Fans and blower fans are a part of our everyday lives. Everyone is familiar with fans and blower fans, but not many people know that they are quite different from each other in their structure, functioning, and applications. Many people might not even know what blower fans are, and how they work, or their applications. Both the fans and the blower fans fall in the same category that is the turbomachines.
Turbomachines, in simple words, refer to the machines that transfer energy between a rotor and a fluid, this includes both turbines and compressors. Turbines transfer energy from a fluid to a rotor and vice versa for a compressor, both work usually with gas.
A rotor is the main component of the fan that rotates and causes fluid, like air to move. A turbomachine is a machine that generates the energy for the rotor so that it can rotate, and the transfer of energy and the movement of the fluid can occur.
Everyone has seen or has fans at their homes and workplaces. Fans come in a variety of forms, there are standing fans, roof fans, desk fans, and many more. But what is a fan and what is the working principle of a fan? A fan is a powered machine that creates air currents.
A fan has an arrangement of typically three blades and a hub, altogether called the rotor. This rotor rotates due to the power and creates airflow. The rotor is typically contained in a casing so that the blades are covered and not reachable.
The fans are powered by electric motors generally. The pressure ratio of a fan is up to 1.1, which is considered pretty low in all of the turbomachinery. Hence, fans move large quantities of fluid like air, with a very insignificant increase in pressure.
Usually, people feel a cooling effect when they switch on the fans as the air is moved across the room they sit in. However, the fans do not cool the air, they might warm it slightly due to the warming up of the motorized parts themselves.
Why people feel the cooling effect is because of the evaporation of the sweat on their skin, evaporation is stimulated when air moves due to the fans. The common applications of fans include household fans, car engine cooling systems, machinery cooling systems, ventilation, removing, drying, and many more.
Some people might not recognize these fans, however, they might encounter them in their daily life. This fan is also known as a centrifugal fan, is a powered machine that moves fluids like air in a specific direction at a specific angle.
These fans often have ducted fans that help direct the fluid, like air in a specific direction. Ducted fans are mechanical fans mounted inside a cylindrical duct, this helps direct the air in a specific direction and prevents any losses from the tips of the blades of the mechanical fan. Instead of blades, a blower fan has impellers, an impeller is a rotating component in the fan that accelerates fluid, like air out.
These fans increase the speed and volume of the fluid stream with the help of the rotor in them. These fans have a little higher pressure ratio compared to the fans, which is 1.11 to up to 1.12. Therefore, these fans can produce much higher pressures compared to the fans. These fans are used in scenarios where the resistance of the system is higher than the resistance of the fan. Therefore, we do not use a fan, instead, we use a blower fan, which has a higher pressure ratio than that of a fan.
A great example of this fan would be the hair blow-dryer. In the hair blow-dryer, the rotor is inside the duct-like shape of the blow-dryer, which is like an imperfect cylinder with both ends open.
From the back, the air is directed in the front in a specific direction with an increased speed and pressure. Because they have such great pressure, blower fans are popular among the cleaning appliances, like vacuum cleaners.
There are many differences between the fans and the blower fans, we have compiled and summarized them for you in the table below.
| Fans | Blower fans |
| Fans move air around in an open space, like a room. | Blower fans more air in a specific direction at a specific angle, like a blow-dryer. |
| Fans consist of blades that rotate to function. | Blower fans have impellers that rotated to function. |
| Fans are electrical devices. | Blower fans are mechanical devices. |
| Fans have a lesser power consumption compared to the blower fans. | Blower fans require quite a lot of power to function. |
| Fans do not have moving blades. | Blower fans may have moving blades to direct the air at an angle. |
| The pressure ratio of fans is 1.11, which is slightly less than the blower fans. | Blower fans have a 1.12 pressure ratio. |
| Fans offer a very normal airflow compared to blower fans. | Blower fans have very good airflow. |
| Types of fans; radial fans industrial axial fans propeller fans | The two main types of blower fans; Centrifugal blower positive displacement blowers |
You might need a fan or a blower fan and the confusion regarding the two types of turbomachinery made it difficult to chose. Either way, now you know what they are and their differences, and possible answers to your questions. The key difference between a fan and a blower is the difference in their pressure and airflow.
Both have very different applications based on their working principle and functioning. Whatever is your requirement, always buy from reliable manufacturers. If you want to buy any type of fans or blower fans, you can visit our, Hon&Guan product page, with over 11 years of experience we provide premium quality fans and fresh air systems.
