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Centrifugal fan
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Figure 1: Components of a centrifugal fan

A centrifugal fan (also squirrel-cage fan, as it looks like a hamster wheel) is a

mechanical device for moving air or gases. It has a fan wheel composed of a number
of fan blades, or ribs, mounted around a hub. As shown in Figure 1, the hub turns on a
driveshaft that passes through the fan housing. The gas enters from the side of the fan
wheel, turns 90 degrees and accelerates due to centrifugal force as it flows over the
fan blades and exits the fan housing.[1]

Centrifugal fans can generate pressure rises in the gas stream. Accordingly, they are
well-suited for industrial processes and air pollution control systems. They are also
common in central heating/cooling systems.

Contents
[hide]

• 1 Fan components
o 1.1 Types of drive mechanisms
  1.1.1 Direct drive
 1.1.2 Variable drive
o 1.2 Bearings
o 1.3 Fan dampers and Vanes
o 1.4 Fan ribs
 1.4.1 Forward-curved blades
 1.4.2 Backward-curved blades
 1.4.3 Straight radial blades
• 2 Centrifugal fan ratings
• 3 Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA)
• 4 See also
• 5 References

• 6 External links

[edit] Fan components

The major components of a typical centrifugal fan include the fan wheel, fan housing,
drive mechanism, and inlet and/or outlet dampers.

[edit] Types of drive mechanisms

The fan drive determines the speed of the fan wheel (impeller) and the extent to which
this speed can be varied. There are three basic types of fan drives.[1]

[edit] Direct drive

The fan wheel can be linked directly to the shaft of an electric motor. This means that
the fan wheel speed is identical to the motor's rotational speed. With this type of fan
drive mechanism, the fan speed cannot be varied unless the motor speed is adjustable.

a set of sheaves mounted on the motor shaft and the fan wheel shaft.

This type of drive mechanism is depicted in figure 2. The belts transmit the
mechanical energy from the motor to the fan.

The fan wheel speed depends upon the ratio of the diameter of the motor sheave to the
diameter of the fan wheel sheave and can be obtained from this equation:[1]

where:
rpmfan = fan wheel speed, revolutions per minute
rpmmotor = motor nameplate speed, revolutions per minute
Dmotor = diameter of the motor sheave
 Dfan = diameter of the fan wheel sheave

Fan wheel speeds in belt-driven fans are fixed unless the belts slip. Belt slippage can
reduce the fan wheel speed several hundred revolutions per minute (rpm).

[edit] Variable drive

Variable drive fans use hydraulic or magnetic couplings (between the fan wheel shaft
and the motor shaft) that allow control of the fan wheel speed independent of the
motor speed. The fan speed controls are often integrated into automated systems to
maintain the desired fan wheel speed.[1]

An alternate method of varying the fan speed is by use of an electronic variable-speed

drive which controls the speed of the motor driving the fan. This offers better overall
energy efficiency at reduced speeds than mechanical couplings.

[edit] Bearings

Bearings are an important part of a fan.

Sleeve-ring oil bearings are used extensively in fans. Some sleeve-ring bearings may
be water cooled. Water cooled Sleeve bearings are used when hot gases are being
moved by the fan. Heat is conducted through the shaft and into the oil which must be
cooled to prevent overheating of the bearing.

For lower speed fans which have a bearings in tough-to-get-to spots, Grease-packed
anti-friction bearings are used.

[edit] Fan dampers and Vanes

Fan dampers are used to control gas flow into and out of the centrifugal fan. They
may be installed on the inlet side or on the outlet side of the fan, or both. Dampers on
the outlet side impose a flow resistance that is used to control gas flow. Dampers on
the inlet side (inlet vanes) are designed to control gas flow by changing the amount of
gas or air admitted to the fan inlet.

Inlet dampers (Inlet vanes) reduce fan energy usage due to their ability to affect the
airflow pattern into the fan.[1]

[edit] Fan ribs

 Figure 3: Centrifugal fan blades

The fan wheel consists of a hub on which a number of fan blades are attached. The
fan blades on the hub can be arranged in three different ways: forward-curved,
backward-curved or radial.[1]

[edit] Forward-curved blades

Forward-curved blades, as in Figure 3(a), use blades that curve in the direction of the
fan wheel's rotation. These are especially sensitive to particulates. Forward-curved
blades are for high flow, low pressure applications.

