The best efficiency point of an axial fan at low-pressure conditions

Abstract

In the current work, the objective is to determine the best efficiency point (BEP) of an axial fan using CFD. Analyzing the performance of the fan based upon the parameters chosen can lead to the optimal design of an axial flow fan for aerospace applications where the ambient pressure varies rapidly. The 2-bladed fan chosen for the study is the Propimax 2L which is considered the base fan used for comparison of all the results of the work. The set of parameters tested were fan rotational speed, ambient pressure conditions, blade count, and the airfoil design. All the performance measures were based on overall fan efficiency. The results yield the following: an increased rotational speed led to higher efficiencies, the most efficient ambient pressure of which the fan can perform is 0.7 atm, a 5-bladed fan configuration produced the highest efficiency, and airfoil selection is critical for fan efficiency enhancements. The results demonstrated that at 0.7 atm the fan efficiency is the highest due to the changes in power consumption to the density effect. A key finding in the work is that higher blade counts do not necessarily lead to higher performing axial fans. A high cambered airfoil provided a higher flow rate at free delivery than that of the Propimax 2L design, but the rotorcraft airfoil did not yield favorable results. The analysis is focused on the fan design of cooling of the electromechanical actuators (EMAs).

Outlet of the Fan for Overcoming the Suction Limit of Fan Law

“…These conditions impose totally different requirements on the fan design and power resources compared with those of ductless ventilations [47][48][49][50]. Currently, ventilation systems with higher airflow, air volume, and pressure demands are usually addressed by increasing rotational speeds or fan dimensions or parallelly using multiple fans [47,[51][52][53][54]. Although these approaches can meet the ventilation solution demands, they impose considerable energetic and financial limitations [42,[51][52][53][54][55]; additionally, noise problems and stability issues become prominent when larger fans are used [56].…”

“…Currently, ventilation systems with higher airflow, air volume, and pressure demands are usually addressed by increasing rotational speeds or fan dimensions or parallelly using multiple fans [47,[51][52][53][54]. Although these approaches can meet the ventilation solution demands, they impose considerable energetic and financial limitations [42,[51][52][53][54][55]; additionally, noise problems and stability issues become prominent when larger fans are used [56]. Finding a compromise solution for high ventilation performances at low resource cost is usually a bottleneck in designing fan configuration.…”

High speed stereoscopic PIV investigation of the statistical characteristics of the axially restricted turbulent swirl flow behind the axial fan in pipe

“…13 Scientists are making effort to find the best efficiency point of an axial fan using CFD, which is still a great challenge. 14 Flows with high turbulence intensity are still undesirable for mathematical modeling, and this flow still remains a great enigma without adequate application of measuring techniques and measured data. Efforts presented in this paper are a step forward in resolving this complex fluid flow.…”