A fan without blades is often called a Dyson fan after its creator. Or an “Air Multiplier,” as James Dyson himself called the device. The device, of course, looks stylish - the ring on a thin stem can be made in a great variety of interior options. But how does it actually work?
How does a bladeless fan work?
The strange futuristic “ring on a leg” actually consists of three parts. They are structurally and mechanically assembled in such a way as to provide air blowing and blowing.
The “leg” of a fan without blades is, in fact, its housing with a control panel. The housing contains a motor for air intake and a small grille through which it is taken in. On the control panel there is a power button and, optionally, a rheostat for adjusting the ventilation intensity (the classic Dyson fan does not have one).
But the “ring” itself is the so-called blower. The inside of the ring has a special shape: along the entire contour there is a channel through which air moves. Why this is needed - we’ll tell you now.
How does a fan without blades work?
First, a high-speed motor draws air through a grille at the base of the “leg” body. Then this air is forced into the blower channel (inside the “ring” housing). 
The shape of the ring from the inside is, in fact, designed on the same principle as an airplane wing. Therefore, when air moves inside the channel, its speed increases.
The air exits the channel from the narrower side. As a result, an area of low pressure is formed from the opposite, wider one. Thanks to this, the ring itself begins to “draw” air into itself and throw it out from the wide side.
The volume drawn in and expelled due to the pressure reduction effect is 15-20 times greater than the original volume drawn in by the engine. Bladeless fans are capable of passing through up to 500 liters of air in 1 second. So the device “blows air” over everything nearby, without any blades - simply due to the laws of aerodynamics.
What's cool about a bladeless fan?
Firstly, it is silent. How often on a hot July night did you have to toss and turn while listening to the ringing of mosquitoes and the rattling of a fan!.. This will not happen with the Dyson: the blowing occurs softly, without engine noise, the crackling of blades and the effect of vibration. You can sleep peacefully under it (unfortunately, it does not drive away mosquitoes). Here's a Dyson fan you can put on your bedside table:
Secondly, it can be used "in reverse side- like a heater. To do this, add to the blower a heating element, and the drawn air becomes warm. So this is a two-in-one device - for example, this model Dyson Pure Hot+Cool.
IN Lately advertisements for a safe bladeless fan periodically appear on the RuNet, we suggest considering the design of this climate control device for the home and the principle of its operation. We will also talk about the strong and weaknesses this device and its main characteristics. After which we will conduct short review several models of bladeless fans, and at the end of the article we will consider the possibility of creating such an unusual device with your own hands.
Design and principle of operation
In 2009, J. Dyson presented the world with his own fan development. The design feature was the absence of blades, which, however, did not prevent the device from creating a stable air flow. Moreover, the volume of air at the outlet exceeded that entering the turbine by one or two orders of magnitude. Do you think it's magic? No, everything is much more serious - aerodynamics.
It's all about the profile of the ring; it is given a special shape.
Thanks to this, the air coming out of the holes is focused in such a way that a low pressure zone is formed in front of the ring (highlighted by a red oval in Fig. 3).
Rice. 3. Aerodynamic modeling of the operation of the Dyson Air Multiplier Since such an area is surrounded in front and on the sides high blood pressure, air is drawn in from the back of the ring, forming a stable directed flow.
Note that the compilation mathematical model profile that allows you to achieve maximum effect and perfecting the technology, it took Dyson about four years. Most Chinese analogues of its device cannot produce even half the power of the original device. The inventor patented the design, in particular, the profile of the ring and the structure of the turbine that pumps air, so in order to make full-fledged copies it is necessary to purchase production rights from the author.
How does the fan work?
Since the drawing of the device is protected by copyright, we will talk about the operation of the fan, based on the drawings used in the advertising of this product.
Explanation of the picture:
- A – holes for air supply to the turbine.
- B – turbine engine.
- C – air flows inside the ring.
- D – ring.
When turned on, the turbine begins to pump air into the ring, from where it exits under pressure into a small slot (A in Fig. 5) or small nozzles.
