AXIAL FAN LAB

Jessica Morgana Ribeiro Santana

1. Introduction
In this experiment, the aerodynamic characteristic of an axial flow fan is going to be
determined by measuring the static and total pressures in the suction and discharge sides of
the fan for various flow rates. The total efficiency of the fan system will be predicted by
measuring the power consumed by the electric motor.
Fans are mechanical structures used to convert mechanical energy of rotation, applied on their
axes, increase in air pressure. In a fan, the change in density between the inlet and outlet of
the machine is so small that the gas can be considered an incompressible fluid (10 kPa pressure
difference or until 1000mmca). This paper presents the analysis of an axial fan, a machine tool
flow type, which means it supplies energy to the fluid; of reaction because the channels are
constituted by moving blades of the rotor have the shape of diffusers with increase of the
pressure of the fluid passing through the rotor. The term relates to axial trajectory of the fluid
through the rotor, which happens in a parallel direction (axial) to the axis.
The fan propeller consists of a propeller mounted on a frame flow control, the engine usually
supported by brackets attached to the structure of the frame. The fan is designed to move air
from an enclosed space to another at relatively low static pressures. The type of frame and
position the propeller has a decisive influence on the performance and efficiency of air
ventilator itself.
The basic principle for an axial fan is that the production pressure is to promote tangential
acceleration to the air as it passes through the fan impeller. It work as drivers, removing the air
directly through the fan. Are used for dilution ventilation or for cooling for having low flow and
low pressure. The axial fans have a wide central cap, which allows their use at higher pressures.
It is frequently used for ventilation of underground mines and, on some occasions, in industries.
In this type of fan, the shape of the blades is very important, and they should not be used
where there is risk of erosion and corrosion.

2. Equipment
The equipment used in the experiment that day was: 2 Digital manometers, rubber tubes,
some weights, a barometer, a thermometer, a mechanical tachometer, an axial fan, a pitotstatic tube and a measuring tape.

3. Procedure
The experimental apparatus were placed as seen below (figure 1) in order to start taking
measures as it should.

Figure 1: experimental trappings

Before initiating the experiment, it was recorded the atmospheric pressure and ambient
temperature (table 1), used to find the ambient air density in the lab that day.
Table 1: Magnitudes of influence on the environment

PRESSURE (KPA)

BEGINNING OF THE
EXPERIMENT
101.6164

END OF EXPERIMENT
101.6015

TEMPERATURE (C)

21.84

21.86

With the aid of a measuring tape, the measurements of the geometric dimensions were taken:
length and diameter of the tube before the experiment could be initiated. The values can be
found below (table 2):
Table 2: Initial measurements

VALUE
INTERNAL DIAMETER
DISTANCE

0,408 m
0,361 m

The airflow were increased periodically by 0.5 to analyse the changes (settings). For each
setting, a set of weights were places in order to balance the motor and find the torque.
With the motor balanced, the velocity pressured was measured using the pitot tube connected
to a digital manometer. These value is obtained by placing the pitot tube at predetermined
locations on measurement plane (Figure 2), with a set of measurement, the average values
could be found.

Figure 2: Pitot tube measuring points

Also, the static pressure was measured with another digital manometer connected to the
middle of the tube. It is important to highlight that at this point, the values shown on the
manometer were very unstable, so it was decided to take a number of measurements to find an
average, which may have affected the calculations, since it was a not very reliable
measurement.
With the tachometer was placed at the end of the motor to find the motor rotational speed.
The procedure was repeated a number of times, increased the the airflow by 0.5 each time and
take all the measured described. When the setting reached 9.5, the motor shut off by itself and
the experiment could not be continued.

4. Results & calculation

With all the measured taken, a few calculations could be made in order to find velocity, quantity
of air, air power, torque, input power and efficiency.
Firstly, the air density in the lab was found using the relation with the temperature and
pressure, using the universal gas constant (R=287 J/kg K since it is dry air).

Air density=

Average Pressure
287Average temperature

With the velocity pressure calculated experimentally and the density calculated before the
experiment, the air velocity could be calculated:

Velocity( v)=

2 Velocity Pressure
Density

After finding the velocity and using the cross sectional area of the tube ( Area= r ), it was
calculate the quantity of air:

Q=Velocity x Area
The air power was calculated using the quantity of air, the average pressure:

Air Power=

Average Pressure x Quantity of air

1000

The torque was calculated by first multiplying the weights by the gravity and multiplying that
result with the distance between the place where the little weights were placed and the tube
entrance:

Torque ( T )=( Weights 9,81 ) distance between weightsentrance

The motor power is calculated using the rotational speed in rps (rpm/60) and temperature:

Power

2 rps Temperature
1000

And finally, the efficiency, using the relation between air power and the motor power found
above:

