Industrial fans serve the need for air movement to provide cooling, exhausting, aerating, ventilating, drying, and more. Selecting the best industrial fan for a particular job involves a number of factors to consider. Depending on the application or process, airflow and pressure requirements vary, and environmental conditions must be taken into account, as well.
Choosing the right industrial fan for an application means identifying and selecting an industrial fan that is designed for your application needs. Making the right choice will ultimately be the most cost-effective and advantageous for your bottom line.
Some areas of industrial fan consideration include:
Type of Fan – An axial fan draws air in using a propeller, and discharges air in the same direction; it should not be used to convey material. A centrifugal blower wheel draws air into the housing and discharges it out at 90°.
Airflow – Airflow is rated in cubic feet of air per minute (CFM). When conveying material, make sure there is adequate CFM for the duct pipe or hose size.
Static Pressure – The resistance to the airflow, or static pressure, is caused by air moving through the pipe, hose, duct, filter, hood and other factors. Static pressure is rated in inches of water gauge (SPWG).
Density – Density changes resulting from temperature, altitude, negative pressure at the fan inlet and/or barometric pressure variations should be corrected to standard conditions.
Air Temperature – The temperature of the air going through the fan or blower will affect the performance of the fan or blower.
Altitude – The altitude at which the fan or blower will be operating also impacts the performance of the fan or blower.
Material Handling – If the material will be conveyed through the fan or blower, the material characteristics should be considered.
Ambient Temperature – The temperature of the air outside the fan or blower, or ambient temperature, can affect the operation of the fan or blower.
Ducting – Earlier in the design process, ducting should be considered for performance and efficiency. This will influence the final design in terms of overall cost, the compactness of the fan, and the operational costs.
Safety Conditions – Special accommodations may be required if any material going through the blower is flammable or combustible.
To make the industrial fan selection process easier, Cincinnati Fan has a convenient fan selector tool available online. This interactive tool provides a relevant selection of fans upon submission of the following data:
- Volume
- Static Pressure
- Motor Frequency
- Airstream Temperature
- Approximate Altitude
If you are in need of further guidance in the industrial fan selection process, we would be happy to assist. Contact the specialists at Air Solutions to discuss your fan selection questions.