Mechanical fan

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Household electric "box" fan with a propeller style blade

A household electric floor fan

A fan is a machine used to create flow within a fluid, typically a gas such as air.[1] The fan
consists of a rotating arrangement of vanes or blades which act on the fluid. The rotating
assembly of blades and hub is known as an impeller, a rotor, or a runner. Usually, it is contained
within some form of housing or case.[2] This may direct the airflow or increase safety by
preventing objects from contacting the fan blades. Most fans are powered by electric motors, but
other sources of power may be used, including hydraulic motors and internal combustion
engines. Fans produce flows with high volume and low pressure (although higher than ambient
pressure), as opposed to compressors which produce high pressures at a comparatively low
volume. A fan blade will often rotate when exposed to a fluid stream, and devices that take
advantage of this, such asanemometers and wind turbines, often have designs similar to that of
a fan.
For more details on this topic, see Centrifugal compressor.

Typical applications include climate control and personal thermal comfort (e.g., an electric table
or floor fan), vehicle and machinery cooling systems, ventilation, fume
extraction, winnowing (e.g., separating chaff of cereal grains), removing dust (e.g. in a vacuum
cleaner), drying (usually in combination with heat) and to provide draft for a fire. While fans are
often used to cool people, they do not actually cool air (if anything, electric fans warm it slightly
due to the warming of their motors), but work by evaporative cooling of sweat and increased
heat convection into the surrounding air due to the airflow from the fans. Thus, fans may become
ineffective at cooling the body if the surrounding air is near body temperature and contains high
humidity.
Contents

1Etymology

2History
o

2.1Steam

2.2Electrical

3Types of fans
o

3.1Axial-flow fans

3.2Centrifugal fan

3.3Cross-flow fan

4Uncommon types of fan

o

4.1Bellows

4.2Coand effect

4.3Convective

4.4Electrostatic

5Noise

6Fan drive methods

7See also

8References

Etymology[edit]
The word fan comes from Middle English, winnowing fan, from Old English fann and from
Latin vannus.[1]

History[edit]

The punkah fan was used in India about 500 BCE. It was a handheld fan made from bamboo
strips or other plant fibre, that could be rotated or fanned to move air. During British rule, the
word came to be used by Anglo-Indians to mean a large swinging flat fan, fixed to the ceiling, and
pulled by a servant, called the punkawallah.

Patent drawing for a Fan Moved by Mechanism, 27 November 1830

In the 17th century, the experiments of scientists like Otto von Guericke, Robert
Hooke and Robert Boyle, established the basic principles of vacuum and airflow. The English
architect Sir Christopher Wren applied an early ventilation system in the Houses of
Parliament that used bellows to circulate air. Wren's design would be the catalyst for much later
improvement and innovation.
John Theophilus Desaguliers, a British engineer, demonstrated a successful use of a fan system
to draw out stagnant air from coal mines in 1727 and soon afterwards he installed a similar
apparatus in Parliament.[3] Good ventilation was particularly important in coal mines to reduce
casualties from asphyxiation. The civil engineer John Smeaton, and later John Buddle installed
reciprocating air pumps in the mines in the North of England. However, this arrangement was not
ideal as the machinery was liable to breaking down.

Steam[edit]
With the advent of practical steam power, fans could finally be used for ventilation. David Boswell
Reid, a Scottish physician, installed four steam powered fans in the ceiling of St George's
Hospital in Liverpool, so that the pressure produced by the fans would force the incoming air
upward and through vents in the ceiling.[4] In 1849 a 6 m radius steam driven fan, designed
by William Brunton, was made operational in the Gelly Gaer Colliery of South Wales. The model
was exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851. Improvements in the technology were made
by James Nasmyth, Frenchman Theophile Guibal and J. R. Waddle.[5]

Electrical[edit]
Between the years 1882 and 1886, New Orleans, LA resident Schuyler Skaats Wheeler invented
a fan powered by electricity.[6] It was commercially marketed by the American firm Crocker &
Curtis electric motor company. In 1882, Philip Diehl introduced the electric ceiling fan. During this
intense period of innovation, fans powered by alcohol, oil, or kerosene were common around the
turn of the 20th century.

