Fans work at higher temperatures

Fläkt Woods has created a range of larger diameter aluminium impellers for use in emergency smoke extractors – and can withstand temperatures of 400°C for two hours. Pure aluminium has a melting temperature of 660°C, aluminium alloys liquefy as low as 577°C, so the Company has stretched the range to the very limits of the material. This has been achieved in part by using some of the latest finite element analysis and also because in-house experts understand exactly what can be achieved with the proposed solution in practice. The company has used finite element analysis to develop new ways of designing in aluminium to ensure that the parts withstand these higher temperatures. Aluminium remains the most efficient solution for fan hubs and impellers, it says, allowing complex aerodynamic shapes to be cast compared with steel flat blades that require higher energy for similar performances.