When it comes to industrial fans, you&#;ll always have a choice among several options. But when selecting fans for a variety of industries &#; including those for use in mines, factories, and commercial buildings &#; two of the most popular types are axial and radial.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Custom Commercial Fan. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
Not only are axial and radial fans the most applicable across a broad range of industries, but they&#;re also the two most common types of fans available today on the market.
So what type of fan &#; axial or radial &#; is better for your application? Neither is a bad choice, but there are situations when one should be selected over the other. Hence, choosing the right type of fan often comes down to factors such as air displacement, volume, and even blade type. This post will take a closer look at the basics, key differences, and advantages and disadvantages of both axial and radial fans.
If you&#;ve ever lived in a home without air conditioning or slept in a loft that required a bit more air circulation to promote a comfortable environment, the portable fan that you set up to help cool the area is likely an axial fan.
Axial fans got their name for the way the fan blades operate &#; rotating around an axis and thereby pushing air out in a way that&#;s parallel to the axis. The example that we used above is common in household and small industrial settings. However, axial fans can be made much larger, suitable for factories and underground mining operations.
Axial fans are frequently used when there&#;s a need for a large volume of air. Though axial fans do a nice job achieving this goal, it&#;s fairly low-pressure air and not highly concentrated to a certain area.
Also known as &#;centrifugal fans,&#; radial fans don&#;t pull air parallel to the axis as axial fans do. Instead, they move air from the center, radially &#; hence their name. To create the air, radial fans first pull it into the fan. This is often done via a side intake, which varies based on how the size of the fan.
A simple example of a centrifugal fan is a small &#;blower&#; fan, used in residential and commercial environments to quickly dry damp areas of the building or areas with water damage.
Though the volume of these types of fans is usually less than that of axial fans, the pressure is much greater. They&#;re also better able to directly target a specific area. Radial fans used in heavy industrial and mining environments are typically larger, drawing in the air via intakes and then running it through a series of ducts before it is dispersed.
Centrifugal fans may also be known as squirrel fans, squirrel cage fans, and air blower fans because of how they operate and how certain models look.
The best way to decide which fan is right for your application is to take a deeper look at some of the key strengths and weaknesses of each.
When we talk about fan pressure, we&#;re referring to the type of air that it creates in a select area. Axial fans create low-pressure air, as the design of such fans allows these devices to distribute air somewhat evenly in a defined area.
Radial fans, conversely, generate high-pressure air. In other words, they&#;ll create a steady flow of air that can be used to target a concentrated area.
Axial fans distribute high volumes of air, just not high-pressure amounts of air. As stated previously, this makes them great for areas where large amounts of air displacement are necessary.
While radial fans generate high-pressure air, they don&#;t generate it in large volumes.
Generally, any appliance that is comprised of more working parts is going to consume a larger amount of energy to operate. This is the case with radial fans, which use intake to bring air into the fan, then centrifugal force to push it back out.
Because of the way that radial fans operate and the high pressure of air distributed, they use more energy to operate. Axial fans, conversely, don&#;t use as much energy and are usually a more sustainable option in industrial settings.
Axial fans are noisier than radial fans, which can be a factor in certain industrial environments.
Axial fans tend to operate with a great deal of turbulence, which puts an increased amount of wear and tear on the device. This can result in more maintenance or earlier replacement than radial fans over time.
Though many manufacturers will make fans based on consumer request, axial fans are more complex and portable than radial ones. Radial fans that are installed in industrial environments are typically very heavy, large and there to stay once they&#;re placed.
Understanding the difference between axial and radial fans is critical in making the right choice for your application. Each type of fan has its fair share of benefits and drawbacks. You may find that a combination of each might suit your application the best.
Fans are the "workhorses" of the ventilation systems. To have an effective ventilation system, fans must be of the appropriate size and type. They must provide enough speed (air movement) to capture contaminants at the source, draw them through the hood, and carry them through the duct system, through the air cleaning devices and exhaust to the outdoors.
There are two main types of exhaust fans:
Figure 1Types of fans
For more Drum Fan Manufacturerinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.
