Belt Driven Or Direct Drive Fan

Direct drive or belt drive.

Belt driven or direct drive fan.

Direct drive fans have no power transmission loss since the propeller is directly connected to the motor shaft. Direct drive fans should be designed for acceptable bearing life. Belt driven design for quieter operation and longevity. Equipped with handle wheels and nonskid positioning stands.

To begin with industrial fans that are belt driven offer a greater level of flexibility when it comes to determining the rpm speed of a fan. Where people and machines need to be kept cool in the factory warehouse or other large area or to keep animals comfortable and remove stale air and odors from the barn look to this rugged power packed air circulator. It s a motor connected to your fan in one of only two ways. In a direct drive configuration the fan motor that controls the movement of the fan blades is connected either to a shaft or fan axle.

For airstream conditions hostile to arrangement 4 fans a shaft driven direct or belt drive fan is the recommended choice. Shaft driven fans can be fitted with shafting materials and shaft seals that are compatible to the airstream conditions at a lower cost than modifying an arrangement 4 fan. Where on a belt drive fan the fan motor shaft has a pulley connected by a belt to a second pulley. In the former the motor connects to the fan wheel with nothing in between.

Belt drive fan from commercial electric is a prudent choice for just about any industrial application. Belt drive fans have two additional bearings. Instead the motor shaft is connected to a belt and the belt is connected to the fan. An hvac system with a belt drive fan is slightly different.

For most the direct drive record player s unwanted vibrations are enough to opt for a belt drive. Unlike belt driven fans there s less energy loss because there s a reduced amount of friction as the fan operates. The two bearings on direct drive fan motors which are 7 horsepower and larger are typically regreaseable. One advantage of choosing a belt drive over a direct drive is that it is capable of adjusting the fan rpm which enables the fan to move more air if necessary.

What direct drive turntables possess in durability they sacrifice in overall quality. These fans usually tend to be cheaper than a direct drive industrial fan of the same dimension and size. With a belt driven configuration the movement of the fan is not directly related to the rotation of the motor shaft. 2 speed motor provides up to 10 000 cfm.

Greater efficiency is the biggest pro of direct drive fan configurations. On both direct drive and belt drive fans the motor has two bearings. However a belt drive fan has power transmission loss due to the friction between the belt and sheaves and due to the drive shaft bearings. Deciding between a direct drive fan and a belt drive fan is fairly straightforward once you know all of your other variables like fan size application space fan speed needs and likely wear and tear in your application.

In the later there is a belt sometimes more than one connecting the motor to move the fan. Motor pulleys are adjusted by loosening the set screw and turning the top half of the pulley see illustrations at right.