IERF

Workshop on
FAN
ENGINEERING
For
HVAC&R

Sushil K. Choudhury
Member, ASHRAE & ISHRAE
Managing Director
Blowtech Air Devices Pvt. Ltd., Noida
1

PART 1

AIR IN MOTION

What is a Fan ?
A fan is a power driven rotary machine which causes a
continuous flow of air. A fan has a rotating bladed impeller.
The blades exert force on the air, raising its pressure and
maintaining a continuous flow.
A fan normally consists of the following components:

A bladed impeller

A casing or housing with inlet and outlet openings

Drive arrangements

A power source - usually an electric motor

A fan may be directly driven or belt driven.

A VENTILATION SYSTEM
Air moved from one place to another through a system of
ducts containing filters, coils, dampers & diffusers .

Air moving in a duct system has pressure associated with

it:
Static Ps
Velocity (or dynamic ) Pv

CONCEPT OF PRESSURE

Gauge vs. Absolute

Patm = 10333 mm or 34 of water.
Static Pressure (Ps) Created by air in all directions
at once whether in motion or not . Maybe +ve or
ve.

Velocity Pressure (Pv) Exerted by air

air in
in motion
motion . Is always +ve
+ve and
and always
always exerted in the direction of flow .

Pv

Pv =
= 0.5
0.5
V
V22 Pascals
Pascals
=
= Air
Air Density
Density (kg/m
(kg/m33))
V
V=
= Average
Average Velocity
Velocity (m/se
(m/sec)
c)
For
For standard
standard air
air ::
=
= 1.2
1.2 kg/m
kg/m33

For
For air
air moving
moving at
at 10m/sec.
10m/sec.
Pv
Pv =
= 0.5
0.5 x
x 1.2
1.2 x
x (10)
(10)22
=
=60
60 Pa
Pa
=
=6.1
6.1 mm
mm wc
wc

Total Pressure Pt = Ps + Pv

Compressibility :

- Normal HVAC application , gauge pressure rarely

more than 200 mm of WC.
- Air rarely pressurized by more than 2%
- Assumption of incompressible fluid makes life easy
in HVAC design calculations.

STANDARD UNITS & CONVERSIONS

Air Flow (Q) m3 /s

Velocity (V) m/s

mm (water column) = (Pa)/9.8

in. (water column) = (mm)/25.4

Power (W) Watts

ft2 = 10.76 (m 2)

Pressure (P) Pa (Pascals)

fpm = 196.8 (m/s)

Area (A) m2

m3/h = 3600 (m3/s)

cfm = 0.59 (m3/h)

hp = (Watts) / 746

Density () kg/m3

Standard air ' ' = 1.2 kg/m3

FAN SYSTEM PRESSURE RELATIONSHIP

A fan provides the total pressure to move the air through a system and at
equilibrium this total pressure provided by the fan is equal to the total
pressure losses in the system at the equilibrium flow rate.

Fan Total Pressure (PtF ) is defined as the difference between the total
pressure at fan outlet and the total pressure at fan inlet.
PtF = Pt2 Pt1

Fan total pressure is divided into two parts Fan Velocity Pressure (PvF)
and Fan Static Pressure (PsF).
Fan velocity pressure is defined as the velocity pressure at fan outlet.
PvF = Pv2
Fan Static Pressure (PsF) is defined as the difference
between fan total pressure and fan velocity pressure i.e.
Ps

= Pt F Pv F
= Pt 2 Pt 1 Pv 2
= Ps 2 + Pv 2 (Ps 1 + Pv
= Ps 2 Ps 1 Pv 1

) Pv

The above equation shows that fan static pressure as defined is not the
same as rise in static pressure from fan inlet to fan outlet.

Pressure Variation in a Duct System with Fan

10

Pressure Conversion vs. Pressure Loss

A drop of static pressure of 6mm at entry is pressure

conversion from static to velocity & not pressure loss.
Is indicated by the fact that total pressure remains
constant .
Pressure loss along a duct system is always indicated by a
drop in the total pressure even in situations where the
static pressure may rise.

11

Flow through a DIFFUSER

What is a diffuser
A piece of duct with a divergent section with included angle less
than 140.

Purpose
To increase the pressure capability of a fan by converting some
velocity pressure at fan outlet into static pressure - a phenomenon
called STATIC REGAIN

12

Flow through a DIFFUSER

Example
A diffuser length equal to 1.6Do will double the sectional area at the
14o included angle.

