A Master’s thesis conducted at the Technical Institute of Al-Musayyib, one of the constituent colleges of Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, titled “Experimental and Simulation Study of the Aerodynamic Performance of a Small Axial Fan”, investigated methods to enhance the performance of small axial fans.
The study, carried out by researcher Saddam Abdul-Hussein Mansi from the Department of Mechanical Power Engineering Techniques, aimed to improve fan performance by developing engineering parameters of the rotor, including blade shape, the number of blades, and modifications to the casing.
The results demonstrated that blade modifications and fan casing improvements could produce significant changes in aerodynamic performance. Specifically:
The seven-blade design achieved a 1% improvement compared to the original six-blade model and a 3.5% improvement compared to the proposed five-blade model.
Modifications in the (F w, b1) model concerning blade shape increased performance by 3.5% relative to the baseline model.
Configuration C7 resulted in a 14% increase in flow velocity compared to the baseline.
The study recommended several design strategies:
Blade engineering: Modify the root angle, refine the blade profile, and introduce curvature to enhance aerodynamic efficiency.
Air inlet diameter: Increasing the casing inlet diameter improves airflow behavior, thereby enhancing overall aerodynamic performance.
Rotational speed adjustments: Changing fan speed is identified as a critical factor for future research and performance comparison.
Airflow channel development: Redesigning the airflow passage, including the adoption of a cylindrical geometry, facilitates smoother airflow and improves aerodynamic performance.
These recommendations collectively provide a roadmap for optimizing small axial fan designs to achieve higher efficiency and better aerodynamic characteristics.
