Inlet Box Features¶

Run the Inlet Box Features MicroSim Fullscreen

About This MicroSim¶

This MicroSim puts seven numbered markers on FanPedia's colour-coded drawing of a centrifugal fan with an inlet box (page 145). The box sits on the inlet side of the fan and takes its air from above, through a damper mounted on top of it, and turns the air into the fan inlet. FanPedia colours each feature: the damper green, the flange at the box inlet orange, the access door blue, the connection to the fan yellow and the drain connection red.

The seven features are the inlet box, inlet box damper, flange at inlet, access door, flange or collar, drain connection and fan housing. On a wide screen a label column with leader lines sits to the right of the drawing; on a narrow screen the labels move below it as a numbered list. The drain connection is a small fitting, so its marker sits just to the left of it with a short pointer to the part. FanPedia's insets for the FGR connection, the insulated box and the damper airflow are not shown, so the FGR connection has no marker.

The quiz describes each feature by its job ("Select the fitting that lets condensation out of the box.") instead of naming it, in a shuffled order. You get two attempts per prompt. The first wrong answer shows a hint about where to look; the second reveals the feature and counts as missed. Mastery is 6 of 7 correct on the first attempt. Explore mode is never scored.

How to Use¶

Explore mode (the starting mode). Point at a numbered marker, or Tab to it, to see the feature's name and description in the panel below the drawing. Click it (or press Enter) to open it; opened features get a ✓ in the label list and the counter shows how many of the 7 you have visited. Clicking a name in the label list opens that feature too.
Quiz mode. Press Quiz. The labels and leader lines disappear and a prompt describes one feature:
- Correct: "✓ Correct:" with the feature name and its description; the marker turns green with a ✓ badge and its label comes back.
- Wrong on the first attempt: "✗ Not quite.", the name of the feature you picked, and a hint. The hint never names the answer.
- Wrong on the second attempt: the answer is marked "Answer" and named, and the prompt counts as missed.
Press Next prompt after each answer. The toolbar shows "Parts correct: n of 7".
After the seventh prompt, the summary shows your first-attempt score, whether you reached mastery (6 of 7), and each missed prompt with its answer. Retry missed practises only the misses (not scored), Start over reshuffles and resets the score, and Back to explore returns to the labels.

Keyboard: Tab moves through the markers in number order and then the buttons; Enter or Space selects a marker. After an answer, focus moves to Next prompt, so Enter goes on.

Data label: "Drawing: FanPedia, Twin City Fan, p. 145", shown under the drawing.

Iframe Embed Code¶

You can add this MicroSim to any web page by adding this to your HTML:

<iframe src="https://moroshek.github.io/FanTASTIC-textbook/sims/ch18-inlet-box-overlay/main.html"
        height="826px"
        width="100%"
        scrolling="no"></iframe>

Lesson Plan¶

Learning Objective¶

The learner will identify the inlet box, its damper, its two connections, its access door and drain connection, and the fan housing it feeds on a drawing, given each feature's function (Bloom: Remember, verb: identify).

Audience¶

Adult professional development: new application engineers, sales staff, representatives and facilities staff.

Duration¶

10 minutes

Prerequisites¶

Chapter 18, sections "Inlet Box" (purpose, styles and the list of features and accessories), "Inlet Box Damper" and "Companion Flange".

Activities¶

Explore (3 min): Open all seven features. Sort them aloud into the two connections (flange at inlet, flange or collar), the standard accessories (access door, drain connection) and the flow-control device (inlet box damper).
Position (2 min): The box on this drawing takes its air from above. Using the position table in the "Inlet Box" section, which position is it? Then check your reading of positions in Inlet Box Position Trainer.
Quiz (4 min): Switch to quiz mode and find all seven features from their jobs without going back to explore mode.
Review (1 min): Read the missed list, open those features in explore mode, then press Start over for a new order.

Common Misconceptions Addressed¶

An inlet box has one flange: it has two connections, the flange at inlet to the customer's ductwork and the flange or collar to the fan.
The access door and drain connection are special options: FanPedia lists both as standard on most inlet boxes.
The inlet box damper is just added resistance like an outlet damper: partly closed, its parallel blades pre-spin the air in the direction of impeller rotation, which saves horsepower at reduced loads.

Assessment¶

First-attempt score shown in the summary as "First-attempt score: n of 7"; mastery is 6 of 7 on the first attempt.
Pointing at markers and opening infoboxes in explore mode is exploration, not evidence.
Follow-up question: a quote line reads "inlet box, position 360, with access door and drain." Which three features on this drawing does that line name, and which way does the box opening face?

References¶

FanPedia: The Fan & Blower Encyclopedia (PDF) - Twin City Fan; p. 145 is the features and accessories drawing used here, p. 141 the purpose and styles of inlet boxes.
FanPedia online - Twin City Fan's online version of the encyclopedia.
Chapter 18: Inlets, Outlets and Flow Control - the section "Inlet Box", where this MicroSim is embedded, and the section "Inlet Box Damper".
Inlet Box Position Trainer - assigns the inlet box position, the other half of an inlet box order.