Fan Design
- This is a preview of the essay.
To view the full text you must login!
This experiment has been designed to analyse the performance of a centrifugal fan and wind tunnel combination in order to compare the performance of wind tunnel setup to that of the manufacturer specifications.
The experiment will measure pressure rises, volumetric flow-rates and power supplied to the fan, which will allow us to determine the fans operating conditions, and establish a range of tunnel working section air-speeds enabling us to determine the most efficient operating conditions.
Then, using the data obtained for operating an empty tunnel as a basis, complete calculations defining conditions in the wind tunnel when it has a small aerodynamic model placed inside.
Dimensional analysis will then be used to examine how varying the geometry of the fan and its operating speed affect working section velocities.
The two main theories that will be utilized in this experiment are Bernoulli's Equation
and the Continuity Equations
These equations deal with flows at Ma < 0.3, which can be assumed incompressible since the velocities are relatively small.
Experimental Apparatus and Method
Equipment used consisted of a Centrifugal fan and motor, a converging-diverging wind tunnel, and 4-manometer setup. Method involved taking several manometer readings and current readings for various fan damper angle settings. See Laboratory Guide for Detailed Apparatus and Method.
Head results are actually fairly accurate to that given by the manufacturer...