Study of the Blade Shape Impact on the Improvement of Fan Efficiency Based on State-of-the-Art Prototyping Methods
Michał Szelka,
Andrzej Drwięga,
Jarosław Tokarczyk,
Marek Szyguła,
Kamil Szewerda,
Marian Banaś,
Krzysztof Kołodziejczyk,
Krzysztof Kędzia
Affiliations
Michał Szelka
KOMAG, Institute of Mining Technology, Pszczyńska Str. 37, 44-101 Gliwice, Poland
Andrzej Drwięga
KOMAG, Institute of Mining Technology, Pszczyńska Str. 37, 44-101 Gliwice, Poland
Jarosław Tokarczyk
KOMAG, Institute of Mining Technology, Pszczyńska Str. 37, 44-101 Gliwice, Poland
Marek Szyguła
KOMAG, Institute of Mining Technology, Pszczyńska Str. 37, 44-101 Gliwice, Poland
Kamil Szewerda
KOMAG, Institute of Mining Technology, Pszczyńska Str. 37, 44-101 Gliwice, Poland
Marian Banaś
Department of Power Systems and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics, AGH University of Science and Technology, Mickiewicz 30 Av., 30-059 Krakow, Poland
Krzysztof Kołodziejczyk
Department of Power Systems and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics, AGH University of Science and Technology, Mickiewicz 30 Av., 30-059 Krakow, Poland
Krzysztof Kędzia
Department of Technical Systems Operation and Maintenance, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wyspianskiego Str. 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
The article discusses the process of designing and testing as well as their results, carried out in order to increase the efficiency of axial fans, implemented as part of the European project INESI. Modifications of existing solutions based on rapid prototyping methods were presented. Scanning, FEM and CFD numerical calculations and 3D printing were used for that purpose. Rapid prototyping involved the use of a steel blade base and 3D-printed complex aerodynamic shapes that were bonded to create completely new blades. After their installation on the new rotor, enabling the angle of attack adjusting, a number of verifying tests of the fan were carried out. The solution was successfully tested and the results are discussed in the article.
