What is an air-suspended centrifugal fan?
Release date:
2022-11-11
An air-bearing centrifugal fan is a type of blower in which, as the air flows through the high-speed rotation of the blower rotor, a dynamic pressure effect is actually generated between the rotor and the foil bearing surface, creating a high-pressure air film that lifts and supports the rotor. Below, we’ll share some basic information about it.
Air-suspended centrifugal fan This type of blower operates by leveraging the high-speed rotation of the blower rotor, which, during operation, also generates a hydrodynamic pressure effect between the rotor and the foil bearing surface, forming a high-pressure air film that lifts and supports the rotor. Below, we’ll share its basic information with you.
The air-bearing centrifugal fan primarily comprises an impeller, air bearings, a frequency converter, a high-speed permanent-magnet motor, and its structural control system. The motor’s main shaft is coaxial with the fan impeller, and the high-speed rotor system is directly supported by an air-bearing spindle. When applied, its key core technologies include air-bearing bearing technology, high-speed permanent-magnet synchronous motors, and their associated control technologies. The air-bearing centrifugal fan’s bearings use air as the working medium, with elastic flat foils serving as the supporting surfaces and elastic corrugated foils acting as supporting elements. The operating principle of the air-bearing centrifugal fan is that the impeller rotor initially contacts the bearings; however, once the rotor enters a high-speed rotation state, due to the viscosity of the air and the wedge effect, a dynamic pressure effect is generated between the flat foils and the rotor surface. This allows the flat foils and corrugated foils to undergo elastic deformation, pushing the flat foils apart and creating a non-uniform circumferential air pressure that enables the foil bearings to support the load. Or, put more simply, during high-speed rotation, a high-pressure air film forms between the rotor and the foil layers, causing the rotor to levitate.
After the air-bearing centrifugal fan is put into normal operation, it should run smoothly without any friction. However, this does not mean that there is absolutely no friction throughout the entire process. During the start-up and shut-down phases, when the rotational speed falls below the critical speed, the dynamic pressure effect is insufficient to keep the rotor stable. At this point, you’ll notice that there’s still contact friction between the inner surface of the bearing and the rotor. Although this friction lasts only for a short time, it can still lead to wear on the thin-film layer. Such wear can shorten the service life of the equipment. Therefore, when using an air-bearing centrifugal fan, it’s important to minimize frequent start-ups and shutdowns as much as possible. Meanwhile, to extend the service life of the dynamic-pressure shaft, the air-bearing centrifugal fan is also coated with a high-quality lubricating layer on the shaft surface. Air-suspended centrifugal fan By employing a suspended bearing, this system eliminates contact and mechanical losses, enabling stepless high-speed speed regulation and achieving a fan operating efficiency of up to 95%. When in use, this device features low noise levels, a compact footprint, and easy installation. All components—including the high-speed motor, frequency converter, and suspended bearing—are integrated and mounted on a shared base, eliminating the need for a specialized foundation. The equipment is small in size, lightweight, easy to install and operate, produces low noise, operates without vibration, and has a noise level below 80 dB.
That’s all for today’s discussion on air-suspended centrifugal fans. We’ll wrap up today’s knowledge points here. If you still have any questions about waterproof membranes, feel free to reach out and consult us anytime. No matter what your question is, we’ll be more than happy to patiently provide you with answers.
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