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
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)
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 efficiencies
than propeller fans
-Suited for medium-pressure, high airflow 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
Definitions and Formulas
• Capacity (Q) – volumetric discharge flow rate measured at
the outlet

Q = AV
where,
A = fan Area
V = fan Velocity
•  Velocity Head (Hv)
1. Suction Velocity Head, meters of air (Hvs)

where,
Hvs = meters of air
v = velocity
g = gravitational acceleration
= 9.81 m/s2 = 32.2 ft/s2
•   2. Suction Velocity Head, mm W.G. (hvs)

where,
Υ­a = specific weight of air
Ρa = density of air = Ρa/RTa
Υ­w = specific weight of fluid inside
manometer (water)
Ρw = density of fluid inside manometer (water)
•   3. Discharge Velocity Head, meters of air (Hvd)

where,
Hvd = meters of air
v = velocity
g = gravitational acceleration
= 9.81 m/s2 = 32.2 ft/s2
•   4. Discharge Velocity Head, mm W.G. (hvs)

where,
Υ­a = specific weight of air
Ρa = density of air = Ρa/RTa
Υ­w = specific weight of fluid inside
manometer (water)
Ρw = density of fluid inside manometer (water)
•  Static Head (Hs)
Hs = Hsd - Hss
 
1. Suction Static Head

2. Discharge Static Head

•  Static Air Power (SAP)
Method 1: Using Fan Static Head in m of Air
Fan Static Head, Hs = Hsd – Hss

 
SAP = ; watts

Q = volume flow rate

𝛄 = specific weight = 𝛒g
HS= static head
•   Method 2: Using Fan Static Head in mm W.G.
Fan Static Head, ∆hs = hsd - hss
•  Total Air Power
Method 1: Using Total Head in m of Air
HDT = Hsd + Hvd
HST = Hss + Hvs
HT = HdT – HsT = Total Fan Head
•   Method 2: Using total head in mm W.G.
hdt = hsd + hvd
hST = hss + hvs
∆hT = hdT – hsT = Total Fan Head
•  Static Fan Efficiency

SAP = Static Air Power

BP = Brake Power
• Total Fan Efficiency

TAP = Total Fan Power

•  Motor Efficiency

EP = Electrical Power
• Combined Motor-Fan Efficiency (ηM-F)
•  Affinity Laws
1. For Variable Density (ρ1≠ρ2)
Q1 = Q2
•   2. For Variable Speed (N1≠N2)
•   3. For Variable Wheel Diameter (D1≠D2)
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?