Flow Characteristics Effect on Different Blades Number of Radial Fan

Abstract

Radial fans are mainly used in industrial applications where working efficiency is of paramount importance. In order to examine the mass flow rate at the outlet for various configurations, three radial fan models with 12, 16, and 20 blades were modeled using ANSYS Fluent. The mass flow rate at the outlet of the 12-blade radial fan was determined to be 0.15897 kg/s. The mass flow rates for the 16-blade and 20-blade radial fans were 0.22092 kg/s and 0.22309 kg/s respectively, thus showing an increase in performance. The hypothesis of this study is therefore confirmed by the fact that as the number of blades increases, the spacing between them reduces ; hence, fluid flows at greater velocities, thereby enhancing the mass-flow rates. Verification and validation were established by comparing the results with those of other studies, which revealed a reasonable percentage error in each case. Furthermore, at the blade tips of the radial fan, the high static pressure, in conjunction with the radial velocity, reduces the vibration rates.