Experimental investigation of centrifugal fans for personal protection equipment – effect of used 3D printing technologies

The aim of the research is experimental investigation of centrifugal fans for a personal protection equipment. The aim of the fan is to drive the contaminated air containing harmful or irritating particles through the filters and then into the mask of workers, such as a fireman, a labourer or a lab worker. The fan is measured on the test stand, the characteristics and performances are evaluated, i.e. the dependencies of the working pressure on the flow rate. The characteristics are measured for three constant speed settings. The characteristics of the wheels produced by the different 3D printing technology are compared. It is found that the production technology has only a minimal effect, the performance of the wheels is more influenced by the position of the impeller on the motor shaft and hence by the mutual position of the impeller and the diffuser.