Rice. 5. A - Slot for air outlet; B – motor for rotating the ring Some models (for example, Flextron FB1009, KITFORT KT-401, HJ-007, Bork) have a built-in motor (B in Fig. 5), which allows you to change the direction of the ring, and, consequently, the air flow. Some manufacturers have provided the possibility of installing a special aerosol into the design; as a result, Airmultiplier Dyson (that’s what Dyson called his brainchild) additionally acts as an air freshener (part of the Kitfort, Supra, Renova, Vesson model range).
There are bladeless fans with air cooling and heating; such household appliances can be classified as full-fledged climate control equipment.
Original devices are produced with a power unit (turbine) with a power of 25 or 40 W. For Chinese analogues, this parameter can vary over a wide range. Such a small power is quite enough for up to 500 liters of air per second to pass through the ring (again, this value applies to original products).
Advantages and disadvantages
Having examined the structure of air multipliers, we can move on to analyzing their advantages and disadvantages. Let's start with the first one. Advantages:
Unfortunately, this device also has disadvantages that significantly affect consumer demand:
- The high cost of original models, it can reach up to 20 thousand rubles or more, which is comparable to the purchase and installation of an inexpensive split system. However, you can put up with this price if the bladeless fan has the functions of heating and cooling the air. Note that Chinese analogues are significantly cheaper, some even by an order of magnitude, but, as already described above, they are less efficient.
- Despite the fact that the fan power plant is low-noise, during operation this device emits a characteristic hum, reminiscent of the operation of an aircraft turbine. Moreover, on maximum power The noise level can reach 60 decibels, which is quite high because it only takes an hour to give you a headache. True, in this mode the device creates so much strong current air, which causes discomfort, so the maximum level of work is practically not used. In normal mode, the device makes much less noise.
- The 15-fold increase in flow stated in the advertisement is technically correct, but there is a certain nuance. This value is typical for the maximum mode, which is practically not used.
Review of models on the market
Let us give as an example several models of devices available on the Russian market.
Bladeless Fan, small inexpensive table fan bladeless type. Made in China. The cost is about $40-$50. A minimum of functions and low power (12 W) allow you to obtain an air flow that is quite acceptable for desktop devices.
Another a budget option with a minimum functional set - Fan Leader, according to suppliers, made in Poland. Also in desktop version, in the same price range, but slightly more power– 35 W. Feature – work zone made in the shape of an oval. Note that this form is found in many models, for example, Orion OR-DSO2.
Well, for comparison, let's look at original design— Dayson Hot + Cool model. This device is available in a floor-standing version. It has an air heating function. Turbine power is 40 W, in heater mode – 2 kW. There is a remote control remote control, an information board indicating the selected mode and the set temperature. For all this pleasure you will need to pay about 500 – 540 dollars.
Concluding the topic of the review, we present comparison table model range of Dynson and the Chinese analogue Unico ION.
| Name | Dyson AM-01 | Dyson AM-02 | Dyson AM-03 | Dyson AM-04 | Unico ION |
| Estimated Cost, $ | 260 | 310 | 340 | 345 | 50 |
| Functionality | cooling | cooling | cooling | cooling/heating | cooling |
| Air flow speed (max), l/s | 450 | 600 | 700 | 130 | 450 |
| execution | desktop | Floor | Floor | Floor | Desktop |
| Manual tilt angle adjustment | + | — | + | + | + |
| Manual height setting | — | — | + | — | — |
| Automatic 90° turns | + | + | + | + | + |
| Smooth flow speed adjustment | + | + | + | + | + |
| Noise level (max), dB | 64,5 | 63,0 | 65,0 | 64,0 | 60,0 |
| Power consumption (max), W | 40 | 65 | 65 | 2000 | 35 |
| Packaging dimensions, mm | 547x356x152 | 1007x190x110 | 1480x450x280 | 579x200x153 | 580x330x180 |
| Weight (gross), kg | 1,80 | 3,35 | 4,30 | 2,47 | 2,50 |
Is it possible to make a bladeless fan with your own hands?
There are several videos on the RuNet dedicated to this topic, where they are used to create a ring. various materials, starting from plastic buckets and ending sewer pipes PVC. Power plants are also varied, mostly these are powerful coolers from processors, but there are originals that use a vacuum cleaner engine. The effectiveness of such structures and their characteristics are highly questionable, especially since no measurements are provided.
