Service Manual

Howden 24-07.022r01E 1/20

Installation and Maintenance

D-Series Axial Flow Cooling Fans







Warning
Failure to comply with these instructions
could cause serious bodily harm or property
damage and will void the warranty.
Note
The blades installation sequence has been
changed when compared with our
Z-series Manual!


Howden 24-07.022r01 2/20

D-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Service Manual



INDEX

I. General Information ........................................................................................................................ 3
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 3
Description ......................................................................................................................................... 3
Options / Accessories (at extra cost) ................................................................................................. 3
Field Service ...................................................................................................................................... 3
II. Receiving / Handling / Storage ..................................................................................................... 4
Fan identification ............................................................................................................................... 4
Receiving and unloading ................................................................................................................... 5
Handling ............................................................................................................................................. 5
Storage .............................................................................................................................................. 5
Exploded view and part list ................................................................................................................ 6
III. Installation ..................................................................................................................................... 7
Required Tools .................................................................................................................................. 7
Rotation and flow direction ................................................................................................................ 7
Preparation ........................................................................................................................................ 7
Coupling flange with parallel bore ..................................................................................................... 8
Coupling flange with tapered bushing ............................................................................................... 8
Hub-plate installation ......................................................................................................................... 9
Blades installation ............................................................................................................................ 10
Minimum tip-clearance .................................................................................................................... 12
Impeller diameter reduction ............................................................................................................. 13
Retaining plate ................................................................................................................................. 13
IV. Commissioning ........................................................................................................................... 13
V. Preventive Maintenance .............................................................................................................. 15
VI. Contact Howden ......................................................................................................................... 15
VII. Trouble Shooting ........................................................................................................................ 16
VIII. Overview Tightening Torques .................................................................................................. 18
IX. Maximum Vibration Levels for Balance Vibration category BV-3 (ISO 14694) ...................... 19
X. Document Version Control .......................................................................................................... 20























Service Manual
Howden 24-07.022r01 3/20

D-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

Introduction
This manual provides information necessary to
install, operate and maintain D-series axial
flow cooling fans. Maintenance guidelines and
procedures are set so that your equipment will
operate efficiently, with a minimum of repair or
replacement requirements.

Description
Howden D-series fans are the latest in axial
fan development with excellent operating effi-
ciencies and a significant pressure pulse re-
duction to the fan ring. The fibreglass rein-
forced polyester blades have an integral shaft,
which eliminates concentration of stress at
mechanical joints. The FRP blade material
offers superior damping of mechanical vibra-
tions and of structure borne noise compared
with metal blades, prolonging the fans lifetime.
The fan blades are connected to a polyure-
thane coated mild steel hub with aluminium
clamping pieces and AISI 304 stainless steel
U-bolts, nuts and washers for an easy installa-
tion and manual blade pitch variation. The im-
pellers are connected to the drive shaft by
means of a polyurethane coated cast iron cou-
pling flange, a tapered bushing and galvanized
hardware.
Howden D-series impellers are in compliance
with EC directive 94/9EC (ATEX 100) for the
equipment of level group II, Category 2,
potentially explosive environment class 01.
Also respect the instructions in paragraph IV
commissioning.

Note: The nomenclature is cooling fans, how-
ever Howden supplies impellers only. Impel-
lers are components in the sense of European
Machinery Directive 98/37/EC.
Allowable operating temperature
Min. Max.
All diameters - 20C + 65C
- 4F + 149F

Allowable incidental upset temperature (<12 h)
Max. Max.
All diameters + 100C + 212F

Maximum tip speed
(As well depends on duty point)
m/s ft/min
DNF 65 12795
DLF 60 11811
DVF 60 11811

Table 1


Options / Accessories (at extra cost)
Epoxy coating.
AISI 316 stainless steel hardware.
Baked epoxy on aluminium clamping
pieces.
Polyurethane leading edge protection for
wet applications or stainless steel leading
edge protection for severe erosion.
Cylindrical bore hub-shaft connection,
instead of the standard tapered bushing
connection.
Retaining plates to secure the impeller to
the drive shaft.
Tools (torque wrench or an inclino-meter
for blade pitch adjustment).

