Patent ID: 8696305
Filing Date: 2014-04-15
Classification: F04D

Abstract:
1. A fan assembly comprising: an axial flow fan which rotates about a central fan axis; an inlet stator positioned upstream of the fan, the inlet stator having a first inner support ring, and a plurality of inlet stator blades extending outwardly from the first inner support ring, each inlet stator blade having an upstream edge and a downstream edge, said downstream edge terminating adjacent to a first end plane which is generally perpendicular to the central fan axis, said downstream edge having a tangent which is oriented at a first variable angle, B1, with respect to said first end plane, and said first variable angle increasing with increasing distance, d1, from the inner support ring and said first variable angle varying continuously along a length of each inlet stator blade; and an outlet stator positioned downstream of the fan, the outlet stator having a second inner support ring, and a plurality of outlet stator blades extending outwardly from the second inner support ring, each outlet stator blade having an upstream edge and a downstream edge, said upstream edge of each outlet stator blade terminating adjacent to a second end plane which is generally perpendicular to the central fan axis, said upstream edge having a tangent which is oriented at a second variable angle, B2, with respect to said second end plane, and said second variable angle decreasing with increasing distance d2 from the inner support ring and said second variable angle varying continuously along a length of each outlet stator blade.