CENTRIFUGAL BLOWER TEST RIG

AIM:
To conduct the performance test on centrifugal blower and find its overall
efficiency

THEORY:
Blowers are used to discharge higher volume of air at low pressure. They
consist of impeller and spiral casing. They are used in furnaces, cupolas, mine and air-
conditioning plants etc. There can be three different types of impellers namely Radial
Curved Vane, Forward Curve Vane, and Backward Curve Vane. Impellers may be
made of sheets and can be casted. Motor rotates the impeller and impeller sucks the air
through the center and delivers the air through its periphery. Velocity, discharge and
head depend upon the outlet, inlet angles and peripheral speed.

DESCRIPTION:
Blower consists of a motor, impeller and its body. Three impellers i.e.
forward curved, backward curved and radial curved vane is provided with the set-up.
These are interchangeable and any one of then can be fixed on the motor shaft. To find
out the outlet velocity, the Pitot tube is provided. Differential manometer is fixed to find
out the difference of pressure of Pitot tube at Blower outlet. Energy meter is provided to
find out the input power to blower. For changing the discharge and head, valve
is provided at outlet of the air

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE:
STARTING PROCEDURE:
1. Clean the apparatus and make it free from Dust.
2. Fill manometer fluid in manometer Tube i.e. water.
3. Ensure that all On/Off Switches given on the Panel are at OFF position. Now switch
ON the Main Power Supply.
4. Switch ON the Blower.
5. Fix the RPM of motor with the help of DC Drive and read the RPM of motor with the
help of RPM Indicator provided on the Panel.
6. Control the flow of air with the help of control valve provided in the discharge pipe.

New No. 3, Old no. 2, S.V . Koil Street, Sekar Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Chennai – 600 083
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7. Measure the pressure difference, static head & dynamic head with the help
of manometer.
8. Record the power consumption by means of energy meter, provided in panel using
Stop Watch.
9. Repeat the same experiment for constant RPM but change the flow of air with the
help of control valve and then for different RPM.

CLOSING PROCEDURE:
1. When experiment is over, adjust DC Drive knob at ZERO.
2. Switch OFF the Blower.
3. Switch OFF Power Supply to Panel

OBSERVATION & CALCULATION:

DATA:

g = 9.81 m/s2
ρa= 1.21 kg/m3
ρw= 1000 kg/m3
Cv= 0.98
ηmotor = 0.8
D = 0.069

FORMULAE:

Ei = (3600/E)*(10/t) Watts

Es=Ei X ηm

Eo = (ρa x g x H x Q) / 1000, Kw

Q = V x A, m3/sec

V= Cv (√2gh), m/sec

New No. 3, Old no. 2, S.V . Koil Street, Sekar Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Chennai – 600 083
Phone: +91 (044), 4356 8404 | Cell: (+91) 9789976777, 9789975777& 9940077338
Email: sales@elshaddaiengg.com, support@elshaddaiengg.com www.elshaddaiengg.com
h=h1 – h2 (ρw / ρa -1) m of air column respectively. Where ρw and ρa are densities of
manometer fluid and air respectively

h1 – h2 are manometer readings in m of mercury column

To find the total head H= HD + HS of the blower,

HD & HS = (h1 – h2) (ρw / ρa -1)m of air column Where ρw and ρa are densities of
manometer fluid and air respectively.

h1 – h2 are manometer readings in m of water column

Efficiency of the blower, ηo = (Eo / Ei) x 100%

NOMENCLATURE:

A = Area of cross section of pipe, m2

Cv= Co-efficient of Pitot tube.
D = Diameter of pipe, m.
Ei= Power input, kW.
Eo= Power output, kW.
E = Energy Meter Constant, Pulses/kW hr.
g = Acceleration due to gravity, m/sec2
H=Total Head, m of air.
h1= Static Head, m.
h2= Dynamic Head, m
Q = Discharge, m3/sec
t= Time taken by P, sec
V = Velocity of Air, m/sec.
ρa= Density of Air, kg/m3
ρw=Density of Water, kg/m3
ηb= Efficiency of blower %.

RESULT:

Thus the test is conducted on the centrifugal blower and its efficiency is found
out to be ---------

New No. 3, Old no. 2, S.V . Koil Street, Sekar Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Chennai – 600 083
Phone: +91 (044), 4356 8404 | Cell: (+91) 9789976777, 9789975777& 9940077338
Email: sales@elshaddaiengg.com, support@elshaddaiengg.com www.elshaddaiengg.com