There are three basic types of axial fans: propeller, tubeaxial, and vaneaxial. Propeller fans are most commonly used for dilution ventilation or cooling. These fans have a propeller-shaped blade and a drive motor mounted on a flat frame. They are often mounted on a wall or ceiling. Common examples are your automobile radiator fan or a free-standing room fan. The basic characteristics of these fans include:
Tubeaxial and vaneaxial fans are propeller fans made to fit in a duct.
The tubeaxial fans have the propeller and the drive motors mounted in tubes. The clearance between the propeller and tube is very small to improve airflow efficiency.
The vaneaxial fans are tubeaxial fans with air straightening vane before and behind the propeller.
These fans usually limited to "clean air" applications such as exhaust ducts going through the roof.
Where the exhaust air is at a high temperature or contains contaminants (e.g., grease, corrosive, etc., such as in kitchens or paint booths) that could damage the drive motor, a bifurcated axial fan could be used. The design of this axial fan keeps out the drive motor of the air stream.
There are three types of centrifugal fans determined by the type of fan blades:
The fans in your home furnace, vacuum cleaner and hairdryer are examples of centrifugal fans. They can operate against a high resistance and are typically used in local exhaust ventilation systems. The rugged radial blade centrifugal fans are the best type for exhausting heavy amounts of dust because they are less likely to become clogged or abraded by the dust.
Selection of the proper fan can be complicated and should be done by a ventilation or fan expert. However, you can make the following observations to determine if the fan selected is appropriate:
Fans that handle high-temperature exhaust air must be made from materials and parts resistant to high temperatures.
You may or may not know how much air has to be moved by the fan. You may also not know the amount of resistance in the exhaust system that the fan has to overcome and what is the fan's efficiency. However, the following general information may be helpful:
Safety guards are required for all danger points such as the inlet, outlet, shaft, drive, and cleanout doors. Construction should comply with applicable jurisdictional governmental safety requirements.
Except for low-speed fan units, fans usually are noisy. Noise can be distracting, irritating, or damaging to the ear. Fan noise can be a problem both in the plant and to neighbours outside. Most fan manufacturers publish sound ratings for their products and these levels should be considered when selecting a fan.
Common components of most fans that affect performance are listed below:
Bearings: Fan shaft bearings are often the single greatest source of trouble. Bearing life is reduced by overly tightened or excessively loose fan belts, fan vibration, uneven loading on the fan blades, high ambient operating temperatures, and improper (over or under) lubrication.
Belts (V belts): Improper belt tension can affect the fan performance. Audible belt squealing during start-up is a sign of insufficient belt tension. As a rule of thumb, belt tension should be tight enough so that the centre of the span will move 2.5 cm (1 inch)when moderate finger pressure is applied.
Blades and Housing: A buildup of solid material (dust, fumes, particulate matter) on the fan blades or the housing causes imbalance, vibration, and loss of capacity (reduced airflow).
Connectors and isolation foundations: Flexible connectors and isolation foundations are used to isolate fan vibrations from the building and the rest of the ventilation system. Flexible connectors attach the ventilation system duct to the fan while eliminating fan vibration that may travel through the ventilation system duct. If they are torn or corroded, the fan performance will be affected.
Louvers and dampers: Some fans have inlet or outlet louvers or dampers to adjust airflow. They may be manually, pneumatically or electronically controlled. If the louver linkage connections are not tight and secure, they may affect the fan performance.
Motors: Motor operating voltage must be maintained within 10% of the recommended voltage to ensure proper fan performance. Most motors are permanently lubricated for life and require no further maintenance.
Fans can go "out of balance" because material builds up on the fan blades, or because of wear. Imbalanced fans will vibrate and may cause damage to various parts of the fan (blades, housing, motor, etc.). It is important to keep fans clean and properly balanced, particularly if the air being removed contains abrasive, sticky or wet materials. Scheduled maintenance should check items including:
Air discharged from a fan should be kept away from inlets (intake) of the make-up air system. In this way, the make-up air system will draw only clean, outdoor air into the workplace.
The discharge exhaust stacks should be high enough from the roof so that contaminants do not re-enter the workplace. Generally, they should be located no closer than 15.24 m (50 feet) from the inlet to prevent recirculation of contaminants. Stacks work best when they are tall, usually at least 3 m (10 feet) above the roofline.
Want more information on Mist Fan Manufacturer? Feel free to contact us.