AMCA International Technical

Seminar 2009

PLENUM FANS
Terminology, History, Testing,
Application and Trends

esented by:
hn Cermak, Acme Engineering &
anufacturing Corp.
The Air Movement and Control Association
International (AMCA), has met the standards and
requirements of the Registered Continuing
Education Providers Program. Credit earned on
completion of this program will be reported to the
RCEPP. A certificate of completion will be issued
to each participant. As such, it does not include
content that may be deemed or construed to be an
approval or endorsement by NCEES or RCEPP.
 Learning Objectives

• Understand terminology and classification

• Learn plenum fan characteristic features
• Understand air and sound performance
testing
• Understand how to apply the test data
• Understand principle advantages and
limitations in application
• Learn the trends in development of
applications
 TERMINOLOGY
• Plenum fans are a part of the group
of fans called centrifugal fans
• All centrifugal fans have centrifugal
impellers but some subgroups have
housings, some have not
• The centerpiece of centrifugal fans
are fans with scroll housing and they
are called centrifugal fans
 AMCA CERTIFIED
RATING PROGRAM

recognizes as centrifugal
fans also:
• In-line centrifugal fans
• Plug fans
• Plenum fans
 SW CENTRIFUGAL
IMPELLERS
• With Airfoil Blades
 SW CENTRIFUGAL
IMPELLERS
• With single thickness backward curved
blades
 IN-LINE CENTRIFUGAL
FAN
• With cylindrical housing
 IN-LINE CENTRIFUGAL
FAN
• With box housing
 PLUG FAN
• Plug fan may or may have not scroll
housing (here without housing)
 PLENUM FAN
• Horizontal Arr.3, Flanged Inlet
 PLENUM FAN
• Horizontal Arr3. With Upper Frame
 ARRANGEMENT 1

Can include
vibration
islolators
 ARRANGEMENT 3

Can include
vibration
islolators
 ARRANGEMENT 4

• Arrangement 4 (direct drive) is

not specifically mentioned in
the CRP but the CRP8 form has
a provision for this case
 HISTORY
• Centrifugal fan with scroll housing
inside of a cabinet presented a
temptation for cost reduction
• Scroll housing was relatively
expensive, cost reduction
substantial
• Doubts about a good air
performance of plenum fans led to
a slow pace in their applications
 HISTORY
• Usage of wide centrifugal impellers -
reduction in fan size and low fan
efficiency – this consequence was more
devastating for plenum fans than for
centrifugal fan with scroll housing
• Impellers for plenum fans are mostly
identical to those used in centrifugal
fans with scroll housings yet in plenum
fans there is no housing and the air
leaves the fan at substantially higher
velocity
 HISTORY
• Plenum fans opened the opportunity
for application of centrifugal
impellers with backward curved
blades in air handling equipment -
higher efficiency and better sound
performance
• In the last few years the fan users
pay more and more attention to low
sound
INSTALLATION TYPE A
Free Inlet/Free Outlet
INSTALLATION TYPE C
Ducted Inlet/Free Outlet
 AIR PERFORMANCE
TESTING
Typical setup with plenum fan outside
of the test chamber

TESTED AUXILIARY
FAN FAN

AIR TEST
CHAMBER FLOW
 SOUND TESTING
Testing of outlet sound

SOUND TEST
CHAMBER

SILENCERS

FLOW
TESTED
FAN
 SOUND TESTING
Testing of inlet sound

SOUND TEST
CHAMBER
TESTED
FAN
SILENCERS

FLOW
 APPLICATION
• Important condition for successful
application of plenum fans is the
knowledge of:
• Test configuration
• Test uncertainties and tolerances
• Application uncertainties
• O.E.M applications are generally safer
since the equipment is tested as a part of
R&D process
APPLICATION OF TEST
DATA

The air performance and sound data

based on tests can be applied to the
fans only if the fan/ducts
configuration of tests and in the
application are the same
APPLICATION OF TEST
DATA
• Free or Ducted Inlet do not create any
controversy, Free Outlet does
• During the test the fan discharges air into
a room, usually large, but smaller than the
free space. The shape and the minimum
size of that room are not specified
• Plenum fans are mostly used inside of a
cabinet which size is much smaller than
the room used for testing
• Incomplete and unreliable application
correction data are used
 AIR PERFORMANCE
Centrifugal vs. Plenum Fan (same size
and speed)
5
Centrifugal Fan
Plenum Fan
4
Static Pressure (in.wg)

Stall
3

0
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000 16000
Flow (cfm)
 AIR PERFORMANCE
Centrifugal vs. Plenum Fan (same size and
speed)
100
Max Efficiency Centrifugal Fan
90
Plenum Fan
80
BHP Up By 15%
Static Efficiency (%)

