What Is the Difference Between Fans And Blowers? . Both fans and blowers are commonly used equipment for cooling and providing air circulation throughout buildings, internal spaces, outdoor environments, and more. They’re also vital components in HVAC systems. While ‘fans’ and ‘blowers’ are often considered synonymous, they each have different functionalities, advantages, and applications.
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Fans and blowers may seem the same to most people, and at times may be used interchangeably. However, fans and blowers are technically different in terms of their working, structure, function, and applications. But, primarily, both fans and blowers are used for cooling and air circulation either in indoor areas, HVAC systems, or inside industrial machines as well as electronic equipment. Ironically, the term blower fan is also quite widely used, especially when it comes to industrial blower fan. This post discusses the differences between Them in terms of their working process and structure as well as their industrial applications.
Defining a Fan
Fans are generally considered to have pressure ratios up to 1.11. Pressure ratio here is defined as the ratio of the fan discharge pressure to the fan inlet pressure, which is sometimes called the suction pressure. Pressure ratios of 1.11 and lower are very low in the turbomachinery world. Consider a fan you might have in your living room that helps keep you cool in the summer. The purpose of this fan is to create forced convection cooling of your skin by moving air across your body at a reasonable velocity.
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The pressure rise required to do this is small. The fan must only overcome local losses of the fan itself, including losses in the fan blading, resistance losses from other parts of the fan, such as the fan cage, and downstream mixing losses. The pressure just upstream and just downstream of the fan is ambient, so the pressure rise generated by the fan quickly overcomes these local losses. Pressure ratios for fans can be so small (perhaps 1.01) that fan pressure rise is typically given in head rather than pressure ratio, for instance, 2 inches of water. Generally, fans are devices that move larger amounts of a gas with a very low increase in pressure.
Defining a Blower
The term blower is sometimes used interchangeably with fan. In general, a blower has a slightly higher pressure rise than a fan: from 1.11 to 1.2. Here again, pressure rise is defined as discharge pressure over inlet pressure. Blowers are used in situations where the system resistance is higher than that for a fan. It helps to picture a blower as a device that needs to move a gas through a resistance, such as ducting, which obviously has a much higher system resistance than just the cage on a fan.
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A simple example is a forced hot air furnace which needs to move air throughout a house. Another example is a hair dryer, or blow dryer, which must overcome somewhat higher system losses than a basic fan (specifically the heating element and the nozzle that is used to accelerate the flow to a higher velocity). Generally, a blower is viewed as a device moving a generous amount of air across a moderate system resistance.
How are Fans and Blowers Different from Each Other?
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has defined fans and blowers based on their discharge pressure and suction pressure ratio. This way they have also defined compressors, and in a way distinguished between all these three devices. According to ASME, a fan is a device with a pressure ratio of up to 1.11. A blower has a pressure ratio between 1.11 And 1.2. On the other hand, the pressure ratio in a compressor is more than 1.2. Any kind of ventilation device when operational will bring in air and throw out some air which may also comprise dirt, dust, contaminants, and so on. Industrial blower fans may also be subjected to various oils, chemicals, fumes, high temperatures, and so on depending on the industry type. Here, we do a quick comparison of fans and blowers.
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Difference Between Fan and Blower
| Fan | Blower |
|---|---|
| Has blades for functioning or rotation | Has impellers for rotation |
| Is an electrical device | Is a mechanical device |
| It consumes less electricity | This relatively consumes more power |
| It offers medium airflow depending on the capacity | It offers better airflow than fans |
| Some types include radial fans, industrial axial fans, and propeller fans | The two main categories are centrifugal and positive displacement blowers |
More Details on Blower and Fans
The following are a few common types of blowers and fans used across industries.
- AC Axial Fans: These fans are commonly used in industries to cool machines as they produce a lot of heat when in process. They find applications in devices which generate a lot of heat, such as generators, refrigeration systems, diesel engines and so on.
- DC Axial Fans: These fans are used as industrial axial fans to cool machines and equipment in industrial units. Depending on the requirement, they can be made waterproof and dust proof. These are commonly used in electronic devices, computers, medical devices, automotive equipment, and so on.
- AC Blower Fans: These help increase the velocity of air passing through the impeller, and are suitable in high-pressure applications. Usually, they have a voltage capacity of up to 230V.
- DC Blower Fans: These are actually centrifugal blowers which help increase the airflow volume through their impellers. They offer air displacement at a constant speed and produce less heat.
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Should You Use a Fan or a Blower?
Now that you know more about the different uses and advantages of fans and blowers, you can better select the right fit for your needs. Consider these factors:
- Pressure:
- If you need a tool that increases air pressure, choose a blower.
- If you need air pressure to remain the same, choose a fan.
- Power Source and Availability:
- If you have more power available, you can choose a blower.
- If you have less power available, choose a fan.
- Air Flow Requirements:
- If you need to direct air in a specific direction, choose a blower.
- If you need indirect airflow throughout a space, choose a fan.
Based on the particular functions and capabilities you need, there are multiple different fans and blowers to choose from. Fans come in axial, centrifugal, and cross-flow fans, each of which provides different types of air motion; blowers are available in centrifugal and positive displacement models, which use different types of force to move the air from the inlet through the outlet and in a specific direction.
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FAQs
1. What is the primary difference between a blower and a fan?
The main difference lies in airflow and pressure. Fans generate high-volume, low-pressure airflow, while blowers create high-pressure, low-volume airflow.
2. Can a blower replace a fan?
No, blowers are designed for focused applications and cannot provide widespread cooling like fans.
3. Which is more energy-efficient?
Fans are generally more energy-efficient for everyday use, while blowers consume more energy due to their high-pressure output.
4. Are blowers louder than fans?
Yes, blowers typically produce more noise due to their high-speed operation and enclosed design.
