{"id":14339,"date":"2025-07-29T13:01:05","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T11:01:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/?p=14339"},"modified":"2025-07-30T13:01:42","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T11:01:42","slug":"fangrid-solutions-for-high-air-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/industries\/refrigeration-ventilation\/fangrid-solutions-for-high-air-performance_14339\/","title":{"rendered":"FanGrid Solu\u00adtions for High Air Perfor\u00admance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Many appli\u00adca\u00adtions require high air perfor\u00admance. Data centers, large indus\u00adtrial building complexes, hotels, resi\u00adden\u00adtial complexes and hospi\u00adtals are all typical exam\u00adples. Replacing one large fan in central air condi\u00adtioning systems with FanGrids containing several smaller fans that func\u00adtion in parallel provides many bene\u00adfits in prac\u00adtice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smaller, more light\u00adweight and simply better<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Figure 1: To achieve high air perfor\u00admance in venti\u00adlation tech\u00adnology, large, single fans are no longer today\u2019s preferred solu\u00adtion. Instead, we recom\u00admend FanGrids: combining several smaller fans that work together in parallel. (Image | ebm-papst)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In this way, the indi\u00advidual fans can be stacked or arranged in rows to use the avail\u00adable space to maximum advan\u00adtage (Fig. 1). Small fans require less instal\u00adla\u00adtion space and are easier to handle than one large fan. Thanks to the latter benefit, trans\u00adport and instal\u00adla\u00adtion are less compli\u00adcated and when a fan needs to be serviced, the system can keep running. The speed of the other fans is adjusted to main\u00adtain constant air perfor\u00admance. During the selec\u00adtion process, the rele\u00advant redun\u00addancy require\u00adments can be taken into account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the air distri\u00adb\u00adu\u00adtion is much better when several fans are used. Upstream or down\u00adstream compo\u00adnents such as filters and heat exchangers receive a more even airflow (Fig. 2). This results in more effi\u00adcient air filtering and improved heat transfer perfor\u00admance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the bene\u00adfits of a FanGrid can be lever\u00adaged in a wide range of appli\u00adca\u00adtions. Motor and fan specialist ebm-papst supplies FanGrid modules with RadiPac or RadiCal centrifugal fans. Several fans func\u00adtioning in parallel ensure the required volume of air. Axial fans can also be used in FanGrids: today, more and more data center oper\u00ada\u00adtors rely on \u201cfree cooling\u201d (Fig. 3). In clas\u00adsical AHUs, we recom\u00admend centrifugal fans instead because they are designed to work with higher back pres\u00adsure. Various sizes with diam\u00ade\u00adters between 400 and 560 mm are avail\u00adable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Move the slider to see the before and after compar\u00adison<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Figure 2: The air distri\u00adb\u00adu\u00adtion in the FanGrid is much better, upstream or down\u00adstream compo\u00adnents such as filters or heat exchangers receive a more even airflow than if a single fan is used. This results in more effi\u00adcient air filtering and improved heat transfer perfor\u00admance. (Image | ebm-papst)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Energy-effi\u00adcient EC tech\u00adnology with conve\u00adnient closed-loop control<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The driving force in the FanGrid are modern EC drives with effi\u00adcien\u00adcies exceeding 90%, deliv\u00adering highly energy-effi\u00adcient perfor\u00admance in both full-load and partial-load oper\u00ada\u00adtion. They are designed for long service life and allow for step\u00adless speed control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The FanGrid line is rounded out by a new controller from ebm-papst that easily acti\u00advates fans oper\u00adated in parallel. It requires minimal wiring work: all fans are simply connected via a RS485-MODBUS cable (passthrough). Autoad\u00addressing makes commis\u00adsioning easier and indi\u00advidual addresses can be adjusted directly. The controller has even more to offer. It has a 0-10 V inter\u00adface for posi\u00adtioning commands for synchro\u00adniza\u00adtion from 0 to 100 percent, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A pres\u00adsure sensor on one of the fans enables volume flow control to opti\u00admally adjust air perfor\u00admance to changing circum\u00adstances such as clogged filters. Temper\u00ada\u00adtures and speeds can be read out for indi\u00advidual fans or specific groups. The rele\u00advant status and failure messages can be trans\u00admitted directly to the moni\u00adtoring system. Users always have an eye on the FanGrid fans and if neces\u00adsary, can plan preven\u00adtive main\u00adte\u00adnance on their AHUs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Figure 3: \u201cFree cooling\u201d is becoming an increas\u00adingly popular alter\u00adna\u00adtive for data centers. Multiple EC centrifugal fans from the RadiPac or RadiCal product range operate in parallel to supply the neces\u00adsary volume of air. FanGrids with axial fans may also be used. (Graphic | ebm-papst)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cubes prevent instal\u00adla\u00adtion loss<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Each centrifugal fan comes with tried and tested support brackets and can be installed in a cube made of molded aluminum parts and a support plate on the intake side. During the design phase of the cube-shaped housing, a key factor was taken into consid\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtion that is often neglected in prac\u00adtice: instal\u00adla\u00adtion loss. If fans are installed too close together, they will influ\u00adence one another. The rule of thumb: The greater the volume of air to be moved, the further apart the fans should be. To avoid instal\u00adla\u00adtion loss, the FanGrid module\u2019s cube has extra generous dimen\u00adsions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Key Advan\u00adtages of FanGrids at a Glance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n