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Advances in Industrial Fan Technologies
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Advances in Industrial Fan Technologies

A special issue of International Journal of Turbomachinery, Propulsion and Power (ISSN 2504-186X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2025) | Viewed by 4042

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Massimo Masi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Management and Engineering, DTG—University of Padova, 36100 Vicenza, Italy
Interests: low-speed fan aerodynamic design and analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Thomas Carolus

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
1. Steinbeis-Transfer Center FLOWTRANS, 57250 Netphen, Germany
2. Chair of Applied Fluid Mechanics and Turbomachinery, Universität Siegen, 57068 Siegen, Germany
Interests: aerodynamics and aeroacoustics of isothermal turbomachinery (incompressible gases); industrial fans; wind turbines; turbines for ocean energy harvesting (wave and tidal); dynamic models of systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The design of industrial fans has evolved to meet the ever-increasing demands for higher-efficiency machines, combined with the requirements for lower noise and high availability. Numerical simulation techniques are important parts of the aerodynamic and acoustic design process and are increasingly coupled to optimization methods. In addition, connectivity, internet of things, and digitalization in general open new opportunities for highly efficient, low noise, and safe operation of fans in complex systems.

The aim of this new Special Issue on fans and fan systems is to promote the recent advances in technology and provide insight into the development and operation of industrial fans for a wide range of applications.

The paper submissions for the Special Issue can cover some of the following aspects, but submissions on other related topics are also welcome.

Fan Noise

  • Aerodynamic fan noise-generation mechanisms;
  • Structure-borne noise;
  • Dynamic force transmission;
  • Experimental methods for characterizing noise sources;
  • Noise source localization;
  • Design for low-noise fans;
  • Noise prediction by analytical/numerical models;
  • Optimization of fan installation to reduce noise;
  • Psychoacoustics;
  • Fan integration in HVAC unit.

Fan Aerodynamics

  • Aerodynamic design methods;
  • Practical design examples of new-generation industrial fans;
  • Advancements in traditional testing of fan aerodynamics;
  • Experimental techniques and computational methods for the detailed analysis of fan aerodynamics;
  • Artificial intelligence and aerodynamic performance optimization techniques;
  • Improving fan sizing/selection;
  • Unsteady phenomena and flow non-uniformities in actual fan operation;
  • Effects of flow characteristics and geometrical non-similarities affecting fan scaling law;
  • New design and analysis methods based on artificial intelligence or machine learning.

Fan Application and Systems

  • Compliance with legislation and regulations;
  • Harmonization of fan standards worldwide;
  • Connectivity technologies;
  • Digital services and new business models;
  • Predictive maintenance;
  • Operation and maintenance considerations;
  • Motors and drives;
  • Specialized fans for niche applications;
  • Retrofit and upgrading existing fan installations;
  • Fan system effect;
  • Energy-related topics (e.g., air curtain effectiveness);
  • Case studies (e.g., tunnel ventilation).

"Papers submitted for this Special Issue are also expected to come from the 5th International Conference FAN2025 (https://www.fan2025.org/) that is scheduled to take place in April 2025 in Antibes - Juan-Les-Pins, France."

Dr. Massimo Masi
Prof. Dr. Thomas Carolus
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Turbomachinery, Propulsion and Power is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • industrial fans
  • fan noise
  • aerodynamics
  • optimization

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

2 pages, 137 KB  
Editorial
Fans: Noise, Aerodynamics, Applications and Systems—The Best of the International Conference FAN2025
by Thomas Helmut Carolus and Massimo Masi
Int. J. Turbomach. Propuls. Power 2025, 10(3), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijtpp10030030 - 19 Sep 2025
Viewed by 636
Abstract
Industrial fans are indispensable components in modern engineering systems [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Industrial Fan Technologies)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