Pv1

= 0.6V12

= 240 Pa

Pv2

= 0.6V22

= 60 Pa

Difference

= 180 Pa

About half of this i.e. 90 Pa (9mm) will be added to the fan pressure
capability

13

PART 2

TYPES OF FANS

14

TYPES OF FANS -

TWO BROAD CATEGORIES

Axial : Flow parallel to axis of rotation

Centrifugal : Flow perpendicular to axis of rotation

PRINCIPLE OF PRESSURE GENERATION

Axial Operate on the principle of deflection of air flow by the fan blade.
The pressure is produced simply by the lift of the rotating blade as air
moves over it.

Centrifugal Operating principle is a combination of deflection by the

blades as well as the centrifugal force exerted on the air rotating with the
wheel & thereby moving outward in a radial direction.
Therefore for the same impeller diameter & speed , a centrifugal fan
15
produces more static pressure than an axial flow fan.

FOUR MAIN COMPONENTS OF A FAN

Impeller
Casing or housing
Drive arrangements
Electric motor

Drives

Direct driven

Belt Driven

16

TYPES OF FANS
CENTRIFUGAL

AXIAL

SPECIAL DESIGNS

FORWARD CURVED (FC)

PROPELLER

ROOF VENTILATORS

BACKWARD INCLINED (BI)

TUBEAXIAL

TUBULAR CENTRIFUGAL

BACKWARD CURVED (BC)

VANEAXIAL

PLUG / PLENUM FANS

AEROFOIL BLADED (AF)

CROSSFLOW FANS

17

CENTRIFUGAL FANS
Predominant choice for ducted applications because of their quite
operation &
availability in the low to medium pressure range of HVAC applications .

Forward Curved (FC) Fans

Blades inclined forward in the direction of rotation.

Air tip velocity > wheel peripheral velocity
Highest volume for the same speed & wheel size
Despite low efficiency, most preferred choice for HVAC applications.

18

BACKWARD INCLINED (BI) & BACKWARD CURVED (BC)

FANS

Blades inclined away from rotation direction

Air tip velocity < wheel peripheral velocity
Lower D1/D2 ratio provides a smoothly expanding air passage
between blades for efficient pressure conversion .

19

AEROFOIL BLADED (AF) FANS

Improvement over the BC fans.

Single thickness curved blade of a BC impeller replaced
by a hollow profile aerofoil.
Highest efficiency & pressure capability
Highest initial cost
Only suitable for clean air applications

20

CENTRIFUGAL FANS
Backward Curve

Forward
Curve

AF

BC

BI

FC

6- -16

6- -16

6- -16

24- -64

92

85

78

70

Speed

High

High

High

Low

Cost

High

Medium

Medium

Med-Low

Very high
(750 mm)

Very high

High

Low
(125mm)

Blades
Max. Eff(%)

Static
Pressure
Power Curve
Housing

Non
Non
Non
overloading overloading overloading
Scroll

Scroll

Scroll

Overloading
Scroll
21

AXIAL FLOW FANS

Characterized by highly swirling & vortex like downstream flow.

PROPELLERS

Very High Air Volumes

Low Static Pressure (upto 20 mm)
Very Low Cost
Low Efficiency
Light Weight
Ideal for exhaust &
condenser applications
No Housing (Only Annular Ring)

22

TUBE AXIAL FANS

Higher pressure & efficiencies than propellers

Suited for ducted applications where downstream velocity profiles
are not very critical.
Most good design blades are aerofoil shaped
Cylindrical housing
Close clearance between blade tip & housing.
Adjustable blade pitch fans allow capacity control.

23

VANE AXIAL FANS

Modified tube axial fan with guide vanes on down stream side to improve

flow profile
5 to 20 aerofoil type blades with a large hub diameter
Highest efficiencies and pressure capability
Housing Cylindrical with guide vanes
Very close blade tip to housing clearance
Adjustable pitch blades allow capacity control
24

AXIAL FLOW FANS

Propellers
Blades
Max. Eff.(%)

3 to 8

Tube Axial
4 to 8

60

75

Speed

Medium

High

Cost

Low

Static
Pressure
Power Curve
Housing

Low
(upto 20 mm)
Non
Overloading
Annular Ring

Medium
Medium

Vane axial
5 to 20
85
Very High
High
High
(upto 200 mm)

