FAN FUNDAMENTALS

A FAN IS A VOLUMETRIC DISPLACEMENT DEVICE USED TO PROVIDE FLOW OF AIR. IT CONSISTS OF A ROTATING IMPELLER AND (USUALLY) A HOUSING OR AN ORIFICE. A FAN CONVERTS ROTATONAL MECH. ENERGY TO AIR FLOW AT A STATIC PRESSURE.

TYPES OF FANS

CENTRIFUGAL
FORWARD CURVED BACKWARD CURVED AEROFOIL PROPELLER TUBE AXIAL VANE AXIAL

AXIAL FAN

OCT 2006

D. RAVINDRA

IN ALL ABOVE CASES IT IS THE BLADE INCLINATION BASED ON WHICH CENTRIFUGAL FANS ARE
CLASSIFIED
OCT 2006 D. RAVINDRA

ROTATION

AEROFOIL ROTATION ROTATION

FORWARD CURVED

BACKWARD CURVED

OCT 2006

D. RAVINDRA

FAN APPLICATION
WHEN A DUCT SYSTEM IS NEEDED, CENTRIFUGAL, VANE AXIAL, OR TUBE AXIAL FAN IS USED.

WHEN THERE IS NO DUCT SYSTEM - OR LITTLE OR NO RESISTANCE TO AIRFLOW PROPELLER FAN SHOULD BE USED.

OCT 2006

D. RAVINDRA

FORWARD CURVED CENTRIFUTAL FAN

A. OPERATING RANGE : 30% TO 80% OF WIDE OPEN VOLUME B. HORSE POWER CURVE : OVER LOADING TYPE,

MOTOR SHOULD BE SELECTED

ACCORDINGLY C. APPLICATION : LOW COST, SLOW SPEED, HIGH VOLUME AT LOW TO MEDIUM STATIC PRESSURE. D. E. GOOD SELECTION ZONE SURGE ZONE : : SLIGHTLY TO RIGHT OF PEAK LEFT OF PEAK, FAN SHOULD NOT BE SELECTED IN THIS ZONE.

OCT 2006

D. RAVINDRA

SAFETY MARGIN BLOCKED TIGHT STATIC PRESSURE 100% SURGE ZONE

GOOD SELECTION AREA STATIC EFFICIENCY BHP

STATIC PRESSURE/BHP/ STATIC EFFICIENCY

STATIC PRESSURE FREE DELIVERY OR WIDE OPEN CFM VOLUME FLOW RATE 100%

0%

PERFORMANCE CURVE - FORWARD CURVED

FOR A GIVEN DIAMETER AND GIVEN RPM

OCT 2006

D. RAVINDRA

PERFORMANCE - FORWARD CURVE

BLOCKED TIGHT STATIC PRESSURE IS THE MAXIMUM STATIC PRESSURE AT A GIVEN RPM. FLOW RATE IS ZERO AT BLOCK TIGHT STATIC PRESSURE. A FAN DESIGNED FOR HIGH STATIC PRESSURE WILL DELIVER MORE AIR AND COMSUME MORE POWER IF ACTUAL STATIC IS LOW.
OCT 2006 D. RAVINDRA

BACKWARD CURVED FANS

A. OPERATING RANGE : 40% TO 85% OF WIDE OPEN
VOLUME B. C. HORSE POWER CURVE APPLICATION : : NON OVELOADING TYPE HIGH PRESSURE APPLICATION OR WHERE STATIC PRESSURE CAN VARY LIKE CHOKING OF FILTERS D. E. F. UNSTABLE OPERATION NEAR BLOCK TIGHT STATIC PRESSURE THESE FANS ARE MORE EFFICIENT THAN FORWARD CURVED. PRESSURE CURVE IS STEEPER THAN FORWARD CURVE FAN. SMALL VARIATION IN AIR FLOW FOR CHANGES IN STATIC PRESSURE.
OCT 2006 D. RAVINDRA

PERFORMANCE - BACKWARD CURVE

UNSTABLE ZONE

STATIC PRESSURE, EFFICIENCY, HORSE POWER

STATIC PRESSURE

EFFICIENCY

BHP

VOLUME FLOW RATE

PERFORMANCE CURVE BACKWARD CURVED FAN

BHP CURVE PEAKS AND AGAIN DIPS NON-OVER LOADING CHARACTERISTIC.

