Abstract: A centrifugal blower assembly includes a housing and a blower wheel coupled to the housing. The blower wheel includes a plurality of blades circumferentially-spaced about an axis of rotation. Each blade includes a length and is oriented at a first angle along the length with respect to the rotational axis. The centrifugal blower assembly also includes a plurality of circumferentially-spaced fins coupled in flow communication with said blower wheel, said plurality of fins configured to direct an inlet airflow into the blower wheel such that a relative velocity direction of the inlet airflow is oriented at the first angle with respect to the rotational axis.

Abstract: A forward curved blower wheel has fan blades having relatively small leading edge blades angles and a relatively lengthy mean camber lines. The blower wheel also comprises leading edge notches adjacent its blower wheel inlet. The leading edge notches eliminate buffeting that would occur with such blades if such notches were not present.

Abstract: A centrifugal blower for HVACR applications includes a squirrel cage forward-curved blower fan and a scroll housing. The blower fan comprises a plurality of blades that are configured to emit air radially outward and tangentially from between the blades when the blower fan rotates at a first speed. The air so emitted has a deviation angle defined as the difference between the direction of the emitted air and the blade exit angle. The scroll housing has a spline-shaped wall that has an axial cross-section that is configured such that the deviation angle of the air emitted from the blower fan at an axial plane deviates by no more than fifteen percent circumferentially about the blower fan in-between the spline-shaped wall and the blower fan and such that the average tangential velocity of air between the spline-shaped wall and the blower fan deviates by no more than thirty percent.

Abstract: A forward curved blower wheel has fan blades having relatively small leading edge blades angles and a relatively lengthy mean camber lines. The blower wheel also comprises leading edge notches adjacent its blower wheel inlet. The leading edge notches eliminate buffeting that would occur with such blades if such notches were not present.