A 6 blade HVLS fan.

In 1909, KDK pioneered the invention of mass-produced electric fans for home use. In the 1920s,
industrial advances allowed steel fans to be mass-produced in different shapes, bringing fan
prices down and allowing more homeowners to afford them. In the 1930s, the first art deco fan
(the "swan fan") was designed. By the 1950s, fans were manufactured in colors that were bright
and eye catching.
Window and central air conditioning in the 1960s caused many companies to discontinue
production of fans.[7] But in the 1970s, with an increasing awareness of the cost of electricity and
the amount of energy used to heat and cool homes, Victorian-style ceiling fans became popular
again as both decorative and energy efficient units.
In 1998, Walter K. Boyd invented the HVLS ceiling fan. It was a slow moving fan with an eight
foot diameter. Due to its size, the fan moved a large column of air and continuously mixed fresh
air with the stale air inside. They are used in many industrial and agricultural settings, because of
their energy efficiency.[8]

Types of fans[edit]

Two c. 1980 box fans

Ceiling fan with lamp

Revolving blade fans are made in a wide range of designs. They are used on the floor, table,
desk, or hung from the ceiling. They can also be built into a window, wall, roof, chimney, etc.
Most electronic systems such as computers include fans to cool circuits inside, and in appliances
such as hair dryers and portable space heaters and mounted/installed wall heaters. They are
also used for moving air in air-conditioning systems, and in automotive engines, where they are
driven by belts or by direct motor. Fans used for comfort create a wind chill by increasing
the heat transfer coefficient, but do not lower temperatures directly. Fans used to cool electrical
equipment or in engines or other machines do cool the equipment directly by forcing hot air into
the cooler environment outside the machine. There are three main types of fans used for moving
air, axial,centrifugal (also called radial) and cross flow (also called tangential). The American
Society of Mechanical Engineers Performance Testing Code 11 (PTC)[9] provides standard
procedures for conducting and reporting tests on fans, including those of the centrifugal, axial,
and mixed flows.

Axial-flow fans[edit]

An axial box fan for cooling electrical equipment

Axial-flow fans have blades that force air to move parallel to the shaft about which the blades
rotate. This type of fan is used in a wide variety of applications, ranging from small cooling fans
for electronics to the giant fans used in wind tunnels. Axial flow fans are applied in air
conditioning and industrial process applications. Standard axial flow fans have diameters from
300400 mm or 1800 to 2000 mm and work under pressures up to 800 Pa. Examples of axial
fans are:

Table fan: Basic elements of a typical table fan include the fan blade, base, armature and
lead wires, motor, blade guard, motor housing,oscillator gearbox, and oscillator shaft. The
oscillator is a mechanism that moves the fan from side to side. The axle comes out on both
ends of the motor, one end of the axle is attached to the blade and the other is attached to
the oscillator gearbox. The motor case joins to the gearbox to contain the rotor and stator.
The oscillator shaft combines to the weighted base and the gearbox. A motor housing covers
the oscillator mechanism. The blade guard joins to the motor case for safety.

Ceiling fan: A fan suspended from the ceiling of a room is a ceiling fan. Ceiling fans can
be found in both residential and industrial/commercial settings.

In automobiles, a mechanical fan provides engine cooling and prevents the engine from
overheating by blowing or sucking air through acoolant-filled radiator. It can be driven with
a belt and pulley off the engine's crankshaft or an electric fan switched on or off by
a thermostaticswitch.

Computer cooling fan for cooling electrical components

variable-pitch fan: A variable-pitch fan is used where precise control of static pressure
within supply ducts is required. The blades are arranged to rotate upon a control-pitch hub.
The fan wheel will spin at a constant speed. As the hub moves toward the rotor, the blades
increase their angle of attack and an increase in flow results.