Non
Overloading

Non
Overloading

Cylindrical

Cylindrical with
guide vanes on
downstream
side.
25

FANS OF SPECIAL DESIGNS

Use either of the two basic designs or a combination of the

two to suit a given type of application .
ROOF VENTILATORS

Roof top mounted exhaust

BC/BI wheel or axial blade
Vertically mounted on motor shaft
Air discharged in a radial or axial direction
BC wheels quieter than axial blades
No housing but a weather protection casing made of spun aluminium or sheet fabrication

26

TUBULAR CENTRIFUGAL FANS

BC/BI impeller inside a tubular casing to produce flow inline

with wheel axis & duct.
Also known as inline duct fans.
Absence of scroll housing makes these fans compact.
Small size fans have impeller mounted directly on a motor &
placed inside a spun aluminium casing split in two halves.
Being increasingly used in low pressure return air or exhaust
applications.
27

PLUG/PLENUM FANS

Like tubular centrifugal, plug/plenum fans also use a BC (or AF) impeller
but without the tubular casing.
Smaller fans are direct driven & larger ones are belt driven
Impeller/motor assembly placed inside a plenum which may contain coils &
filters in case of an air handling unit.
Air enters through a well designed circular inlet cone & comes out of the
impeller in a radial direction.
Because of the absence of a scroll housing , efficiencies are much lower
than BC/BI fans.
28
Lower initial cost is making them popular for clean room applications.

CROSS FLOW FANS

Also known as tangential flow fan

Unique principle where air passes through impeller blades twice
Impeller is basically a long forward curve impeller blocked at both ends
Outward flow similar to conventional FC fans
Not suited for ducted application
Ideal for special applications where a long narrow band of flow is
required e.g. air curtains, wall mounted indoor a.c. units & electronic
panel cooling.
Maximum efficiency rarely exceed 40%

29

PART 3

OPERATING BEHAVIOR
OF FANS

30

CHARACTERISTICS OF A VENTILATING SYSTEM

System consisting of

A Fan (or Fans)

Ducts
Filters
Heating / Cooling Coils
Elbows
Converging / Diverging transitions
Branches
Screens/ Guards
Dampers
Louvers
Shutters
Diffusers

Each system element offers some resistance to the flow which in turn
causes a drop in total pressure and it is the fans job to produce
enough total pressure to overcome system resistance and maintain
the desired flow.

31

THE SYSTEM CURVE

Because of the nature of duct system & high duct velocities (upto
10m/s), flow in a ventilating system is turbulent and pressure
drop across a system element is proportional to the velocity
pressure of air.

Pt Pv
= k x Pv
= k x v2
= k x x x (Q/A)2
= K x Q2

Constant K is different for different system elements.

32

FAN PERFORMANCE CURVE

Shows how the Air Flow Q (say in CFM) delivered
by a fan varies as a function of the fan static
pressure Ps (say in mm of WC).

Other performance parameters also recorded are:

- Fan RPM (N)
- Shaft Power (Wf)
- Sound Level (Lw)

33

PERFORMANCE COMPARISON OF COMMON HVAC FANS

34

FAN OPERATING POINT

When a fan is connected to a ventilating system, its
operating point ( Q & Ps) is determined by the System
Curve.

The fan operating point is the point of intersection of fan

curve with system curve.

35

DYNAMICS OF FAN-SYSTEM COMBINATION

Adjustment of Fan Operating Point

For belt driven or VFDs , by adjusting fan speed such that the new
fan curve passes through the desired point.
While increasing fan speed care should be taken to ensure that
motor is capable of delivering the required shaft power.
If system pressure drop estimation is grossly wrong, fan of a
different size or even a different design may have to be re-selected.

36

Operating Point on the Left of Peak Pressure Point

For a given application (system 1) 5000 cfm at 60mm static, a belt

driven fan at 800 rpm was selected. For another application (system 2)
requiring 4500 cfm at 55mm static, the fan supplier suggested the
same fan at the same RPM. EXPLAIN!

37

SYSTEM PRESSURE DROPS IN HIGH VELOCITY SYSTEMS

In normal ducted systems, Pv is about

6mm. System pressure loss is the sum of
static pressure loss across duct elements.
In certain applications such as air showers
for clean rooms, very high velocities are
encountered & velocity pressure becomes
the predominant consideration.
Pv at 35m/s = 75 mm
Static drop at filters (hepa) = 40 mm
Fan static pressure = 75+40
= 115 mm.