As you remember, to create a low pressure zone it is necessary to focus air flows in a special way. Using ordinary materials at hand, this is quite difficult to do, and work for the sake of work does not carry any rational meaning.
Bladeless fan is a unique device that amazes with its design. Such a unit does not have blades or rotating elements visible to the eye. Therefore, it is completely unclear to many how this device works and how it moves air masses. In fact, the operating principle of such a fan is not that complicated. To do this, it is enough to study its design features.
The device works on the principle forced ventilation, which was invented in ancient times. This is how the ancient Egyptians used fans to create comfortable conditions for the pharaohs. At that time they did not understand all the scientific subtleties of the temperature decrease when a gas flow flows around a body, but they successfully used this thermodynamic phenomenon. Today, bladeless new products are based on the operating principle of the turbine of modern jet aircraft.
Kinds
A bladeless fan can be of two types:
- Desktop.
- Floor.
The floor-standing version is distinguished by its large dimensions. In most cases this is a fairly powerful fan. It is used to cool a large area. In many cases, such fan models are equipped not only with a cooling function, but also with a heating function.
Desktop models stand out for their compactness. Thanks to this, they can be easily placed on the table. With the help of such a fan you can create a fairly comfortable environment in the workplace on a hot day in the absence of air conditioning. Besides desktop models have very stylish and unusual design. They can have the function of left-right rotation and remote control using a remote control.
A number of models are equipped with a device designed to humidify the air. These types of devices have a special reservoir in the fan housing into which water is poured. There are also mini fans that you can take with you on the road. Such devices can be powered by a cigarette lighter and used instead of an air conditioner.
Device
The main elements of a fan without blades are the following parts:
- Ring diffuser.
- Engine.
- High speed turbine.
- Base.
The high-speed turbine, in which the engine is mounted, is installed at the base of the unit. Thanks to the operation of the turbine, air movement begins in the device. To reduce the level of sound produced, the engine has a special Hemholtz chamber that captures and dissipates noise. This makes the fan seem quite quiet.
There are many holes made in the base body to suck in air. On the top of the body there is an aerodynamic ring, which is equipped with an annular diffuser. It has many holes through which air is blown. The ring itself may be the most different shapes: rhombus, oval, circle, heart and so on. It all depends on the design ideas of the designer of the manufacturing plant.
Operating principle
The bladeless fan operates using electric motor. Air is sucked into the turbine through small holes that are located at the bottom of the fan stand. The air masses, after passing through the turbine, exit through a small hole in the center of the ring and then spread along the circuit. An air stream is created that flows around the ring from inside its rim. Air masses cover the rim and create negative pressure inside the ring of the device along the streamlined surface.
As a result, this leads to the fact that air masses located next to the fan begin to be drawn into the center of the ring into an area of discharged pressure. As a result, a powerful flow is created at the output of the ring, which can be amplified up to 15-20 times. This aerodynamic effect allows you to easily move air masses and cool the room. The speed of the turbine unit can be controlled, so it is possible to set the required air flow rate. At the same time, using a fan without blades, a fairly dense and comfortable flow of refreshing air is created. air masses. The operation of the device itself is unobtrusive and almost invisible.
Application
The scope of application of this fan is quite extensive - these are any municipal and public institutions, hospitals, sanatoriums, kindergartens, cottages, dachas, numerous offices, houses, apartments and so on. The only exceptions may be baths, saunas, bathrooms, and swimming pools. Despite the absence of external rotating parts, it should only be used by adults; you should not leave such devices turned on alone with small children.
In addition to the gentle distribution of air flows, a bladeless fan can humidify and even heat the air. However, this is only if the device has such functions. In most cases, such units are equipped with a control panel where you can install required temperature and percentage of humidity. The regulation range is determined by the specific model. The cheapest devices usually only have a cooling function. Expensive units may even have the function of purifying the air from harmful impurities, for example, cigarette smoke.
How to choose a bladeless fan
Choosing a bladeless fan can be not so easy. On this moment time, the market for such equipment is replete with numerous variants of models from the most different manufacturers: these are Dyson, Orion, SUPRA, Bladeless and many others.
- First of all, you should proceed from your personal needs and financial capabilities.