Centrifugal fan[edit]
Main article: centrifugal fan

Typical centrifugal fan

Often called a "squirrel cage" (because of its similarity in appearance to exercise wheels for pet
rodents) or "scroll fan", the centrifugal fan has a moving component (called an impeller) that

consists of a central shaft about which a set of blades, or ribs, are positioned. Centrifugal fans
blow air at right angles to the intake of the fan, and spin the air outwards to the outlet (by
deflection and centrifugal force). The impeller rotates, causing air to enter the fan near the shaft
and move perpendicularly from the shaft to the opening in the scroll-shaped fan casing. A
centrifugal fan produces more pressure for a given air volume, and is used where this is
desirable such as in leaf blowers, blowdryers, air mattress inflators, inflatable structures, climate
control, and various industrial purposes. They are typically quieter than comparable axial fans.

Cross-flow fan[edit]

Cross-section of cross-flow fan, from the 1893 patent. The rotation is clock-wise. The stream guide F is
usually not present in modern implementations.

Cross-flow fan

The cross-flow or tangential fan, sometimes known as a tubular fan, was patented in 1893 by
Paul Mortier,[10] and is used extensively in the HVAC industry. The fan is usually long in relation to
the diameter, so the flow approximately remains two-dimensional away from the ends. The CFF
uses an impeller with forward curved blades, placed in a housing consisting of a rear wall and
vortex wall. Unlike radial machines, the main flow moves transversely across the impeller,
passing the blading twice. The flow within a cross-flow fan may be broken up into three distinct
regions: a vortex region near the fan discharge, called an eccentric vortex, the through-flow
region, and a paddling region directly opposite. Both the vortex and paddling regions are
dissipative, and as a result, only a portion of the impeller imparts usable work on the flow. The
cross-flow fan, or transverse fan, is thus a two-stage partial admission machine. The popularity of
the crossflow fan in the HVAC industry comes from its compactness, shape, quiet operation, and
ability to provide high pressure coefficient. Effectively a rectangular fan in terms of inlet and outlet
geometry, the diameter readily scales to fit the available space, and the length is adjustable to
meet flow rate requirements for the particular application. Common household tower fans are
also cross-flow fans.
Much of the early work focused on developing the cross-flow fan for both high and low-flow-rate
conditions, and resulted in numerous patents. Key contributions were made by Coester, Ilberg
and Sadeh, Porter and Markland, and Eck.
One phenomenon particular to the cross-flow fan is that, as the blades rotate, the local air
incidence angle changes. The result is that in certain positions the blades act as compressors
(pressure increase), while at other azimuthal locations the blades act as turbines (pressure
decrease).

Uncommon types of fan[edit]

Bellows[edit]
Main article: Bellows

Diagram of a single-acting hand bellows

Bellows are also used to move air, although not generally considered fans. A hand-operated
bellows is essentially a bag with a nozzle and handles, which can be filled with air by one
movement, and the air expelled by another. Typically it would comprise two rigid flat surfaces
hinged at one end, where a nozzle is fitted, and with handles at the other. The sides of the
surfaces are joined by a flexible and air-proof material such as leather; the surfaces and joining
material comprise a bag sealed everywhere but at the nozzle. (The joining material typically has
a characteristic pleated construction that is so common that similar expanding fabric
arrangements not used for moving air, such as on a folding camera, are called bellows.)
Separating the handles expands the bag, which fills with air; squeezing them together expels the
air. A simple valve (e.g., a flap) may be fitted so that air enters without having to come from the
nozzle, which may be close to a fire. Bellows produce a directed pressurized stream of air; the
airflow volume is typically low with moderate pressure. They are an older technology, used
mainly to produce a strong and directed airflow unlike non-electric bladed mechanical fans,
before the introduction of electricity.

A single-acting bellows will only produce airflow during the exhaust stroke.

A double-acting bellows is a pair of bellows capable of blowing out air from one while
inhaling air into the other, but airflow still temporarily ceases when the stroke direction is
reversed.

Combining multiple bellows at third-cycle or quarter-cycle arrangements on a crank arm

allows for nearly continuous airflow from several bellows at once; each is in a different phase
of inhaling and exhausting during the cycle.

Coand effect[edit]
An open-face supermarket freezer with an air curtain. Cooling air circulates across the food through the
dark slot seen at the rear of the freezer, and through another grille not visible along the front.

