A fan is a mechanical device used to create a fluid flow, typically, in gas or air. It is a common electrical device that can be found in almost every electrical or electronic appliance or device for moving air through a cooling or heating process. A fan consists of an impeller, which is a set of angled blades connected to a rotating hub. The hub is rotated using an electric motor, forcing the air to move when the blades are pushing or pulling air towards or away from the impeller. Regardless of the fan’s size, the fundamental operation remains the same. The flow created by a fan is a low pressure high volume flow.
Often the moving parts of the fans are covered or out of reach of humans; nevertheless, for aesthetic purposes and safety, different designs of fans are introduced. One such design is the Air Multiplier. In an air multiplier, the rotating or moving parts are completely encased in a plastic casing and are invisible.
The Dyson Air Multiplier desk fan was launched in October 2009, and the pedestal and tower variations were introduced in June 2010. It has no exposed rotating components and is designed to deliver a smoother airflow than an ordinary fan. The Air Multiplier can be considered as a spinoff from Dyson’s Air-blade hand dryer. In the Air blade design, engineers realized that a large volume of air taken in is retained and improved the design to move air in a continuous flow. The Air Multiplier fan received the Good Design Award in 2010.
Key Takeaways
- A fan is a mechanical device used to create a high volume, low pressure gas/air transfer, often used in cooling or heating systems.
- A fan has an impeller that moves the air by the rotational motion of its blades, and the impeller is driven by an electric motor.
- The Dyson Air Multiplier is a fan with all the moving parts covered using a casing, and the moving parts cannot be seen; it delivers a smoother airflow than an ordinary fan.
