the top panel 106 via a snap-fit. In some embodiments, the plurality of protrusions 162 include eight protrusions. In yet some embodiments, the plurality of protrusions 162 are radially offset from the plurality of positioning tabs 146. Further illustrative aspects of the lip 186 and the plurality of protrusions 162 will be discussed in more detail below, while referencing FIG. 7.

[0030]The annular member 148 may also include a plurality of strengthening ribs 164 formed on the exterior surface 160 of the wall 150. The plurality of ribs 164 may function to provide strength and rigidity to the orifice ring 112 to help maintain the circular or concentric shape of the orifice ring 112. The plurality of strengthening ribs 164 are concentric and may encompass the entire circumference of the annular member 148. In some embodiments, the plurality of ribs 164 may include 3, 5, or more ribs. In yet some aspects, the plurality of ribs 164 may be equal distance from each other. And in yet some aspects, one of the plurality of ribs 164 may be positioned along the narrowest circumference of the orifice ring 112. Further detail regarding illustrative embodiments of the plurality of strengthening ribs 164 will be discussed below while referencing FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0031]In another illustrative embodiment, the annular member 148 further includes a plurality of vertical ribs 192 formed on the exterior surface 160 of the wall 150 proximate the upstream edge 142. In some aspects, the annular member 148 includes two sets of vertical ribs 192 on opposing sides of the exterior surface 160 of the wall 150. The plurality of vertical ribs 192 may include 2, 3, 4 or more ribs and may be equal distance between each other. The plurality of vertical ribs 192 may extend between the upstream edge 142 and the closest of the plurality of strengthening ribs 164. In some aspects, the plurality of vertical ribs 192 may taper towards an adjacent one of the plurality of strengthening ribs 164. In other words, the plurality of vertical ribs 192 extend further from the exterior surface 160 of the wall 150 next to the upstream edge 142 than it does next to the adjacent one of the plurality of strengthening ribs 164.

[0032]The annular member 148 may also include a fan-connectivity notch 166 formed therein. In some embodiments, the fan-connectivity notch 166 is formed on the downstream edge 144 of the orifice ring 112. The fan-connectivity notch 166 is sized to allow a conduit (not shown) to extend into the interior of the orifice ring 112 and connect to the fan motor 115 (FIG. 6) to provide power and communication to the fan assembly 114 from a control panel (not explicitly shown) located in the compressor-condenser unit 100.

[0033]Still referring to FIGS. 3-7, but with primary reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, a cross-sectional profile view of a segment of the condenser orifice ring 112 is illustrated in FIG. 5 and a cross-section view of the orifice ring 112 with the fan assembly 114 positioned therein is illustrated in FIG. 6.

[0034]As previously mentioned, the wall 150 of the annular member 148 flares outward towards the upstream edge 142 and flares outward towards the downstream edge 144, forming a converging-diverging profile to help reduce recirculation within the unit 100 to increase efficiency. The annular member 148 further includes an entry portion 168, a middle-portion 170 (or middle portion), and an exit portion 172. Air flow represented by arrows 124 (FIG. 6), enters the entry portion 168, passes through of by the fan assembly 114, and exits through the exit portion 172.

[0035]The entry portion 168 includes the upstream edge 142 and the exit portion 172 includes the downstream edge 144 of the wall 150. In an illustrative embodiment, the flare or entry angle 214 of the wall 150 proximate the upstream edge 142 may be between 5 and 20 degrees from vertical 152. The flare or exit angle 212 of the wall 150 proximate the downstream edge 144 may be between 15 and 30 degrees from the vertical 152. In another illustrative embodiment, the entry angle 214 of the wall 150 proximate the upstream edge 142 has at least a portion that is between 12 and 18 degrees. In yet another illustrative embodiment, the exit angle 212 of the wall 150 proximate the downstream edge 144 has at least a portion that is between 18 and 22 degrees.

[0036]The middle-portion 170 of the wall 150 may substantially parallel the vertical 152 and may include between 1-20 percent of the height 174 of the annular member 148. In one embodiment, the entry portion 168 is between 10 and 40 percent of the height 174, the middle portion 170 is between 1 and 20 percent of the height 174, and the exit portion 172 is between 10 and 40 percent of the height 174.

[0037]The entry portion 168 forms a convergent section of the annular member 148 and the exit portion 172 forms a divergent section of the annular member 148. In some embodiments, the annular member 148 further includes a curled initial portion 176 on the upstream edge 142 of the wall 150, the shape of which improves air flow into the ring 112 near the fan blades 116.

[0038]The entry portion 168 has an entry inside diameter Den 180 (FIG. 6), the middle portion 170 has a middle inside diameter Dm 182, and the exit portion 172 has an exit inside diameter Dex 184. In some embodiments, the entry or inlet inside diameter Den 180 is greater than the middle diameter Dm 182 (i.e., Den>Dm) by at least 3 percent, and the exit inside diameter Dex 184 is greater than the middle diameter Dm 182 (i.e., Dex>Dm) by at least 3 percent. In one embodiment, Den>Dm by at least 5 percent.

[0039]The plurality of strengthening ribs 164, disclosed above, may be positioned within the entry portion 168, the middle portion 170, and the exit portion 172 of the wall 150. In some aspects, one of the plurality of ribs 164 may be positioned along the exterior surface 160 of the annular member 148 that has the smallest diameter. In some embodiments, at least one of the plurality of ribs 164 is positioned within each of the entry portion 168, the middle portion 170, and the exit portion 172 to provide support to each of these areas. The plurality of strengthening ribs 164 may be formed in any pattern and may allow for an aesthetic arrangement if desired.

