EML 4304C Fan Performance Lab Page 1

Fan Performance
Objective
The objective of this experiment is to characterize the fan systems and create data that will be used
for sizing a fan for a fan/pipe system. To characterize the fan systems, you should determine the fan
head rise, fan efficiency at various rotations per minute over the full range of flow rates for each rpm,
and the annual costs for running the pumps. Plots of the head rise curves and efficiency curves will give
a comparative visual for each fan speed and impeller type.

Apparatus Description
The centrifugal fan module is comprised of an inlet nozzle, an impeller driven by a universal
dynamometer, a variable slide valve, a silenced exhaust tube, a digital pressure display, and a motor
drive with speed and torque display. Air enters the inlet nozzle, which is calibrated to have a coefficient
of discharge of 0.96 and a diameter of 75 mm. Fluid enters axially through the hollow middle portion of
the pump (the eye), after which it encounters the rotating blades. It acquires tangential and radial
velocity by momentum transfer with the impeller blades, and acquires additional radial velocity by so-
called centrifugal forces, which are actually a lack of sufficient centripetal forces to sustain circular
motion. The flow leaves the impeller after gaining both speed and pressure as it is flung radially
outward into the scroll (also called the volute). The scroll is a snail-shaped diffuser; its purpose is to
decelerate the fast-moving fluid leaving the trailing edges of the impeller blades, which increases the
fluid’s pressure, and to combine and direct the flow from all the blade passages toward a common
outlet. If the fluid is incompressible, and if the inlet and outlet diameters are the same, the average flow
speed at the outlet is identical to that at the inlet. Thus, it is not necessarily the speed but the pressure
that increases from inlet to outlet through a centrifugal pump.

“There are three types of centrifugal pump that warrant discussion, based on impeller blade
geometry: backward-inclined blades, radial blades, and forward-inclined blades. Centrifugal pumps with
backward-inclined blades are the most common. These yield the highest efficiency of the three because
fluid flows into and out of the blade passages with the least amount of turning. Sometimes the blades
are airfoil shaped, yielding similar performance but even higher efficiency. The pressure rise is
intermediate between the other two types of centrifugal pumps. Centrifugal pumps with radial blades
(also called straight blades) have the simplest geometry and produce the largest pressure rise of the
three for a wide range of volume flow rates, but the pressure rise decreases rapidly after the point of
maximum efficiency. Centrifugal pumps with forward-inclined blades produce a pressure rise that is
nearly constant, albeit lower than that of radial or backward-inclined blades, over a wide range of
volume flow rates. Forward-inclined centrifugal pumps generally have more blades, but the blades are
smaller. Centrifugal pumps with forward-inclined blades generally have a lower maximum efficiency
than do straight-bladed pumps. Radial and backward-inclined centrifugal pumps are preferred for
applications where one needs to provide volume flow rate and pressure rise within a narrow range of
values. If a wider range of volume flow rates and/or pressure rises are desired, the performance of
radial pumps and backward-inclined pumps may not be able to satisfy the new requirement; these types
of pumps are less forgiving (less robust). The performance of forward-inclined pumps is more forgiving
and accommodates a wider variation, at the cost of lower efficiency and less pressure rise per unit of
input power. If a pump is needed to produce large pressure rise over a wide range of volume flow rates,
the forward-inclined centrifugal pump is attractive” (from Cengal and Cimballa, pages 755-756).
EML 4304C Fan Performance Lab Page 2

The three impeller types—forward swept, backward swept, and radial—in this unit are color-coded
gray, blue, and red, respectively. The gray forward swept impeller will not be used. Before reaching the
exhaust, the air passes through a slide valve that can be adjusted to control the flow resistance from 0%
EML 4304C Fan Performance Lab Page 3

to 100% of the flow rate. The air pressure is displayed for four locations: the nozzle inlet; just before the
centrifugal fan; after the centrifugal fan; and the ambient pressure of the room.

The universal dynamometer is responsible for driving the impeller at a 1:1 ratio. It has a speed
sensor and load cell, and displays the sensor values on the motor drive display. The motor drives use 4,
5, 9, 12, and 14 Watts of power when run without an impeller at 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, and 3000 rpm,
respectively. These are values of mechanical power loss; the power displayed on the digital readout is
the total power being used, which includes mechanical power loss in addition to the power used to
pressurize the air.