[edit] Backward-curved blades

Backward-curved blades, as in Figure 3(b), use blades that curve against the direction
of the fan wheel's rotation. The backward curvature mimics that of an airfoil cross
section and provides good operating efficiency with relatively economical
construction techniques. These types of fan wheels are used in fans designed to handle
gas streams with low to moderate particulate loadings. They can be easily fitted with
wear protection but certain blade curvatures can be prone to solids build-up.

Backward curved fans can have a high range of specific speeds but are most often
used for medium specific speed applications-- high pressure, medium flow
applications.

Backward-curved fans are much more energy efficient than radial blade fans and so,
for high horsepower applications may be a suitable alternative to the lower cost radial
bladed fan.

[edit] Straight radial blades

Radial fan blades, as in Figure 3(c), extend straight out from the hub. A radial blade
fan wheel is often used on particulate-laden gas streams because it is the least
sensitive to solids build-up on the blades, but it is often characterized by greater noise
output. High speeds, low volumes, and high pressures are common with radial fans,
and are often used in vacuum cleaners, pneumatic material conveying systems, and
similar processes.

[edit] Centrifugal fan ratings

Ratings found in centrifugal fan performance tables and curves are based on standard
air SCFM. Fan manufacturers define standard air as clean, dry air with a density of
0.075 pounds mass per cubic foot (1.2kg/m³), with the barometric pressure at sea level
of 29.92 inches of mercury (101.325kPa) and a temperature of 70°F (21°C). Selecting
a centrifugal fan to operate at conditions other than standard air requires adjustment to
both static pressure and brake horsepower. The volume of air will not be affected in a
given system because a fan will move the same amount of air regardless of the air
density.

If a centrifugal fan is to operate at a non-standard density, then corrections must be

made to static pressure and brake horsepower. At higher than standard elevation (sea
level) and higher than standard temperature, air density is lower than standard density.
Centrifugal fans that are specified for continuous operation at higher temperatures
need to be selected taking into account air density corrections. Again, a centrifugal
fan is a constant volume device that will move the same amount of air at two different
temperatures.

If, for example, a centrifugal fan moves 1,000 ft³/min (28 m³/min) at 70 °F (21 °C) it
will also move 1,000 ft³/min (28 m³/min) at 200 °F (93 °C). Centrifugal fan air
volume delivered by the centrifugal fan is not affected by density. However, since the
200 °F (93 °C) air weighs much less than the 70 °F (21 °C) air, the centrifugal fan
will create less static pressure and will require less brake horsepower. Selecting a
centrifugal fan to operate at conditions other than standard air requires adjustment to
both static pressure and power. When a centrifugal fan is specified for a given CFM
and static pressure at conditions other than standard, an air density correction factor
must be applied to select the proper size fan to meet the new condition. Since 200 °F
(93 °C) air weighs only 80% of 70 °F (21 °C) air, the centrifugal fan will create less
pressure. To get the actual pressure required at 200 °F (93 °C), the designer would
have to multiply the pressure at standard conditions by an air density correction factor
of 1.25 (i.e., 1.0 / 0.8) to get the system to operate correctly. To get the actual power
at 200 °F (93 °C), the designer would have to divide the power at standard conditions
by the air density correction factor.

[edit] Air Movement and Control Association

(AMCA)
The centrifugal fan performance tables provide the fan RPM and power requirements
for the given CFM and static pressure at standard air density. When the centrifugal
fan performance is not at standard conditions, the performance must be converted to
standard conditions before entering the performance tables. Centrifugal fans rated by
the Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) are tested in laboratories with
test setups that simulate installations that are typical for that type of fan. Usually they
are tested and rated as one of four standard installation types as designated in AMCA
Standard 210.[2]

AMCA Standard 210 defines uniform methods for conducting laboratory tests on
housed fans to determine airflow rate, pressure, power and efficiency, at a given speed
of rotation. The purpose of AMCA Standard 210 is to define exact procedures and
conditions of fan testing so that ratings provided by various manufacturers are on the
same basis and may be compared. For this reason, fans must be rated in SCFM.
[edit] See also
• Fan (mechanical)
• Ducted fan
• Standard temperature and pressure
• Wind turbine

[edit] References
1. ^ a b c d e f Fan types (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website page)
2. ^ ANSI/AMCA Standard 210-99, "Laboratory Methods Of Testing Fans for
Aerodynamic Performance Rating"

[edit] External links

• Fan Engineering Data and Selection Guide by Cincinnati Fan

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrifugal_fan"

Categories: Chemical engineering | Mechanical engineering | Gases

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• This page was last modified on 14 November 2009 at 18:59.

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