[0040]The fan assembly 114, as illustrated in FIG. 6, includes one or more fan blades 116 coupled to a fan motor 115 via a hub 117. In one embodiment, the hub 117 of the fan blades 116 is suspended within the interior 154 of the condenser orifice ring 112 between 70 and 80 percent of the height 174 of the annular member 148 from the downstream edge 142. The fan assembly 114 may extend through the entry portion 168, the middle portion 170, and the exit portion 172 of the ring 112. However, in some embodiments, the fan blades 116 are positioned mostly within the entry portion 168, or the convergent section, of the annular member 148 and below the orifice ring 112. In some aspects, the fan blades 116 may not extend into the middle portion 170 or the exit portion 172 of the orifice ring 112. In an illustrative embodiment, ninety-five percent or more of the fan blades 116 is positioned below the exit portion 172, or divergent section, of the orifice ring 112. In another illustrative embodiment, no portion of the fan blades extend into the exit portion 172 of the orifice ring 112. The bulk of the fan blades 116 are positioned beneath the divergent section of the annular member 148 to allow air to escape more freely from the unit 100. In some aspects, a tip 200 of a leading edge 202 of the fan blades 116 extends below the entry portion 168 of the orifice ring 112 and a tip 204 of a trailing edge 206 of the fan blades 116 is proximate the middle portion 170 of the orifice ring 112. In one embodiment, the height from the bottom of the orifice ring 112 to the top vertical portion of the fan blade 116 is between 2.5 and 3.5 inches, e.g., 2.88 inches and the distance from the bottom of the orifice ring 112 to the bottom of the motor shaft extending downward from the motor 115 is in the range 1.25 to 1.75 inches, e.g., 1.62 inches; and the distance from the bottom of the orifice ring 112 to the lowest portion of the blade 116 is between 4.0 and 4.5 inches, e.g., 4.24 inches.

[0041]A predetermined gap 178 of at least 0.2 inches is formed between the interior surface 158 (FIG. 5) of the wall 150 and a distal end 194 of the fan blades 116. The predetermined gap 178 is the narrowest distance between the wall 150 of the orifice ring 112 and any portion of the fan blades 116. The predetermined gap 178 may help with air recirculation and prevents an ice bridge from forming between the orifice ring 112 and the fan blades 116 during cold weather operation.

[0042]Still referring primarily to FIG. 6, an illustrative embodiment of the connection between the top panel 106 of the compressor-condenser unit 100 and the condenser orifice ring 112 is presented. The plurality of fasteners 196 extends through the apertures or holes 156 on the plurality of positioning tabs 146 and the top panel 106 to secure the orifice ring 112 to the top panel 106 and help maintain the desired concentric shape of the orifice ring 112. In some aspects, the top panel 106 has a recessed portion 198 to receive the lip 186 and the plurality of positioning tabs 146 so that a top surface 208 of the top panel 106 is flush with a top surface 210 of the orifice ring 112. In some embodiments, the protrusions 162 may snap fit with the top panel 106 to secure the condenser-orifice ring as now presented in more detail.

[0043]Referring now primarily to FIG. 7, a detailed, cross-sectional view of an upper portion at the downstream edge 144 with the lip 186 and one of the plurality of protrusions 162 is presented. The cross-sectional view is taken from FIG. 4, along line 7-7. Both the lip 186 and the plurality of protrusions 162 are positioned in the exit portion 172 of the condenser orifice ring 112. The lip 186 extends from the downstream edge 144 of the ring 112 with the plurality of protrusions 162 positioned below the lip 186. The lip 186 extends outward farther than the plurality of protrusions 162.

[0044]A leg 188 extends between the lip 186 and the plurality of protrusions 162. The leg 188 may be straight and substantially parallel the vertical 152 and forms part of the wall 150. The lip 186, the leg 188, and the plurality of protrusions 162 form a channel 190 for receiving a portion of the top panel 106 (FIG. 1) enabling a snap-fit between the condenser orifice ring 112 and the top panel 106 of the compressor-condenser unit 100.

[0045]In one example, the compressor-condenser unit 100 for use in the residential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system 130 includes the cabinet 102 having the plurality of walls 104, including the top panel 106. The fan motor 115 is coupled to the cabinet 102 and one or more fan blades 116 are coupled to the fan motor 115. The orifice opening 110 is formed in the top panel 106 with the condenser orifice ring 112 disposed within the orifice opening 110. The condenser orifice ring 112 is sized to receive the one or more fan blades 116. The condenser orifice ring 112 includes the annular member 148 having the height 174 extending between the upstream edge 142 and the downstream edge 144. The annular member 148 has the wall 150 with the interior surface 158 and the exterior surface 160, wherein the wall 150 flares outward at the upstream edge 142 and flares outward at the downstream edge 144. The flare of the wall 150 at the upstream edge 142 is between 5 and 20 degrees from the vertical 152, and the flare of the wall 150 at the downstream edge 144 is between 15 and 30 degrees from the vertical 152.

[0046]Although the present invention and its advantages have been disclosed in the context of certain illustrative, non-limiting embodiments, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, permutations, and alterations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. It will be appreciated that any feature that is described in a connection to any one embodiment may also be applicable to any other embodiment, unless otherwise prohibited.