Efficiency ( ) =

Air Power
x 100
Motor Power

The table with all the calculation can be found below (Table 3).
Table 3: Results
Sett Stati
Avera
ing
c
ge
Press veloci
ure
ty
(Pa)
press
ure
(Pa)
0,50 -0,40
2,181
82

Veloc
ity
(m/s)

Q
(m/s
)

Air
Powe
r
(kW)

Bala
nce
Weig
ht
(kg)

Torq
ue
(Nm)

1,906
93

0,249
31

0,000
10
0,000
38
0,000
31
0,000
26
0,000
06
0,000
19
0,000
35
0,000
73
0,001
13
0,001
57
0,002
03
0,003
36
0,003
42
0,004
84

0,030

0,106
24

0,040

0,141
66

0,050

0,177
07

0,060

0,212
48

0,070

0,247
90

0,090

0,318
73
0,389
56
0,460
38
0,495
80
0,602
04
0,672
87
0,743
70
0,849
94
0,920
77

1,00

-1,00

5,071
43

2,907
30

0,380
10

1,50

-0,70

6,800
00

3,366
50

0,440
14

2,00

-0,50

9,250
00

3,926
41

0,513
34

2,50

-0,10

11,23
529

4,327
30

0,565
75

3,00

0,30

13,45
000
16,78
947
18,88
889
22,82
353
26,84
211
29,75
000
34,26
316
39,78
947
44,66
667

4,734
62
5,289
84
5,610
84
6,167
59
6,688
56
7,041
54
7,556
80
8,143
45
8,628
12

0,619
01
0,691
60
0,733
56
0,806
35
0,874
47
0,920
62
0,987
98
1,064
68
1,128
04

3,50

0,50

4,00

1,00

4,50

1,40

5,00

1,80

5,50

2,20

6,00

3,40

6,50

3,21

7,00

4,29

Rotati
onal
Speed
(rpm)

Input
Pow
er
(KW)

Eficie
ncy

0,002
67

3,7347
9
8,5411
0
4,4906
6
2,6216
0
0,4358
7
0,9761
0
1,3244
8
2,2051
6
2,8237
8
2,9372
6
3,1243
1
4,3568
0
3,6224
4
4,4025
1

240
0,004
45
300
0,006
86
370
0,009
79
440
0,012
98
500

0,110
0,130
0,140
0,170
0,190
0,210
0,240
0,260

570
640
690
770
850
920
990
1060
1140

0,019
02
0,026
11
0,033
27
0,039
98
0,053
59
0,064
83
0,077
10
0,094
35
0,109
92

7,50

5,79

8,00

7,28

8,50

8,09

9,00

8,29

9,50

0,00

48,84
211
54,33
333
59,31
579
58,83
333
0,000
00

9,022
39
9,516
07
9,942
82
9,902
30
0,000
00

1,179
59
1,244
14
1,299
93
1,294
63
0,000
00

0,006
83
0,009
06
0,010
52
0,010
73
0,000
00

0,300
0,330
0,360
0,370
0,000

1,062
42
1,168
67
1,274
91
1,310
32
0,000
00

1210
1290
1350
1380
0

0,134
62
0,157
87
0,180
24
0,189
36
0,000
00

5,0710
4
5,7407
1
5,8368
8
5,6670
5
0,0000
0

5. Graph & discussion

First of all it is import to highlight that the graph plotted cannot be compared to the typical one
since the rotational speed per minute in this case was not constant as it is in the typical graph,
that happens because to increase the airflow the power had to be increased and consequently,
so was the RPM.
The curves plotted for efficiency, static pressure can be found below (Graph 1), where the
scales of the right hand side is for the Input powers and Efficiencys curves whilst the scale on
the left hand side is for the Static Pressures curve.
To analyse the relation between the found values and the expected ones, the expected values
of P, Q and Power were calculated using the fan law. The curve with the obtained values of
airflow were the most similar to the expected one. On the other hand, the values obtained for
the static pressures were absolutely different than expected, sometimes even negative and
much higher some other times. Considering the input power, the difference were not so big.

Graph 1: Q X Efficiency X Static Pressure X Input power

Table 3: Expected and obtained values

Q (m/s)
Rotational
Speed (rpm)

240
300
370
440
500
570
640
690
770
850
920
990
1060
1140
1210
1290
1350
1380

Expected

0,24
0,30
0,37
0,44
0,50
0,57
0,64
0,69
0,77
0,85
0,92
0,99
1,06
1,14
1,21
1,29
1,35
1,38

Obtained

0,031
0,039
0,049
0,058
0,066
0,075
0,084
0,090
0,101
0,111
0,121
0,130
0,139
0,149
0,159
0,169
0,177
0,181

