Effect of Blade Angle of Attack and Hub to Tip Ratio on Mass Flow Rate in an Axial Fan at a Fixed Rotational Speed

Abstract

In this investigation an attempt is made to find the best hub to tip ratio, the maximum number of blades, and the best angle of attack of an axial fan with flat blades at a fixed rotational speed for a maximum mass flow rate in a steady and turbulent conditions. In this study the blade angles are varied from 30 to 70 degrees, the hub to tip ratio is varied from 0.2 to 0.4 and the number of blades are varied from 2 to 6 at a fixed hub rotational speed. The results show that, the maximum flow rate is achieved at a blade angle of attack of about 45 degrees for when the number of blades is set equal to 4 at most rotational velocities. The numerical results show that as the hub to tip ratio is decreased, the mass flow rate is increased. For a hub to tip ratio of 0.2, and an angle of attack around 45 degrees with 4 blades, a maximum mass flow rate is achieved.