ASHRAE Standard 51-16 (ANSI/AMCA Standard 210-16) Laboratory Methods for Testing Fans for Certified Aerodynamic Performance Rating

The standard “ASHRAE standard 51-16 (ANSI/AMCA standard 210-16) Laboratory methods for testing fans for certified aerodynamic performance rating” developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) describes uniform test methods for laboratory testing of a fan or other air-moving device to determine its aerodynamic performance in terms of air flow rate, generated pressure, power consumption, air density, rotational speed and efficiency.

This standard applies to a fan or other air-moving device when air is used as the test gas, with the following exceptions:

• Air circulation fans (ceiling fans, table fans)
• Positive pressure ventilators
• Compressors with staged cooling
• Positive displacement machines
• Test procedures to be used for design, production or field

For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions apply:

• A fan is a device that uses a powered rotating impeller to move air or gas. The internal energy increase imparted by a fan to the air is limited to 25 kJ/kg. This limit is approximately equivalent to a pressure of 30 kPa (AMCA 99-0066). For the purpose of this standard, the term air is used to refer to a gaseous fluid.
• Fan inlet and outlet boundaries are the interfaces between a fan and the rest of the air system, relative planes perpendicular to the airflow entering or exiting a fan. Various accessories (such as inlet boxes, inlet vanes, inlet cones, silencers, baffles, rain caps, dampers, discharge cones, plenums) may be included as part of a fan between the inlet and outlet boundaries.
• The fan input power limit is the interface between a fan and its driver. When mechanical input power is reported, it is the interface between a fan and its driver. In this context, it is a dynamometer or calibrated motor. When electrical input power is reported, it is the interface between the mains and the driver.
• A driven fan is a fan equipped with a driver.
• The driver is the components used to power the fan, such as the motor, motor control, and transmission. Not all of these components are necessary to create a driver. A calibrated motor used to measure fan input power is generally not considered part of the driver.
• A transmission is a system that transmits mechanical power from the engine to the fan shaft. Examples of transmissions are belts/pulleys, couplings, and gears.
• Fan outlet area is the gross internal area measured at the planes of the outlet openings.
• The fan inlet area is the gross internal area measured at the planes of the inlet connections. For converging inlets without connecting elements, the inlet area is considered to be where a plane perpendicular to the airflow first meets the mouth of the inlet bell or inlet cone.
• Dry bulb temperature is the air temperature measured by a temperature sensing device without any modification to compensate for the effect of humidity (AMCA 99-0066).
• Wet bulb temperature is the air temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

Having accurate fan data means that the design can be optimized and the highest possible performance can be obtained from the products. The use of fans and blowers dates back to the Middle Ages and continues to be a fundamental element of modern technology today. Fans and blowers are widely used as components of both commercial and consumer products. Applications range from hair dryers to large data servers, air purifiers to industrial heaters, and leaf blowers to jet engines. As part of a system, the fan needs to be both effective and efficient for its intended purpose and not contribute excessively to the product’s energy consumption.

Many independent laboratories perform testing to ASHRAE 51-16 (ANSI/AMCA 210-16), but today, custom wind tunnels are being built that allow manufacturers to conduct fan testing in-house. These flow tunnels are designed directly for the products that customers will be testing and are automated to collect all the data they need. These systems include touch screens and data logging capabilities. The system includes pressure, temperature, and humidity sensors, as well as instrumentation to measure unit power and fan speed.

The testing process for creating a fan curve with a custom flow tunnel is simple. After mounting the test fan in the flow tunnel, the user simply sets the desired static pressure. A data logger automatically reports the resulting test fan flow rate based on the measurements and calculations performed.

Our organization has a strong staff that closely follows the developments in the world in the field of science and technology and constantly improves itself. Among the numerous test, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies provided for businesses in various sectors, there are also test services in accordance with the standard "ASHRAE standard 51-16 (ANSI/AMCA standard 210-16) Laboratory methods for testing fans for certified aerodynamic performance rating".