​Overview of Energy-Saving Technologies for Industrial Fans

Overview of Energy-Saving Technologies for Industrial FansIndustrial fans, pumps, and compressors are widely used in industrial and mining enterprises across sectors such as power generation, coal, petroleum, chemical engineering, metallurgy, machinery, and textiles. According to 1990 data, China's industrial fans, pumps, and compressors consumed electricity. Nationwide, there were 57 million units of these three types of equipment, with an installed capacity of 150 million kW, consuming 235 billion kWh of electricity—accounting for 40% of the country's total power generation. Given the widespread application and high power consumption of industrial fans, pumps, and compressors in China's industrial and mining sectors, exploring energy-saving solutions for these three categories holds significant importance. Survey data indicates significant non-economic energy waste during operation of these equipment, primarily manifested as: - Outdated equipment with relatively low efficiency; - Unsuitable equipment selection, overcapacity, or altered production processes causing actual operating points to deviate significantly from rated points, resulting in low operational efficiency; - Inadequate adoption of new variable-speed flow control technologies, with widespread use of dampers or valves for flow regulation leading to substantial throttling power losses; Additionally, issues include improper pipeline network configuration, high pipeline resistance losses, and inadequate management systems. If enterprises rigorously implement energy-saving measures for fans, pumps, and compressors in accordance with national energy standards, achieving a 10% energy reduction as per Table 2-4 could save 23.5 billion kWh. Thus, the energy-saving potential for these equipment is substantial. Industrial fans are general-purpose machinery for conveying gases. They come in various types and can be categorized by operating principle into impeller-type and positive displacement-type. Centrifugal fans utilize the centrifugal force or lift generated by rotating impellers to convey gas and increase its pressure. Commonly used centrifugal fans in industrial and mining enterprises include centrifugal fans and axial flow fans. Positive displacement fans employ reciprocating or rotating pistons to periodically alter the volume within the working chamber, thereby conveying gas. Industrial fans serve as ventilation equipment in industrial and mining enterprises.