At AirPro, one of the most common questions we get from customers is: How can I reduce static pressure in my system?
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Fan inlet boxes help manage airflow into the fan, reduce turbulence, and can support transitions or directional changes in ductwork. Why use an inlet box on a fan?
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Imagine you have a regular light switch and a dimmer switch for a light bulb. A regular switch only has “on” and “off,” while a dimmer lets you control how bright the light is. A VFD is like a dimmer switch for a fan motor – it lets you control the fan’s speed. Changing the fan’s speed with a VFD also changes the motor’s horsepower (its ability to do work) and torque (its turning power). Let’s break it down for centrifugal fans (the most common type).
Bearings are crucial for industrial centrifugal fans, supporting the fan shaft and minimizing friction. Proper bearing selection ensures efficiency, longevity, and reliability in high-performance ventilation systems.
The Role of Bearings in Centrifugal Fans
Bearings hold the shaft in place as a fan rotates. In overhung applications, they are placed in close proximity to the wheel, placed together on the drive side of the fan housing, supporting the wheel mounted on the end of the shaft. In center-hung applications, one bearing is placed on the drive side and the other is placed on the inlet side of the fan as the wheel rotates on the shaft between the bearings.
Impeller Types for Centrifugal Fans
New for 2025 is a regular feature on basic fan knowledge from Chet White, our Sales and Marketing Manager. This month we look at the various types of impellers for centrifugal fans.
Fan Wheels: The Basics
One of the coolest things about building fans is understanding industrial fan applications. At AirPro, we build all types of fan wheels depending on customer needs. So why one fan type over another? It all has to do with application.
Most of the fans we build are driven by electric motors, and this requires the fan wheel and/or shaft to connect with the motor shaft in some way. There are two broad classifications we use to describe this connection – 1) belt drive and 2) direct drive.
The Centrifugal Fan Basics
The most basic answer to the question, “What does a centrifugal fan do?”, is that it moves gas (air), drawing it into the inlet, turning it 90 degrees, and blowing it through the outlet to exit the fan. It moves a higher static pressure than an axial fan, which moves air and gas straight, in one direction. Without air movement inside buildings – whether a room (like in Chet’s example in the video), a house, or an industrial manufacturing facility – things would get dicey. If you were to be trapped in a small room with no ventilation, only breathing in your own exhaled air, you could only survive for so long. Imagine what would happen in a manufacturing facility where there are many other gases and particles at play! If that is all the information on centrifugal fans you were looking for, feel free to stop reading now. For a little more on how they work, carry on.
How to Identify and Solve Fan Vibration Problems
You may enjoy good vibrations at the beach, but fan vibration issues are no picnic. Even when they ship from the shop having been balanced like ours do, once they’re in the field, vibration problems can surface.
Balancing Your New Industrial Fan
Skipping the balancing step after installation could result in catastrophic failure before the dust has a chance to settle on your shiny new fan.
Things to Check When Running Your Fan for the First Time
When your new industrial fan or blower arrives at your facility from the manufacturer, it should already be tested and ready for fan installation. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing more to do to ensure it operates properly! Whether it sits idle awaiting installation or goes right into service, there are several important things to check when running your fan for the first time.
What Fan Shaft Seals Are, What They’re Made of, and Why You Might Need One
There are many industrial centrifugal fan and blower applications that require a shaft seal, including various pollution control, dryer, food and dairy, process cooling, and process heating applications.
Centrifugal Fan Applications for SCR Systems
Power plants and other industrial operations that involve combustion often use Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems for pollution control and environmental compliance. SCR systems pull flue gas out of the gas stream and inject it with a reagent (usually Ammonia or Urea) to reduce Nitrogen Oxide (NOx ) levels before exhausting to the atmosphere. SCR systems are a critical part of meeting acceptable emissions levels put forth by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).