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Engineering ToolBox > Types of Fans and Range of Capacities
Common types of fans and their characteristics are summarized in the table below:
| Fan Type | Wheel Type | Static Pressure (inches Water Gauge) | Wheel Diameter (inches) | Air Flow (cubic feet per minute, CPM) | Break Horse Power (bhp) |
| Centrifugal | Backward Inclined | 0 - 12 | 10 - 75 | 500 - 125,000 | 1/3 - 200 |
| Backward Inclined Airfoil | 0 - 14 | 20 - 120 | 1,500 - 450,000 | 1/3 - 1500 | |
| Propeller Axial | Direct Drive | 0 - 1 | 10 - 50 | 50 - 50,000 | 1/6 - 10 |
| Tube Axial | Direct Drive | 0 - 1 | 20 - 50 | 2,500 - 50,000 | 1/3 - 15 |
| Tubular Centrifugal | Backward Inclined | 0 - 10 | 10 - 110 | 500 - 350,000 | 1/3 - 750 |
| Vane Axial | Direct Drive | 0 - 5 | 20 - 60 | 1,200 - 150,000 | 1/3 - 150 |
The centrifugal fans operates by throwing air away from the blade tips. The blade wheel are mounted in housing and the blades can be forward curved, straight, or backward curved.
Backward curved blades are generally more efficient but forward curved blades are more "self-cleaning" and should be used in applications with high dust-concentrations, or where materials are conveyed by the air.
The centrifugal fans are preferred before axial fans where high airflow rates and high static pressures are required.
Tube-axial fans consists of propeller-shaped blades and a drive motors mounted in tubes. The fans are build to implement in the ductwork.
Vane-axial fans are variations of the tube-axial fans with air straightening vanes added in front of or behind the propeller blades.
A propeller-axial fan consists of a a propeller-shaped blade and a drive motor mounted on a flat frame. The construction is often build to be installed in a wall or located individually in the room.