What are Industrial Fans?
Industrial fans are very different from the general-purpose fans as the former are designed with heavier duty or metal materials as well as components that would operate for long. These are also built in such a way that those can supply greater air flow and pressure, thereby being able to produce more stringent environmental as well as ambient requirements. The primary function of this fan is to provide and to accommodate a larger flow of air or gas to the different processes of several industries.
Industrial fans work by the rotation of multiple blades which are attached to a hub, shaft and are regulated by a turbine or a motor.
How Does an Industrial Fan Work?
These industrial fans, similar to the general-purpose fans, work in the same way just by the rotation of a number of blades, which are together connected to a hub or a shaft and driven by a motor. The speed of the air, then produced, can be managed with the help of the switchboard attached that comes along with the machine itself. Thus, the flow rates of these fans differentiate on the basis of their application. Also, these industrial fans systems provide customized solutions for various purposes right from cooling to exhausting of heat or for dust collection and material handling. The quantity, pressure, efficiency of air flow that is required, decide the type of fan that needs to be used for the industrial process.
Different Types of Industrial Fans:
Most of the industrial fans are categorized into one of the two general types. Those are centrifugal fans or axial fans.
- Axial fans: These fans are also commonly known as propeller fans and are used when there is a requirement of a comparatively larger volume of flow. Thus, this fan moves larger volumes of air at relatively low pressure. The air enters and exits the fan on the axis of a fan hub. They use axial forces for achieving the movement of air and gas, and the fan wheel contains a short section of cylindrical ductwork, where the inlet and outlet ducting are connected. The Axial flow fans are able to handle various industrial processes that require large volumes of air at relatively low pressures. These are widely used for this purpose. For instance, the tube axial fans and the vane axial fans are used in industrial applications where uniform downstream of air is required such as in cement, paper and wood, or pharmaceutical, steel industry and etc.
- Centrifugal fan: These centrifugal designed fans are used where both flow and higher pressures are needed for the movement of the fans. The centrifugal fans are designed in such a way to use the centrifugal force that is generated by rotating a disk with the help of blades which are mounted at right angles to them. The wheel used here is typically contained within a round or scroll-shaped fan housing which simultaneously draws more and more air or gas into itself through the central hole. These fans are suitable for this purpose for the systems that have high static resistance and are thus widely used in several process plants, as in for cement, steel or, chemical, or thermal power etc. where the air movement is necessary.
The characteristics of such types of fans are amazing and most of the industrial fans include centrifugal fans and axial fans. These fans vary from each other in terms of their design, functionality or the air flow direction. The term blower is another name that is used for a fan which operates with the resistance to the flow and lies on the downstream side of the fan.
Uses of industrial fans
Some uses of industrial fans are discussed below:
- They help in proper circulation of air inside an enclosed surface of industries which aids in ventilation.
- They replace the enclosed air with fresh air.
- They act as a coolant and cool down the interior of industries.
- They are cheaper than air conditioners so can be used abundantly in many industries
- They help in minimizing the amount of moisture inside the factories.
- They remove smoke, fumes, dust, mist, etc., from rooms and make the air breathable.
Thus, industrial fans are essential devices in factories and industries.