Field Service
Howden Service maintains a staff of experi-
enced field service personnel. Their expert
knowledge may be of great assistance at in-
spection, installation, or to get your fan unit
back in service with a minimum of delay.





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Howden 24-07.022r01 4/20

D-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

II. RECEIVING / HANDLING / STORAGE

Fan identification
The fan identification code allows identification of the main characteristics of the fan. You can find
this code on the order acknowledgement and packing list included with the shipment.

FAN 30DNF6 EP












Another example:

FAN 8910DLF8

Identifies a DLF fan with a diameter of 8910 mm, 8 blades and without leading edge protection (EP)

The impellers are provided with a product identification plate fixed to the hub plate according the
example below. The unique order number permits future identification of the fan supplied.



















Leading edge protection for wet cooling tower applications
Number of blades: 5,6,7,8
Impeller type: DNF, DLF, DVF
Fan diameter: metric or imperial (>100 = mm, <100 = feet)
HOWDEN COOLING FANS
Hengelo, The Netherlands
Phone +31-74 2556000
Fax +31-74 2556060
Order No. 103459
Fan type 30DNF6 EP


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D-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Receiving and unloading
Upon unloading this equipment, inspect it for
damage. If damage occurred, file a claim im-
mediately against the carrier and mark the bill
of lading accordingly.
Superficial transport damages like scratches
or small holes may be repaired with PU filler
(i.e. Sikaflex 252).
All consignments are accompanied by a
packing list with the following data:
Order number of the Customer and of
Howden.
Impeller type (fan identification code).
Parts supplied by Howden.
The delivered goods shall be checked upon
arrival for full compliance with the order
and/or the parts count and description stated
on the packing list.
Shortages should be reported to your
Howden Contract Engineer within 2 weeks
from receipt of shipment at destination.

Handling
The D-series fan blades are packed in so-
called bunk beds.

Figure 1


The width of the crates suits standard con-
tainer dimensions. Fan blades that will be
transported by container sea-freight, are
equipped with skids and hoist eyes (see
figure 2), to allow easy container loading /
unloading. Through these hoist eyes, one can
pull the bunk beds from the container without
damaging the fan blades or the crates.

Figure 2
The fan blades can be lifted from the packing
by placing a single sling around the blade.
Position the sling as such that the blade tip is
somewhat hanging down which makes it
easier to move the blades around.

Storage
If not installed immediately, it is recom-
mended to store the impeller in a dry and
shaded area.
For long-term storage (in excess of 6 months)
it is necessary to check the condition of the
corrosion protection coating on all machined
surfaces.
Reapply or repair where necessary, using an
acid free corrosion protection agent (e.g.
Esso Rust ban 397 or equivalent).
You may stack the bunk beds to a maximum
of 3 high. Do not allow any heavy materials of
any kind to be stored on top of the blades.


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D-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Exploded view and part list




Figure 3 Figure 4



Item Description Material (standard construction) Quantity
1 U-bolt M24 Stainless steel AISI 304 2 / blade
2 Upper clamping piece D=145 Aluminium 2 / blade
3 Lower clamping piece D=145 Aluminium 1 / blade
4 Washer d 24 Stainless steel AISI 304 4 / blade
5 Nut M24 Stainless steel AISI 304 4 / blade
6 Blade Fibreglass reinforced polyester -
7 Hub plate Polyurethane coated mild Steel 1
8 Coupling flange bolt M30 Steel class 8.8 electro-galvanised 8
9 Washer d 30 Electro-galvanised 16
10 Nut M30 Electro-galvanised 8
11 Coupling flange 250D Nodular cast iron polyurethane coated 1
12 Split tapered bushing Manufacturers standard 1 (optional)
13 Bolt Manufacturers standard 3
14 Retaining plate Polyurethane coated mild steel 1 (optional)
15 Central bolt M16 or M20 or M24 Steel class 8.8 electro-galvanised 1 (optional)
16 Washer Electro-galvanised 1 (optional)
17 Seal ring Rubber 1 (optional)
18 Key - 1 (optional)
19 Key Not supplied by Howden
Table 2