70
60
50
40
30
55% 100%
20
70%
10
0
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000 16000
Flow (cfm)
 AIR PERFORMANCE
Centrifugal vs. Plenum Fan (same size and
speed)
5
Centrifugal Fan
Plenum Fan
4
Static Pressure (in.wg)

Max Efficiency
Stall
3
BHP Up By 15%

0
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000 16000
Flow (cfm)
 IMPELLER
DISCHARGE VELOCITY
Absolute Velocity
Radial
Tangential

CCW
Rotation
 FAN DISCHARGE
VELOCITY
Centrifugal vs. Plenum Fan (same size
and speed) Best Efficiency
Discharge
Velocity (fpm)

4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Flow (cfm)
 PLENUM AS MIXING
DEVICE
• Well designed plenum and the
position of the plenum fan inside
the plenum can enhance the fan
performance
• Mixing process of the flow from the
wheel and the air inside of the
plenum improves usage of filters
and or coils located downstream of
the fan
 PRINCIPLE
APPLICATION
• Plenum fans are mostly, but not
exclusively used in air handling units
• Plenum fans are short in length
compared to vane-axial or centrifugal
fans
• On the down-stream side of the fan the
plenum fans allow length saving
installation of the equipment requiring
good air velocity distribution across
their face area
IMPACT OF MIXING
INLET vs. DISCHARGE
SOUND
SWL (dB)
92

90

88

86
7 dB
84

82

80

78

76
1
2
3
4
Octave Bands 5
6

Outlet
7

Inlet
8
 SOUND vs.
PERFORMANCE
SWL (dB)
97
96
95
94
93
92
91
90
89
14000
88
13640
1
2 12000
3
4 10000
Flow (cfm)
5 8000
6
Octave Bands 7
8
 SPECIFIC SWL
Specific SWL
Lowest Sound
55.0 Highest Efficiency

50.0

45.0

40.0

35.0
Free Deliv
Low
30.0
Mid
1 Mid
2
3 Best SE Position on
4
5 Top Pressure Curve
6
Octave Bands 7
8
 PLENUM FAN
APPLICATION
5
Stall Max Efficiency
Low Sound
4
Static Pressure (in.wg)

3
Good For Application BHP Up By 15%

50% 100%
1
70%

0
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000 16000
Flow (cfm)
 CLASSES FOR PLENUM
FANS

• AMCA Class Classification for

plenum fans does not exist
• Industry uses the same impellers
for centrifugal fans with the
scroll housing as for plenum fans
and applies the same speed
ranges for both product lines
CLASSES FOR PLENUM
FANS
• Outlet velocity of a centrifugal
fan with the scroll housing is
quite different from the plenum
fan of the same size at the
same speed and at the same
flow
 TRENDS

The newest trend is going towards:

• Direct drives (Arrangment 4)
• Usage of variable frequency drives
• Applications with multiple plenum
fans sometimes called fan walls
DIRECT DRIVE FANS
 VFD – Positive Side

• Offers air performance flexibility

• Changes the flow as required
• Allows for easy monitoring of fan
operation
• Eliminates cost and maintenance
of drives
• Offers compact and rigid design
 VFD – Negative Side

• Requires good electrical grounding

of motor or motor bearing protection
against arcing
• May require non-stock motor
• May not deliver expected power
savings
• Can be a unpleasant source of sound
• Can be an unwanted source of
electro- magnetic radiation
PLENUM FAN WALL
 PLENUM FAN WALLS
Positive Side

• Reduces length of air-handler

• Eliminates drives (sheaves and
belts)
• Improves sound spectrum
• Improves operational reliability
• Reduces cost, operation and
maintenance costs
 PLENUM FAN WALLS
Negative Side
• Original cost of fans and motors is a
concern
• Many small fans in parallel operation may
lead to in-duct fans rather than plenum
fans
• Parallel operation of fans should be
concern
• The set up is very sensitive to non-
uniform velocity distribution over the fan
wall
 PLENUM FAN WALLS
Negative Side
• Back-draft dampers adding power
losses
• Using small sizes of fans leads to
decrease in their efficiency
• Many small fans in parallel operation
may lead to in-duct fans rather than
plenum fans
• Possible vibration problems due to
due to excitation of powerful beats
with acoustical consequences
 PLENUM FANS
Conclusion
• Plenum fans is advantage is their
mixing flow downstream of the fan
• Plenum fans are excellent for air
handlers or cabinet fans having a filter
or heat exchanger downstream of the
fan
• Plenum fans can develop a substantial
fan pressure compared to propeller fans
• Attractive cost of plenum fans
especially with direct drive
Questions?