Outdoor Blower Casing

Abstract

A weather resistant blower casing has an impeller casing, an electric motor casing, a blower baffle, a cooling fan casing and a fan baffle. A downward facing cooling air inlet is provided in the electric motor casing to draw in filtered cooling air into the electric motor without drawing in rainwater. The cooling air outlet is in the cooling fan casing and is also downward facing. The fan baffle makes sure that the cooling air goes through the electric motor. The blower baffle is between the electric motor casing and impeller casing so that the air flowing through the impeller does not mix with the cooling air flowing through the motor. All elements are joined together with a weather tight seal.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A blower casing adapted to house, in an outdoor environment, an impeller, an electric motor adapted to drive said impeller, and a cooling fan adapted to cool said electric motor, said blower casing comprising:
 a) an impeller casing, said impeller casing comprising:
 i) a blower inlet adapted to feed contaminated air into said impeller; 
 ii) an impeller cover defining an impeller cavity adapted to house said impeller; and 
 iii) a blower outlet adapted to exhaust said contaminated air to said outdoor environment; 
   b) an electric motor casing, said electric motor casing comprising:
 i) a motor cover defining a motor cavity adapted to house said electric motor; and 
 ii) a downward facing cooling air inlet adapted to convey cooling air from said outdoor environment into said motor cavity; and 
 iii) no cooling air inlet that faces upwards; 
   c) a blower baffle between said motor cavity and said impeller cavity forming a barrier between said motor cavity and said impeller cavity, said blower baffle comprising an arbor hole adapted to admit an arbor of said electric motor from said motor cavity into said impeller cavity wherein said arbor connects said electric motor to said impeller;   d) a cooling fan casing, said cooling fan casing comprising:
 i) a cooling fan cover defining a cooling fan cavity adapted to house said cooling fan; and 
 ii) a downward facing cooling air outlet adapted to convey warmed cooling air from said cooling fan cavity to said outdoor environment; and 
   e) a fan baffle between said motor cavity and said cooling fan cavity, said fan baffle comprising a motor shell aperture adapted to form a seal with a shell of said electric motor such that said cooling air will pass from said motor cavity, through said motor, and into said cooling fan cavity   
       wherein:
 f) said cooling fan casing, said electric motor casing and said impeller casing are joined together to form a weather tight seal. 
 
     
     
         2 . The blower casing of  claim 1  wherein said downward facing cooling air inlet comprises an air filter. 
     
     
         3 . The blower casing of  claim 1  wherein:
 a) said blower outlet is vertical; 
 b) said blower outlet comprises a bottom; and 
 c) said bottom of said blower outlet comprises an outlet condensate tap. 
 
     
     
         4 . The blower casing of  claim 1  wherein:
 a) said impeller casing comprises a bottom; and 
 b) said bottom of said impeller casing comprise an impeller condensate tap. 
 
     
     
         5 . The blower casing of  claim 1  wherein:
 a) said blower inlet comprises a tapered internal diameter; and 
 b) said tapered internal diameter has a taper angle of about 10 degrees. 
 
     
     
         6 . The blower casing of  claim 1  wherein said impeller casing, said electric motor casing and said cooling fan casing are made of cast aluminum or an alloy thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The blower casing of  claim 1  wherein said blower baffle comprises one or more motor mounts adapted to mount said electric motor thereupon and wherein each of said motor mounts comprises a standoff from said blower baffle. 
     
     
         8 . The blower casing of  claim 1  which further comprises a low voltage junction box adapted to house low voltage wire and low voltage motor controllers and a high voltage junction box adapted to house power connections to said electric motor. 
     
     
         9 . The blower casing of  claim 1  wherein said blower inlet comprises a 90° elbow adapted to covey said inlet contaminated air from a vertical flow direction to a horizontal flow direction. 
     
     
         10 . The blower casing of  claim 9  wherein said 90° elbow has an internal diameter that tapers from a diameter of about 76 mm to a diameter of about 50 mm. 
     
     
         11 . The blower casing of  claim 9  wherein said 90° elbow comprises a hinged cover such that said hinged cover can be opened and an impeller inside said impeller casing can be inspected. 
     
     
         12 . The blower casing of  claim 1  wherein the exterior of said blower casing is treated with a coating that is resistant or reflective of heat absorption. 
     
     
         13 . The blower casing of  claim 1  wherein said blower baffle and said electric motor casing are a unitary piece. 
     
     
         14 . The blower casing of  claim 1  wherein said cooling fan casing and said electric motor casing form a unitary piece. 
     
     
         15 . The blower casing of  claim 1  wherein said impeller casing is contained within said motor cavity. 
     
     
         16 . The blower casing of  claim 1  which further comprises:
 a) said impeller; 
 b) said electric motor; and 
 c) said cooling fan. 
 
     
     
         17 . The blower casing of  claim 16  wherein said impeller is a centrifugal impeller. 
     
     
         18 . The blower casing of  claim 1  wherein said impeller casing further comprises:
 a) a 90° inlet elbow comprising:
 i) a vertical portion; and 
 ii) a horizontal portion; 
 
 b) a vertical web; and 
 c) a lower drain tube connecting the bottom of said impeller cavity to said vertical portion of said 90° elbow 
 
       wherein said blower casing is unitary piece of cast aluminum or aluminum alloy.