Forced draft fans increase airflow and pressure in heating equipment, allowing for more efficient fuel combustion and heat removal. Draft inductors and extractor fans are types of forced draft fans used in boilers. Cooling towers in power plants also use forced draft fans to cool heated water. Maintenance is necessary for proper operation.
A forced draft uses fans to increase airflow and pressure in cooling towers, boilers, and other types of heating equipment by increasing air movement. The increased airflow allows combustion heating equipment to burn fuel more effectively and removes heat buildup from the water that is in a cooling tower. Forced draft fans are designed for specific types of equipment and are housed in a metal sleeve which eliminates leakage around the fan as pressure builds within the equipment. Installing the correct forced draft fan for a specific piece of equipment is critical to the fan’s success in increasing draft.
Draft inductors are a type of forced draft fan which mounts within the boiler breach carrying flue gas and exhaust from a burning boiler. There is a natural draft within the boiler break, but natural draft has a variety of factors that limit the amount of exhaust pulled from a boiler’s firebox. An installed draft inductor creates a forced draft away from the combustion chamber of the boiler. As the exhaust gases are forced through the slot, more air enters the combustion chamber through the vents. Another type of forced fan works with a draft inductor to further increase the efficiency of a boiler.
Extractor fans are forced draft fans which increase the pressure within the combustion chamber of a boiler. Increasing combustion chamber pressure allows the fuel within the boiler to burn more efficiently and reduces waste associated with incomplete combustion. This type of fan mounts to the outside of the boiler body or sits within the flue on larger commercial boilers. Opposite the air intake is a filter designed to reduce the amount of pollutants entering the boiler via the intake fan and keep the intake fan clean. Dirt buildup on the blades of an extractor fan reduces the amount of air the fan can draw into the boiler’s combustion chamber.
Cooling towers in coal-fired power plants use heat to convert water to steam and create energy. The water used in the plant comes from a local water body, passes through the plants combustion chamber and then returns to the water body. Forced draft fans move large amounts of air through the plant’s cooling towers to cool the heated water to a temperature close to the natural temperature of the water. These fans are large and mount in series on top of the cooling tower. All types of forced draft fans require maintenance to ensure proper operation.
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