Axial flow fan performance improvement via leading-edge reshaping

2019 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuiquing Zhou ◽  
Zheyu Li ◽  
Yuebing Li ◽  
Weiya Jin ◽  
Mingjue Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Performance Improvement ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Axial Flow Fan ◽  
Fan Performance

Performance Improvement on Axial-Flow Fan by Imposing Proper Frame Ribs

2014 ◽  
Vol 598 ◽  
pp. 129-134
Author(s):  
Sheam Chyun Lin ◽  
Fu Yin Wang ◽  
Cheng Ju Chang ◽  
Hung Cheng Yen ◽  
Yung Jen Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Performance Improvement ◽  
Rotor Blade ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Geometrical Parameters ◽  
Axial Flow Fan ◽  
Design Guideline ◽  
Fan Performance ◽  
Air Passage

Generally, most research attempts on the axial-flow fan focus on optimizing rotor blade and tip clearance to enhance its aerodynamic and acoustic performances. Few efforts aim at finding out the appropriate frame rib, which is a supporting and vital part within the air passage and thus has significant influence on the turbulent flow near the blade trailing edge. Therefore, this study intends to investigate the geometrical parameters of the frame rib systematically by using an integrated scheme, which consists of numerical simulation, mockup fabrication, and experimental verification. At first, a high-performance fan (90×90×38 mm3) is constructed to serve as the sample fan for this investigation. Then three geometrical sections (triangle, cylinder, and arc) of frame rib are examined systematically to provide a design guideline on utilizing the appropriate frame rib for enhancing the fan performance.

Total Unsteadiness Downstream of an Axial Flow Fan With Variable Pitch Blades

2001 ◽  
Vol 124 (1) ◽  
pp. 280-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Velarde-Sua´rez ◽  
Rafael Ballesteros-Tajadura ◽  
Carlos Santolaria-Morros ◽  
Eduardo Blanco-Marigorta
Keyword(s):  
Axial Flow ◽  
Industrial Applications ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Axial Flow Fan ◽  
Variable Pitch ◽  
Fan Performance ◽  
Performance Curves ◽  
Unsteady Operation ◽  
Variable Operating Conditions

Variable pitch axial flow fans are widely used in industrial applications to satisfy variable operating conditions. The change of the blade pitch leads to a different rotor geometry and has a major influence on the unsteady operation of the machine. In this work, an experimental research on an axial flow fan with variable pitch blades has been carried out. First of all, the fan performance curves has been obtained. Then the flow field has been measured at ten radial locations both at the inlet and exit rotor plane using hot wire anemometry. Velocity components and total unsteadiness were determined and analyzed in order to characterize the influence of pitch blade and operating conditions on the flow structure.

OVERVIEW OF THE BEST 2020 AXIAL-FLOW FAN DATA AND INCLUSION IN SIMILARITY CHARTS FOR THE SEARCH OF THE BEST DESIGN

2022 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Massimo Masi ◽  
Piero Danieli ◽  
Andrea Lazzaretto
Keyword(s):  
Axial Flow ◽  
Aerodynamic Performance ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Axial Fan ◽  
Axial Flow Fan ◽  
General Picture ◽  
Fan Performance ◽  
Global Performance ◽  
Present Design ◽  
Statistical Survey

Abstract The paper deals with the aerodynamic performance of ducted axial-flow fans available in the 2020 market and aims to create a general picture of the best designs and design trends, as a tool for fan designers. To this end, the paper first presents the general formulation of the similarity approach to the fan performance analysis, including the effects of rotational speed (which affects the validity of the Reynolds similarity) and turbomachine size (which can hinder the perfect geometrical similarity of some shape details). The second part reports a statistical survey of the axial-flow fan performance based on data from catalogues of major manufacturers, and compares the resulting Cordier-lines with optimum fan designs from empirical or CFD-based models available in the literature. In addition to the global performance at maximum aeraulic and total-to-static efficiencies, this survey uses the form of dimensionless Balje-Cordier charts to identify the trends and values of other design parameters, such as hub-to-tip ratio, blade count, and blade positioning angle. As a result, a summary of the aerodynamic performance of year 2020 best designs, the improvements achieved during the last forty years, and the present design trends in contra-rotating, vane-axial, and tube-axial fan types are made available to fan designers.

