FAN PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS ON AN EXISTING INSTALLATION

– A CASE STUDY

Kevin Lownie B.E. (Hons1), M.Eng.Sc.

Applications Engineer
Howden Australia Pty Ltd.

Remy Bourcier B.E., M.E.

Engineering Manager
Howden Australia Pty Ltd.

SYNOPSIS

Stricter environmental controls and rising public expectations on environmental issues

have forced many facilities to undertake costly upgrades of existing plant.

An Australian Aluminum Smelter recently found it necessary to upgrade Pot Line gas
treatment systems to improve gas flows and reduce noise emissions without increasing
power consumption. The plant owner also required that bearing reliability issues with the
existing fans be eliminated.

An extensive program of large scale model testing was undertaken to confirm that the
proposed impeller design would be suitable for the existing fan casings. The existing
casings were much smaller than we would normally consider acceptable, and some
aerodynamic modifications were necessary to meet the performance guarantees.

The upgrade increased gas flow rates by approximately 12%, and delivered a noise
reduction of 10dB without any increase in absorbed power. This was achieved by
replacing the low cost impeller design in the existing fan casings with a more effective
high efficiency design.

Site testing of the modified plant has confirmed that guarantees are being met. It had
been expected that stack mounted reactive silencers would be required. However, the
higher than expected noise reduction for the modern impeller has indicated that it may no
longer be necessary to fit stack silencers.

Howden successfully demonstrated that upgrades are not necessarily expensive, and can
be undertaken without replacing major sections of the plant and equipment. The upgrade
was achieved with minimal disruption to production.
1.0 INTRODUCTION

A major Aluminium Smelter in Australia operated a Pot Line gas cleaning system that
comprised two independent Gas Treatment Centres, each with two independent groups of
four ID fans and two stacks (A total of 16 fans). The Gas Treatment Centre was installed
in 1981. The installation is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 showing part of the existing installation.

By 1999 urban spread and increased community expectations for reduced noise emissions
together with the need for increased plant capacity prompted the plant owner to examine
solutions that would maintain gas flow rates and deliver lower noise emissions.

The Plant owner called for proposals that would meet the following performance
specifications:

Deliver the originally intended design gas flow rates without exceeding the 500kW
motor shaft power limit.

Reduce noise by approximately 15dB.

No disruption to Aluminium production other than one period of 8 consecutive
hours per stack.

2.0 CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

Howden Australia initially proposed a solution that involved installing 8m long pure
reactive silencers into each of the four stacks. The silencers were intended to reduce
overall noise emissions by approximately 15dB. The increase in system pressure loss
resulting from the installation of the silencers was to be accommodated by tipping the
existing fan impellers. This proposal retained the existing impellers, fan casings, inlet
cones, inlet radial vane controls and drive systems. The impeller tipping was to be
undertaken in-Situ. This proposal was accepted by the Plant owners and Consultants as
being practical, economic and relatively risk free.
 Sme lte r Site Te sting
Existing Imp eller Test vs Existing Imp eller Design Curve
(Speed = 985rp m, Diameter = 2.3m, Density = 0.87kg/m3)
90

80 Existing Impeller
Design Eff
Total Efficiency (%)

70

60
Existing Impeller
Actual Eff
50

40

30
6.0 1200

5.5

5.0 4 Fan Duty 1000

4.5 3 Fan Duty

4.0 800
Site Test 3 Fan PV
Total Pressure (kPa)

Existing Impeller
3.5 Design PV

Power (kW)
3.0 600

2.5
Existing Impeller
Actual Pwr
2.0 Site Test 3 400
Existing Impeller
Existing Impeller Fan Pwr
Actual PV
1.5 Design Pwr

1.0 200

0.5

0.0 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
3
Flow (m /sec)

Figure 2 illustrates the original fan supplier’s performance expectations, together with
the actual levels being measured on Site.
The original 2240mm diameter backward curved bladed fans were direct coupled to
500kW 980 RPM induction motors. Fan output was controlled by barrel type inlet radial
vane controls.

The Normal mode of operation involves all four fans in each group being on line with fan
capacity being regulated by the inlet radial vane controls. Under abnormal conditions,
the fan Design Duty specification allowed for the plant requirements to be satisfied with
only three fans per group in service with inlet radial vanes fully open.

Initial plant performance investigations carried out later on Site by our engineers
confirmed operational staff suspicions that the existing fans were not delivering the
design gas flow rates originally intended. This unexpected problem is illustrated in
Figure 2. The lower than expected efficiency was causing the fans to operate very close
to the 500kW motor shaft power limit. It also became apparent that plant capacity was
being affected by mechanical issues associated with the fan bearing design.

The level of underperformance measured on site eliminated any possibility of correction

by tipping within the limits of the 500kW motor shaft power. The motor power
limitation could therefore only be overcome by improving the fan efficiency. It was
estimated that a Fan Total Efficiency of no less than 84% would be needed to meet this
requirement of 500kW.

Subsequent analysis suggested that it would be possible to install to install a larger

diameter Type Z9 aerofoil bladed impeller of improved aerodynamic design that would
deliver high efficiency, lower noise profile and higher flow rates within the 500kW limit
on motor shaft power.

The severe casing mismatch between the existing casings and the Z9 matched casing is
illustrated in Figure 3. Professional judgment suggested that a de-rating of 5 percentage
points should be applied to the fan efficiency to compensate for the casing mismatch.
 Figure 3 showing the casing mismatch for the same sized impellers.

Because of the more complex and extensive nature of the revised upgrade, the level of
risk was significantly higher than previously anticipated. For this reason, the Client and
Consultant requested that the improved impeller design be large scale model tested to
demonstrate that the claimed performance could in fact be achieved.

