Energy Savings on

Blower/Fan Applications

Compiled by: Arnold S. De Leon

1 | Department (slide master)

 Basic Terms in Fan Application
• Static Head
• is defined as “the pressure exerted by a still liquid or gas, especially
water or air.

 Figure 1, Showing Equal Air Pressure  Figure 2, with Exhaust Fan running
inside and outside the building. Here Inside Air is lesser than Outside Air.
no exhaust fan running

2 | Energy Savings
Department on Blowers/Fans
(slide master)
 Basic Terms in Fan Application

• Flow (Q)

• Amount of liquid or gas necessary to maintain Static Pressure express is

Cubic Feet per Minute or Cubic Meters per Minute.

Point to remember

 2.44 ft2 of vent box opening can

accommodate approximately 1500
CFM of air or 42 cu. Meters per
minute

3 | Energy Savings
Department on Blowers/Fans
(slide master)
 Basic Terms in Fan Application

• Brake Horse Power (BHP)

• The brake horsepower is the amount of real horsepower going to the
pump, not the horsepower used by the motor. In the metric system
kilowatts (kW) is used.
• Due to hydraulic, mechanical and volumetric losses in a pump or turbine
the actual horsepower available for work on or from the fluid is less than
the total horsepower supplied.

 P BHP =  * Q * h / 3300 /  P EL =P BHP / EL


 P EL = Electric Motor Power
 P BHP = Brake Horse Power   EL = stands for motor efficiency
  = specific weight of air
 Q = is for flow in CFM
 h= is for head
  = stands for efficiency

4 | Energy Savings
Department on Blowers/Fans
(slide master)
 Types of Fans

• Axial or Propeller Fans

In an axial fan the air flows in

parallel to the shaft.

Vane Axial Propeller

Axial fans are suited for relatively
large volumes compared to
pressure. Roof Ventilator

5 | Energy Savings
Department on Blowers/Fans
(slide master)
 Types of Fans

• Centrifugal Fan

In a centrifugal fan the air flows is in a radial

direction relative to the shaft.

Suitable for higher airflow and pressure

6 | Energy Savings
Department on Blowers/Fans
(slide master)
 Classification of Centrifugal Fans

Straight radial blades. Curved forward blades. High

Self cleaning. Suitable efficiency, small dimensions,
for material transport changing in pressure have
little influence on pressure
head

Curved backward blades. High efficiency, low energy

consumption, changing in pressure have little
influence on air volume. Low noise emission, stable in
parallel running.

7 | Energy Savings
Department on Blowers/Fans
(slide master)
• Outlet Dampers

How to read a Fan Curve?

Points to Remember:

•The most valuable pieces of

information supplied by fan
manufacturers is the fan
performance curve.

•Each Fan, has its own performance

curve on a particular application.

8 | Department (slide master)

 Fan Curve Basics
 Fan Curve
• Figure on the right shows a typical centrifugal fan produce at its outlet at a
given RPM.
• The curve is a plot of outlet pressure in inches of water versus the flow of air
in CFM of a Fan.

 System Curve
 The System Curve is added to the Fan Fan Curve
Curve
Operating
 This shows the requirement of the vent
Point
system from the fan to overcome losses
and produce an air flow..

 Operating Point
 The point where pressure and flow
requirement of the system can meet by System Curve
the fan.
 Without external influences, the fan will
operate only at this point.

9 | Energy Savings
Department on Blowers/Fans
(slide master)
 Fan Curve Basics

• BHP Curve
Now the BHP curve is added. BHP

At Static Pressure of 4 units Head, and Fan Curve

Flow of 6.2 units CFM, the motor shaft
will exert 6.2 BHP of power.

 Computing for the Motor HP Operating

Point
 Say motor at full load efficiency of
90%
 P EL = P BHP /  EL
 P EL = 6.2 / 0.90
System Curve
 P EL = 6.8 HP

 Commercially available motors are

5.5 and 7.5 HP, choose 7.5 HP

10 | Energy Savings
Department on Blowers/Fans
(slide master)
 Fan Curve Basics

BHP
• Effect of Resistance to the fan
Fan Curve

• System Curve can shift due to following

factors,
Increase decrease
Dirt in the filters resistance resistance
Damper throttling

11 | Energy Savings
Department on Blowers/Fans
(slide master)
• Outlet Dampers

Methods of Regulation in Fans

 Variable Inlet Vanes

 Pitch Control

 AC Drives or Variable Frequency Drive

12 | Department (slide master)

 Outlet Damper

• The outlet dampers affect the system

curve.
• As the outlet damper is closed, the
fan’s point of operation moves left
from the initial design point on the
static pressure curve.
• Depending on where the design point
is, damper horsepower may be less,
the same, or more than the full flow of
horsepower.
• Outlet dampers are typically the least
expensive first cost option but also
offer the least potential for energy
savings.

13 | Energy Savings
Department on Blowers/Fans
(slide master)
 Variable Inlet Vane

• Inlet-vane dampers affect the Fan

Curve.

• It spins the air in the direction of wheel

rotation as it enters the fan. With this
pre-spin, the wheel cannot develop its
full output, yielding a reduced CFM at
reduced horsepower.

• Each damper setting creates new

pressure and horsepower curves. With
inlet-vane dampers, reduced airflow
always results in reduced horsepower.

• More expensive initially than outlet

dampers, but inlet-vane dampers offer
greater potential for energy savings.

