Vortron System Selection Guide

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Select the RIGHT AirPowerBlower for your Application!

Proper blower selection is highly dependent on system design and the ultimate performance objective, be it for air-knife use, fluidized bed, pond aeration, or one of many other possible applications.  Vortron is always available to assist with system development and application recommendations.  Guidelines specific to Air-Knife applications are also available.

In all cases, it is the piping and discharge system characteristic that determines the blower selection.  In general, the piping system will exhibit a rising pressure vs. flow rate characteristic, where .  blowers, on the other hand, exhibit the opposite characteristic where pressure will, in general, drop-off with increasing flow rate.  Where the system and blower curves intersect defines the operating point for the entire system.

Once the Performance Requirements are Known…

Selecting the best AirPower model for the application is straightforward.  From the chart below, find the system operating pressure in one of the left-hand columns, then move over to the required flow rate, selecting the operating point "box".  This is the proper AirPower unit for the application, pre-selected to deliver best possible efficiency.

 

Determine Power Requirements…

The final step in the selection process is to determine power required to operate the system, AT the operating point of interest.  This is highly important as motor sizing and overall utility requirements and operational costs will depend upon the system power.  To assist this assessment, Vortron has tabulated shaft power requirements to operate AirPower units.  Here, by selecting the system operating point in the same fashion as the previous exercise, actual blower power is readily obtained:

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

2.   Read the blower power (HP) directly

NOTE – Blower power tabulated at inlet air density of 0.075 lbm/ft³; inlet temperature of 528°R. All power readings correspond to the specific AirPower Model, performance tested at the operating point. Units larger than 25 HP are currently under development.

Note lastly that all power readings correspond to the specific AirPower model, performance tested at the operating point.

Application Example

An airknife drying system has been specified for high performance in-line drying, with a knife manifold pressure of approximately 73 in-H₂O.  This is to achieve a discharge velocity of approximately 33,500 feet-per-minute.  A quadrant of four 24-inch long knives (96" total) with 0.042" gap is proposed, with a total air consumption of approximately 925 CFM.  Plant environment inlet air at approximately 68°F is assumed.  Select a blower for this application.

Solution – Referring to Chart #1, 70 in-H₂O pressure at 900 CFM indicates a Z40e-165 selection as the initial choice.  Chart #2 indicates the Z40e-165 will be operating at approximately 12 HP, thus, a 15 HP motor is selected for this particular operating point.  At 15 HP, flows up to 1,000 CFM and approaching 80 in-H₂O can be achieved.  Therefore, sufficient margin is available for tuning purposes.