Axial flow fan tip appendage to improve fan performance

A cost-effective tip appendage design  which reduces tip leakage vortices in axial flow fans to improve fan performance. The appendage is robust in that it is applicable to various axial flow fan designs and can be installed on currently operational units through retrofitting due to its simplistic design.

Existing axial flow fan tip end-plate designs improve the fan’s performance at lower than peak efficiency flow rates and decrease performance at higher flow rates. This design improves the  performance across the fan’s entire operational envelope.

The simple design means that the design can be retrofitted to existing fans without affecting the original blade structure.

Dr Thomas Meyer, Graduate, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University

Prof Johan van der Spuy, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University

Prof Chris Meyer, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University

Prof Alessandro Corsini, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University