Proper blower selection is highly dependenton system design and the ultimate perform-ance objective, be it for air-knife use, fluidized bed, pond aeration, or one of many other pos-sible applications. Vortron is always availableto assist with system develop-ment and application recom-mendations. Guidelines spe-cific to air-knife applicationsare also available.

In all cases, it is the pipingand discharge system charac-teristic that determines the blower selection. In general,the piping system will exhibita rising pressure vs. flowrate

characteristic, where P~Flow2.

Blowers, on the other hand, exhibit the oppo-site characteristic where pressure tends todrop-off with increasing flowrate. Where thesystem and blower curves intersect defines theoperating point for the entire system.

Selecting the best AIR POWER™ model forthe application is straightforward. From thechart below, find the system operating pres-sure in one of the left-hand columns, then

move over to the required flowrate, selectingthe operating point “box”. This is the properAIR POWER™ unit for the application, pre-selected to deliver best possible efficiency.

 

Select the RIGHT AIRPOWER™ BLOWER FOR YOUR APPLICATION!

Once the Performance Requirements Are Known...

Typical Blower System Operating Map

Blower Curve

System Curve

+

    P   r   e   s   s   u   r   e

    (    i   n  -

    H    2    0    )

System Flow (CFM)0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

SYSTEM OPERATING POINT

++ +

+

+

100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300

Flow - SCFM

J70-253 

J70-245 

J70-235 

X40-245 

X40-230 

X40-215 

X40-200 

X40-190 

X40-182 

X40-165 

Z40e-230 

Z40e-220 

Z40e-215 

Z40e-210 

Z40e-200 

Z40e-193 

Z40e-187 

Z40e-182 

Z40e-177 

Z40e-170 

Z40e-225 

Z40e-220 

Z40e-210 

Z40e-200 

Z40e-193 

Z40e-187 

Z40e-182 

Z40e-177 

Z40e-165 

Z40e-160 

Z40e-220 

Z40e-215 

Z40e-210 

Z40e-200 

Z40e-193 

Z40e-187 

Z40e-177 

Z40e-170 

Z40e-160 

Z40e-150 

Z40e-220 

Z40e-210 

Z40e-200 

Z40e-193 

Z40e-185 

Z40e-182 

Z40e-172 

Z40e-165 

Z40e-155 

Z40e-150 

Z40e-220 

Z40e-210 

Z40e-200 

Z40e-193 

Z40e-185 

Z40e-177 

Z40e-165 

Z40e-160 

Z40e-150 

Z40e-140 

Z40e-215 

Z40e-210 

Z40e-200 

Z40e-193 

Z40e-185 

Z40e-177 

Z40e-165 

Z40e-155 

Z40e-144 

Z40e-140 

J70-265 

J70-245 

J70-235 

Z40e-193 

Z40e-185 

Z40e-177 

Z40e-165 

Z40e-155 

Z40e-144 

Z40e-140 

J70-253 

J70-240 

J70-230 

X40-245 

X40-235 

X40-220 

X40-215 

X40-195 

X40-182 

X40-165 

J70-253 

J70-240 

J70-230 

X40-240 

X40-230 

X40-220 

X40-210 

X40-195 

X40-182 

X40-165 

J70-253 

J70-240 

J70-230 

X40-240 

X40-230 

X40-215 

X40-210 

X40-190 

X40-182 

X40-165 

J70-265 

J70-250 

J70-240 

X40-250 

X40-235 

X40-220 

X40-200 

X40-195 

X40-187 

X40-175 

X40-250 

X40-235 

X40-220 

X40-210 

X40-200 

X40-190 

X40-175 

130

120

110

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

   P  r  e  s  s  u  r  e  -

   i  n  -   H   2   0

   P  r  e  s  s  u  r  e  -  p  s

   i  g

   P  r  e  s  s  u  r  e  -

   i  n  -   H  g

9.56

8.83

8.09

7.35

6.62

5.88

5.15

4.41

3.68

2.94

4.70

4.34

3.97

3.61

3.25

2.89

2.53

2.17

1.81

1.45

Chart #1 —  AIR POWER™ Selection 

P/N: 008583 v1.1 - SelChart-b 08/05/04 

 

The final step in the selection process is todetermine power required to operate the sys-tem, AT the operating point of interest. This ishighly important as motor sizing, overall utili-ty requirements, and operational costs willdepend upon the system power. To assist this

assessment, Vortron has tabulated shaft powerrequirements to operate AIR POWER™ units.Here, by selecting the system operating pointin the same fashion as the previous excercise,actual blower power is readily obtained:

 

1650 Pacific Avenue, Channel Islands, CA 93033-9901

Fax: 805 487-5468 • www.vortron.com

805 240-2516

Determine Power Requirements...

1. Find the operating point “box” knowing system pressure and airflow

2. Read the blower power (HP) directly

100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300

Z40e

J70

X40

Flow - SCFM

130

120

110

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

9.56

8.83

8.09

7.35

6.62

5.88

5.15

4.41

3.68

2.94

4.70

4.34

3.97

3.61

3.25

2.89

2.53

2.17

1.81

1.45

3

27 9

25 8

23 8

21 5

19 4

17 3

15

12 7

1 6

27 7

25 8

23 8

21 8

19 8

17 7

15 8

13 7

11 5

9 5

25 4

23 6

21 8

2

18 1

16 2

14 3

12 5

1 6

8 8

23 1

21 5

19 8

18 2

16 5

14 7

13

11 2

9 7

7 9

21 1

19 5

17 9

16 3

14 8

13 3

11 7

1 1

8 6

7

19 2

17 6

16 2

14 7

13 3

11 9

1 5

9

7 6

6 2

16 8

15 6

14 3

13 2

11 9

1 7

9 4

8 2

7

5 7

14 4

13 4

12 3

11

1

9 1

8 2

7 2

6

5

12 3

11 3

1 4

9 2

8 3

7 5

6 6

5 7

4 8

4

1 3

9 4

8 6

7 5

6 8

6

5 3

4 6

3 8

3 1

6 3

5 7

5 2

4 5

4

3 6

3 1

2 6

2 2

1 7

2 5

2 2

1 9

1 7

1 4

1 2

1

8 4

7 7

7

6 1

5 5

4 8

4 2

3 6

3

2 4

   P  r  e  s  s  u  r  e  -   i  n  -   H   2   0

   P  r  e  s  s  u  r  e  -  p  s   i  g

   P  r  e  s  s  u  r  e  -   i  n  -   H  g

 

An air-knife drying system has been specifiedfor high performance in-line drying, with aknife manifold pressure of approximately 73in-H2O. This is to achieve a discharge velocityof approximately 33,500 feet-per-minute. Aquadrant of four 24-inch long knives (96" total)with 0.042" gap is proposed, with a total airconsumption of approximately 925 CFM. Plantenvironment inlet air at approximately 68°F isassumed. Select a blower for this application.

Solution — Referring to Chart #1, 70 in-H2Opressure at 900 CFM indicates a Z40e-165selection as the initial choice. Chart #2 indi-cates the Z40e-165 will be operating at approx-imately 12 HP, thus, a 15 HP motor is selectedfor this particular operating point. At 15 HP,flows up to 1,000 CFM and approaching 80 in-H2O can be achieved. Therefore, sufficientmargin is available for tuning purposes.

Application Example

NOTE:  Blower power tabulated at air density of 0.075 lbm/ft 3 ; inlet temperature of 528°R.All power readings correspond to the specific AIR POWER™ Model, performance tested at the operating point. (30 HP and larger units are currently unavailable.)

INDUSTRIAL

Chart #2 — Motor Power