1
2
16
3
4 5 6
15
14
9
8
12
10
9
11
13 7
18 19
17


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D-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

III. INSTALLATION

Required Tools
Torque wrench (190 - 1300 Nm /
140 - 1000 ft
.
lb)
5/8 socket and wrench (bushing U1)
M24 socket and wrench
M30 socket and wrench
Inclinometer
Straight edge:
DNF approx. 550 mm length (22 inch)
DLF approx. 950 mm length (37 inch)
DVF approx. 1400 mm length (55 inch)

Rotation and flow direction

Standard rotation is clockwise when viewed
into the air-stream. See figure 5.










Figure 5






Preparation
Clean all mating surfaces between shaft, ta-
pered bushing (if applicable) and fan hub. All
corrosion preventive coatings should be remo-
ved.
Check the following before parts shall be as-
sembled:
Drainage hole at the blade tip and
blade shoulder shall be open.
Make sure the drive shaft is properly
centred with respect to the fan casing.
Also check if the shaft is vertical within
the prescribed tolerance.
Check the concentricity of the driver
shaft end before mounting the impel-
ler. The impeller should not be moun-
ted if the concentricity error exceeds
0.02 mm (0.0008) see figure 6.














Figure 6







Flow


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D-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Coupling flange with parallel bore

a) Check if the shaft and bore diameters are
according to specification. The standard
execution has a H7 fit.
b) Slightly lubricate the shaft, the key, and
the bore of the hub with grease.
c) Locate the key (19) into the drive shaft
(figure 7).
d) To slip the coupling flange over the shaft
we advise you to uniformly heat up the
coupling flange up to maximum 120 C
(248 F) by means of a hot plate, electric
induction or oil bath, until a 0.15mm dif-
ference in diameter is reached. Wear
protective gloves during this operation.
e) Slip the coupling flange (11) onto the
drive shaft and check the key for proper
fit. Be sure the coupling flange is com-
pletely through the shaft against the shaft
shoulder.
f) For reverse coupling flange configuration:
(e.g. impeller hanging below the driver).
Install the retaining plate (14) with gasket
(17) and secure it to the shaft with the
lock washer (16) and the central bolt (15).
Supply of retaining plate items 14, 15, 16
and 17 by Howden is optional. Item 19
(key) is not supplied by Howden. For
torque values of electro-galvanised
retaining plate bolts see table 5 of this
manual.


Figure 7
Coupling flange with tapered bushing
(Supply of coupling flange with tapered
bushing is optional).

a) Do not lubricate bushing, coupling flange
bore or hardware. Use of lubricants can
cause coupling flange damage.
b) Slip the bushing onto the drive shaft and
check the key (19) for proper fit (figure 8).
Be sure the shaft is completely through
the bushing. Keep a bolt length as
minimum distance X between bolts (13)
and flange of the drive (figure 9). For the
Howden D-series supply of a tapered
bushing is optional.
c) Lock the bushing on the shaft by tighten-
ing the setscrew in the flange. Support
the bushing with a sleeve to prevent it
from sliding down during assembly.
d) Install the coupling flange onto the bush-
ing. Start bolts (13) by hand turning just
enough to engage threads.
e) Keep tightening them as equally as
possible, in several steps, while drawing
the hub onto the bushing until the
bushing tightly grips the shaft.
f) Tighten the bolts to the torque shown in
table 3. Do not over-torque. Excessive
torque can cause coupling flange or bus-
hing damage. Some gap must remain
between the flange of the bushing and
coupling flange in properly tightened as-
sembly.
g) For reverse coupling flange configuration:
(e.g. impeller hanging below the driver).
Install the retaining plate (14) with seal
ring (17) and secure it to the shaft with
the lock washer (16) and the central bolt
(15). Supply of retaining plate items 14,
15 and 16 by Howden is optional. For
torque values of electro-galvanised
retaining plate bolts see table 5 of this
manual.

