Fan Selection

Selection by Performance Requirements

Fan Selection Factors

Factors to be considered in selecting a fan include:

Fan performance characteristics Variable airflow/pressure How the fan is to be installed

(Duct orientation, location, mounting, etc.)

Acoustics

This part focuses on the first two areas

Fan Performance Fan Curves

The performance of a fan is described by its fan curve:

Describes the fans airflow-to-resistance behaviour Curve of best fit from multiple test points Can also show power absorbed, efficiency, noise level etc. varying with airflow Plotted at one speed

Fan Curve Animated Example

Pressure Drop, Pa Airflow m/s

1 m/s = 1000 L/s

Fan Curves Resistance and pressure

Resistance on fan measured as a pressure difference before & after fan Pressure can be defined as Static or Total Pressure Fantech Data usually references Fan Static Pressure

Velocity Pressure Curve

System Curves Duty Point

Required airflow and resulting duct losses expressed as a duty point Resistance on fan estimated by calculating the pressure loss of the ductwork at an airflow

System Curves Load on the Fan

If duct calculations are perfect, duty point must be on the fan curve for fan to operate on the curve The pressure loss usually varies to 2nd power of flowrate

Fan Operating Points

If duty point is not on fan curve, actual operating point is at intersection of fan and system curves Fan curve valid at one speed

Operating Point Example

100 Pa 0.6 m/s at 150 Pa

354D required to achieve 0.5 m at 100 Pa.

0.5 m/s

Fan Selection Is the fan suitable?

Other criteria: Extremities of fan curve

Good practice to avoid selecting fans near (or above!!) peak pressure development Frequent mistake is to assess this against required duty point not actual fan operating point

Fan Selection Is the fan suitable?

Other criteria: Lack of resistance/pressure

Applicable to centrifugal style fans Increased noise levels at bottom of fan curve (near free air)
Bottom 10% of Pressure

Fan Curves Power Consumption

Fan power output function of airflow and fan total pressure Other factors are pitch angle, speed etc.

Variable Duty Speed Changes

Fan Characteristics Varying with Speed
100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 90%

80%

70%

66%

66%

60%
% of Original

50% 44% 40% 29%

30%

20%

10%

0% Speed Airflow Pressure Power

Variable Duty Fan Curves

High Speed and low speed fan curves plotted as per previous bar graph (66% Speed, 44% Pressure)

High Speed

Low Speed

Variable Duty Changing System

If system resistance changes differently to fan characteristics Common cause of trouble are constant pressure applications High and low duty points must be within operating window

Operating Window 80% Pressure Line

Fan Selection Recap

Fan curve shows airflow-pressure Fan operates where system & fan curves match Fan curves can show a lot of other information such as power etc. Varying airflow duties must fall within fans performance envelope