- Before purchasing a device, you should familiarize yourself with its characteristics and find out the noise level. This is extremely important parameter, because it will directly affect the comfort of use. Average noise range similar devices is 40-60 decibels and above.
- The radius of the ring affects the efficiency of its use. For large premises It is recommended to choose devices with a larger ring.
- Power determines not only the strength of the flow, but also the amount of electricity consumed and the level of noise emitted by the device. For an apartment or small house A medium power fan will suffice. However, for a large office you should select a fairly powerful device. For such premises, it is recommended to select units that are capable of moving approximately 250 cubic meters per hour.
- For everyday use, a 90-degree rotation angle of the ring is sufficient, but if desired, you can purchase a device with a rotation angle of up to 360 degrees.
- Pay attention to the quality of the plastic and the absence of unpleasant odors.
- If you value comfort, then it is recommended not to skimp and purchase a model with a wide range of adjustment parameters. Availability of a control panel with clear system buttons will make use more convenient.
Fans have long been affordable and effective devices that help maintain the desired microclimate in an apartment or office. The health, well-being and performance of people in the room will depend on the pressure, temperature, relative humidity, and air flow speed of such a device.
Device structure
The most simple device For forced circulation The air in the room is a fan - an impeller with blades mounted on a motor shaft without a gearbox. All fans with open blades have a very unpleasant " by-effect» – noise arising due to a sharp change in the speed and direction of the air flow on the blades. At low speeds the sound resembles the hum of a low-flying airplane, at high speeds it sounds like a whistle.
Famous English scientist James Dyson for a long time worked on creating a device for indoor air convection that operates without noise and drafts. He tested Nikola Tesla's idea of accelerating air flow using high-frequency electric field high voltage. The scientist soon abandoned this idea - high voltage required good insulation and created toxic oxides of nitrogen and metals due to a glow discharge between the electrodes.
The second idea Dyson tried was his own. He wanted to create a fan without the main drawback - increased noise during operation, resulting from a sharp change in the speed and direction of air flow. The scientist made the fan housing, reminiscent of an airplane wing in profile, in the shape of a ring with a slit-like slot for air to escape around the circumference. A high-speed air turbine without blades, similar in design to a water mill, is located at the bottom of the housing. It sucks air through the slots and supplies it to the second turbine high pressure, located at the top near the ring. Compressed air comes out at high speed through a narrow slot in the plastic ring.
The pressure drop when air exits through a gap resembling an airplane wing in profile twists into a spiral ambient air. A powerful air spiral, similar to a large donut, moves forward along the axis of the ring, intensively entraining the surrounding air according to Bernoulli's law and creating a zone of turbulence around itself.
Bladeless fan turbine design is protected by patent, therefore, it is not possible to describe in detail the structure of the main assembly of a bladeless fan. According to information from open sources The fan turbine is known to use Air Multiplier technology. According to independent examination The bladeless fan type is one of the quietest and most economical. It is ISO certified.
Operating principle
The operation of the tabletop bladeless fan is based on the principle of a centrifugal air turbine. During operation, a soft air flow occurs, which comfortably cools the air in summer heat. The speed and distribution of the flow do not create drafts. Air is sucked into the device through narrow slots using a bladeless impeller mounted on the shaft of a high-speed motor without a gearbox. The design of the impeller resembles a gas turbine.
To reduce noise, the intake air passes through a Hemholtz chamber, which absorbs noise due to reverse resonance. Next, the air is supplied through a tube to a ring with a slotted hole around the perimeter, which in cross section resembles an airplane wing. At the outlet, the air forms a laminar flow, which, due to the aerodynamic profile of the slot opening, flows out at high speed, causing a pressure drop in the high-speed air flow zone.
According to Bernoulli's law, the pressure drop in the high-speed flow zone carries the surrounding air with it, increasing the mass moving at high speed by almost fifteen times. The impact of a bladeless fan on the indoor microclimate can be greatly enhanced if the reservoir in the housing is filled with water or a simple fan is placed in front of the fan in the direction of air movement. ultrasonic humidifier. The air temperature drops by 3-5°C. If more intensive cooling is required, the reservoir can be filled instead of water:
- dry ice (t – 78.5°C);
- a mixture of ice and salt (23.1% NaCl, 76.9% ice, t – 21.2°C);
- a mixture of ice and calcium chloride (29.9% CaCl2, 70.1% ice, t – 55°C).
