The Basics About An Axial Fan

By Ina Hunt


With ever increasing technology, several methods of moving fluids and air in industrial systems are now available. Use of fans is among those methods. Axial fan refers to a specific model of compressor that raises the pressure in air that passes through it. It incorporates a shaft onto which blades attach. The blades are responsible for forcing air parallel travel to the shaft.

The name of these appliances is named after their ability to blow air parallel to their axis. Their functioning is the same that of centrifugal fans with differences coming in the mechanisms. Propellers draw air from the surroundings and dissipate it along same axial path. Propellers are responsible for all movements in air that take place in the appliance. This is attained through creation of differences n pressure.

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 devices are also widely used inside computers as cooling elements. They incorporate fluid or ball bearings to ensure consistency in operation and maximum life when they are used for cooling in computers. Models installed in computers devices are costly but function and consume power efficiently. Normally shafts are installed to be in line with the part that needs to be cooled. The device blows air towards the part or draws air past it.

The relationship between pressure variation and volume flow rate is normally of great concern during the manufacture process. As the flow rate goes up from zero mark, efficiency rises to up to a given point before it begins to deteriorate. Power output and pressure are also vary diversely with the rise in performance.

These appliances come in varied shapes, sizes, and colors. Manufacturers can also customize them for specific applications. Power dissipation, size, and construction material, and quality, are some of the factors that affect cost.




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