OCT 2006 D. RAVINDRA

BACKWARD CURVED FANS

OCT 2006

D. RAVINDRA

BACKWARD vs FORWARD CURVE

BACKWARD CURVED FANS HAVE HIGHER SPEED. HIGH STATIC EFFICIENCY & HENCE LOWER NOISE LEVEL AND POWER CONSUMPTION. MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY REQUIRES CLOSE CLEARANCE AND ALIGNMENT BETWEEN WHEEL & AIR INLET. CONSTRUCTION IS MORE STURDY, WELDED IMPELLER. SHAFT & BEARINGS IS HEAVY. HOWEVER FOR A GIVEN DUTY, FORWARD CURVED WHEEL IS THE SMALLEST OF ALL CENTRIFUGAL TYPES AND OPERATE AT LOWEST SPEED. IT IS ALSO THE CHEAPEST. AEROFOIL FAN IS THE MOST EFFICIENT OF ALL.
OCT 2006 D. RAVINDRA

SYSTEM RESISTANCE CURVE

AS DESIGNED = OA CHANGES BECAUSE OF OTHER SYSTEM EFFECTS = 0B B SYSTEM RESISTANCE CURVE

SP2 = 4"

*
STATIC PRESSURE INCHES 1" WG

SP2 = SP1

CFM 2 CFM1

2 = 2000 1000

2 = 4

1000

2000

AIR FLOW RATE, CFM

SYSTEM RESISTANCE IS THE SUM TOTAL OF THE PRESSURE LOSSES THRO FILTERS, COILS, DAMPERS, DUCT WORK, GRILLES / DIFFUSER, SOUND ATTENUATORS ETC.
OCT 2006 D. RAVINDRA

SYSTEM EFFECTS

POOR INSTALLATION
OCT 2006 D. RAVINDRA

SYSTEM EFFECTS

OCT 2006

D. RAVINDRA

FAN - SYSTEM CURVE INTERACTION

THE POINT OF INTERSECTION OF THE SYSTEM CURVE AND FAN PERFORMANCE CURVE DETERMINE THE POINT OF OPERATION. DO NOT OVER ESTIMATE AND PROVIDE SAFETIES ON STATIC PRESSURE. OVER DESIGN WILL ACTUALLY DELIVER MORE AIR & CONSUME MORE POWER. IT WILL RESULT IN TO NOISY GRILLES, MOISTURE CARRYOVER. DO NOT OVER SIZE THE FAN AS IT WILL BE OPERATING NEAR THE UNSTABLE ZONE.
D. RAVINDRA

OCT 2006

DUCT SYSTEM B FAN CURVE

THE LEFT HUMP WILL ONLY MAKE THE FAN UNSTABLE IF LITTLE THROTTLING IS DONE

B DUCT SYSTEM A A

DUCT SYSTEM C DESIGN C SP RPM, N ( CONSTANT )

B DESIGN CFM
OCT 2006

D. RAVINDRA

FAN LAWS
AIR QUANTITY DIRECTLY VARIES WITH SPEED CFM1 / CFM2 = RPM1 / RPM2 STATIC PRESSURE VARIES AS SQUARE OF SPEED. SP1 / SP2 = (RPM1 / RPM2)2

POWER VARIES AS CUBE OF SPEED.

BHP1 / BHP2 = (RPM1 / RPM2)3

IF SPEED IS DOUBLED , AIR QUANTITY

BECOMES TWICE, HOWEVER POWER

INCREASES BY EIGHT TIMES.
OCT 2006 D. RAVINDRA

FAN LAWS

RPM 1

STATIC PRESSURE

SE A E ED R C SPE IN N I

RPM 2

RPM 3

CFM

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CFM, STATIC PRESSURE, HORSE POWER, SIZE, TIP SPEED, AIR DENSITY FOR GEOMETRICALLY SIMILAR FANS
OCT 2006 D. RAVINDRA

EFFECT OF FAN WHEEL DIAMETER, CONSTANT RPM

CFM BHP

( DIAMETER )3 ( DIAMETER )5

STATIC PRESSURE ( DIAMETER )2

OCT 2006

D. RAVINDRA

EFFECT OF DENSITY , CONSTANT RPM

CFM1
SP1 / SP2 BHP1 / BHP2

=
= =

CFM2
d1 / d 2 d1 / d 2

FAN IS A CONSTANT VOLUME MACHINE . BOTH STATIC PRESSURE AND POWER CONSUMPTION VARY DIRECTLY WITH DENSITY OF AIR.
OCT 2006 D. RAVINDRA

PARALLEL OPERATION
FOR PARALLEL OPERATION IT IS SAFE TO OPERATE TWO IDENTICAL FANS AT SAME OPERATING PARAMETERS.
WITH INDEPENDENT DRIVEN, PARALLEL FANS, IT IS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE ISOLATING DAMPERS SO THAT AIR DOES NOT SHORT CKT NON OPERATING FAN