Torque value for bolts
tapered bushing to coupling flange
Bolt size: 5/8 (standard bushing)
5/8 (standard bushing)
Torque (Nm) 190
Torque (lb

ft) 140
Table 3
14
19
11
15
16
17


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D-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans



Figure 8












Figure 9



TIP: Smear rust inhibitor (Tectyl or similar) into
all joints and corners between drive shaft and
fan hub. This will help future hub removal.







Hub-plate installation

a. Mount the hub-plate (7) onto the machined
surface of the coupling flange (11) (fig. 10).























Figure 10

b. Place the bolts (8) with washers (9) and
tighten the nuts (10) alternating, keep tight-
ening on all of them as nearly equal as pos-
sible.
c. Tighten the nuts (10) to the torque shown in
figure 11 on the next page. Both the torque
values of our standard electro-galvanised
hardware as well as our optional AISI 316
stainless steel hardware are shown. Use
original Howden hardware exclusively (the
nuts are treated with special low friction
coating).




9
11
7
9
8
10
18
19
13
12
11
14
16
15
17


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D-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans



















Figure 11

Tip: The hub-plate may be installed with the
clamping pieces either at the flow inlet or flow
outlet side. This may help to correctly position
the fan blades in the fan casing (see figure 12).
















Figure 12

Tip: You may also choose to install the fan
blades onto the hub-plate before bolting the
complete impeller onto the coupling flange.

Blades installation
The impellers are balanced according to ISO
1940, balancing quality grade G6,3. The blades
are marked with a unique blade number, a
project number and a balancing master code
(see figure 13).


















Figure 13
Procedure:
a. Place a blade in one of the lower clamping
pieces of the hub plate.
b. Examine whether all fan blades are having
the same project number. Fan blades have
to be mounted as sets, in alphabetical
sequence. Referring to the clockwise
rotating direction of the impeller (flow
outlet), the installation sequence of the
blades is anti-clockwise. Consequently the
alphabatic sequence is seen when the fan
is (slowly) running! For example for a 5-
blade fan in the sequence 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D
and 3E (see figure 14).







Std. bolts
(8.8, A3B)

1260 Nm
929 lb ft
Stainless steel
(AISI 316, A4)

1180 Nm
870 lb ft
Balancing code
Blade nr
Project nr.


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D-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans














Figure 14

c. Place the upper clamping pieces over the
blade stem and insert the U-bolts through
the holes of the hub-plate. Place the
washers and hand tighten the nuts just
enough to keep the blade in place. For the
standard configuration (blades on top of hub
plate) we recommend to insert and tighten
the inner U-bolt first (next to the collar).
When the blades are hanging underneath
the hub-plate we recommend inserting the
outer U-bolt first.
d. Tighten the nuts alternating such that the
blade can still be somewhat turned in the
clamping piece.
e. Make sure that the blade stem collar is flush
against the lower clamping piece, which can
be achieved by pulling the blade outwards.
f. Place a straight edge or a sufficiently stiff
strip (at least as long as the profile width) on
top of the blade (discharge side) at about 50
mm (2 inches) from the blade profile end.
Place an inclinometer on top of the straight
edge (figure 15).





















Figure 15

g. Lift the blade at the tip and rotate the blade
around its axis until the desired angle is set,
within a maximum tolerance of 0.5
degrees.
h. Re-check if the blade stem collar is flush
against the lower clamping piece.
i. Tighten the U-bolt nuts evenly to full torque
as shown in figure 16, starting with the U-
bolt at the collar side. Both the torque
values of our standard AISI 304 stainless
steel hardware (A2) as well as our optional
AISI 316 (A4) stainless steel hardware are
shown. The material code AISI 304
(A2)/AISI 316 (A4) is stated on the nut.
Make sure that the blade angle does not
change during this operation.
After tightening of the nuts, the threaded
bolt ends out of the nuts shall have equal
length. The U-bolt is damaged if this is not
the case and don't fit for purpose anymore.













