• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.1728-1738
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• 2001

Measurements have been made in an automotive HVAC b1ower for two different centrifugal fans. This work is directed at improving the performance of a conventional forward-curved centrifugal fan for a given small blower casing. Mean velocities and pressure have been measured using a miniature five-hole probe and a pressure scanning unit connected to an online data acquisition system. First, we obtained the fan performance versus flow rates showing a significant attenuation of unstable nature achieved with the new fan rotor in the surging operation range. Second, aerodynamic characterizations were carried out by investigating the velocity and pressure fields in the casing flow passage for different fan operating conditions. The measurements stowed that performance coefficients are strongly influenced by flow characteristics at the throat region. The main flow features ware common in both fans, but improved performance is achieved with tole new fan rotor, particularly in lower flow rate legions. Based on the measured results, design improvements were carried out in an acceptable operation range, which gave considerable insight into what features of flow behavior ware most important.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.40-47
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• 2014

Interaction between the unsteady flow emitted from the blade of the centrifugal fan and the volute tongue region of fan duct is known as the main noise source of the centrifugal fan. In this paper, the relative contributions of the volute tongue region of the centrifugal fan is analyzed to utilize as the foundation data of low noise design. The internal hybrid CAA (Computational Aero-Acoustics) method is used to predict noise radiated from the main noise source. This method is the noise prediction technique using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics), Acoustic analogy, and BEM(Boundary Element Method). The relative contributions of the centrifugal fan volute tongue region using the hybrid CAA method show that the region between the cut-off and the scroll has high contribution than the region between the cut-off and the outlet and the hub region of blade has high contribution than the shroud region of blade. These results is utilized as the important data for the development of low noise centrifugal fan.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.391-398
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• 2012

In this paper, prediction of centrifugal fan was conducted through combination the hybrid CAA method which was used to predict the fan noise with the FRPM technique which was used to generate the broadband noise source. Firstly, flow field surround the centrifugal fan was computed using the RANS equations and noise source region was deducted from the computed flow field. Then the FRPM technique was applied to the source region for generation of turbulence which satisfies the stochastic features. The noise source of the centrifugal fan was modeled by applying the acoustic analogy to the synthesized flow field from the computed and generated flow fields. Finally, the broadband noise of the centrifugal fan was predicted through combination the modeled noise source with the linear propagation which was realized using the boundary element method. It was confirmed that the proposed technique is efficient to predict the tonal and broadband noises of centrifugal fan through comparison with the measured data.

• 유체기계공업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.08a
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• pp.213-216
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• 2006

This paper was a study about noise reduction through flow stabilization in duct using experimental method and numerical analysis at the same time. To determine the fan's type three kinds of fans(axial fan, centrifugal fan, and axial fan with centrifugal type blades) was examined to investigate the suitability for in-line duct. As a result, under the equal number of rotation 2000 RPM, performance of an axial fan with centrifugal type blades was the most superior by 55dBA at 4.3CMM among other fans. After this, analyzed the results of the numerical analysis to find out the optimum design of pitch angle such as $0^{\circ}$, $10^{\circ}$, $15^{\circ}$ and $20^{\circ}$. The intensity of turbulence was low when pitch angle was $15^{\circ}$ and air volume became peak by 5.08 CMM. It was observed that axis component of velocity increased gradually when pitch angle increased from $0^{\circ}$ to $20^{\circ}$, and embodied noise reduction and improvement of air flow rate through flow stabilization.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.5 no.2 s.15
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• pp.36-42
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• 2002

A new method to calculate the aeroacoustic pressure of a centrifugal fan that is used in a vacuum cleaner has been developed. The centrifugal fan consists of the impeller, the diffuser, and the circular casing. Due to the high rotating speed of the impeller and the small gap distance between the impeller and diffuser, the centrifugal fan makes very high noise levels at BPF and its harmonic frequencies. In order to calculate the sound pressure of a centrifugal fan, the unsteady flow field data is needed. This unsteady flow field is calculated by the vortex method. The sound pressure is then calculated by acoustic analogy. In this paper, only dipole term is considered in the equation. The noise generated by moving impeller and stationary diffuser is calculated separately. The predicted acoustic pressures agree very well with the measured data. The difference between the two is less than 4dB

