All about Blowers Series: Blower Comparison Chart

6/19/2018

Although blowers are commonly used in manufacturing, it can be difficult to find good sources of information on the different types of blowers and how to choose the appropriate one. The purpose of this article series is to give a good, basic understanding of the different types of blowers and provide you with the technical information required to make a good decision for your application.

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What are the different types of blowers?

At its most basic level a blower is a tool that draws in air at an inlet and pushes air out as a steady stream at the outlet. Blowers can largely be classified into two categories: impeller based and positive displacement. Impeller based blowers have fins that radiate outwards from a rotating central axis. Positive displacement blowers use a mechanism of filling and emptying chambers at the inlet and outlet, respectively, to create flow. The fundamental difference between the two is that impeller based blowers have output flow that varies with pressure whereas positive displacement blowers have a more constant output flow less affected by changes in operating pressure.

Blower Comparison Chart***

	Flow, Pressure, Size*	Best Applications
Centrifugal**	Very low pressure – High flow Max. pressure 1 psi (27 inches W.C.) Max. flow 1875 CFM Weight 180 lbs	For applications where high flow at low pressures are required Blow off, heaters, ovens, tunnels
Regenerative**	Low pressure – Medium flow Max. pressure 4.5 psi (125 inches W.C.) Max. flow 420 CFM Weight 321 lbs	For applications where moderate flows with significant pressure is needed Blow-off, heaters, ovens, tunnels Appropriate for some vacuum applications such as conveyance and hold down
Rotary Vane	High pressure – Low flow Max. pressure 22 psi (610 inches W.C.) Max. flow 69 CFM Weight 323 lbs	For applications where constant flow with variable pressure is needed Aeration, vacuum applications such as conveyance and hold down, vacuum pumps, compressors
Rotary Lobe	Medium pressure – Medium flow Max. pressure 15 psi (415 inches W.C.) Max. flow 100 CFM Weight 88 lbs	For applications where constant flow with variable pressure is needed Aeration, conveyance, vacuum pumps Oil-free motion makes it appropriate for food grade applications

* All values are for 10hp blowers for ease of comparison.
** For centrifugal and regenerative blowers, the maximum pressure is reached at minimum air flow and vice versa. See our article on Flow, Velocity, and Pressure for more information.
*** Values are representative and may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

The next article in our series will cover specialty blowers including those used in explosive applications and high temperature applications.