scholarly journals Experimental Methods Applied in a Study of Stall Flutter in an Axial Flow Fan

2004 ◽  
Vol 11 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 597-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
John D. Gill ◽  
Vincent R. Capece ◽  
Ronald B. Fost
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Dynamic Pressure ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Axial Flow Fan ◽  
Pressure Transducers ◽  
High Frequency Response ◽  
Stall Flutter ◽  
Response Pressure ◽  
Flutter Testing

Flutter testing is an integral part of aircraft gas turbine engine development. In typical flutter testing blade mounted sensors in the form of strain gages and casing mounted sensors in the form of light probes (NSMS) are used. Casing mounted sensors have the advantage of being non-intrusive and can detect the vibratory response of each rotating blade. Other types of casing mounted sensors can also be used to detect flutter of rotating blades. In this investigation casing mounted high frequency response pressure transducers are used to characterize the part-speed stall flutter response of a single stage unshrouded axial-flow fan. These dynamic pressure transducers are evenly spaced around the circumference at a constant axial location upstream of the fan blade leading edge plane. The pre-recorded experimental data at 70% corrected speed is analyzed for the case where the fan is back-pressured into the stall flutter zone. The experimental data is analyzed using two probe and multi-probe techniques. The analysis techniques for each method are presented. Results from these two analysis methods indicate that flutter occurred at a frequency of 411 Hz with a dominant nodal diameter of 2. The multi-probe analysis technique is a valuable method that can be used to investigate the initiation of flutter in turbomachines.

An integrated performance analysis for a small axial-flow fan

2010 ◽  
Vol 224 (9) ◽  
pp. 1981-1994 ◽  
Author(s):  
S-C Lin ◽  
M-L Tsai
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Noise Analysis ◽  
Technical Information ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Numerical Control ◽  
Field Analysis ◽  
Axial Flow Fan ◽  
Fan Performance ◽  
Efficiency Estimation

Owing to the high system resistance and space limitations on computer devices, many researchers have begun to pay more attention to developing high-performance axial-flow fans. Evidently, evaluating the fan performance under different operating conditions is essential for both designer and practical engineering applications. However, previous studies do not provide a detailed flow-field analysis, torque prediction, efficiency estimation at various operating points, and qualitative numerical prediction of sound generation. Thus, this comprehensive study was performed with the aim to offer the aforementioned technical information and completely evaluate the fan performance. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and experimental measurements are utilized to perform flow visualization, torque calculation, efficiency estimation, and noise analysis. For demonstration purposes, a 120 mm-diameter axial-flow fan is designed and fabricated via computer numerical control (CNC) to serve as the research subject. The result indicates that the P— Q curve and the sound pressure level (SPL) spectrum of the experiment are in agreement with those of numerical simulations. The numerical deviations in maximum volumetric flowrate and static pressure are approximately 7 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively. Regarding the acoustic characteristics, the overall SPLs for measured spectra and large eddy simulation (LES) calculation are 51.3 dB and 48.1 dB, respectively. Consequently, this study establishes an integrated aerodynamic, acoustic, and electro-mechanical evaluation approach that can be used as an important tool for fan designers.

Effects of Compact Radial-Vaned Air Separators on Stalling Characteristics of an Axial-Flow Fan

2010 ◽  
Vol 132 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nobuyuki Yamaguchi ◽  
Masayuki Ogata ◽  
Yohei Kato
Keyword(s):  
Axial Length ◽  
Critical Size ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Flat Plates ◽  
Axial Flow Fan ◽  
Low Speed ◽  
Geometrical Dimensions ◽  
Stall Prevention ◽  
Inlet Opening

The stall-prevention effect of air separators incorporating radial vanes in place of the existing axial vanes was investigated on a low-speed, single-stage, lightly loaded axial-flow fan for effective and compact air separators of a simplified structure. From the survey, paying attention to several geometrical dimensions of the device, the following conclusions are obtained: (1) Simplified radial vanes made of flat plates could show strong stall-prevention effect comparable to those of the curved-vane type one. The most favorable ones showed no stall up to the fan shut-off conditions. (2) Radial heights of the recirculation passage within the air separator showed significant influences on the stall improvement. It should be larger than some critical size experimentally given in the study. (3) The axial length of the device should be larger than some critical size given experimentally in the study. Too much reduced axial length could give rise to an abrupt loss in the effect. (4) The optimum axial locations of the rotor-tip blade leading edge within the device inlet opening were found to lie near the center of the width of the inlet opening from both aspects of stall improvement and fan efficiency.

