US 20040146395A1
(19) United States
(12) Patent Application Publication (io) Pub. No.: US 2004/0146395 Al
Uselton (43) Pub. Date: Jul. 29,2004
(54) NOISE REDUCTION BY VORTEX
SUPPRESSION IN AIR FLOW SYSTEMS
(75) Inventor: Robert B. Uselton, Piano, TX (US)
Correspondence Address:
MICHAEL E. MARTIN
GARDERE WYNNE SEWELL LLP
SUITE 3000
1601 ELM STREET
DALLAS, TX 75201-4761 (US)
(73) Assignee: LENNOX INDUSTRIES, INC., Richardson, TX
(21) Appl. No.: 10/352,298
(22) Filed: Jan. 27, 2003
Publication Classification (51) Int. CI.7 104D 29/70
(52) U.S. CI 415/119; 415/121.2; 416/247 R
(57) ABSTRACT
Acoustic vibrations generated by von Karman vortex streets are reduced by shaping members interposed in moving air flowstreams, such as fan guards and grilles used in forced flow air conditioning systems, to have either a cylindrical cross section or a non-cylindrical cross-section with nonlinear or interrupted leading or trailing edges presented to the air fiowstream. Relatively flat rectangular cross-section members with interrupted or non-linear leading or trailing edges formed by somewhat sawtooth or sinusoidal wave forms or connected to spaced apart support members, or cylindrical members formed in the shape of a sawtooth or sinusoidal wave form, or presented with spaced apart rings or grooves interrupting the cylindrical cross-section of the member are typical configurations which exhibit reduced or substantially eliminated acoustic vibrations caused by von Karman vortex shedding.