3A
3E
3D
3C
3B


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D-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Std. Stainless steel
(AISI 304, A2)

425 Nm
313 lb ft
Stainless steel
(AISI 316, A4)

380 Nm
280 lb ft
Figure 16

Note: the polyester stem will be com-
pressed during this operation and may pro-
duce a cracking sound.

j. Repeat the above operation for all blades.
k. Re-tighten the U-bolts after 50-75 hours in
operation, or 120-150 hours stand still. Do
not loosen the nuts first, but start to tighten
immediately.
l. When the blade angle has changed, the U-
bolts need to be tightened again to full
torque and also re-tightened after 120-150
hours.


















Minimum tip-clearance
Tip clearance s is the distance between the
blade tip and the impeller casing (figure 17).
Due to normal impeller casing tolerances the tip
clearance is not constant around the impeller
casing.














Figure 17

Howden recommends a tip clearance of 0.5% of
the impeller diameter. Fan selections using
Howden CF-P20 software use this default as
standard, unless otherwise specified. Tip
clearance shall be no less than 0.25%.

To make sure that the tip clearance is not less
than 0.25% in any location, we recommend the
following steps:

a. Determine the longest blade by measuring
the tip-clearance of all blades at a fixed
point in the fan casing.
b. Now measure the tip clearance of the long-
est blade at 12 measuring points. Slowly
rotate the impeller by hand to the different
measuring points.
c. Centre the impeller in the casing in case the
tip clearance is found too small and repeat
the previous steps.

WARNING

DO NOT forget to re-tighten the U-bolts
as they may loosen due to creep of the
FRP material of the blade stem.
ONLY use original Howden hardware.
The nuts are treated with special low
friction coating.
DO NOT re-tighten location bolts of the
lower clamping pieces (location bolts are
used in special applications only)
After loosening and disassembling of a
U-bolt, the legs of the U-bolt have lost
the parallel shape due to relaxation
effects. That is why it is not allowed to re-
use those U-bolts.



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D-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Impeller diameter reduction

In case the tip clearance is smaller than the
above described minimum tip clearance, and
centring the impeller does not help, one has the
possibility to reduce the impeller diameter by
placing one or more 5 mm thick nylon spacer
rings between the blade stem collars and the
lower clamping pieces. The same number of
spacer rings shall be installed on all blades of
an assembly. This method allows the impeller
diameter to be reduced by 40-50 mm.

After installing the nylon rings, tighten the nuts
again according the blade installation procedure
as described previously.


Retaining plate
(Supply of retaining plate is optional).
Install retaining plate with gasket, washers and
bolts after the coupling flange or after the
impeller has been installed. For torque values
of electro-galvanised retaining plate bolts see
table 5 of this manual.













IV. COMMISSIONING

a. Check all bolts and nuts for proper tighten-
ing (including the fan casing hardware).
b. Make sure that the metal bearing support
structure is electrically earthed in order to
avoid sparkling by electrical static
discharge.
c. Turn the impeller by hand to check that it
runs freely and does not rub or strike the
impeller casing.
d. Impellers driven by a two-speed e-motor:
Only switch from high speed to low
speed after the impeller speed has
slowed down to less than the low speed.
To be sure you may choose to switch the
e-motor only after the impeller has come
to a complete standstill. Neglecting this
rule may lead to irreparable impeller
damage!
e. Make sure that all tools and assembly aids
like beams, supports, laddersetc. have
been removed. All the required
protections, mechanical and electrical
must be installed before starting the fan.
Make sure that all applicable local safety
requirements have been met to ensure
safe operating conditions.
f. Bump the motor to check for clockwise
rotation of the impeller, when viewed into
the air stream (also see figure 5).
g. Immediately after first start up check for
smooth operation of the fan assembly.
Listen for irregular noise / vibrations. For
allowable vibration levels of the complete
installation refer to the system
manufacturer. Please refer to international
standards that may apply for the specific
application, such as, ISO-14694. ISO-
14694 classifies fans according to their
application and drive power as follows: For
industrial processes and power-generation
with a drive power level up to 300 kW, the
so-called Balance and Vibration category
is BV-3. For higher power levels ISO
10816-3 should be respected. For BV-3
balancing grade G6.3 is recommended
(ISO 1940-1) with maximum vibration
levels according to table 6 of this manual.