IN next year Exhale Fans is launching a bladeless ceiling fan designed by Nick Heiner. The ceiling location of the fan ensures a more correct distribution of cool air along the walls in downward flows. Compared to the floor model, the innovative fan eliminates the occurrence of turbulent air flows and drafts, and also does not take up extra space on the floor.
Advantages and disadvantages
Bladeless fans, like other models, have a number of advantages and disadvantages. Advantages:
- there are no exposed moving parts, this ensures the safety of children and animals;
- do not dry out the air;
- do not require maintenance.
Flaws:
- noise during operation is about 40 decibels;
- relatively high price;
- fragile body design.
Types of bladeless fans
Table fan allows you to serve Fresh air on workplace, cool powerful computer equipment, hot dishes and drinks, and conduct aromatherapy at home. It can be easily carried from one place to another. The floor fan is designed to be installed on the floor. High power and air flow speed make it possible to provide comfortable conditions in a separate room, office or apartment. A slight increase in noise can be eliminated by moving the device away from the person. The shape and parameters of the fan allow you to completely replace the air in the room in a few hours.
The portable fan can be used on the beach, in tourist trip , caves, desert, tent, train, car, on a yacht on the open sea. Most portable models are powered by a built-in battery or a computer USB port; more expensive ones are powered by solar panels. Their main advantages are low weight and size, energy autonomy. A special place among portable models is occupied by automotive bladeless fans powered by a 12V vehicle network. They are much cheaper than car air conditioners, they allow you to quickly ventilate the car interior, remove the odors of gasoline, diesel fuel, car enamel, synthetic glue and primer.
How to choose?
First of all, you need to determine Fan installation location:
- on the desktop;
- on the ceiling;
- on the floor indoors;
- portable or portable;
- inside the car.
In offices, it is best to use desktop or floor-standing models from Dyson. They are designed for areas where people work and are fully ISO compliant. Inside the fan housing are:
- high-speed centrifugal turbine;
- electrostatic generator of O3 ozone aeroions;
- Peltier element for heating (cooling) air;
- ultrasonic emitter for spraying water.
Dyson bladeless fans can serve as an adequate replacement for an air conditioner and ionizer in room volumes up to 40 cubic meters. m.
Care and maintenance
Bladeless fans are durable and do not require special care or maintenance. Like all household electrical appliances, they should not be turned on if moisture gets inside the housing or in rooms with relative humidity air above 85%. Before turning it on for the first time in a new place, you need to check the voltage in the outlet (220V). The product can only be repaired by qualified personnel with a clearance group of at least IV. Filling the internal tank with water can only be done after disconnecting the fan from the mains. If the device is dropped from high altitude, it must be inspected by a specialist before turning it on. This must be done even when the fan is working after a fall and there are no visible cracks or chips on the case.
Can I do it myself?
To assemble a fan with your own hands, you need to have plumbing and electrical installation work, and also purchase everything in the store necessary details. For a bladeless fan you need to purchase:
- PVC pipes of various diameters;
- hacksaw;
- ruler or construction tape;
- slate pencil or marker;
- “zero” skin;
- plastic food container for food;
- knife with a sharp blade;
- insulating tape;
- hammer drill and drills included;
- crown for woodworking;
- universal glue;
- a piece of fiberglass for window insulation;
- electric jigsaw;
- nitroenamel in an aerosol can;
- LED strip;
- electric soldering iron 220V;
In this tutorial we will make a bladeless fan using PVC tubing, a plastic container and a sheet of fiberglass.
For this project, special thanks to the guys from the DYI King channel on Youtube, who were inspired to create a safe fan. But the best part about this bladeless fan is that, unlike most DIY fans, the project doesn't require 3D printing and the total cost can be less than $10.
Below in the video you can see the entire process of creating a fan.
Step 1. Tools and materials
The tools and materials needed for this project are very easy to assemble and are all pictured above. The basics for this project are a set of 6.5" and 3.5" PVC pipes, a plastic container or bowl, and a 3mm fiberglass sheet.