The Dyson Air Multiplier fans, and the Imperial C2000 series range hood fans, have no exposed
fan blades or other visibly moving parts except their oscillating and tilting head. The airflow is
generated using the Coand effect; a small quantity of air from a high-pressure-bladed impeller
fan, contained in the base rather than exposed, drives a large airmass via a low-pressure area
created by theairfoil.[11][12][13] The US Patent & Trademark Office initially ruled that Dyson's patent
was not an improvement on the Toshiba patent on a nearly identical bladeless desktop fan
granted in 1981.[11] Air curtains and air doors also utilize this effect to help retain warm or cool air
within an otherwise exposed area that lacks a cover or door. Air curtains are commonly used on

open-face dairy, freezer, and vegetable displays to help retain chilled air within the cabinet using
a laminar airflow circulated across the display opening, usually generated by a fan in the base of
the cabinet.

Convective[edit]
Differences in air temperature will affect the density of air and can be used to induce air
circulation through the mere act of heating or cooling an air mass. This effect is so subtle and
works at such low air pressures that it does not appear to fit the definition of a fan technology.
However, prior to the development of electricity, convective airflow was the primary method of
inducing airflow in living spaces. Old fashioned oil and coal furnaces were not electric and
operated simply on the principle of convection to move the warm air. Very large volume air ducts
were sloped upwards away from the top of the furnace towards floor and wall registers above the
furnace. Cool air was returned through similar large ducts leading to the bottom of the furnace.
Older houses from before electrification often had open duct grilles leading from the ceiling of a
lower level to the floor of an upper level, to allow convective airflow to slowly rise up the building
from one floor to the next. Outhouses commonly rely on a simple enclosed air channel in a
corner of the structure to exhaust offensive odors. Exposed to sunlight, the channel is warmed
and a slow convective air current is vented out the top of the building, while fresh air enters the
pit through the seat hole.

Electrostatic[edit]
An electrostatic fluid accelerator propels airflow by inducing motion in airborne charged particles.
A high voltage electric field (commonly 25,000 to 50,000 volts) formed between exposed
charged anode and cathode surfaces is capable of inducing airflow through a principle referred to
as ionic wind. The airflow pressure is typically very low but the air volume can be large. However,
a sufficiently high voltage potential can also cause the formation of ozone and nitrogen oxides,
which are reactive and irritating to mucous membranes.

Noise[edit]
Fans generate noise from the rapid flow of air around blades and obstacles, and sometimes from
the motor. Fan noise has been found to be roughly proportional to the fifth power of fan speed;
halving speed reduces noise by about 15 dB.[14]

Fan drive methods[edit]

Building heating and cooling systems commonly use a squirrel cage fan driven by belt from a separate
electric motor.

Internal combustion enginessometimes drive an engine cooling fan directly, or may use a separate electric
motor.

Large electric motors may have a cooling fan either on the back or inside the case. (Shown with black rear
cover removed.)

Dual shaft fan motor in a window air conditioner.

Standalone fans are usually powered by electric motors, often attached directly to the motor's
output with no gears or belts. The motor is either hidden in the fan's center hub or extends
behind it. For big industrial fans, three-phase asynchronous motors are commonly used, placed
near the fan and driving it through a belt and pulleys. Smaller fans are often powered by shaded
pole AC motors, or brushed orbrushless DC motors. AC-powered fans usually use mains voltage,
while DC-powered fans use low voltage, typically 24, 12, or 5 V. Cooling fans for computer
equipment always use brushless DC motors, which generate much less electromagnetic
interference than other types. In machines with a rotating part, the fan is often connected to it
rather than being powered separately. This is commonly seen in motor vehicles with internal
combustion engines, where the fan is connected to the drive shaft directly or through a belt and
pulleys. A common configuration is a dual-shaft motor, where one end of the shaft drives a
mechanism, while the other has a fan mounted on it to cool the motor itself. Window air
conditioners commonly use a dual-shaft fan to operate separate blowers for the interior and
exterior parts of the device. Where electrical power or rotating parts are not available, fans may
be drive by other methods. High-pressure gases such as steam can be used to drive a
small turbine, and high-pressure liquids can be used to drive a pelton wheel, which can provide

the rotational drive for a fan. Large, slow-moving energy sources such as a flowing river can also
power a fan using a water wheel and a train of gears or pulleys