Fan Selection Basics

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4 Fan Selection Basics
Centrifugal Fan Selection
Fan Laws
Specific Speed
Multiple Fan Arrangements
Fan Features and Considerations

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Fan Selection Basics
Centrifugal Fan Selection

Centrifugal Fan

Air Enters the Impeller Axially,

iiiThen Passes Through the
iiiImpeller Radially

The Blades Drag the Air in a

iiiCircular Motion and Centrifugal
Image area iiiForces Accelerate the Airflow
iiiRadially Outward

The Airflow is Then Collected in

iiiThe Volute Casing and
______ iiiDischarged at Right Angles to
>
iiithe Inlet Flow

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Fan Selection Basics
Centrifugal Fan Selection

Motion of Air

The Increase of Centrifugal

iiiForce With Radius Produces a
iiiPressure Gradient, Whereby the
iiiStatic Pressure in the Blade
iiiIncreases With Radius
Image area The Blades Drag the Air in a
iiiCircular Motion and Centrifugal
iiiForces Accelerate the Airflow
iiiRadially Outward

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Fan Selection Basics
Centrifugal Fan Selection

Motion of Impeller

The Motion of the Rotating

iiiBlades Adds Rotational
iiiMomentum to the Flow,
iiiIncreasing the Velocity of Flow
iiiin the Tangential Direction
Image area As the Air Moves Radially
iiiThrough the Impeller, the
iiiAbsolute Velocity of the Flow
iiiWill Increase, With the Absolute
iiiMaximum Velocity at the
iiiImpeller Outlet

The Increase in the Absolute

iiiVelocity of the Air Leads to an
iiiIncrease in the Kinetic Energy
iiiand Dynamic Pressure Across
iiithe Impeller
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Fan Selection Basics
Centrifugal Fan Selection

Air Flow Through The

Casing

A Proportion of the Dynamic

iiiPressure From the Air Leaving
iiithe Impeller is Transferred Into
iiiMore Useful Static Pressure
Image area
The Fan Casing is Usually
iiiVolute Shaped, Allowing
iiiDiffusion of the Air Leaving the
iiiImpeller to Take Place

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 Fan Selection Basics
Fan Laws

The Fan Laws

It is not practical to test every fan at every variable which may be
encountered. Fortunately, by use of a series of equations,
commonly referred to as the Fan Laws it is possible to predict
with good accuracy the performance of a fan at other variables.

The variables include : Fan Size D Fan Speed N

Fan Air Density - Fan Flow Rate -
Fan Total Pressure -
Fan Velocity Pressure
Fan Static Pressure
Fan Input Power
Fan Total Efficiency
Fan Static Efficiency
Compressibility Coefficient
Sound Power Level -

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Fan Selection Basics
Fan Laws - Volume

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Fan Selection Basics
Fan Laws - Pressure

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Fan Selection Basics
Fan Laws - Power

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Fan Selection Basics
Fan Laws - Summary

Fan Law Summary

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Fan Selection Basics
Fan Laws - Example

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Fan Selection Basics
Fan Laws - Example

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 Fan Selection Basics
Specific Speed

Fan Specific Speed

The Ability of a Fan To Generate

iiiPressure and Flow With Impeller
iiiSpeed. It is the Speed at Which a
iiiFan of Indeterminate Diameter
iiiWill Run at to Produce Unit Flow
iiiat Unit Pressure
Image area
Low Specific Speed Fans
iiiProduce High Pressures at Low
iiiFlow Volume

______ High Specific Speed Fans

Low Specific Speed > High Specific Speed
iiiProduce Lower Pressures at High
iiiFlow Volumes

Specific Speed is Proportional to

iiiImpeller Inlet Diameter and
iiiImpeller Width for a Given (Fixed)
iiiWheel Diameter
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 Fan Selection Basics
Impeller Styles and Specific Speed

Impeller Ranges
Abridged Fan Range
(with lines of constant specific speed plotted)
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I Metre dia. fans

8 1910 rpm Ns = N * V 1/2
Ns=750
1 kg/m3 P 3/4
Ns=1500
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Ns=2000
Ns=3000
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Pressure kPa

5
Image area
4

Ns=5000
3

2
Ns=7500

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Volume m3/s

Radial Impeller Radial Impeller Radial Impeller Axial Impellers, various hub sizes
Curved plate blades Curved plate blades Airfoil blades Airfoil blades

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Fan Selection Basics
Multiple Fan Arrangements

Multiple Fan Arrangements

Fans in Series
Fans in Parallel
Start Up in Series or Parrallel

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Fan Selection Basics
Multiple Fan Arrangements

Fans in Series

Image area

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Fan Selection Basics
Multiple Fan Arrangements

Fans in Parallel

Image area

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Fan Selection Basis
Multiple Fan Arrangements

Start Up for Fans in Series

Image area

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Fan Selection Basics
Multiple Fan Arrangements

Start Up for Fans in

Parallel

Image area

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Fan Selection Basics
Fan Features and Considerations

Fan Features and

Considerations

Image area

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Fan Selection Basics
Fan Features and Considerations

Fan Features and

Considerations

Image area

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