This unit is equipped with TecQuipment’s Versatile Data Acquisition System (VDAS). The VDAS
compiles data from the motor drive and pressure displays and sends them to a computer via USB or
serial cable for recording. The VDAS software can be downloaded from http://www.tecquipment.com.
VDAS is capable of timed data acquisition, data series management, graph plotting using recorded data.
EML 4304C Fan Performance Lab Page 4

Experimental Procedure
1. Switch ON the centrifugal fan module by turning the power dial clockwise.
2. Press and hold the button on the pressure display to zero P1, P2, and P3.
3. Press and hold the button on the drive motor display to zero the torque. Ask the TA to help
make sure the motor is seated in its home position to ensure you have the most accurate zero.
4. Open the VDAS Software. Choose “Fluid Mechanics (Modular Fluid Power)” for the product
range, and select “MFP106 Centrifugal Fan Module” for the application.
5. Plug the USB cable into your computer and wait for the device to be recognized.
6. Click on the “Initiate Communications with Device” button.
7. Verify there are check marks next to the data fields you would like to record and fill in the
Ambient Temperature (check thermometer).
8. Press the START button on the motor drive display.
9. Under “Test Conditions” specify whether you are using the Backward or Forward Swept Impeller
(see label on apparatus).
10. With ear protection on, adjust the motor to the desired speed by slowly turning the “Set Speed”
dial. You will be collecting data at speeds of 1000 rpm, 1500 rpm, 2000 rpm, 2500 rpm, and
3000 rpm.
11. Set the Mechanical Power Loss (W) under “Test Conditions” to the appropriate value based on
your current fan speed.
Mechanical power loss is relative to fan speed. The values for the power usage of the motor
drives when run without an impeller are as follows:
Fan speed (RPM) 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000
Mechanical Power Loss (W) 4 5 9 12 14
Note: These are values of mechanical power loss; the power displayed on the digital readout
is the total power being used, which includes mechanical power loss in addition to the power
used to pressurize the air. Thus, these values will be subtracted from the total power being
used when determining the fan efficiency at each point.
a. Move the slide valve position to 100%.
b. Set the Slide Valve Position (%) to the appropriate value under “Test Conditions” in the
software window.
c. Wait at least 5 seconds for stable operation. You may need to adjust the motor speed to
keep it at the desired rpms.
d. Have the software record the speed (rpm), shaft torque (Nm), pressures (Pa), and other
relevant data by pressing the “Start Timed Data Acquisition” button. Make sure the
Data Acquisition is set to take 5 seconds of data at 0.5 s intervals. Check the data by
clicking the “View Recorded Data” button. Make sure that the data is being recorded
and saved correctly.
e. Adjust the slide valve position by 10%.
f. Complete steps b. through d. until you have all data for the operation at the current
speed for slide positions from 100% to 0%, in 10% increments.
EML 4304C Fan Performance Lab Page 5

12. Repeat steps 10. and 11. until you have data at all slide valve positions for all desired speeds
(1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, and 3000 rpm).
13. Slowly turn the speed dial counter-clockwise until the motor has stopped, then press the STOP
button. Observe whether or not the torque zero has shifted and make a note of your findings.
If the zero has shifted, prepare to discuss—in the captions of the relevant plots in your report, for
instance—how this may affect the results.
14. Repeat steps 9. through 13., collecting all data for the other impeller (Backward or Forward
Swept).
15. Make sure your data is saved (click the floppy disk icon on the tool bar of the VDAS window).
16. Measure the diameter of the impeller and record it. (You will use this in your Cp, Ch, and CQ
calculations.)

Report Requirements
Page 1 - Write a letter to your TA discussing the experiment. The letter should follow the format shown
in the document “Lab Report Guide and FAQ,” found on the course website.

Page 2 - Determine the head rises at the 5 different rotating speeds for each impeller, and plot the head
rise vs. flow rate. Include uncertainty bars on your graph. There should be two plots on this page, one
for the forward facing impeller and one for the backwards facing impeller.

Pages 3-5 - Determine the fan shaft work (BHP) and the work gained by the fluid (WHP) from your
measurements for each data point. On these pages, there should be five graphs: one for each rpm
containing BHP and WHP vs. flow rate for both impellers. Do not include uncertainty bars on these
graphs. Each graph will show the difference between the impellers at a particular rpm.

Page 6 - Determine the fan efficiencies for each rotating speed and impeller type. Plot an efficiency
curve. Do not include uncertainty bars on this graph. On this page, there should be two graphs, one for
the forward facing impeller and one for the backwards facing impeller.

Page 7 – Create a plot showing CH and CP vs. CQ for all your data points. On this page, there should be
two graphs, one for the forward facing impeller, and one for the backwards facing impeller.

Page 8 - Calculate the annual cost for operating the backward-facing impeller fan when the valve is at its
fully open position (100% open) for each rotating speed. (Assume 2800 operation-hours each year and
current GRU rates of $0.15 per kWh. The motor efficiency is assumed to be 80% for all the conditions.)

Pages 9 a, b, c, etc. - These pages should include the experimental data and some of your calculated
values. Timed data acquisition series should be averaged to one value for each slide valve position. Do
not let your tables overflow from one page to another—decrease the font size or break large tables into
smaller ones. Your tables should include the following (at a minimum): fan speed, slider position,
torque, total power, ΔP1, P2, P3, volumetric flow rate, mechanical power loss, head rise, and fan
efficiency.
EML 4304C Fan Performance Lab Page 6

Pages 10 a, b, c, etc. - Sample calculations (may be more than 1 page)