Fan is used for domestic purposes, blower is used for cleaning and compressor is used in air conditioners and to pump air in a tyre. What could be the differences associated between fan, blower and compressor? Why they are called as such?
I'd say, the compressor has the highest pressure duty and the blower has the lowest pressure duty. Both can be considered "fans".
The primary objective of a compressor is - pressure.
The primary objective of a blower is - flow rate or discharge velocity.
Fans have specific requirements in terms of pressure and flow rate.
One of the differentiation between fan, blower and compressor is pressure.
The differentiation between fan, blower and compressor would be pressure. The name of those have come for the purpose they have been used. Reciprocating compressors are used for spray painting and filling of air in tube tyres of automobile vehicle.
Fan , Blower to Compressor compression ratio changes .
Fan compression ratio is lowest
and Compressor it is highest .
Thank you @Jaydip Datta for your response. May I know what is compression ratio? Can this be used here?
The difference associated among fan, blower and compressor are flow rate in terms of low pressure, flow rate at moderate pressure and flow rate at high pressure.
Thank you @Sanjay Kumar Srivastava for your response. Two are coming to picture now, one is compression ratio and the other from your side is flow rate. Which is correct, if we link both, how this can be justified?
Compression Ratio is the technical term ie used in Any Standard book of Fluid Mechanics .
The ratio of Input air flow / Output air flow .
Pisipaty Srinivas Kishore
Classification differs country to country. It can be based on a pressure ratio (outlet/inlet) or sometimes on a difference in pressure (outlet - inlet). Also values aren't the same everytime.
Exemplary classification of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) based on pressure ratio:
fan - a pressure ratio up to 1.11
blower - a pressure ratio between 1.11 and 1.20
compressor - a pressure ratio higher than 1.20
In Poland:
fan - a pressure ratio ⩽1.1
blower - 1.1< pressure ratio ⩽2.0
compressor - pressure ratio > 2.0
So, the differences can be quite high, but it is always true that fan has the lowest pressure ratio and compressor has the highest pressure ratio.
It is pressure ratio and not compression ratio. Thank you @Marcin Noga for your good and valuable answer.
Fan, blower and compressor can be differentiated by pressure ratio. Compared to blower or fan, compressor pressure ratio is higher, next comes blower and next fan. Pressure ratio is pressure attained to atmospheric pressure.
Fan, blower and compressor are differentiated by pressure of air. Fan has a slightly greater than atmospheric pressure, hence one feels comfortable and happy. Blower handles a slightly higher pressure than fan. Compressors will handle higher or medium pressures of air, whether it may be reciprocating or rotary.
Fan, blower and compressor are classified by pressure ratio. Pressure ratio is defined as pressure reached to atmospheric pressure. The pressure ratio will be increasing from fan, blower to compressor.
Fan is typically a domestic appliance without much applications other than just fanning. Blowers have a specific purpose and are slightly more powerful than fan based on the specific application. Compressors (refrigerator and ACs) use refrigerants (as far as I know) and they compress air and have higher power consumption and perform heavy duty.
Thank you Navnit Kumar Ramamoorthy for your answer. Can you please tell, how these three can be differentiated technically?
Yes Dr. Pisipaty, I have to read understand and tell you. I just wrote the basic understanding.
By changing the angle of the blades, a blower will be able to push air in any direction you want it.
A compressor is a machine for raising gas to a higher level of pressure, actually making the air denser by cramming air into a small space
Nirmala S.V.S.G, changing the angle of blades leads to performance of blower. When coming to compressor, air or gas when taken inside will be less denser (not denser as mentioned by you) than actual air outside which is denser. One has to remember that, If pressure is raised, automatically temperature raises. Nirmala S.V.S.G, my question is what could be the difference of fan, blower and compressor in functioning and not in changing the above?
Fan is for circulation of air
Blower is for circulation of air with greater pressure and more amount of air flow
Compressor is hermatically sealed device with valves for unilateral flow of gases and higher pressure is available for pumping or air conditioning or refrigeration
Fan, blower and compressor are differentiated by pressure ratio which can be defined as ratio of pressure of equipment to atmospheric pressure. The pressure ratio goes as follows in increasing order as fan, blower and then compressor.
One can feel the air when sit under fan. The pressure here is slightly higher than atmospheric pressure. Blower is used to blow air with pressure or to remove dust or to clean, the pressure can be more than atmosphericpressure. Compressor pressure is more and more higher than atmospheric pressure which is used to compress air, store and utilize when needed.
Fan, blower and compressor are devices which are differentiated by pressure ratio, which is the pressure of the device to atmospheric pressure. The increasing order of pressure ratio will be in the order as fan, then blower and then compressor.
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