Tangential Fan

Tangential fans are a type of centrifugal fan that is built to blow laminar air over a long stretch of space. Unlike normal blower fans, which send air over a small surface area, tangential blower fans are used when a greater surface area is needed to be covered. Because the air is dispersed over a larger area, tangential fans are quieter than similarly powered axial or centrifugal fans.

Tangential fans have their place in greater HVAC systems as well as individually in domestic or office settings. They can even be used for cooling electronics in a server cabinet or CPU build. They are also very versatile in that they can be used for cooling, heating, or general ventilation of a given space.

RS stocks tangential fans in a wide range of sizes to be used for many different applications. We also carry replacement parts such as tangential fan motors.

Tangential Centrifugal Fan

Similar to standard centrifugal fans, tangential centrifugal fans work by drawing air in using wide impellers. Through fast rotation, the impellers create a vortex that sucks in air and distributes it throughout the fan cavity. Standard centrifugal fans are nicknamed snail fans because of their rounded shape, whereas tangential blower fans are longer and more cylindrical.

Despite the difference in shape, the airflow works the same in that it whips around the perimeter of the fan cavity and is shot out of the exhaust. Where snail fans send air to a targeted area, tangential fans blow a flat, laminar sheet of air.

Uses for Tangential Fans

Tangential fans cover the same functions as axial and centrifugal fans but are used in settings where a wider area of airflow is required. If the area needed to be cooled or heated is small and targeted, a tangential fan may not be needed.

CPU towers and server cabinets incorporate tangential fans to cool down a wide area by blowing air over the electronics. Axial fans and small centrifugal fans, which are also sometimes used, can't cover as much surface area.

On larger scales, tangential blower fans are used to make air curtains, which are high-powered sheets of air that blow down from above a doorway or entrance and keep environments separate. Similarly, many domestic rooms are kept warm by a portable tangential fan heater. Additionally, tangential ventilator fans are an energy-efficient way to circulate air throughout a room.