Important
Howden strongly recommends the
installation of a retaining plate for all
vertical shaft applications with impeller
hanging below the driver or whenever the
impeller is mounted on a horizontal shaft.



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D-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

The vibration level V
R.M.S.
should be measured
at the drive shaft bearings or gearbox sides as
per figure 18, in case the fan is mounted
directly on the gearbox shaft.








Figure 18 Vibration Measuring Points measured at Fan
Units of Air Cooled Condensers


h. Measure the power. In case the fan power
(after correction for temperature) is differ-
ent than required, adjust the pitch angle
accordingly (3 degrees tolerance from de
sign blade angle). Note: the absorbed
power is inversely proportional to the air
temperature. If a larger adjustment is
required, after temperature correction, ve-
rify with a new fan selection or contact
Howden.
i. Re-tighten the U-bolts after 50-75 hours in
operation, or 120-150 hours stand still.
Check the tightening torque of the bolts of
the tapered bushing and the coupling
flange bolts.


































Possible Measuring Points

1 Gearbox - lateral flange - horizontal

2 Gearbox - front end - horizontal

3 Gearbox - bearing cover of output shaft - vertical

WARNING

Contact with rotating fan blades can cause
severe injury or death. Never insert items
into the fan to determine movement or di-
rection of rotation. Install fan guards or
screens on arrangements with exposed
fans. Always use lockout and tag out pro-
cedures before performing fan adjust-
ments, maintenance, service or inspec-
tion.

WARNING

A strong fan-speed reduction may lead to
irreparable impeller damage. Never use a
forced impeller deceleration like a brake or
an e-motor switching to a lower drive-
speed; instead let the impeller run out.
Important

Following measures must be emphatically
respected for potentially explosive envi-
ronments and to comply with Directive
94/9/EC (ATEX 100):
Electrically earthed metal bearing support
to avoid sparkling by electrical-static
discharge.
Minimum prescribed tip clearance to avoid
rubbing along the impeller casing.
Directions for design of the impeller
support structure according to Howden
document 03-07.341


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D-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

V. PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

Though the impeller requires little mainte-
nance, it is recommended to conduct inspec-
tions at regular intervals, to check damage
due to vibrations, fouling or wear and tear.

Actual recommended maintenance intervals
will depend on the use and operation of the
complete system and shall be determined by
the operator.








Check for smooth operation of the fan
and listen for irregular noise or vibrations.
De-energise the fan and make a visual
inspection for deposits, and or damages.
Visually inspect the blades surface and
blade stems for cracks. Hairline cracks
could appear in resin rich areas around
the edges of the fan blade and will nor-
mally stop progressing. Hairline cracks in
itself are harmless, however we advise
you to fill these cracks with a touch-up
material (PU filler, e.g. Sikaflex 252) to
prevent moisture penetration affecting the
blades. Howden Cooling Fans can pro-
vide you a repair kit complete with in-
structions. For all other cracks we sug-
gest to send photographs to Howden
Cooling Fans for evaluation.
Visually inspect the blades for wear and
tear. Exposed fibreglass should be re-
coated. We recommend shipping the
worn blades to Howden for refurbish-
ment.
For wet cooling tower applications visu-
ally inspect if the leading edge protection
is still sufficient. If the leading edge pro-
tection is (partly) worn, we advise to ei-
ther install Howden stainless steel nose
caps or to apply a new PU coating. The
stainless steel caps can easily be in-
stalled over the leading edge of the
blades and attached with rivets is a prac-
tical solution for repair inside a cooling
tower. Howden shall be glad to advise
you the best maintenance solution for
your application.
Replace corroded bolts and nuts.
Deposits should be removed from impel-
ler and fan housing using brushes and/or
a water jet with a maximum water pres-
sure of 3 bar or 45 psi. This is even more
important after change out of any blades,
to ensure proper balance.
Check if the drainage holes at the blade
tip and blade shoulder are still open.

