Differences Between Air-Suspension Centrifugal Blowers and Conventional Blowers
In modern industrial production, blowers serve as vital gas conveyance equipment, finding extensive application across wastewater treatment, chemical processing, metallurgy, power generation, food processing, and numerous other sectors. With continuous technological advancement, the variety and performance of blowers are undergoing constant optimisation. Among these, air-suspended centrifugal blowers, as a new type of highly efficient and energy-saving equipment, are gradually becoming the mainstream choice in the market. Traditional conventional blowers (such as Roots blowers and multi-stage centrifugal blowers) are increasingly being replaced due to their inherent limitations. This article will provide a detailed comparison between air-suspended centrifugal blowers and conventional blowers, examining aspects such as working principles, structural design, performance characteristics, energy efficiency ratios, maintenance costs, and application scenarios.
I. Differences in Working Principles
1. Conventional Blowers
Conventional blowers typically employ mechanical contact transmission structures. For instance, Roots blowers utilise two intermeshing rotors to propel gas from the inlet to the outlet, while multi-stage centrifugal blowers accelerate gas and generate pressure through impeller rotation. The defining characteristic of such blowers is the physical contact within their mechanical transmission components, where parts like gears and bearings require direct contact to transmit power.
2. Air-Suspended Centrifugal Blower
Air-suspended centrifugal blowers employ advanced air-suspension bearing technology. Their core principle involves accelerating gas and generating pressure through high-speed rotating impellers. Unlike conventional blowers, the rotor of an air-suspended blower is supported contact-free via air-suspension bearings, entirely eliminating mechanical friction. Its motor is directly coupled to the impeller, dispensing with traditional gear or belt drives and thus significantly reducing energy losses.
II. Structural Design Differences
1. Conventional Blowers
Conventional blowers feature relatively complex structures, typically incorporating mechanical transmission components such as gearboxes, bearings, and couplings. For instance, Roots blowers require two precisely meshed rotors, while multi-stage centrifugal blowers necessitate multiple impellers and intricate sealing arrangements. These components generate mechanical friction during operation, leading to energy dissipation and component wear.
2. Air-Suspension Centrifugal Blower
Air-suspension centrifugal blowers feature a more streamlined design, primarily comprising a high-speed motor, air-suspension bearings, impellers, and a control system. The adoption of non-contact air-suspension bearings eliminates components such as gearboxes and couplings found in conventional blowers, thereby simplifying the overall structure. Furthermore, air-suspension blowers typically employ an integrated design, resulting in a more compact footprint, reduced weight, and enhanced ease of installation and maintenance.
III. Differences in Performance Characteristics
1. Conventional Blowers
The performance characteristics of conventional blowers primarily include:
- Lower efficiency: Due to mechanical friction and energy losses, conventional blowers typically exhibit lower efficiency, which further diminishes during partial load operation.
- Higher noise levels: Mechanical transmission components generate significant noise during operation, particularly noticeable at high speeds.
- Significant vibration: Conventional blowers are prone to vibration during operation, with mechanical component wear exacerbating this issue after prolonged use.
- High maintenance costs: Due to mechanical wear, conventional blowers require regular replacement of components such as gears and bearings, resulting in elevated maintenance expenses.
2. Air-Suspension Centrifugal Blower
Key performance characteristics of air-suspension centrifugal blowers include:
- High efficiency and energy savings: Utilising non-contact air-suspension bearings and high-speed motors, these blowers achieve significantly enhanced efficiency, maintaining high performance even under partial load conditions.
- Low noise levels: With virtually no mechanical friction during operation, air-suspension blowers produce minimal noise, typically below 75 decibels, making them suitable for environments with stringent noise requirements.
- Vibration-free operation: Air suspension bearings effectively eliminate mechanical vibrations, ensuring smooth and reliable equipment performance.
- Low maintenance costs: With no mechanical contact components, maintenance expenses are substantially reduced, typically requiring only routine air filter replacements and other simple upkeep.
IV. Differences in Energy Efficiency Ratio
1. Conventional Blowers
Conventional blowers typically exhibit lower energy efficiency ratios, particularly during partial load operation where energy losses are substantial. For instance, Roots blowers generally achieve efficiencies of 50%-70%, while multi-stage centrifugal blowers offer slightly higher efficiency though rarely exceeding 80%.
2. Air-Suspension Centrifugal Blowers
Air-suspension centrifugal blowers exhibit markedly superior energy efficiency compared to conventional blowers, typically achieving efficiencies exceeding 85%. Certain high-end models can even attain efficiencies of 90%.