Fan Performance for

Grain Drying and Storage

Airflow Rate Requirements

• High temperature bin drying - 2-6 cfm/bu

• Natural air drying – 1-1.5 cfm/bu
• Dry grain aeration – 0.05 – 0.5 cfm/bu
Airflow Resistance

• Fans force air through grain by

creating a pressure difference.
• This “static pressure” is
measured in inches of water.
• The static pressure required
varies by type of grain, airflow
rate (cfm/bu) and depth of
grain.
 Airflow Resistance of Corn
Airflow (cfm/bu)
Grain 0.05 0.1 0.25 0.5 0.75 1.0 1.25 1.5 2.0
depth (ft)
Expected static pressure (inches of water)

2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

4 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2
6 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.6
8 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.5 0.6 0.8 1.2
10 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.5 0.8 1.1 1.4 2.0
12 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.5 0.8 1.2 1.6 2.1 3.2
14 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.7 1.2 1.7 2.3 3.0 4.6
16 0.1 0.1 0.4 0.9 1.6 2.4 3.2 4.2 6.4
18 0.1 0.2 0.5 1.2 2.1 3.1 4.3 5.6 8.7
20 0.1 0.2 0.7 1.6 2.7 4.0 5.6 7.3 11.3
25 0.2 0.4 1.1 2.6 4.6 7.0 9.7 12.8 19.9
30 0.3 0.5 1.6 4.1 7.2 11.0 15.3 20.3 31.9
40 0.5 1.0 3.1 8.1 14.6 22.6 31.9 42.5 *
Floors – Ducts – Exhaust
• Floors need at least 7% open area – most
commercial floors >10%
• Ducts – need 1 square ft per 1500 cfm.
Assume 0.5 inch static pressure loss
• Exhaust openings – need 1 square per
1000 cfm.
Fan Types

• Van Axial Fans

– Higher airflows at lower pressures
– Less expensive
– Noiser
• Centrifugal Fans
– Quiet
– More efficient above 4 inches of static
pressure
 Axial Fan Performance Data
Example of fan performance data.
This data is provided as an illustration only; these fans are not commercially available .
Cubic feet per minute (cfm) at indicated static pressure (inches of water)
Fan # Hp
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0

1 0.33 1,435 620 290

2 0.5 1,880 960 800 620 380

3 0.75 1,690 1,460 1,170 780

4 1.0 2,775 2,500 2,075 1,150 775 500 260

5 1.5 3,675 3,475 3,275 3,000 2,425 1,700 1,375

6 3.0 6,400 5,700 5,200 4,500 3,700 2,900 2,200

7 5.0 9,600 8,550 7,600 6,800 6,150 5,300 4,200 1,550

8 7.5 13,400 12,500 11,500 10,400 9,000 7,500 6,200 4,450 2,250 1,350 650

9 10.0 15,700 15,000 14,200 13,400 12,600 11,600 10,500

 Centrifugal Fan Performance
Example of fan performance data.
This data is provided as an illustration only; these fans are not commercially available .

Cubic feet per minute (cfm) at indicated static pressure (inches of

Hp water)
Fan #
1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0

10 5.0 7,600 6,700 5,800 4,800 3,500 1,500

11 7.5 9,600 8,900 8,000 7,200 6,100 5,000

12 10.0 13,450 12,720 11,960 11,120 10,180 9,040 7,450

13 15.0 16,000 15,100 14,200 13,100 11,800 10,000

14 20.0 21,725 20,430 19,140 17,750 16,140 14,120 11,360

Comparison of Axial-Flow and
Centrifugal Fan
Multiple Fans
• Parallel Fans
– Two fans placed side by side at different
points on the bin.
– Airflow of each fan is added at the
expected pressure
• Series Fans
– Two fans placed end to end
– Pressure is added at the same airflow
Airflow of an Existing Fan

• Measure the static pressure produced by

the fan.
• Determine the airflow being produced from
the fan performance chart for that model of
fan.
• Get the airflow rate by dividing the airflow
by the bushels being served (cfm/bu)
Fan Selection
Determine Airflow Needed
• Calculate the total bushels to be served.
• Select an airflow rate desired for the grain
storage situation (cfm/bu)
• Multiply the total bushels x airflow rate to
get the airflow needed.
• Example – storage bin 18 ft. deep with corn
– 10,000 bu bin x 0.25 cfm/bu = 2500 cfm
Fan Selection
Estimate Static Pressure
• Based on desired airflow rate and grain
depth, estimate static pressure from
airflow resistance chart
• Example – storage bin 18 ft. deep and
desired airflow 0.25 cfm/bu
– Airflow resistance estimate – 0.5 inches
Fan Selection
Estimate Fan Horsepower
• Fan power (hp) = airflow (cfm) x static
pressure (in. water) ÷ 3814
• Example – 2500cfm x 0.5 in. water ÷ 3814
= 0.33 HP fan estimate
Fan Selection
Select the Best Fan Available
• Go to the fan performance charts to select
a fan that will provided the needed airflow
at the required static pressure.
• Example –using the earlier fans,
requires fan #4 (1 hp axil-flow) to
provide 2775 cfm at 1.0 inches SP.
Computerized Fan Selection
• Software is available to make this process
easier and more precise.
• This software can also be used to estimate
the performance of an existing fan.
• Web betta version
http://webapps.bbe.umn.edu/fans/
Univ. of Minnesota FANS Program
FANS Airflow Chart
FANS Airflow Table
Acknowledgments
Selecting Fans and Determining Airflow
for Crop Drying, Cooling, and Storage
William F. Wilcke and R. Vance Morey –
University of Minnesota
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