MECHANICAL FANS

USES:
• For ventilation, in manufacturing, in removal of dust,
cuttings or other waste, or to provide draft for a fire.
• To move air for cooling purposes, as in automotive
engines and air conditioning systems and are driven by
belts or by direct motor
TYPES OF FANS

CENTRIFUGAL FLOW

AXIAL FLOW
CENTRIFUGAL FANS
TYPES OF CENTRIFUGAL FANS
1. Radial Fans – they are industrial workhouses because of their
high static pressure and ability to handle heavily contaminated
air streams. They are well suited for high temperatures.
-Can operate at low air flows without vibration
problems
TYPES OF CENTRIFUGAL FANS
2. Forward-Curved Fans – used in clean environments and operates
at low temperatures moving large volumes of air against relatively
low pressures
Low noise level (due to low speed) and well
suited for residential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning
(HVAC) applications
TYPES OF CENTRIFUGAL FANS
• Backward-Inclined Fans – more efficient than forward curved fans.
Known as “non-overloading” because changes in static pressure do
not overload the motor.
Not suitable for dirty air streams (as fan shape
promotes accumulation of dust)
AXIAL FANS
TYPES OF AXIAL FANS
1. Propeller Fans – experience a large change in airflow with
small changes in static pressure

-Inexpensive because of their simple design

- Relative low energy efficiency

TYPES OF AXIAL FANS
2. Tube Axial Fans – have a wheel inside a cylindrical housing, with
close clearance between blade and housing to improve airflow
efficiency
-Higher pressures and better operating
ef ficiencies than propeller fans
- Suited for medium-pressure, high airf lo w
rate applications, e.g. ducted HVAC installations
TYPES OF AXIAL FANS
3. Vane Axial Fans – similar to tube axial, but with addition of guide
vanes that improve efficiency by directing and straightening the
flow

-Suited for medium to high pressure

applications (up to 500 mmWG), such as induced draft
service for a boiler exhaust
PARTS OF CENTRIFUGAL FAN
Def initions and Formulas
• Capacity (Q) – volumetric discharge flow rate measured
at the outlet

Q = AV
where,
A = fan Area
V = fan Velocity
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PROBLEM 1
A centrifugal fan having an outlet duct area of 0.84m2
delivers 1030 m3/min of standard air against a static
pressure of 305mm WG. The gauge fluid density is 995
kg/m3 and the fan speed of 1500 rpm. If the brake
horsepower is 100hp, find: (density of air is 1.2 kg/m3)

a. Static air horsepower

b. Total air power
c. Static fan efficiency
d. Total fan efficiency
PROBLEM 2
Air enters a fan through a duct velocity of 6.3 m/s and an
inlet static pressure of 2.5 cm of water less than the
atmospheric pressure. The air leaves the fan through a duct
at a velocity of 11.25 m/s and a discharge of 7.62cm of
water above the atmospheric pressure. If the density of the
air is 1.2 kg/m3 and the fan delivers 9.45 m3/s, what is the
fan efficiency when the power input to the fan is 13.75kW?
PROBLEM 3
A 50kW motor is used to drive a fan that has a total head of
110m. If fan efficiency is 70%, what is the maximum
capacity of the fan?