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The Basics About An Axial Fan

By Ina Hunt


With the ever increasing technology, companies have had to find ways of moving air and fluids around. One of those ways is by using fans. A specific kind of fan called the axial fan is a type of compressor designed to increase pressure of air passing through it. The air is forced by the blades to move in a parallel direction to the shaft from which the blades originate.

The ability of these devices to blow air along the axis is the origin of their name. They work in the same way as centrifugal fans with the difference lying in the mechanism. The propeller draws air from outside and discharges it along the same axial direction. The propeller is responsible for all air movements that occur in this device. The propeller attains this through creation of pressure difference.

The total number of blades and the design in each blade are the major parameters to consider when making a purchase. Blades can be manufactured from different materials like wood, alloys, and aluminium. The number of blades is normally small ranging from 2 to 6 compared to the high number in ducted fans. Blade number is normally low to stop them from limiting the high flow rate at which the blades operate.

The blades are made in different shapes and lengths. Others feature various blade sections along radii. The necessity of rotor geometry and velocity triangles is eliminated by the low number of blades. The design of these products is meant to work best in places with high temperatures, usually in the range of seventy degrees centigrade. They can also work in humid environments depending on the kind of bearings they come with. Cheaper models have sleeve bearings which have short life spans.

The appliances are applied in many industries including ceramic, steel, cement, mining, chemical, and woodworking. Some common industrial applications include dust collection or removal, heat recovery, building ventilation, fume removal, and combustion air. Also the propellers are used in hovercrafts, hydrofoils, ships, helicopters, cooling towers, and wind tunnels. If used for propulsion purposes, the main parameter of interest is efficiency. However if it is acting as a fan, important parameters are flow rate, efficiency, power consumption, and pressure rise.

These products are also in common use in computer systems as key cooling components. Those that are used in computer systems are installed with ball or fluid bearings to achieve consistent operation and maximum durability. Models used in computing devices are very costly but also very efficient at power consumption and operation. Normally the shaft is placed in line with the component to be cooled to blow air on it or draw air past it.

The relationship between volume flow rate and pressure variation is a major parameter of consideration during the manufacture process. As volume flow rate rises from the zero mark upwards, the efficiency also rises until up to a certain point where it begins to decrease. Pressure and power output are also varied with increase in performance.

These appliances have varied shapes and sizes. They can also be custom-built to suit specific applications. The cost differs according to power dissipation, quality, size, and material used in construction among many other factors.




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