Repairs of the FRP blades can only be car-
ried out according to Howden procedures.

We suggest that any damage be photo-
graphed and forwarded to Howden Cooling
Fans for evaluation.


VI. CONTACT HOWDEN

Howden Cooling Fans
Lansinkesweg 4
P.O. Box 975
7550 AZ Hengelo
The Netherlands

Tel. +31 74 255 6000
Fax +31 74 255 6120
Email: cooling.fans@howden.nl
Web: www.howdencoolingfans.com

Important
De-energise the fan and use lock out and
tag out procedures prior to performing
adjustments, service, inspections or
lubrication.



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D-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

VII. TROUBLE SHOOTING

In case of any failure, please contact Howden stating the impeller order number as mentioned on the
nameplate located at the hub of the impeller.

Problem Possible cause Possible solution
Air volume low. Fouling of system. Clean system air-cooler bundles or
cooling tower fill.
Obstacles in housing/air stream. Check actual total area of obstacles
and impeller housing inlet shape
against original selection.
In dry-coolers the minimum required
free height of the air inlet area is 1.0
times the fan diameter. This shall be
higher in case of multiple row units.
Static pressure higher than
specified.
Increase blade angle.
(Up to 3 degrees, thereafter do selec-
tion check).
Blade angle decreased due to
rotation of the blades. (I.e.
forgot to re-torque the U-bolt
nuts).
Re-set blade angle and refer to the
blade installation instructions for the
correct torque.
Air temperature higher than
design temperature.
Increase blade angle.
(Up to 3 degrees, thereafter do
selection check).
Power absorption (too)
high. (1)
Fouling of system. Clean system air-cooler bundles or
cooling tower fill.
Obstacles in housing/air stream. Check actual total area of obstacles
and impeller housing inlet shape
against original selection.
In dry-coolers the mini mum required
free height of the air inlet area is 1.0
times the fan diameter. This shall be
higher in case of multiple row units.
Power absorption (too)
high. (2)
Static pressure higher than
specified.
Decrease blade angle.
Clean system air-cooler bundles or
cooling tower fill.
Air temperature higher than de-
sign temperature.
Check performance against current
air temperature.
Airflow too high. Decrease blade angle.
Blade angle too large. Set blade angle according fan selec-
tion details.
Transmission out of order. Check transmission.





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D-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Problem Possible cause Possible solution
Impeller is rubbing against
fan casing.
Bolting of drive-train connection
or fan housing is not tight.
Tighten all bolts.
Impeller not centred. Centre the impeller.
Tip clearance too small. Decrease impeller diameter by
placing nylon rings between lower
clamping pieces and blade stem
collars.
Fan casing too weak. Stiffen fan casing.
Vibration level high. (1) Imbalance of impeller. Check if position of fan blades is
according to instruction.
Lack of stiffness in support
structure.
Reinforce support structure.
Bolting of drive-train connection
or fan housing is not tight.
Tighten all bolts.
Drive alignment incorrect. Realign.
Driver bearing damage. Repair or replace.
Drainage holes are blocked. Open the drainage holes.
Blade is not flush against lower
clamping piece.
Release U-bolts, pull the blade
outwards and re-tighten the U-bolts to
the correct torque.
Blade angle(s) not within 0.5
tolerance.
Re-set the blade angles.
Vibration level high. (2) Blades are out of tracking. The
blade tips should be reasonably
located in the same plane. A
maximum tolerable deviation of
0.5% of the fan diameter is
advised.
Contact Howden for advise.
Fan is in stall. Decrease blade angle or replace
impeller.
Resonance of the cooler
structure.
Change natural frequency of the
cooler or run the fan at a different
speed or install a fan with more or
fewer blades.

