a facility manager’s role
David Millward, group product manager at Elta Group, provides some top tips and considerations for fan ventilation, including specification, installation, and ongoing maintenance
T
he role of facilities managers mean they are usually masters of many trades, and for core building services, such as ventilation, they need to know all the variables that can affect performance.
One of these variables is Indoor air quality (IAQ) which is at long last acknowledged as a critical component of building management. This recognition has also led to a greater focus on ventilation, especially with the return of higher occupancy levels in public venues. Although many companies may previously have relied on natural ventilation alone, like opening windows, there is now an awareness that more sophisticated solutions are needed to provide healthy air.
With an improved understanding comes an even more significant challenge for facilities managers, as they are tasked with ensuring appropriate levels of airflow in a building, as well as considering other key factors such as ambient temperature, running costs and performance of ventilation systems. Many of these considerations relate back to the fan itself, with specification, positioning and maintenance of the fan key to ensuring good IAQ.
Mixed, centrifugal and axial flow: a comparison
Common ventilation systems will use either axial fans or centrifugal fans. Axial flow fans are typically cost-effective, compact, and are easy to install. Due to ongoing improvements in their design since their introduction, axial fans may also provide a more efficient service and less noise than their previous counterparts. They are also adaptable, making them suitable for many uses. It’s important to note that air flows straight through the fan - in an axial direction. Centrifugal fans impart energy on the air itself, leading it to flow in a radial direction. They tend to provide more pressure than axial fans, and depending on the design, they may be backward curved or forward curved.
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Mixed flow fans still utilise some features of axial flow fan, such as volume flow and axial direction of airflow. However, they incorporate features from backward-curved centrifugal fans too, like pressure development. When it comes to how efficient they are, mixed flow fans are usually rated more favourably than the axial flow fan. They also tend to outperform axial fans in terms of noise level and pressure development. They typically offer better airflow and more of a compact design than the centrifugal fan too. It is necessary to make sure the right fan is used, so it meets the needs of the location, as this will help to improve the system’s effectiveness. An open dialogue between facilities managers, contractors and building designers is vital to improve existing systems.
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14 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER APRIL 2022 Read the latest at:
www.bsee.co.uk
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