Performance Testing of an Axial Flow Fan Designed for Air-Cooled Heat Exchanger Applications

2018 ◽  
Vol 141 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael B. Wilkinson ◽  
Sybrand J. van der Spuy ◽  
Theodor W. von Backström
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Static Pressure ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Pressure Rise ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Cfd Model ◽  
Blade Angle ◽  
Axial Flow Fan ◽  
Fan Performance ◽  
Static Efficiency

An axial flow fan developed in the previous study is tested in order to characterize its performance. The M-fan, a 7.3152 m diameter rotor only axial flow fan was designed to perform well under the challenging operating conditions encountered in air-cooled heat exchangers. Preliminary computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results obtained using an actuator disk model (ADM) as well as a periodic three dimensional model indicate that the fan meets the specified performance targets, with an expected total-to-static efficiency of 59.4% and a total-to-static pressure rise of 114.7 Pa at the operating point. Experimental tests are performed on the M-fan in order to determine its performance across a full range of flow rates. A range of fan configurations are tested in order to ascertain the effect of tip clearance, blade angle, and hub configuration on fan performance. Due to the lack of a suitable facility for testing a large diameter fan, a scaled 1.542 m diameter model is tested on the ISO 5801 type A fan test facility at Stellenbosch University. A Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes CFD model representing the M-fan in the test facility is also developed in order to provide additional insight into the flow field in the vicinity of the fan blades. The results of the CFD model will be validated using the experimental data obtained. Both the CFD results and the experimental data obtained are compared to the initial CFD results for the full scale fan, as obtained in the previous study, by means of fan scaling laws. Experimental data indicate that the M-fan does not meet the pressure requirement set out in the initial study at the design blade setting angle of 34 deg. Under these conditions, the M-fan attains a total-to-static pressure rise of 102.5 Pa and a total-to-static efficiency of 56.4%, running with a tip gap of 2 mm. Increasing the blade angle is shown to be a potential remedy, improving the total-to-static pressure rise and efficiency obtained at the operating point. The M-fan is also shown to be highly sensitive to increasing tip gap, with larger tip gaps substantially reducing fan performance. The losses due to tip gap are also shown to be overestimated by the CFD simulations. Both experimental and numerically obtained results indicate lower fan total-to-static efficiencies than obtained in the initial CFD study. Results indicate that the M-fan is suited to its intended application, however, it should be operated with a smaller tip gap than initially recommended and a larger blade setting angle. Hub configuration is also shown to have an influence on fan performance, potentially improving performance at low flow rates.

scholarly journals Influence of Chord Lengths of Splitter Blades on Performance of Small Axial Flow Fan

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 361-370
Author(s):  
Guoqi Li ◽  
Lifu Zhu ◽  
Yongjun Hu ◽  
Yingzi Jin ◽  
Toshiaki Setoguchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Internal Flow ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Chord Length ◽  
Aerodynamic Noise ◽  
Axial Fan ◽  
Axial Flow Fan ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Small Axial Flow Fan

On the basis of small axial fan with five blades, 6 types of small axial flow fans with different chord lengths splitter blades were designed. Numerical simulation of 6 fan models with splitter blades and prototype fan were done by using Fluent. Based on the obtained simulation results, internal flow characteristics and aerodynamic noise were analyzed and compared. It indicates that: splitter blades with suitable chord length have improved significantly on internal flow characteristics, which inhibits backflow from pressure surface to the suction surface at blade tip and leading edge and restrains flow separation. The 6 model fans are better than prototype fan on aerodynamic noise improvement, but too long or too short chord lengths are both disadvantage to improve aerodynamic noise. The results reveal that 2/6, 3/6 and 4/6 chord length model have relatively better acoustic characteristics and internal flow characteristics. The research program will offer a reference for structural improvements and noise reduction on small axial flow fan.

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