Consumers, for the most part, take all the products and services available to them in modern life for granted. Little, if any, thought is given to the processes that have taken place in order to get fresh, produce, quality reliable products and efficient services to an entire nation.
Little thought may be given to them, but everything we do, everything buy, and everywhere we go, is in some way or another dependent on either axial or centrifugal fans. Or in some cases, both.
From heavy industry, agriculture, science and technology to essential and nonessential services, there is one thing you can be sure every process and work place relies on, industrial fans. They maintain product quality and help to ensure hygiene and safety in the workplace.
Without them life would be very different. It would be far less comfortable and convenient, less efficient, certainly less safe and nowhere near advanced as it is. Unsung they may be, but to our modern life, fans have become as essential as the electricity that drives them.
Not all fans are the same. The power and capacity of a fan is gauged by the task required of the it, the airspace in which it is to operate and the volume of air it is required to move. Size, capacity and practicality of each fan will vary considerably, however, there are basically just two designs of function methodology, which are intrinsically different. They are the axial fan and the centrifugal fan.
Axial Fans
With an axial fan, the extracted air moves in a direction parallel to the rotating shaft onto which the blades are attached. The blades are not uniform in design; blade design will vary dependent on the application. Blade designs include, Aero foil, Sickle, Paddle, and Variable pitch. With air flow parallel to the axis, these fans have a relatively high rate of flow and low pressure.
Axial fans, for the most part, tend to be smaller, lighter, and less expensive than alternative options. In most applications the axial fan will seem to emit a higher level of operating noise than a centrifugal fan, and, on like for like ratings, axial fans will have a lower yield, thus creating a higher level of power consumption.
Axial Fan Applications
Axial fans are ideal for consistent, ambient cooling with a multitude of applications and locations. Air temperature can be vital, not only for the comfort of personnel, but for internal components of machinery and electronic devices. High temperatures of component parts of devices and machinery can reduce efficiency and life span, thus, efficient cooling is vital.
Axial fans will be used to maintain ambient temperatures for medical equipment, delicate measuring equipment. In vending machines, the axial fan is ever present, as they are with temperature controlled showcases. They are also seen in a plethora of industrial applications, including control panels and machine tooling cabinets.
High tech industries that push the boundaries of science for the benefit of mankind often rely on extremely delicate instruments and processes. Axial fans are often the perfect option for maintaining ambient airspace environments in which precision instrument are required to operate and deliver exacting results.
Centrifugal Fans
With a centrifugal fan, air is extracted at 90 degrees to the fan’s air intake. As the impeller rotates, it causes air to be drawn into the fan near the shaft and move in a perpendicular motion from the shaft to the fan’s opening. The air is then spun and deflected, and with centrifugal force, the air is propelled to the outlet.
Centrifugal fans create much high pressures than axial fans and with multiple airflow and pressure combinations, they are ideal for a variation of airflow applications, including clean, dry, and wet air. Correctly rated per application, the centrifugal fan is more energy efficient than other options. They are also durable enough to operate efficiently in the most corrosive or erosive working conditions.
Centrifugal fans are more expensive than axial fans, and in many applications for which they are essential. They can also be large and even intrusive. They will often occupy a considerable amount of valuable work or storage floor space. Although they aid in work place efficiency, they themselves are entirely non-productive essentials.
Centrifugal Fan Applications
The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning industry is entirely reliant on centrifugal fans They will be integrated into, ventilating or heating systems in industrial, commercial and residential buildings. Where a stronger and more consistent air flow is required, centrifugal fans are far more efficient than axial fans.
In industrial sectors, centrifugal fans are utilized in applications where they clear contaminated or polluted air spaces, or for simple dust or particle extraction. They are used in for the operation of conveyance systems to move gasses or materials. Sewage processing and filtration, farming and agriculture, gas compression and furnaces are all reliant on centrifugal fans. Also, some versions of the internal combustion engine have utilized them, and even the humble hairdryer does its job via the centrifugal fan.
The food processing industry has controls and standards that cannot be compromised on for the safety of the consumer. The industry is expected to supply the masses through rapid, volume output. Without centrifugal fans it would be impossible to achieve the volume processing, production, cleaning, movement, storage and transport that society demands.
Although there are several variations of both axial and centrifugal fans, they all essentially one or the other. Regardless of variation, modification or adaption, they all adhere to the basic principles of either the axial or centrifugal principles.
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