Modulating Flow with an Outlet Damper

When you need to modulate airflow in your industrial application, one of your easiest and most affordable options is an outlet damper.

The outlet damper works by restricting the air on its way out of the fan. That means it also moves to the left on the static pressure curve, so it’s always important to ensure that you don’t hit the surge danger zone. But in the right application with the right controls, this solution can help add flexibility to your industrial application.

How to Use an Outlet Damper for Air Flow Control

While the VFD method of modulating flow works by adjusting the motor speed that drives the fan to move the air, the damper works by simply restricting, or throttling, the air on its way out of (or into) the fan.

To throttle the air, you simply adjust the louvers, or opposing blades, between more open and more closed. Reiterating an early caution, be sure not to leave them closed for too long, as that can turn a cost-effective solution into a much more costly problem.

Hear it from an Application Engineer

Mr. Miyagi himself could not have explained the “louvers open, louvers closed” action more clearly than Chet White, Senior Application Engineer and Sales Manager. Chet demonstrates how to modulate flow using outlet dampers in this 35-second video.

To determine the right specifications for your centrifugal fan application, reach out and connect with one of our application engineers to discuss the details of your project.

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