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Retrofitting of Industrial Fans

Author: Neel Rao
by Neel Rao
Posted: Feb 08, 2016

Retrofitting means upgrading the existing equipment to improve the efficiency and performance of the equipment. Retrofitting is usually performed in large scale industries such as cement industry, power plant industry where a complete new installation consumes huge amount of time and money. The basic need for retrofitting in industrial fans is to improve the performance of the existing fan.

Need for retrofitting

  • Optimization of existing fans

> Retrofitting of industrial fan involves adding or replacing a component to the existing fan system in order to achieve increased performance. Coming to retrofitting of industrial fans, it will be something like change in system resistance either to increase or decrease depending on need. Industrial fans start to decrease its performance after some period of time. With retrofitting one can optimize the existing fan.

  • Economic alternative

> Retrofit uses maximum availability of existing equipment and which is a economic alternative than a complete new installation. Retrofit combines the advantages of existing equipment and new equipment which is a cost saving option.

> Retrofitting involves simple assembly which does not require a skilled labor who is expensive than a regular man power.

> If we take the case of installing a complete new system in the plant, we have to shut down the entire system for a longer period of time. If we perform retrofitting, as it involves installation of parts, it will consume less time for installation and decreases the shutdown period. This regulates the overall loss to the plant.

  • Regulate pollution

> Retrofitting indirectly helps in regulating the pollution. As the performance of a fan is increased, a fan will use minimum resources for optimum performance by regulating wastage. Secondly, when the fan is retrofitted the amount of air supplied or amount of exhaust gases removed will be optimum from the process or from the work place (in case of ventilation systems). This helps in optimum performance of system which in turn helps in regulation of pollution.

Keys ways of retrofitting

  • When the flow of a fan is reduced, rotor and inlet cone are replaced in order to enhance flow and pressure for the same input power of an industrial fan.
  • Industrial fan also consists of small parts which are to be changed to obtain an increased efficiency. The parts which are involved are casing of fan, inlet boxes, dampers and silencers etc.
  • Bearings in fan are one of the most important parts; the life period of a fan depends on the working condition of a bearing. Changing bearings will ensure more life and lesser maintenance for an industrial fan.
  • Industrial fan consists of rotating parts, which cause wear of the material. By coating wear resistant material on rotor or any other parts of fan will result in good wear life.
  • Industrial fan also produces a lot of noise; the level of noise can be minimized by retrofitting silencers or dampers to the fan.

Retrofitting is a better alternative to optimize fan performance. It also has many advantages and can be easily performed with less investment and in less time period.

About the Author

Writes on a href=http://www.reitzindia.com/ID Fan and a href=http://www.reitzindia.com/FD Fan technologies for Reitz India

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Author: Neel Rao

Neel Rao

Member since: Oct 30, 2015
Published articles: 105

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