Static Pressure
(Pa)
Expecte Obtained
d
0 -0,40
0,00 -1,00
0,10 -0,70
0,14 -0,50
0,18 -0,10
0,24 0,30
0,30 0,50
0,35 1,00
0,43 1,40
0,53 1,80
0,62 2,20
0,72 3,40
0,82 3,21
0,95 4,29
1,07 5,79
1,22 7,28
1,33 8,09
1,39 8,29

Input Power (KW)

Expected
0,00
0,01
0,01
0,02
0,02
0,04
0,05
0,06
0,09
0,12
0,15
0,19
0,23
0,29
0,34
0,41
0,48
0,51

Obtained
0,002
0,004
0,006
0,009
0,012
0,019
0,026
0,033
0,039
0,053
0,064
0,077
0,094
0,109
0,134
0,157
0,180
0,189

Efficiency (%)
Expected
-3,73
-7,29
-3,15
-1,56
-0,23
0,52
0,68
1,16
1,28
1,33
1,35
1,79
1,49
1,69
2,00
2,19
2,36
2,54

Obtained
-3,73
-8,54
-4,49
-2,62
-0,43
0,97
1,32
2,20
2,82
2,93
3,12
4,35
3,62
4,40
5,07
5,74
5,83
5,66

Below it can be found the plotted graphs with the expected and obtained values:
1.50

0.60
0.40
Input Power (kW)

1.00

0.20

Airflow (m/s)

0.00
400.00
-600.00
1400.00

0.50
0.00
200.00

Rotational Speed (rpm)

1200.00

Rotational Speed (rpm)

Expected

Expected

Expected

Expected

Obtained

Obtained

Obtained

Obtained

Static Pressure (Pa)

2200.00

8
6
4
2
0
-2
800.00
1600.00
400.00
1200.00
Rotational Speed (rpm)

Expected

Expected

Obtained

Obtained

Graphs 3: Expected vs Obtained values for the 3 parameters

Using the fan in an underground mine as an auxiliary or booster fan, to get a more air
quantity it should be increase the airflow, which is achieved by increasing the power. Analysing
the formula for Efficiency and the theoretical axial fan curves it is clear that by increasing the
airflow the same happens with the input power and the opposite occurs with efficiency.
Considering the fact that this situation upsurges the power consumption with a lower efficiency
as said before, it would result in a rise of the costs. By there is a limit, if the increase in airflow
is no more than sufficient, the efficiency actually increase, reaching the system operating point
(graph 4).

Graph 4: System and fan operating point

6. Conclusions
The fan law was essential for this report, it was useful to find the values that should have been
found in the experiment, such as airflow, input power and static pressure and compare it to the
values obtained using the parameters found experimentally. As it could be seen before, the
most correct obtained values were for the airflow, even thought they were a little lower,
differently than the input power, which were a lot lower. Regarding the static pressure, the
values obtained were completely different.
Comparing the graphs plotted with the expected ones, it can be seen a lot of discrepancies,
which can be explained by human error or a relatively short data base. According to Toginho
Filho & Andrell (2009) one of the basic principles of physics says: "You cannot measure a
physical quantity with absolute precision," in other words, "any measurement, however well
done it is, is always rough." According to the principle described in the previous phrase, the
measured value is not the true value of the quantity, as this is never known with complete
certainty.

7. References

Apresentao Do PowerPoint - Aula6Ventilacao-1.pdf. Accessed March 25, 2014.

ftp://ftp.demec.ufpr.br/disciplinas/TM120/APOSTILA_MH/Aula6Ventilacao-1.pdf.
Microsoft Word - Axial Flow Fan.doc - Axial Flow Fan.PDF. Accessed March 25, 2014.
http://www-users.aston.ac.uk/~smithdi/ME3013/Axial%20Flow%20Fan.PDF.
Microsoft Word - Axial_Fan_Experiment_sheet.doc - Axial_Fan_Experiment_sheet.pdf.
Accessed
March
25,
2014.
http://www.me.metu.edu.tr/courses/me402/EXPERIMENT/Axial_Fan_Experiment_sheet.pdf
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Microsoft Word - Capa_2010_Maquinas de Fluxo_A5.doc - Notas de Aulas de Maquinas
de
Fluxo-1.pdf.
Accessed
March
25,
2014.
ftp://ftp.demec.ufpr.br/disciplinas/TM120/APOSTILA_MH/Notas%20de%20Aulas%20de
%20Maquinas%20de%20Fluxo-1.pdf.
Vent-Ind-Nocoes
Vent.pdf.
Accessed
March
25,
2014.
http://www.eq.ufrj.br/docentes/cavazjunior/vent.pdf.
CPD - November 11: Matching the Fan to the Ventilation System | Chartered Institution
of Building Services Engineers - CIBSE Journal. Accessed March 26, 2014.
http://www.cibsejournal.com/cpd/2011-11/.