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The Electric Fan
The fan is often overlooked in history but it has played an important role in technological development.
The electric fan was one of the most important electric
inventions of all time. The fan is a building block of other
more advanced technologies. Fans are necessary in
computers, lasers, large LED lights, petrol and electric
automobiles, the space station and countless other things.
The fan as used in HVAC systems allows humans to build
giant or underground buildings. It would be hard to imagine
a world without the electric fan!
The electric fan has blades similar to a water or steam
turbine. A DC or AC motor drives a rotating shaft. Sizes of
fans have gotten much smaller and lighter over the years.
As engineers improved the electric motor and blade design
they figured out how to get more performance out of a
design that uses less copper and steel.
Left: The Edison Tech Center has hundreds of fans from all
the periods in electrical history, including the latest Dyson
fans.
Above: old fans had heavy large motors. Rick DeLair tests a historic fan at the Edison Tech Center.
Motor Size:
Older fans used silk and cotton insulation
around the copper windings in the motor.
Enamel replaced cotton and allowed for
much more compact windings. Early fans
were made with heavy iron/steel bodies and
cages were designed to protect the
expensive blades, not protect fingers.
Left: Despite the huge motor and aluminum
blades Rick is able to stop the fan with his
fingers without injury. A modern fan with the
same power would have a motor 80% smaller.
Below: new enamelled wire allows for tighter coils in the motor
History
The first electric fan was made in 1886 by Schuyler Wheeler. Early fans were all DC powered. After the
1890s fans with AC motors were produced. In the late 1920s GE released a design which had
overlapping blades, which made fans much more quiet. As the decades passed other materials like
nylon and wood were used in the designs. There were more variations in color and style after the 20s
as well, before this fans only came in black. In the 1950s air conditioning gradually replaced table
fans.
Electric Fans are a vital part of computers as they not only blow cool air into cabinets where
microchips are but they can come in small sizes to cool individual chips. Powerful LED lamps require
fans to cool the electronics.
Left: an early fan with overlapping blades, this greatly increased the performance without increasing
energy consumption.
Left: War of the fans... General Electric and Westinghouse dominated the electric motor market however
other brands like Gray Bar, Robins and Myers managed to survive and innovate in the early 20th century.
Above: a patent for an 1893 Wheeler fan, notice the huge motor with Above: typical computer fan, these are often
small fan blades - an inefficient start. made with pancake motors.
Modern Fans:
Modern fans are made primarily with plastic and much less materials. The use of rare-earth elements like cobalt-
iron alloys in motor magnets allows some high end fans to be extremely small and powerful. Dyson has lead the
pack in modern fan design. The "Airblade" is now replacing standard blowers in bathrooms. They now have
bladeless fans >
Further Reading
A Brief History of Fans from Fan Collectors >
More on Electric Motors >
Sources:
Related Topics:
Induction Motors Electric Motors Air Conditioning
Refrigeration 12 Major Forms of Electric Light More Stuff
Article by M.W. and Steve Rockwell
Sources:
A Brief History of Fans, Fancollectors.org
Answers.com
Mitsubishi Electric
Photos:
Edison Tech Center
For use of Edison Tech Center images and videos see our licensing agreement.
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