38

OTHER FAN PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS

Outlet Velocity (Vo) in m/s = Volume Flow (m3/s) = Q

Fan Outlet Area (m 2)
A
Fan Velocity Pressure
(PvF in Pascals)

= Vo2 where is the

density of air in kg/m 3.

Fan Total Pressure

(PtF in Pascals)

= Fan Velocity pressure + Fan

Static Pressure
= PvF + PsF

39

Fan Power

Fan Output Power

Wo (watts) = Q (m3/s) x PtF(Pa)
Fan Shaft Power
Wf = Wo/ t where t is fan total efficiency

Fan Static Efficiency

s = Q x PsF x 100%
Wf

Measure of power required to develop fan static pressure

Difference between t & s is a measure of power to
produce velocity pressure. Higher the fan outlet velocity,
higher the difference.
40

Example:

Consider an example of 2 fans exhausting in free atmosphere where all velocity

pressure is lost. Both the fans have same total efficiency but one is smaller and
has a higher outlet velocity.

Volume flow (Q) = 3000 cfm= 1.41m 3/s

System static pressure drop (Ps) =40mm=392 Pa
Outlet velocity fan 1 Vo(1) = 10m/s
Outlet velocity fan 2 Vo(2) = 15m/s
Total efficiency (t) of both fans 1 & 2 = 65%

For Fan 1
PvF = Vo(1)2 = 60 Pa

[Vo(1) = 10m/s]

Fan shaft power = (1.41) x (392 + 60)= 980 Watts ; s = 1.41 x 392 = 56.4 %
0 .65
980
For Fan 2
PvF = Vo(2)2 = 135 Pa

[Vo(2) = 15 m/s]

Fan Shaft Power = 1.41 x (392 + 135) = 1143 Watts ; s = 1.41 x 392 = 48.4%
0.65
1143

41

FAN LAWS
These are laws governing the performance of a fan and are used to convert the
performance of a fan from one set of variables (e.g. size, speed and air density) to
another. Thus, if the performance of a fan is known for a given size or rpm or air
density, its performance for another size, rpm or air density can be computed.
Air Volume

: Q2

= Q1x (N2/N1)1x(D2/D1)3

Pressure

: P2

= P1x (N2/N1)2x (D2/D1)2 x ( 2/

)1

Absorbed Power : W2

= W1x (N2/N1)3 x (D2/D1)5 x ( 2/

Sound Power

= Lw1 + 50 log (N2/N1)+ 50 log (D2/D1) +22 log ( 2/

: Lw2

Where

N = RPM
D = Fan Size ( Impeller Diameter)

= Air Density

For application of fan laws to size , the fans must be geometrically similar.
Fans are geometrically similar if :

The number of blades and vanes are the same

All angular dimensions are same

All linear dimensions change in proportion to the wheel diameter

The efficiency of a fan does not change with rpm or air density. However, there is a
minor increase in efficiency for larger sizes due to what is known as size effect

42

EFFECT OF FAN SPEED

In a ventilating system, because of the identity
between the system curve and fan law for speed , an x
% reduction in volume can be achieved by an equal
reduction in fan speed.

43

EFFECT OF DENSITY

Air density changes with

temperature and altitude.
for cooling system in Delhi
(240m, 150) = 1.183 kg/m3
for heating system in
Mussoorie (2000m,350) =
0.893 kg/m3
Fan power in Mussoorie will
be 25% lower

44

FAN CAPACITY CONTROL

Inlet vane control

Radial vane type dampers
placed at fan inlets
Volume control dampers
Should be placed in system
away from fan outlets

Axial Flow Fans

In variable pitch axial flow fans , fan capacity
control can be achieved by adjusting the pitch angle
of impeller blades

45

FANS IN SERIES

Seldom used in HVAC

systems
Two fans in series
should have similar
capacity
Combined curve
obtained by adding
pressures at same
flow
46

FANS IN PARALLEL

Quite common, necessitated by space constraints

Combined fan curve obtained by adding flow at same

pressure

Selection and operation of fans in unstable region to be avoided to

prevent unstable, unbalanced and pulsating flow leading to noise,
vibration and mechanical damage.

