Different Types of Industrial Fans

Anyone who's ever needed to purchase a commercial or industrial-grade fan knows that not all fans are created equal. Efficiency and effectiveness are crucial factors to consider, and one fan type will perform perfectly in one space and underperform in another. The cooling capacity of your fan– the flow and cooling it can provide to your specific industrial space–is the first factor to look at and is often measured in CFM (cubic feet per minute). Choosing a fan with an adequate CFM rating is crucial for the optimal management of temperature and air circulation, as the fan's coverage area is to efficiently cool your whole workspace. Cost effectiveness is also vital to consider; always compare initial purchase costs as well as long-term operating expenses (such as energy use and maintenance) between potential models.

You also should also prioritize fans that operate quietly and conveniently, since a noisy and bulky fan unit can be disruptive to a work environment and hurt both productivity and employee happiness. Try to find a fan unit with adjustable settings to further tailor airflow to your space's needs and go for energy-efficient models to reduce operating costs. Overall, the right industrial fan for the job should find a balance between efficiency, raw cooling power, convenience, and cost-effectiveness.

But before you decide on what fans are right for you and your business or institution, it's important to understand the basics and know what's out there.

Axial Fans: 

Axial fans force extracted air to flow parallel to the shaft that the fan blades rotate around. This creates a pressure difference that allows the fan to move large volumes of air more efficiently and effectively, making them well suited to cooling a variety of spaces that can be difficult to cool such as computer rooms or rooms with a lot of active electronic equipment. They're used in HVAC systems, heat exchange units, air conditioning condensers, and industrial spot cooling.

Centrifugal Fans:

Centrifugal fans, by contrast, push air and gasses at a right angle, are often less efficient, making them more common in households. Many different kinds of fans are axial fans, including some of the varieties we’ll discuss below.

Cooling Fans:

Cooling fans, or cooling tower fans as they're sometimes known, are a kind of axial fan that generally have large diameters, allowing for low pressure and larger airflow volume. Cooling fans are commonly used in steam condenser systems, wet mechanical cooling towers, radiators, and other air-cooled systems.

Exhaust Fans:

Exhaust fans are a type of centrifugal or axial fan designed to remove air or gasses from a space, usually for safety reasons. These are very common in industrial settings as dangerous airborne substances are common in many industrial workplaces.