摘要：
A heat transfer system 1 comprising a fan 3, and a heat exchanger 5 arranged so that the fan blows or draws air over and/or through the heat exchanger. The fan and the heat exchanger each include an internal pathway (67, Fig.7), 19 through which working fluid can flow, the respective internal pathways being coupled to one another so that working fluid can flow through the fan and the heat exchanger for heat transfer between the working fluid and the air. Blades (11, Fig.7) of the fan may be hollow and fluidly coupled to a hub 7. The blades may include an internal blade pathway (67, Fig.7) through which working fluid can flow. The pathway may be serpentine in one dimension or in two dimensions and may include perturbators (18, Fig.7). The heat transfer system may be used in an air source heat pump, within a computing resource such as a server or desktop computer, to cool a CPU or GPU, air cooled HVAC chillers, organic rankine cycle engines, or in battery powered electric vehicles.
权利要求：
CLAIMS
1. A heat transfer system comprising:
a fan, and
a heat exchanger arranged relative to the fan so that the fan is operable to blow or draw air over and/or through the heat exchanger,
wherein the fan and the heat exchanger each include an internal pathway through which working fluid can flow, the respective intemal pathways being coupled to one another so that working fluid can flow through the fan and the heat exchanger for heat transfer between the working fluid and the air.
2. A heat transfer system according to Claim 1, wherein the fan comprises a hollow axle, a hollow hub fluidly coupled to the axle so that working fluid can flow through the axle and the hub, and a plurality of blades extending radially from the hub; at least said axle being of a heat conducting material so that heat transfer can occur between working fluid flowing through said axle and the air.
3. A heat transfer system according to Claim 2, wherein said hollow hub and/or said blades is/are of a heat conducting material.
4. A heat transfer system according to Claim 2 or 3, wherein at least one of said blades is hollow and fluidly coupled to said hub so that working fluid can flow into and out of said hollow blade for heat transfer with the air.
5. A heat transfer system according to Claim 3, wherein one or more of said blades includes an internal blade pathway through which working fluid can flow.
6. A heat transfer system according to Claim 5 or 6, wherein said intemal blade pathway includes a plurality of perturbators operable to increase perturbations in working fluid flowing through the internal blade pathway.
z. A heat transfer system according to Claim 5 or 6, wherein said internal blade pathway is serpentine.
8. A heat transfer system according to Claim 7, wherein said blade comprises one or more intemal walls, said intemal walls being configured to provide an internal blade pathway that is serpentine in one dimension within said blade.
9. A heat transfer system according to Claim 8, wherein said blade has a leading edge and a trailing edge, and said internal blade pathway is serpentine in one dimension that extends lengthwise between said leading edge and said trailing edge.
10. A heat transfer system according to Claim 7, wherein said blade comprises a plurality of more internal walls, said internal walls being configured to provide an intemal blade pathway that is serpentine in two dimensions within said blade.
14, A heat transfer system according to Claim 10, wherein said blade has a leading edge, a trailing edge, and first and second sidewalls extending between said leading and trailing edges; said internal blade pathway being serpentine in a first dimension that extends longitudinally between said leading edge and said trailing edge, and in a second dimension that extends transversely between said first and second sidewalls.
12. A heat transfer system according to any of Claims 5 to 11, wherein said internal blade pathway comprises an inlet for ingress of working fluid and an outlet for egress of working fluid.
13. A heat transfer system according to Claim 12, wherein said inlet is located in a first blade and said outlet is located in a second blade that is radially spaced from said first blade so that said internal blade pathway extends through more than one blade.
14. A heat transfer system according to Claim 12, wherein said inlet and said outlet are located in the same blade so that said intemal blade pathway extends through a single blade.
15. A heat transfer system according to any of Claims 12 to 14, wherein said hub includes an internal baffle that subdivides said hollow hub into a first manifold on one side of said baffle and a second manifold on the other side of said baffle, each said manifold including a plurality of ports at spaced locations about a peripheral wall of the hub.
16. A heat transfer system according to Claim 15, wherein said ports enable fluid communication between said hub and the inlet and the outlet of said internal blade pathway.
17. A heat transfer system according to Claim 16, wherein a port in said first manifold is in fluid communication with said inlet, and a port in said second manifold is in fluid communication with said outlet
18. A heat transfer system according to any of Claims 2 to 17, wherein sidewalls of one or more of said blades are provided with a plurality of ribs.
19. A heat transfer system according to any of Claims 2 to 18, wherein an external surface of said hub is provided with a plurality of ribs.
20. A heat transfer system according to any of Claims 2 to 18, wherein said blades include a rip region, and the tip region of at least one of said blades comprises a winglet.
21. A heat transfer system according to any preceding claim, wherein said heat exchanger defines a recess in which at least part of said fan is located.
22. A heat transfer system according to any preceding claim, wherein said fan is enclosed within a void defined inside said heat exchanger.
23. A heat transfer system according to any preceding claim, wherein said heat exchanger comprises a fluid permeable body, said intemal pathway extending through said fluid permeable body.
24. A heat transfer system according to any preceding claim, wherein said internal pathway through said heat exchanger comprises a length of piping through which working fluid can flow for heat exchange between the pipe and the air.
25. A heat transfer system according to Claim 24, comprising a plurality of vanes through which said length of piping extends, said vanes being thermally coupled to said piping.
26. A heat transfer system according to Claim 20 when dependent on any of Claims 1 to 23, wherein said heat exchanger comprises a plurality of vanes and said internal pathway comprises a serpentine pathway extending through one or more of said vanes.
27. An HVAC, Air Source Heat Pump or ORC system comprising a heat transfer system according to any preceding claim.