There is no need for a 3D printer as is used in most DIY fan projects. Moreover, we used miter saw, to make most of the cuts as it made the job more precise and easier when the same job can be done with hand saw and some patience, but then you will need expensive tools to make a neat bladeless fan.
Step 2. Working principle
Unlike the name of the device, which is a fan without blades, this thing actually has a fairly high-speed blade inside the main body. You can see the operating principle of such a fan in the figure above.
In addition, a bladeless fan provides closed blade control and then airflow is directed through a closed duct body, replicating the structure of a conventional bladeless fan housing. This design offers an excellent level of protection for children.
Step 3. Making the main body
First you need to make the main body and for this you can use a PVC pipe. The main outlet is made of 6" diameter PVC pipe, which is 4" wide to form the outer air outlet casing.
To form the air pocket inside the main air outlet, we use a conical shaped bowl that fits perfectly over the 6″ PVC pipe and its collar sits on the edges of the pipe - see photo above. Cut the bowl 1" above the bottom so it forms a nice conical collar inside the main outlet casing that allows the air to rotate evenly inside the outlet cavity before leaving it.
Step 4. Inner casing and base
The internal air outlet clamp is made of PVC pipes 5 inches in diameter. This pipe creates a narrow opening that is almost 0.5 inches wide to distribute air evenly from the cavity/air outlet. Three parts, namely an outer 6-inch PVC pipe, a conical inner casing made of a plastic bowl, and an inner clamp made of 5-inch PVC pipe, together form the air release casing.
To form the base, use 3.5" PVC pipe cut to 5" high. To ensure the base fits perfectly with the air outlet body, cut one end of the base pipe to curved shape(we cut the bend using pre-glued electrical tape), and mark the contour with a 6-inch PVC pipe. The pipe is then cut using a jigsaw and then sanded sandpaper to fit the outer 6" pipe perfectly without any gaps between them.
Step 5. Air intake hole
Before gluing the base to the main body, we drill a 3-inch diameter hole in the 6-inch PVC pipe, which will be the passage for air to enter the main body and then into the outlet hole. The hole is made using a hole saw.
The base is then glued to the outside of the air outlet using super glue. Since the base pipe has perfect shape to sit on a 6-inch PVC pipe, superglue makes a very strong connection between the two pieces.
Step 6. Air outlet ring
The air outlet ring is made of 3mm thick fiberglass sheet, which serves as a connection between the inner half and the outer half of the main air outlet. The ring was made using a jigsaw.
Step 7. Drawing
Since most of the body parts of the bladeless fan are ready, you need to paint them so that they look neat and perfect. Paint everything white using spray paint, with the exception of the fiberglass ring, which is protected from paint with electrical tape.
The end result is very nice and the blue fiberglass sheet looks fantastic against the pristine white background.
Step 8. LED strip
To make the design more attractive and elegant, add a 12V LED strip to inside air outlet at the end where the fiberglass sheet will be glued to the inner air outlet sleeve. The light strip is cut to the required length. The tape has a sticky side and adheres when removed protective coating from the back of the tape and then sticks to the PVC body.
When the fan turns on, LED Strip Light illuminates the rear of the air outlet and thus produces a very cool visual effect, spreading blue light.
Step 9. Gluing all the parts
Once the paint is dry, we glue all the pieces together to form the main part of our bladeless fan, using super glue, which seems to hold everything tightly.
Step 10. Install the fan
Behind each bladeless fan is a fan with blades. So to drive our fan, we need to use a 12V high speed fan direct current, which can be taken from an old computer. More specifically, the tutorial is about a fan from a server, which is much more powerful than a regular PC fan. Therefore, we highly recommend using this type of fan.
The fan is mounted inside the base directly below the air outlet housing using four wood screws to hold the fan securely in place. The fan is installed in such a way that it pushes air upward and thus we need the fan to be quite stable.
Step 11: Air Intake
A pair of air intakes are located just below the server fan on both sides of the base pipe, i.e. base pipes. These intake holes allow air to be drawn into the base.
To prevent someone from accidentally injuring their fingers by inserting them into the base of the fan, we glue metal mesh on both holes. The mesh is first painted matte black and then glued inside the base using hot glue.