An industrial blower is a mechanical device whose main aim is to provide massive airflow to the different processes like ventilation, exhaust, cooling, etc. in different types of industries. They are types of electrical fans with blades and wheels that can drive high volume gas or air from one place to another with particular specifications. Based on their application, they can perform many types of functions like ventilation, cooling, drying, combustion, etc. Hence, they can be specified by different parameters like flow capacity, port design, dimension, electrical ratings, and maximum operating pressure.
Depending on the airflow direction, industrial blowers can be classified into two major types – Centrifugal and Axial or Positive Displace blowers. We will take a look at them along with their applications and buying considerations in the following sections, thereby helping you to make an informed choice while purchasing a unit.
- Centrifugal blowers – These types of industrial blowers have impellers or high-speed blades that provide high-velocity to gases or air for an application. There can be many types of blade orientations in them, like forward curved, backward curved, and radial. The guiding principles of these blowers are the fan affinity laws that state that ‘a percentage speed reduction will create a decrease in flow’. In these types of blowers, as gas or air travels to the blade ends, they get converted into pressure.
Hence, these blowers are suitable for high-pressure operations under harsh conditions like material handling, processes with high temperature, etc. Within a confined space, these blowers can produce massive amounts of air with minimum vibration, and therefore these are widely used in dust collectors, boiler fans, exhaust blowers, bag filters, etc.
- Positive Displacement blowers – These industrial blowers make use of mechanical items that apply pressure on the fluid and increase velocity and pressure by throwing them towards the exit. The root type or rotary lobe system is used at most places that make use of two-lobed rotors that are counter-rotating, thereby allowing the fluid to move within the blower. They can produce high rates of airflow at very low pressure.
They also possess a small rotating mass and can be quite small as compared to centrifugal blowers of similar capacity. Hence, they can be expected to be light, compact, and cheap. They are generally used for cooling applications or simple extraction processes like exhaust applications, refrigerator condenser cooling, etc.
- Selecting the right blower – It is important to select the right blower for an application, as different types of blowers may be compatible for different processes. They are usually classified based on their pressure and flow rates. However, one thing that remains certain is that when higher pressure is required, these types of blowers can solve the purpose. While purchasing industrial blowers, some attributes must be looked into, like blower type, flow capacity, port design, blade orientation, and the maximum operable pressure.
- The cost of blowers – Centrifugal and positive displacement blowers can be used at several places and their choice will depend on the various factors that are mentioned above. Hence, the cost of these industrial blowers can also vary significantly. While the basic models may be available for a few hundred dollars, the advanced variants can be quite costly, but they can also handle a large volume of air or gas with considerable ease. Hence, the cost of blowers can depend on their specification and make.
It is imperative to select a blower that can be suitable for a process. After going through the different types of blowers and their selection criteria, customers of the product can certainly spot the difference between the two variants, so that an informed choice can be made while making a selection.