47

Part 4

FAN TESTING
&
RATING FOR
PERFORMANCE
48

TYPES OF FAN INSTALLATION

Type A Free Inlet Free Outlet

Example Wall Exhaust Fan, Roof Ventilator

Pt F = Pt 2 Pt 1 = Ps 2 + Pv 2 Ps 1 Pv 1
= Pv 2 since Ps 1 = Ps 2 = Pv 1 = 0
Pv F = Pv 2
Ps F = Pt F Pv F = 0
49

TYPES OF FAN INSTALLATION

Type B Free Inlet Ducted Outlet

Example A fresh air fan supplying air into an

enclosure through a system of ducts.
At plane 1 (fan inlet) : Pv 1 = 0
Ps 1 = 0
Pt 1 = 0
And at fan outlet, if the velocity, static & total
pressures are Pv 2 , Ps 2 and Pt 2 , then
Pt F = Pt 2 Pt 1 = Pt 2 = Ps 2 + Pv 2
Pv F = Pv 2
Ps F = Pt F Pv F = Ps 2 +Pv 2 Pv 2 = Ps 2

50

TYPES OF FAN INSTALLATION

Type C Ducted Inlet Free Outlet

Example A fan exhausting from an enclosure

through a system of ducts.
Ps2 = 0
Pt F = Pt 2 Pt 1 = Ps2 + Pv 2 Ps 1 Pv 1
= Pv 2 Ps 1 Pv 1
Pv F = Pv 2
Ps F = Pt F Pv F = Pv 2 Ps 1 Pv 1 Pv 2
= (Ps 1 + Pv 1 )
= Pt fan inlet.

51

TYPES OF FAN INSTALLATION

Type D Ducted Inlet Ducted Outlet

Example An Inline Fan exhausting through a duct

system with both inlet & outlet ducts.

PvF = Pv2
Ps F = Pt F Pv F
or Ps F = Pt 2 Pt 1 Pv 2
= Ps 2 + Pv 2 (Ps 1 + Pv 1 ) Pv2
= Ps 2 Ps1 Pv1

52

Measurement of Air Velocity & Pressure

PITOT STATIC TUBE

53

Outlet Duct Test Set Up

(AMCA 210-85 Figure 7)

54

CFM vs. Pressure Performance

PERFORMANCE TESTING
AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARD ANSI/AMCA 210-99
Laboratory Methods of Testing Fans for Aerodynamic Performance Rating
Combination of Outlet Chamber Setup Fig. 12 &
Inlet Chamber Setup Fig. 15

Multiple Nozzle Test Chamber as per AMCA210

Q = Y * ( 2 * P / )
Where

0.5

*C*A

A = Nozzle Throat Area

C = Nozzle Discharge Coefficient
Y = Nozzle Expansion Factor

55

MULTIPLE NOZZLE TEST CHAMBER AS PER AMCA 210-99

56

THE NOZZLE WALL

57

MEASUREMENT OF FAN SHAFT POWER

Calibrated Motor
- Motor efficiency vs.
Power input in Watts
is known
Electric Dynamometer

58

TYPICAL PRESENTATION OF FAN PERFORMANCE DATA

59

OPERATIONAL LIMITS
1. Fan RPM

Centrifugal force on blades (higher the rpm ,higher the force)

Measure of the mechanical strength of wheel construction

2. Fan Shaft Power

Measure of the strength of the shaft ,bearings & drive

arrangements.

60

AMCA Classification of Fans

Class I , II & III

- Minimum performance limits indicated by static pressure and

outlet velocity .

Class I Fans ( most HVAC fans)

- For a DIDW forward curve fan , the Class I performance limits are
4 @ 2900 ft/min
2 @ 3900 ft/min

61

Part 5

VIBRATION,
BALANCING
&
FAN SOUND

62

BALANCING

Uniform Angular Distribution of Mass about the Axis

of Rotation

Run out / Eccentricity vs. Balancing

Axial

Radial

Flexible Rotor

Balancing

Static ( Single plane)

suitable for narrow impellers (low width to dia. ratio) such as an axial impeller

Dynamic (Two Plane)

inevitable for higher width to dia ratio impellers such as a DIDW
Centrifugal

63

64

ISO 1940 Balance Quality Grades

65

International Balancing Standard ISO1940

(Balance Quality Grade G6.3)

Balancing Tolerance = e * M / R (gm.)

