Patent ID: 6386830
Filing Date: 2002-05-14
Classification: F01D,F04D

Abstract:
A fan assembly comprising:a hub having an axis of rotation; a plurality of rotor blades disposed circumferentially around and extending radially outward from said hub, each of said plurality of rotor blades having a straight-ruled leading edge that extends outward from said hub with unequal angular spacing between said leading edge of adjacent ones of said plurality of rotor blades, each of said plurality of rotor blades having a trailing edge that extends from said hub at a skew angle measured in a radial plane of said hub with respect to a first line extending radially outward from said axis of rotation, each of said plurality of rotor blades having an axial chord length defined across a central portion thereof and parallel to said axis of rotation, said plurality of rotor blades further defining a solidity of greater than 1; a frame; a plurality of stator vanes disposed circumferentially around and extending radially from said frame, said plurality of stator vanes being lesser in number than said plurality of rotor blades, each of said plurality of stator vanes having a leading edge that extends from said frame at: i) an inclined angle measured in said radial plane with respect to a second line extending radially outward from said axis of rotation, and ii) a lean angle measured in an axial plane of said frame with respect to a third line extending radially outward from said axis of rotation; and said frame with said plurality of stator vanes being positioned adjacent said hub with said plurality of rotor blades to define an axial gap between said trailing edge of each of said plurality of rotor blades and said leading edge of each of said plurality of stator vanes, said axial gap increasing with radial distance from said hub as defined by said skew angle and said inclined angle, said axial gap being a minimum of said axial chord length.