12 pages, 7536 KB  
Article
On the Effect of Tip Flow on the Noise of a Ducted Rotor
by Jose Rendón-Arredondo and Stéphane Moreau
Int. J. Turbomach. Propuls. Power 2026, 11(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijtpp11010005 - 5 Jan 2026
Viewed by 177
Abstract
This study focuses on the aeroacoustic aspects of ducted rotors that could possibly be used in future electrically driven helicopter tail rotor systems. It provides a comprehensive understanding of the tip flow evolution, and of the interaction with the stator stage. High-fidelity compressible [...] Read more.
This study focuses on the aeroacoustic aspects of ducted rotors that could possibly be used in future electrically driven helicopter tail rotor systems. It provides a comprehensive understanding of the tip flow evolution, and of the interaction with the stator stage. High-fidelity compressible numerical simulations are performed and compared with experimental results. A periodic variation is seen in the aerodynamic performance of the rotor blades, which is associated to a potential-interaction phenomenon. Additionally, the convection of the tip vortices and further impingement in the stator vanes generate torque fluctuations on these elements. Dilatation fields and Prms contours confirm a noise source generated by the tip-vortex–stator interaction. Finally, excellent far-field noise comparisons between the numerical and experimental results are obtained for both tonal and broadband noise. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Industrial Fan Technologies)
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21 pages, 12257 KB  
Article
The Characterization of the Installation Effects on the Flow and Sound Field of Automotive Cooling Modules
by Tayyab Akhtar, Safouane Tebib, Stéphane Moreau and Manuel Henner
Int. J. Turbomach. Propuls. Power 2026, 11(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijtpp11010001 - 19 Dec 2025
Viewed by 254
Abstract
This study investigates the aerodynamic and aeroacoustics behavior of automotive cooling modules in both conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and electric vehicles (EVs), with a particular focus on installation effects. Numerical simulations based on the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) are conducted to [...] Read more.
This study investigates the aerodynamic and aeroacoustics behavior of automotive cooling modules in both conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and electric vehicles (EVs), with a particular focus on installation effects. Numerical simulations based on the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) are conducted to analyze noise generation mechanisms and flow characteristics across four configurations. The study highlights the challenges of adapting classical cooling module components to EV setups, emphasizing the influence of heat exchanger (HE) placement and duct geometry on noise levels and flow dynamics. The results show that the presence of the HE smooths the upstream flow, improves rotor loading distribution and disrupts long, coherent vortical structures, thereby reducing tonal noise. However, the additional resistance introduced by the HE leads to increased rotor loading and enhanced leakage flow through the shroud-rotor gap. Despite these effects, the overall sound pressure level (OASPL) remains largely unchanged, maintaining a similar magnitude and dipolar directivity pattern as the configuration without the HE. In EV modules, the inclusion of ducts introduces significant flow disturbances and localized pressure fluctuations, leading to regions of high flow rate and rotor loading. These non-uniform flow conditions excite duct modes, resulting in troughs and humps in the acoustic spectrum and potentially causing resonance at the blade-passing frequency, which increases the amplitude in the lower frequency range. Analysis of the loading force components reveals that rotor loading is primarily driven by thrust forces, while duct loading is dominated by lateral forces. Across all configurations, fluctuations at the leading and trailing edges of the rotor are observed, originating from the blade tip and extending to approximately mid-span. These fluctuations are more pronounced in the EV module, identifying it as the dominant source of pressure disturbances. The numerical results are validated against experimental data obtained in the anechoic chamber at the University of Sherbrooke and show good agreement. The relative trends are accurately predicted at lower frequencies, with slight over-prediction, and closely match the experimental data at mid-frequencies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Industrial Fan Technologies)
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16 pages, 12081 KB  
Article
Numerical and Experimental Investigations of the Sound Generation and Possible Optimization Techniques of Wires for Fan Guard Grilles
by Sandra Hub and Frieder Lörcher
Int. J. Turbomach. Propuls. Power 2025, 10(4), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijtpp10040045 - 21 Nov 2025
Viewed by 479
Abstract
For modern axial fans optimized for low self-noise, additional noise emission from guard grilles mounted downstream of the fan can become one of the dominant sources of sound. In the present case, the overall sound power level increases by up to 6 dB. [...] Read more.
