Mustansiriyah University, College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Department,

4th Class(2019-2002), Course Title: Refrigeration Equipment Design 1, Code: 506-03-4-06

Lectures 3 (Fans)

Fans:
A fan is a kind of pump which is used for pumping or circulating the air
through the entire duct system
The air feed into a fan is called induced draft while the air exhaust from a fan
is called forced draft.

Types of fans:
1- Centrifugal or radial flow fans.
2- Axial flow fan.

The centrifugal fans or widely used for ducts of A.C system. Because they can
efficiently move large or small quantities of air over a greater range of operating
pressure.

Total pressure developed by fan:

As mentioned earlier the total pressure created by a fan is F T P which is:
F T P = PT2 - PT1
Where
PT2: total pressure at fan outlet = Ps2 + Pd2
PT1: total pressure at fan inlet = Ps1 + Pd1
Fan static pressure FSP = FTP - Pd2
FTP = FSP + FdP

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Mustansiriyah University, College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Department,
4th Class(2019-2002), Course Title: Refrigeration Equipment Design 1, Code: 506-03-4-06

Fan air power:

The power output of a fan is expressed in terms of air power and represents the
work done by the fan.
P.P = Q * FTP * KP
where : P.P: pumping power (w)
Q: volumetric flow rate (m3/s)
FTP: fan total presser (pa)
Kp : compressibility coefficient
When FTP in mm of water
P.P = 9.81* Q * FTP * KP (W)

and static fan air power

Pa.s= Q * FSP * KP

Fan efficiency:
Is the ratio of the total fan air power or (pumping power) to the driving power.
It is also called mechanical efficiency.

The required power input to the fan is

Pin =

Similar the static fan efficiency

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Mustansiriyah University, College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Department,
4th Class(2019-2002), Course Title: Refrigeration Equipment Design 1, Code: 506-03-4-06

Fan performance curves:

Is a graph of a fan volume flow rate plotted against pressure, power, or
efficiency
Specific speed of a centrifugal fan:
Is the speed of a geometrically similar fan which would deliver 1 m3 of air per
second against a head of 1m of air. It is usually denoted by Ns.

Example 3.1

A centrifugal fan has a circular inlet duct of 0.45m diameter and a rectangular outlet duct of
0.45m by 0.375m. The static pressure at the fan inlet is -12.5 mm of water and the static pressure
at the fan outlet is 25 mm of water when the fan delivers 115 m 3 / min and absorbs 1kW.
Assuming standard air density in both ducts and compressibility factor as 1, determine (a) total
pressure at fan inlet and outlet, (b) fan total pressure and fan static pressure, and (c)fan
efficiency and fan static efficiency.

Solution

Given: D = 0.45m; a = 0.45m; b =0.375m; PS1 = -12.5mm of water; PS2 = 25mm of water; Q=
115 m3/min; B.P. = 1kW; KP=1

(a) Total pressure at fan inlet and outlet

Let PT1= Total pressure at fan inlet, and

PT2= Total pressure at fan outlet.

Cross-sectional area of circular inlet duct,

 
A1   D2  ( 0.45 )2  0.16 m 2
4 4

Velocity of air in the inlet duct,

Q 115
V1    718.7 m 3 / min  11.98 m 3 / s
A1 0.16

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Mustansiriyah University, College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Department,
4th Class(2019-2002), Course Title: Refrigeration Equipment Design 1, Code: 506-03-4-06

We know that velocity pressure in the inlet duct,

2 2
 V   11.98 
p v1  1     8.8 mm of water
 4.04   4.04 

 Total pressure at fan inlet,

PT 1  PS 1  pv1  12.5  8.8  3.7 of water Ans.

Cross-sectional area of rectangular outlet duct,

A2=a  b=0.45x0.375=0.l7m2

Velocity of air in the outlet duct,

Q 115
V2    676.5m 3 / min  11.3m 3 / s
A2 0.17

We know that velocity pressure in the outlet duct,

2 2
 V   11.3 
pv 2  2     7.8 mm of water
 4.04   4.04 

Total pressure at fan outlet,

PT 2  PS 2  p v 2  25  7.8  32.8 mm of water Ans .

(b) Fan total pressure and fan static pressure

We know that fan total pressure,

PTF  PT 2  PT 1  32.8  ( 3.7 )  36.5 mm of water Ans .

and fan static pressure,

PSF  PTF  p v 2  32.8  ( 3.7 )  36.5 mm of water Ans .

(c) Fan total efficiency and fan static efficiency

We know that fan air power,

9.81Q  PTF  K P 9.81  115  36.5  1

Pat    686.3W  0.6863kW
60 60
and static fan air power,

9.81Q  PSF  K P 9.81  115  28.7  1

Pas    539.6W  0.5396 kW
60 60

 Fan total efficiency,

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Mustansiriyah University, College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Department,
4th Class(2019-2002), Course Title: Refrigeration Equipment Design 1, Code: 506-03-4-06

Pat 0.6863
TF    0.6863 or 68.63% Ans .
B.P. 1

and fan static efficiency,

Pas 0.5396
 SF    0.5396 or 53.96% Ans .
B.P. 1

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