14 | Energy Savings
Department on Blowers/Fans
(slide master)
 Variable Pitch Axial Fan
• It has a sophisticated hub which carries the blades. Each blade is
connected to a spindle, which is rotated by a lever. A servo-controlled
hydraulic cylinder moves all the levers simultaneously while the fan
impeller is rotating. This varies the output of the fan.
• The blade/hub assembly is mounted on a shaft which rotates in a
casing, and is then referred to as the rotor.
• The casing may have an open inlet, but more commonly it will have a
right angled bend to allow the motor to sit outside the ductwork. The
discharge casing gently expands to slow down the air or gas flow and
convert kinetic energy into useful static pressure.

Mechanically unreliable
High Electrical Efficiency

15 | Energy Savings
Department on Blowers/Fans
(slide master)
 Variable Pitch Axial Fan

Mechanically Linked Servo Controlled

Variable Pitch Axial Fan Variable Pitch Axial Fan

16 | Energy Savings
Department on Blowers/Fans
(slide master)
 AC Drive or VFD

• VFD controllers provide energy savings

by directly controlling fan speed.

• From the fan laws, CFM varies directly

with the change in fan speed and
horsepower varies by the change in fan
speed cubed.

• For example, a 20% reduction in fan

speed yields a 20% reduction in airflow
and a 49% reduction in BHP.

• VFD provides the greatest potential for

energy savings.

17 | Energy Savings
Department on Blowers/Fans
(slide master)
 Which the best Regulation Method?

Outlet Damper Inlet Vane VFD

18 | Energy Savings
Department on Blowers/Fans
(slide master)
 Mathematical Concept
• System Curve Formula;
P = K * Q2
Where
P = the pressure required to
produce a given flow in the
system
K = is a function of the system and
represents the friction to air flow.
The outlet vanes affect the K
factor.
Q = is the airflow desired
19 | Energy Savings
Department on Blowers/Fans
(slide master)
 Fan Affinity Law;
Volume Capacity
Q1 / Q2 = (n1 / n2) (1a)
Head or Pressure
P1 / P2 = (n1 / n2)2 (2a)
Power
HP1 / HP2 = (n1 / n2)3 (3a)
Where
P = the pressure required to produce a
given flow in the system
n= is the motor speed
Q = is the airflow desired
HP = is the Horse Power of Motor
 Mathematical Concept

• Note that when System Curve Formula and Affinity Law are
combine,
P = K * Q2 ; K = P / Q2

From Affinity Laws Volume Capacity:

Q1 / Q2 = (n1 / n2) ; {Q1 / Q2} 2 = (n1 / n2) 2

From Affinity Laws Pressure Vs. Speed:

P1 / P2 = (n1 / n2)2 ; P1 / P2 = {Q1 / Q2} 2

P1 / Q12 = P2 / Q22 (This is same equation for System Curve “K”)

20 | Energy Savings
Department on Blowers/Fans
(slide master)
 Mathematical Concept

• The mathematical equation shows,

that VFD regulation can achieves
flow control in a way that closely
matches the system or load curve

• As the fan speed is reduced, a

significant reduction in power
requirement is achieved.

• For example, a 20% reduction in

fan speed yields a 20% reduction in
airflow and a 49% reduction in BHP.

21 | Energy Savings
Department on Blowers/Fans
(slide master)
 Sample Calculation

• A Fan was selected to run

at 300 RPM, 100 CFM and
4 inches of Static Pressure.

• Determine the best

regulation method.

22 | Energy Savings
Department on Blowers/Fans
(slide master)
 Sample Calculation- Outlet Damper
CFM Duty HP Weighted
From Fan Curve HP
100 10% 35 3.5

80 40% 35 14.0

60 40% 31 12.4

40 10% 27 2.7

Total 32.6

CFM Outlet Damper Without

Dwell time Regulation
Weighted HP 32.6 35

Equivalent in KW 24.3 26.1

Dwell time 496 496

Power rate PHP 8/ kW-hr PHP 8/ kW-hr

Total Energy PHP 96,424 PHP 103,565

Cost/month
Savings using Outlet Damper PHP 7,141.00

23 | Energy Savings
Department on Blowers/Fans
(slide master)
 Sample Calculation- VFD Regulation
CFM Duty HP Weighted
Using Affinity HP
Law
100 10% 35 3.5
 Using Fan Affinity Law;
80 40% 18 7.2
Power versus Speed or Cube Law
HP = n 3 60 40% 7.56 3.02

@ 100% CFM ; HP = 100% 40 10% 2.24 0.22

@ 80% CFM ; Total 13.94

HP = (0.8)*(0.8)*(0.8)= 0.512* 35HP= 18HP

CFM VFD Without

@ 60% CFM ; Dwell time Regulation Regulation
HP = (0.6)*(0.6)*(0.6)= 0.216* 35HP= 7.56HP Weighted HP 13.94 35

Equivalent in KW 10.4 26.1

@ 40% CFM ;
HP = (0.4)*(0.4)*(0.4)= 0.064* 35HP= 2.24HP Dwell time 496 496

Power rate PHP 8/ kW-hr PHP 8/ kW-hr

Total Energy PHP 55,314 PHP 103,565

Cost/month
Savings Using VFD PHP48,251

24 | Energy Savings
Department on Blowers/Fans
(slide master)
 Savings Comparison
Without Regulation Outlet Damper VFD Regulation

Weighted HP 35 32.6 13.94

Equivalent in KW 26.1 24.3 10.4

Dwell time 496 496 496

Power rate PHP 8/ kW-hr PHP 8/ kW-hr PHP 8/ kW-hr

Total Energy Cost/month PHP 103,565 PHP 96,424 PHP 55,314

Savings using Outlet PHP 7,141.00

Damper
Savings Using VFD per Month PHP48,251

Difference in Savings per Month PHP 41,110.00

Difference in Savings in a Year PHP 493,320.00

Difference in Savings in 5 Years PHP 2,466,600.00

25 | Energy Savings
Department on Blowers/Fans
(slide master)