Where e residual eccentricity (m)
M impeller mass (kg.)
R - radius (mm) of weight correction

Example:
Balance a propeller fan blade weighing 3.0 kg, rated speed 960 rpm, having a
blade diameter of 800 mm.
e = 63 m for G6.3 grade at 960 rpm
Assume weight correction to be done at blade tip, so
R
Therefore Balancing tolerance

= 400 mm.
= 63*3/400
= 0.47 gm.

e is inversely proportional to RPM.

66

Classification of Balance Quality

Balance Quality
Grade
G 0.4
G1
G 2.5
G 6.3

Typical Rotating
Machine
Gyroscope Rotors
Grinding M/C Drives
Small electric Armatures/
Rotors
Fan / Pump Impellers/General
Machinery

G 16

Agriculture Machinery

G 40

Car Wheels / Crankshaft

Drives
Complete IC Engines

G 100

67

Fan Noise

Impeller Design

Baffle Design / Cut off

Inlet Cones

Impeller/Housing
Concentricity
Mountings

Impeller / Housing Inlet Concentricity

68

FAN SOUND

The magnitude of sound levels of ordinary hearing is so large (factor of 10 18) that a
linear scale becomes impractical . That is why a logarithmic scale of decibels (dB).

Sound Power
Sound Power is the acoustic power radiated by a fan and its actual unit is watt.
Sound Power Level (Lw) in dB = 10 log (sound power in watts/10 -12 watts) dB
-

Saturn rocket at blast off

Electric clock

30 MW = 195 dB
0.1 W = 50 dB

Sound Pressure
Acoustic Pressure at a point in space sensed by human ear & measured by a
microphone and its actual unit is Pascals (Pa).
Sound Pressure Level (Lp) in dB = 20 log ( sound pressure in Pa/20 Pa) dB
-

Passenger jet taking off at 30 m

Window air conditioner at 1 m

20 Pa = 120 dB
.006 Pa = 50 dB

Sound Pressure Level (Lp) depends not only on the sound power emitted by a fan (Lw)
but also on the distance from fan & acoustic properties of the enclosure .
Lp therefore is not recommended by most standard as a unit of fan sound ratings, and
Lw is the preferred choice.

69

MEASUREMENT OF SOUND POWER LEVELS FOR

RATINGS

Sound Power Levels (Lw) cannot be measured directly.

Are calculated from several measurements of sound pressure
levels (Lp) by precision sound level meter with frequency analyzer
and octave band filters.
The frequency range of human hearing is classified in 8 octave
bands:
63 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 8000 Hz
There are various standard test set ups to measure sound pressure
and calculate sound power levels.

70

USE OF SOUND POWER LEVEL RATINGS OF FANS

Sound power level ratings can be directly compared to give an idea of the
relative noisiness of a fan.
Lw rating is also the starting point for calculating sound pressure Lp for a
given environment & distance for noise control purposes.
A weighting human ears sensitivity to all frequencies in the octave band
spectrum is not the same. A weighting scale has been developed to calculate
A- weighted sound levels.
Accurate estimation of Lp from Lw ratings is complicated as it depends on
the surrounding environment . In an outdoor environment far from any
reflecting surfaces called free field :
Lp = Lw 20 log d 7 (d is the distance from the fan in meters)

Procedure

At a given d , Lp for each octave band is calculated from the corresponding

octave band Lw.
To each octave band Lp, A-weighting correction factors are applied to yield
a weighted octave band Lp.
All the eight Lp values are summed logarithmically to yield the A
weighted sound pressure level (Lp) for the given distance.

71

Part 6

SYSTEM
EFFECTS

72

A Fan can only go so far

Fan System Interface & System Effects
Assuming the fan is rated and manufactured correctly and system performance
requirements (pressure and flow) have been estimated correctly, the three most
common causes of deficient performance of the fan system combination are

Improper Outlet Connections

Non-Uniform Inlet Flow

Swirl at Fan Inlet

p2 p1 = System Effect Loss at Design Flow

p4 p3 = System Effect Loss at Actual Flow

73

Velocity Profiles at Fan Outlet

74

Most Common System Effect Situations

OUTLET DUCT
100% Effective Duct Length
Eqivalent Duct Dia.

= 2.5 times Equivalent Duct Dia.

