An Overview of The Different Types of Fan Drivers Offered By a Cooling Tower Manufacturer

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An Overview of The Different Types of Fan Drivers
Offered By a Cooling Tower Manufacturer

• Submitted By Tower Tech Cooling Systems Pvt.
  Ltd

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• Cooling towers are compost of different
  components that work together to make sure they
  function as they supposed to be. One of the
  components offered by a cooling tower
  manufacturer is the fan, which requires a
  mechanism, gear or driver. In this post, we will
  be focusing on the top four most commonly used
  fan drivers for cooling towers.
• A cooling tower offered by a cooling tower
  manufacturer is typically compost of different
  components that work together to ensure that the
  system functions well. And one of the most
  important components of a cooling tower is the
  fan. The fan utilizes the air that circulates in,
  out, and around the cooling tower. Fans need a
  mechanism, gear or driver that regulate power and
  transfer energy from the motor to the blades
  either directly or indirectly. This gear enables
  the fan to rotate and serve its purpose.

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• There are a number of gear types being used for
  this device, and each of them has its own
  respective features to offer, and a few drawbacks
  as well. Today, we will be discussing the top
  four most commonly used fan drivers for cooling
  towers.

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An overview of the different types of fan drivers

• As mentioned earlier, we will be talking more
  about the four primary types of cooling tower fan
  drivers- the gear drive, belt drive, direct
  drive, and EC motor. We will also provide you
  with an overview of each type including the
  advantages and disadvantages of each fan drivers.

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1.Gear Drive

• The gear drive is commonly used for larger
  horsepower applications. Like the gears of a
  manual-transmission automobile, gear drives
  operate in such a way that it regulates the speed
  of a motor engine just enough to power the fan
  shaft.
• One good thing about gear drives is that they are
  durable and can survive in extreme conditions,
  considering they are placed inside the natural
  draft cooling tower. In a cooling tower system,
  heat and humidity are at higher levels. This high
  levels of temperature and humidity can easily
  damage the components inside the cooling system.
  Thankfully, gear drives are specially engineered
  to withstand such extreme environment.

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• The gear drive, however, also comes with some
  cons. And one of these is its maintenance cost.
  Of the four types of fan drivers, the gear drive
  has the highest maintenance cost. It also has the
  highest potential for downtime. Also, caution is
  advised due to the tendency of the oil container
  to leak. Misalignments may also occur from time
  to time so it is essential that the driver should
  be checked on a regular basis.

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2. Belt Drive

• Belt drives resemble a pulley, which uses an
  additional rotating shaft, and a belt that is
  simply powered by the motion of another source.
  From the main revolving energy source, the belt
  drive constantly processes the mechanical
  movement being produced through the pulley and
  the shafts. The speed of the rotation varies
  depending on the size of the sheave.
• Belt drives do not have separate housing for
  their parts. They are not protected from the
  stress inside the FRP cooling tower and
  therefore, require extra monitoring and regular
  maintenance. Belt drive maintenance normally
  includes belt replacement and lubrication which
  should be done several times a year. The initial
  cost of the belt drive is quite low, but the
  maintenance costs increase as time goes by.

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3.Direct Drive

• Unlike the belt drives, direct drives are quite
  expensive at first, but it does not require much
  maintenance afterward. In fact among the four
  drivers, it has the lowest maintenance cost and
  the lowest total cost of ownership as well.
  Direct drive also requires only very little
  relubrication. It also does not need an alignment
  or any transmission components.

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• One of the common mechanisms of a direct drive is
  that it uses a magnet to connect the fan shaft to
  the motor. However, this requires a specialized
  electric motor with a designated magnet to hold
  the drive. This type of fan driver does not need
  pulleys and belts or gears. It does not need much
  assistance for installation either. Direct
  drives, however, need a VFD (Variable Frequency
  Drive), which regulates the speed of the fan
  shaft. The VFD also contributes to energy
  conservation.

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Other Concerns

• Although these fan drivers are quite competitive
  when it comes to performance, you should not
  overlook the top concern which is safety. Yes,
  the tower may function perfectly, but you should
  also consider the risk of danger that the type of
  driver imposes upon the structure. Due to the
  development of new cooling tower technologies
  such as the EC motor and the direct drive, the
  performance of the older drives has become a
  major concern one of which includes the exposure
  of the belt drive to the other interior parts of
  the bottle cooling tower. This makes the driver
  more prone to malfunctioning and more vulnerable
  to heat and humidity. However, these can be
  remedied as well by new technologies.

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• The bottom line is that, deciding which type of
  cooling tower fan driver to select requires
  careful consideration. It is vital that you
  evaluate every single aspect such as safety,
  maintenance, budget, and whether or not you need
  a heavy-duty type of motor. Weigh your options
  wisely and choose the best one that fits your
  needs.

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• Tower Tech Cooling Systems Pvt. Ltd

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