Scratches or small
damages.
Transport and handling. We advise to fill these cracks with a
touch-up material e.g. Sikaflex 252 to
prevent moisture penetration affecting
the blades (Contact Howden for a
repair kit).


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D-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Hairline cracks on blade
surface.
Could appear in resin rich areas
around the edges of the fan
blades and will normally stop
progressing.
Hairline cracks are harm less in itself,
however we advise to fill these cracks
with a touch-up material e.g. Sikaflex
252 to pre vent moisture penetration
affecting the blades (Contact Howden
for a repair kit).
Noise higher than
predicted.
Airflow higher than specified. Reduce blade angle.
Static pressure too high.
Fan too close to obstacles. Contact Howden for advise.
Influence of mechanical noise
caused by drivetrain.
Contact drive-train supplier.
Resonance of fan-drive and/or
support structure.
Contact Howden for advise.

Table 4



VIII. OVERVIEW TIGHTENING TORQUES

Class 8.8 (A3B) AISI 304 (A2) AISI 316 (A4)
Bolts size Nm lb

ft Nm lb ft Nm lb

ft Application

5/8 190 140 Tapered bushing
M24 425 313 380 280 U-bolts
M30 1260 929 1180 870 Coupling flange bolts


Table for retaining plate bolts
Class 8.8 / AISI 316 (A4)
Bolts size Nm lb ft

M16x2 200 148
M20x2.5 245 181
M24x3 300 221

Table 5









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D-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

IX. MAXIMUM VIBRATION LEVELS FOR BALANCE VIBRATION CATEGORY BV-3
(ISO 14694)

Condition Fan-application
category
* Rigidly mounted
mm/s
** Flexibly mounted
mm/s
Peak r.m.s. Peak r.m.s.
Start-up BV-1 14,0 10,0 15,2 11,2
BV-2 7,6 5,6 12,7 9,0
BV-3 6,4 4,5 8,8 6,3
BV-4 4,1 2,8 6,4 4,5
BV-5 2,5 1,8 4,1 2,8
Alarm BV-1 15,2 10,6 19,1 14,0
BV-2 12,7 9,0 19,1 14,0
BV-3 10,2 7,1 16,5 11,8
BV-4 6,4 4,5 10,2 7,1
BV-5 5,7 4,0 7,6 5,6
Shutdown BV-1 Note 1 Note 1 Note 1 Note 1
BV-2 Note 1 Note 1 Note 1 Note 1
BV-3 12,7 9,0 17,8 12,5
BV-4 10,2 7,1 15,2 11,2
BV-5 7,6 5,5 10,2 7,1
Note 1 Shutdown levels for fans in fan-application grades BV-1 and BV-2 should be established on historical data.
Note 2 The r.m.s. values given in this Table are preferred. They are rounded to a R20 series as specified in
ISO 10816-1. Peak values are widely used in North-America. Being made up of a number of sinusoidal wave forms,
these do not necessarily have an exact mathematical relationship with the r.m.s. values. They may also depend to
some extent on the instrument used.

* Rigidily mounted: Structure by concrete
** Flexibly mounted: Structure of steel, wood or composite

Table 6


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D-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

X. DOCUMENT VERSION CONTROL

Version 01 April 22, 2009 Changed allowable operating temperature in table 1
Max.
+ 65C
+ 149F


Vibration measurement procedure changed in g. of chapter
IV. Commissioning

Inserted Possible to Heading Measuring Points

Added a new chapter:
IX. Maximum Vibration Levels For Balance Vibration
category BV-3 (ISO 14694)
Table 6