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.428-435
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• 2016

In this paper, high-performance and low-noise centrifugal fan used to circulate cold air inside a household refrigerator is developed by reducing the vortex flow observed near the tip of fan hub. First, the performance of the existing centrifugal fan is investigated through the experiment using a fan tester and the characteristics of detailed flow field obtained from the CFD simulation are closely examined. The strong vortex flow is observed in the vicinity of the tip of fan hub. Based on this result, new design is devised to reduce this vortex flow. As a result, it is numerically and experimentaly found that the volume flow rate of the new fan increases and the radiated noise decreases in comparison with the existing fan at the same rotation speed.

• 유체기계공업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1998.12a
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• pp.97-104
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• 1998

The objective of this study is to understand the generation mechanism of sound and to develop a prediction method for the unsteady flow field and the acoustic pressure field of a centrifugal fan. Lowson's method is used to predict the acoustic pressure in a free field. A DVM(discrete vortex method) is used to model the centrifugal fan and to calculate the flow field. In order to compare the experimental data, a centrifugal fan and wedge introduced by Weidemann are used in the numerical calculation and the results are compared with the experimental data.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.803-808
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• 2006

This paper was a study about noise reduction through flow stabilization in duel using experimental method and numerical analysis at the same time. To determine the fan's type three kinds of fans(axial fan, centrifugal fan, and axial fan with centrifugal type) was examined to investigate the suitability for duct. As a result, under the equal number of rotation 2000 RPM, performance of an axial fan with centrifugal type was the most superior by 55dBA at 4.3CMM among other fans. After this, analyzed the results of the numerical analysis to find out the optimum design of pitch angle such as $0^{\circ},\;10^{\circ},\;15^{\circ}\;and\;20^{\circ}$. The intensity of turbulence was low when pitch angle was $15^{\circ}$ and air volume became peak by 5.08 CMM. It was observed that axis component of velocity increased gradually when pitch angle increased from $0^{\circ}\;to\;20^{\circ}$. Finally, designed the shapes of D/S(Down Stream) in duct that agreed inlet angle($\delta$) of stationary blades with pitch angle($\beta$) of axial fan with centrifugal type and derived flow to duct medial, and changed the shape of motor-mount to reduce occurance of unstable vortex in tip of impeller, and embodied noise reduction and improvement of air flow rate through flow stabilization.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Geothermal and Hydrothermal Energy
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.19-25
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• 2013

A new type axial flow fan with centrifugal sub-blades has been designed and fabricated in the present study. We investigated velocity and pressure distributions in downstream flow fields of the fan experimentally to detect the detailed flow characteristics of new axial flow fan and an existing axial flow fan. Two-dimensional velocity components were probed by applying a particle image velocimetry system and pressure distributions were measured by Pitot tube and micro-manometer. Our results show that the velocity and pressure distributions at the flow fields of the new fan are quite different from the existing fan, and that the centrifugal sub-blades in the new fan can improve the performance characteristics in view of kinetic energy.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.4 no.1 s.10
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• pp.22-29
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• 2001

Centrifugal fans are widely used in industrial practices but the noise generated by these machines causes one of the most serious problems. In general, the centrifugal fan noise is often dominated by tones at BPF(blade passage frequency) and its higher harmonics. This is a consequence of the strong interaction between the flow discharged from the impeller and the cutoff in the easing. However, only a few researches have been carried out on predicting the noise because of the difficulty in obtaining detailed information about the flow field and casing effects on noise radiation. The objective of this study is to develop a prediction method for the unsteady flow field and the acoustic pressure field of a centrifugal fan, and to calculate the effects of small vanes that are attached in original impeller - Splitter impeller. We assume that the impeller rotates with a constant angular velocity and the flow field around the impeller is incompressible and inviscid. So, a discrete vortex method (DVM) is used to model the centrifugal fan and to calculate the flow field. The force of each element on the blade is calculated by the unsteady Bernoulli equation. Lowson's method is used to predict the acoustic source. The splitter impeller changes the acoustic characteristics as well as performance. Two-splitter type impeller and splitter impeller which splitter locates in jet region are good for acoustic characteristics.