Improvement of Stalling Characteristics of an Axial-Flow Fan by Radial-Vaned Air-Separators

An improved construction of air-separator device, which has radial-vanes embedded within its inlet circumferential opening with their leading-edges facing the moving tips of the fan rotor-blades so as to scoop the tip flow, was investigated with respect to the stall-prevention effect on a low-speed, single-stage, lightly loaded, axial-flow fan. Stall-prevention effects by the separator layout, relative location of the separator to the rotor-blades, and widths of the openings of the air-separator inlet and exit were parametrically surveyed. As far as the particular fan is concerned, the device together with the best relative location has proved to be able to eliminate effectively the stall zone having existed in the original solid-wall characteristics, which has confirmed the promising potential of the device. Guidelines were obtained from the data for optimizing relative locations of the device to the rotor-blades, maximizing the stall-prevention effect of the device, and minimizing the axial size of the device for a required stall-prevention effect, at least for the particular fan and possibly for fans of similar light-load fans. The data suggest the changing internal flow conditions affected by the device conditions.