For modern axial fans optimized for low self-noise, additional noise emission from guard grilles mounted downstream of the fan can become one of the dominant sources of sound. In the present case, the overall sound power level increases by up to 6 dB. Based on narrow-band acoustic measurements and numerical Lattice-Boltzmann simulations of wind tunnel setups using round wires, it is observed that periodic flow separations behind the wires (von Kármán vortex street) lead to a pronounced hump in the noise spectrum. This occurs in a frequency range that corresponds to the grille-induced noise increase observed with an axial fan under comparable flow conditions. By examining various wire geometries, it was found that disrupting the von Kármán vortex street along the longitudinal direction of the wire and reducing the homogeneity of flow separation can significantly decrease sound generation. As a result, a guard grille prototype incorporating the most promising structures was manufactured for a modern low-noise axial fan. Comparative experimental results for the fan are presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Industrial Fan Technologies)
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21 pages, 3301 KB  
Article
Toward the Detection of Flow Separation for Operating Airfoils Using Machine Learning
by Kathrin Stahl, Arnaud Le Floc’h, Britta Pester, Paul L. Ebert, Alexandre Suryadi, Nan Hu and Michaela Herr
Int. J. Turbomach. Propuls. Power 2025, 10(4), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijtpp10040041 - 3 Nov 2025
Viewed by 806
Abstract
Turbulent flow separation over lifting surfaces impacts high-lift systems such as aircraft, wind turbines, and turbomachinery, and contributes to noise, lift loss, and vibrations. Accurate detection of flow separation is therefore essential to enable active control strategies and to mitigate its adverse effects. [...] Read more.
Turbulent flow separation over lifting surfaces impacts high-lift systems such as aircraft, wind turbines, and turbomachinery, and contributes to noise, lift loss, and vibrations. Accurate detection of flow separation is therefore essential to enable active control strategies and to mitigate its adverse effects. Several machine learning models are compared for detecting flow separation from surface pressure fluctuations. The models were trained on experimental data covering various airfoils, angles of attack (0°–23°), and Reynolds numbers, with Rec=0.8–4.5×106. For supervised learning, the ground-truth binary labels (attached or separated flow) were derived from static pressure distributions, lift coefficients, and the power spectral densities of surface pressure fluctuations. Three machine learning techniques (multilayer perceptron, support vector machine, logistic regression) were utilized with fine-tuned hyperparameters. Promising results are obtained, with the support vector machine achieving the highest performance (accuracy 0.985, Matthews correlation coefficient 0.975), comparable to other models, with advantages in runtime and model size. However, most misclassifications occur near separation onset due to gradual transition, suggesting areas for model refinement. Sensitivity to database parameters is discussed alongside flow physics and data quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Industrial Fan Technologies)
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12 pages, 765 KB  
Article
Optimising Ventilation System Preplanning: Duct Sizing and Fan Layout Using Mixed-Integer Programming
by Julius H. P. Breuer and Peter F. Pelz
Int. J. Turbomach. Propuls. Power 2025, 10(4), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijtpp10040032 - 1 Oct 2025
Viewed by 682
Abstract
Traditionally, duct sizing in ventilation systems is based on balancing pressure losses across all branches, with fan selection performed subsequently. However, this sequential approach is inadequate for systems with distributed fans in the central duct network, where pressure losses can vary significantly. Consequently, [...] Read more.
Traditionally, duct sizing in ventilation systems is based on balancing pressure losses across all branches, with fan selection performed subsequently. However, this sequential approach is inadequate for systems with distributed fans in the central duct network, where pressure losses can vary significantly. Consequently, when designing the system topology, fan placement and duct sizing must be considered together. Recent research has demonstrated that discrete optimisation methods can account for multiple load cases and produce ventilation layouts that are both cost- and energy-efficient. However, existing approaches usually concentrate on component placement and assume that duct sizing has already been finalised. While this is sufficient for later design stages, it is unsuitable for the early stages of planning, when numerous system configurations must be evaluated quickly. In this work, we present a novel methodology that simultaneously optimises duct sizing, fan placement, and volume flow controller configuration to minimise life-cycle costs. To achieve this, we exploit the structure of the problem and formulate a mixed-integer linear program (MILP), which, unlike existing non-linear models, significantly reduces computation time while introducing only minor approximation errors. The resulting model enables fast and robust early-stage planning, providing optimal solutions in a matter of seconds to minutes, as demonstrated by a case study. The methodology is demonstrated on a case study, yielding an optimal configuration with distributed fans in the central fan station and achieving a 5% reduction in life-cycle costs compared to conventional central designs. The MILP formulation achieves these results within seconds, with linearisation errors in electrical power consumption below 1.4%, confirming the approach’s accuracy and suitability for early-stage planning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Industrial Fan Technologies)
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