Energy Efficiency in Fans

Abstract

To increase the energy efficiency in fan systems, there some important topics that needed to consider, such as proper fan sizing, minimizing pressure, fan efficiency, control density, adjustable speed drives, high-efficiency belts (cogged belts).

Most of the fans are not in the proper size for many applications and this usually results in efficiency losses. Nevertheless, controlling the velocity can be more cost-effective rather than replacing the fan system. With a successful pressure monitoring system, a large amount of energy can be saved by controlling the system’s volumetric flow rate. The proper fan selection is one of the most important steps for fan efficiency. Also, the design and the blade type of the fan defines efficiency and power requirements remarkably. In a good design, it must be considered both fan performance curve and fan efficiency curve when selecting the best fan and operating point to optimize power usage and reliability. Temperature, humidity, molecular weight, height, and absolute pressure in the channel or vessel affect the density of the carrying gas. A change of density can affect the hardware requirements of the system. Substantial energy savings can be achieved by installing adjustable speed drives on the fans. The amount of savings in energy use can reach the level of 15–50% in the fan systems with ASDs. Belts are a variable but important part of the fan system in many factories. Leading to a loss of efficiency, standard V-belts tend to flex, bend, slip, and compress. The replacement of standard V-belts with cogged belts can save energy and money, even as an improvement.