Improving efficiency of entire system through Axial fans

Air/water heat pumps enjoy a high level of acceptance in heating systems. Demand for them is rising; with output from 3 to 30 kW, they are a useful solution for single- and multi-family homes. Modern EC fans play an important role in ensuring that such systems run very efficiently and economically.

Air/water heat pumps are available for indoor and outdoor installation and ebm-papst has a right fan solution for every variant in its product range. Suitable for outdoor installation are smooth-running axial fans, such as the AxiBlade series with diameters from 350 to 630 mm, and now completely new – the AxiEco Protect with diameters from 300 to 500 mm.

It’s efficient characteristic further increases the efficiency of the cooling entire system. The compact RadiCal centrifugal fans are ideal for indoor installation and combined devices (heat pump with residential ventilation), as they are designed to comply with higher pressure requirements.

Steeper characteristic curve
Motor and fan specialist ebm-papst has developed the AxiEco Protect, a new axial fan series in EC and AC technology. It features both high efficiency and unusual high stability under pressure. Its air performance curve is much steeper than comparable axial fans.

Integrated diffusor ring makes the tip gap redundant
In the new fans, the impeller, integrated diffusor ring and hub form one compact unit. The blade tips pass over straight into the integrated diffusor ring, this means, there is no tip gap in the nozzle and impeller. Therefore, an overflow of the blade tips, as seen with common axial fans, is avoided with increased efficiency and reduced noise generation. The integrated diffusor ring also functions as a diffuser that is directly integrated into the impeller. It increases the pressure, resulting in reduced exit loss and also contributing to less noise. Furthermore, the service life for the evaporators, the interval between defrost cycles is also extended, saving the energy and increasing the device’s overall efficiency.

The AC version gratifies ErP Directive
The AxiEco Protect fans come in sizes 300, 350, 400, 450, and 500 and are available in EC and AC design. They function efficiently even under increasing counter pressure; even the AC versions themselves meet the requirements of the future ErP Directive. With air flows of up to 12,000 m³/h and pressures of up to 450 Pa, they are ideal for a number of typical applications in refrigeration, air conditioning and ventilation technology. They are ideally integrated into the application as a compact plug & play solution.

Energy-efficient and quiet
These centrifugal and axial fans are the driving force behind modern EC motors that operate at high efficiency. Since the noise characteristics of heat pumps play a very important role especially at night, the geometry of the blades and impellers has been aerodynamically optimised. The fans can also be combined with the FlowGrid air inlet grille, which reduces noise due to the installation situation. The EC motors used in the fans are easy to control, which enables demand-based speed adjustment, e.g. at night (night temperature reduction).

Green Intelligence solution
The electronics integrated into the EC fans enable the networking of multiple fans via a MODBUS interface. This way the motor data can be read out and used for maintenance measures. If the heat pump’s evaporator is decided when needed rather than cyclically, the current speed of the fan can be used for monitoring; it is also possible to read out error messages from the internal sensors and monitor the fans remotely.

The EC fans are also ideally equipped for the future, as the use of natural refrigerants is not a problem for them. Their energy efficiency and low noise emissions make them a future-proof solution for the heat pump sector.

For more details, visit:
www.ebmpapst.com