= ( 4 x A x B / ) 0.5

At Normal Outlet Velocity = 10 m/s

No Duct

Pressure Recovery
(Blast velocity to
Outlet Velocity)

0%

Effective Duct Length

12%

25%

50%

100%

50%

80%

90%

100%

75

Most Common System Effect Situations

OUTLET DUCT ELBOW

SEF at 10 m/s

Elbow Position

No Duct

Effective Duct Length

12%

25%

50%

100%

In Direction of
Rotation

10 mm

8 mm

5 mm

Opp. Direction of
Rotation

18 mm

15 mm

10 mm

6 mm

Sideways

15 mm

13 mm

8 mm

4 mm

76

Most Common System Effect Situations

VOLUME CONTROL DAMPERS

Manufactures pressure drop ratings of wide open control dampers

are usually based on uniform approach velocity profiles. In case a
damper is placed very close to fan outlet, these profiles are nonuniform and much greater pressure losses can be expected.

For the normal blast area / outlet area ratio of about 0.63, the
rated pressure drop must be multiplied by 3 to get the actual
pressure drop for dampers mounted on fan discharge.

77

Most Common System Effect Situations

INLET DUCT ELBOWS

SEF at 12.5 m/s
R/D

No Duct

2D Duct

5D Duct

0.5

24 mm

15 mm

8 mm

0.75

19 mm

12 mm

6 mm

1.0

12 mm

6 mm

3 mm

R = Mean Elbow Radius

D = Equivalent Inlet Collar Diameter

78

Most Common System Effect Situations

CABINET EFFECTS
Fans within cabinets or next to walls should be placed so as to allow
unobstructed air flow into fan inlets.

Inlet to Wall Distance

System Effect Factor (at

12.5 m/s inlet velocity)

0.75x Inlet Dia.

0.5 x Inlet Dia.

4 mm

0.3 x Inlet Dia.

8 mm

79

System Effect Factors

80

GET MAXIMUM MILEAGE OUT OF YOUR FAN

FAN OUTLETS
To minimize shock losses, avoid sharp bends at fan outlets and sudden
expansion or contraction.

By putting a straight length of duct or diffuser at fan outlet, some

dynamic pressure can be converted to static pressure, a process
known as static regain

Bends at centrifugal fan outlets should be in the direction of wheel

rotation. Placing a straight duct between the bend and fan outlet is even
better.

Air at the fan outlet is turbulent. By keeping system elements such

as coils, filters and dampers at some distance from fan outlet permits
the air flow to approach laminar which results in less pressure drop and
lower noise.

Flexible ducts or connections at fan outlets must be smooth and taut.

Use as large a duct as possible at fan outlets. The dynamic pressure

required for a certain amount of flow in a 6 round duct is more than 3

times that in a 8 round duct.

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GET MAXIMUM MILEAGE OUT OF YOUR FAN

FAN INLETS
.

Do not obstruct fan inlets

If a fan is mounted inside a box, the inlet should have the same axis as
that of fan inlet to avoid swirl or spinning of air. Also the clearance at
fan inlet should be atleast 0.5 x wheel diameter

Air approaching fan inlets should have smooth entry. Use of properly
designed bell mouth inlet cones reduce pressure losses and noise. Inlet
cones should be properly aligned with impeller inlet axis to minimize
turbulence and noise.

Two or more fans operating in parallel must have a separation of atleast

one impeller diameter at fan inlet to avoid erratic or uneven inflow.

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GET MAXIMUM MILEAGE OUT OF YOUR FAN

FAN DRIVES
Estimation of proper system pressure drop is crucial especially in case

of forward curved fans. Because of overloading power characteristics of

these fans, motors should be oversized not only to take care of
transmission losses (belt driven fans) but also to allow for actual
system
conditions being different from estimated.

Fan absorbed power is calculated as under

W = Q x P(T)
where W

= Fan absorbed power in watts

= Volume flow in m3/sec

P(T)

= Fan total pressure in pascals

Fan Total Pressure

= Fan static pressure + Fan dynamic pressure

Fan Dynamic Pressure = 0.5 x x V2

where = air density in kg/m3
( Standard value is 1.2)
V = outlet air velocity in m/sec

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GET MAXIMUM MILEAGE OUT OF YOUR FAN

FOR BELT DRIVEN FANS
Pulleys should be placed close to the bearings
Motor and fan pulleys should be properly aligned
Correct no. of belts should be used. This depends upon the
motor power and the smaller pulley size

Belt tension should be proper. General rule is that when

pushed by a finger, the belt should deflect about 10-20 mm

These checks will ensure longer life and minimum wear of

the belt

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THANK YOU

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