OCT 2006

D. RAVINDRA

FAN VELOCITY PROFILE

OCT 2006

D. RAVINDRA

CENTRIFUGAL FAN - CORRECT ROTATION

OCT 2006

D. RAVINDRA

AXIAL FLOW FAN - CORRECT ROTATION

OCT 2006

D. RAVINDRA

WRONG DUCT CONNECTION

OCT 2006

D. RAVINDRA

WRONG DUCT CONNECTION

OCT 2006

D. RAVINDRA

AXIAL FLOW FANS-PROPELLER

USED FOR HIGH AIR VOLUME AT FREE DISCHARGE OR LOW RESISTANCE TO AIRFLOW. GOOD FOR NON DUCTED APPLICATION. POWER CONSUMPTION INCREASES WITH RESISTANCE. AT BLOCK TIGHT STATIC, THE BHP IS MAXIMUM AND MOTOR CAN BURN. AT FREE AIR DELIVERY, THE BHP IS MINIMUM.

OCT 2006

D. RAVINDRA

AXIAL FLOW FANS-PROPELLER

3 BASIC TYPES OF ORIFICES : SHARP EDGED CYLINDRICAL OR RIGHT ANGLE FLANGED TYPE

BELL-MOUTH : WHICH IS MOST EFFICIENT.

AXIAL DEPTH OF BELL MOUTH SHOULD BE EQUAL TO THE BELL MOUTH RADIUS, WHICH SHOULD BE 10% OF FAN DIA.

TIP CLEARANCE: SHOULD BE MINIMUM (NEAR ZERO) FOR BEST PERFORMANCE. A TIP CLEARANCE OF 1.5 TO 2.0% RESULTS IN GOOD PERFORMANCE.

FAN POSITION : AXIAL DEPTH OF FAN INSIDE ORIFICE IS CRITICAL. OPTIMUM PROJECTION ON THE DISCHARGE SIDE OF ANY TYPE OF ORIFICE IS ONE-THIRD THE TOTAL BLADE DEPTH.
OCT 2006 D. RAVINDRA

TUBE & VANE AXIAL FANS

IMPELLER IS A PROPELLER TYPE EXCEPT THEY ARE MOSTLY OF DIE CAST ALUMINIUM AEROFOIL. IMPELLER CASING. IS MOUNTED WITHIN A CYLINDRICAL

CLEARANCE BETWEEN BLADE TIP AND CASING IS LOW, IMPORTANT FOR DEVELOPING PRESSURE. FANS CAN BE BELT OR DIRECT DRIVEN. BELT DRIVEN IS ARR.- 9 & DIRECT DRIVEN IS ARR. - 4. MOTOR COULD BE 2/4/6/8 POLE DEPENDING ON FAN RPM. BLADE PITCH CAN EITHER BE OF FIXED TYPE OR ADJUSTABLE TYPE. BOTH THE TOTAL PRESSURE AND AIR VOLUME CAN BE CHANGED BY CHANGING PITCH.
D. RAVINDRA

OCT 2006

VANE AXIAL FANS HAVE STATIONARY VANES FIXED ON

THE DISCHARGE SIDE TO RECOVER PORTION OF VELOCITY PRESSURE.

ALL AXIAL FANS CONSUME MAXIMUM POWER AT

BLOCK TIGHT STATIC.

PROPELLER AND TUBE AXIAL FANS CAN BE ROTATED IN REVERSE DIRECTION WITH DERATION UP TO 70%. VANE AXIAL FANS WILL NOT PERFORM WHEN REVERSED.

INLET & OUTLET CONDITIONS ARE CRITICAL FOR PERFORMANCE.

D. RAVINDRA

OCT 2006

FOR KITCHEN EXHAUST, KEEP MOTOR OUT OF AIR

STREAM. THESE ARE CALLED BIFURCATED FANS.

TUBE AXIAL FANS CAN BE SHORT OR LONG CASING FOR WALL MOUTING APPLICATION, SHORT CASING SHOULD BE USED AS THEY ARE CHEAPER.

NOISE LEVEL OF AXIAL FANS IS HIGH. THEREFORE THEY ARE USED FOR GENERAL VENTILATION.

FOR TUBE/VANE AXIAL FANS SINCE AIR IS FLOWING

OVER MOTOR, TOTALLY ENCLOSED MOTORS

USED.

MAY BE

OCT 2006

D. RAVINDRA

END

OCT 2006

D. RAVINDRA