3.0 MODEL TESTING

A 33% full size model of this fan was manufactured and installed in the Laboratory in
Sydney. The fan casing incorporated an unusual flattened section at the cut-off, and the
stationary inlet cone was fabricated from three conic sections. As such, the inlet cone
represented a major departure from the toroidal form of inlet cone normally used with
high specific speed centrifugal fans.

The fan was tested in accordance with BS848:1980 Parts 1 & 2, and the aerodynamic and
acoustic results demonstrated a very good correlation between the Site tests and the
model tests.

Extensive tests were then undertaken in an attempt to increase the efficiency of the
existing fans. Basic modifications to the impeller inlet area were tested, and these
resulted in an efficiency gain of approximately 1.5%. The fan casing cut-off was then
faired to a more conventional form. This produced a similar increase in fan efficiency,
but also resulted in an increase in overall sound pressure levels of 1.5dB. The level of
efficiency improvement achieved through these modifications was well below the target
of 9-10%, and further work on the existing impeller was abandoned.
The Z9 impeller of the same diameter, was then installed in the model fan casing without
the cut-off fairing. A precision machined inlet cone of toroidal form as shown in Figure
6 was manufactured for the Z9 impeller, and the testing procedure repeated. The initial
tests delivered fan efficiencies that were a few percentage points less than anticipated.

A further range of tests were then carried out to optimise the casing cut-off fairing, and
these were followed by tests to optimize the inlet cone penetration and the impeller
backplate to casing clearance. These tests improved the model fan total efficiency to
more than 84%. This was within the target range for efficiency improvement and no
further testing and development was carried out.

A very significant feature of the model tests was in the area of noise reduction. The Z9
impeller model tests indicated that the overall Sound Pressure Levels would be reduced
by at least 10dB, and in one octave band the reduction in noise was 14dB. As a result of
the substantial reduction in predicted noise levels, the Client decided to suspend work on
the design of the stack silencers until Site tests on the full size fans with Z9 impellers
could be carried out. Figure 4 shows the differences found between the two impeller
types using the same casing.
 Acoustic Comparison
Speed = 985rpm, Density = 0.87kg/m3
150

Before Impeller, existing RVC - Impeller Dia = 2.3m

After Impeller, existing RVC - Impeller Dia = 2.2m

140

After Impeller, New RVC - Impeller Dia = 2.2m

130

120
Sound Power Level (dB)

110

100

90

80

70

60
50 63 80 100 125 160 200 250 315 400 500 630 8001000125016002000250031504000500063008000
10000

1/3 Octave Band

Figure 4 showing the acoustic comparisons between the two impeller types.

The model test results were then used to calculate the largest impeller diameter needed to
utilize the full 500kW capacity of the drive motor. With Client agreement, it was decided
to proceed with the design and manufacture of eight 2260mm diameter Z9 impellers (the
same diameter as the existing impeller).
4.0 MECHANICAL DESIGN

The original impeller was analysed using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to look at the
effect of tipping. The result of which showed that there was no negative effects to the
addition of blade tips to the impeller.

Figure 5 showing the finite element analysis of the existing impeller. (note: displacements
are exaggerated)

The replacement impeller was also analysed by FEA to confirm its structural integrity
and the first five modes of vibration were identified. The results did not require any
change to the basic design.

The existing bearings had suffered from overheating on hot days when the plant
requirements for fume extraction were at their highest. Under these conditions, the fan
inlet vanes were fully open and the increased axial thrust on the bearings resulted in high
temperatures and plant trips.

The mass and inertia of the Z9 impeller was significantly higher than the original
impeller, and this required the fan shaft to be replaced. The existing fan shaft bearing
design was based on two grease lubricated plummer block housings, with the impeller
overhung. This arrangement requires the application of self aligning bearings, and is not
well suited to this size of fan.

The fundamental arrangement with overhung impeller could not be varied without
introducing conflict with the existing ductwork or reinforced concrete foundations. It
was therefore physically impractical to adopt a “between bearings” arrangement.
A detailed engineering evaluation of the rotor support system demanded a change from
grease lubricated plummer block bearings to a single cast housing with oil bath
lubrication. The line bored precision machined housing did not require self aligning
bearings and was considered to meet all technical requirements for the application and
was made to fit the existing hold-down bolt arrangement. The bearing and shaft
arrangement are shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6 Showing the cross sectional arrangement of the modified fan.

5.0 Summary

All 16 fans have been successfully upgraded. Independent tests have demonstrated that
noise levels in the 1/3 Octave bands have been reduced by up to 10dB, and gas flow rates
now exceed the Plant requirements. Fan efficiency has been increased by 10 percentage
points.

The upgrade increased gas flow rates by approximately 12% without any increase in
absorbed power. This was achieved by replacing the low cost impeller design in the
existing fan casings with a more effective high efficiency design. The increase in fan
performance is demonstrated by figure 7.
 Site Te sting Re sults
After Modifications vs Before Modifications
(Speed = 985rpm , Diam eter = 2.145m (After), 2.3m (Before), Density = 0.84kg/m 3)
90

80
Total Efficiency (%)

70

60
Afte r Eff
50
Be fore Eff
40

30

6.0 1200

5.5 1100

5.0 3 Fan 1000

Duty
4.5 900

4.0 800
Total Pressure (kPa)

3.5 700

Power (kW)
3.0 After PV 600

2.5 500
After Pwr
2.0 Before Pwr 400
Before PV
1.5 300

1.0 200

0.5 100

0.0 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
3
Flow (m /sec)

Figure 7 showing Before & After Performances.

© Howden