High Temperature Fan Heat Path¶
Run the High Temperature Fan Heat Path MicroSim Fullscreen
About This MicroSim¶
Every high temperature feature on a fan drawing does one of three jobs: it blocks heat from reaching the bearings, it sheds heat that has already reached the shaft, or it allows parts to grow without binding. This MicroSim shows two illustrative side views with ten labeled parts. View A is a composite: FanPedia p. 112 draws the separated pedestal and the motor heat shield on different pedestal forms, and this drawing puts both on one fan so the parts can be compared. The two views are:
- A. A belt-driven centrifugal fan on a high temperature style pedestal: shaft cooler, cooler box, insulation pins, floating bearing, separated pedestal, high temp angle, motor heat shield and fixed bearing.
- B. An Arrangement 9 plug fan through an insulated wall: recess cone and insulated plug.
For each part you choose a job before its description is shown, so every answer is a prediction. The parts may be answered in any order; each takes one answer and cannot be re-answered. A correct answer reads "✓ Correct:" followed by the part's description; an incorrect one reads "✗ Not quite." followed by the description and the part's job. The running line shows "n of 10 correct". Mastery is 8 of 10 correct on the first (and only) attempt.
| # | Part | Job |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shaft cooler | Shed |
| 2 | Recess cone | Shed |
| 3 | Cooler box | Shed |
| 4 | Insulation pins | Block |
| 5 | Floating bearing | Allow |
| 6 | Separated pedestal | Block |
| 7 | High temp angle | Block |
| 8 | Motor heat shield | Block |
| 9 | Insulated plug | Block |
| 10 | Fixed bearing | Allow |
The fixed bearing is scored Allow: by locating one end of the shaft, it sends all of the growth toward the floating bearing.
After all ten parts are answered, Explore mode unlocks (select any part to reread its description) and the Show buttons filter the drawing to only the Block, Shed or Allow parts. Exploring is never scored.
The drawings are generic illustrations, not to scale and not a specific Twin City Fan model. Part names and jobs come from FanPedia pp. 85, 90, 110-113 and 192 and from Chapter 17 (fixed and floating bearings).
How to Use¶
- The quiz starts with the shaft cooler highlighted and marked "?". Choose its job from the three buttons, or select any other labeled part first to answer that one instead.
- Read the verdict and the part's description. The part gets a ✓ or ✗ badge, and its label gets a solid (correct) or dashed (missed) border.
- Press Next part to go to the next unanswered part, or select any unanswered part on the drawing. After the tenth answer, press See summary to see your first-attempt score, the mastery line and the parts you missed with their jobs.
- After the quiz, use Show: Block / Shed / Allow to filter the drawing. Count the parts in each group: five block, three shed, and only the two bearings allow. Back to explore lets you reread any description. Start over (or Quiz) clears every answer.
Keyboard: Tab moves between parts and buttons (parts in label order 1-10); Enter or Space selects a part; keys 1, 2 and 3 choose Block, Shed or Allow; after an answer, focus moves to Next part, so Enter goes on.
Data label: "Illustrative drawing, not to scale · Part names and jobs: FanPedia pp. 85, 90, 110-113, 192", shown at the bottom of 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/ch21-high-temp-heat-path/main.html"
height="850px"
width="100%"
scrolling="no"></iframe>
Lesson Plan¶
Learning Objective¶
The learner will classify ten high temperature fan parts by whether each one blocks heat, sheds heat, or allows thermal growth, with at least 8 of 10 correct on the first attempt (Bloom: Understand, verb: classify).
Audience¶
Adult professional development: new application engineers, sales staff, representatives and facilities staff.
Duration¶
10-15 minutes
Prerequisites¶
- Thermal expansion, and fixed and floating bearings (Chapters 17 and 21)
- Shaft cooler, cooler box and insulation pins
- Recess cone and insulated plug
- High temperature pedestal, separated pedestal and heat shield
Activities¶
- Predict (6 min): Answer all ten parts. For each, say why the part is on the drawing before you choose its job.
- Review (3 min): Read the summary. For each missed part, reread its description and name the heat path (shaft or pedestal) it deals with.
- Explore (3 min): Filter by Block, Shed and Allow. Notice that five parts block, three shed, and only the two bearings allow growth.
- Discuss (3 min): Which parts would a drawing of a fan below 300°F leave out, and why?
Common Misconceptions Addressed¶
- A cooler box is an insulated enclosure. It is deliberately left uninsulated so the shaft cooler can shed heat; the sim scores it Shed and its description says so.
- Insulation pins are themselves insulation. They hold the housing insulation in place; the insulation they hold is what blocks heat.
- Every high temperature part keeps heat out. The floating and fixed bearings do not block or shed anything; together they let the shaft grow.
Assessment¶
- First-attempt score shown as "First-attempt score: n of 10" in the summary (running line "n of 10 correct"); mastery is 8 of 10 on the first attempt.
- Opening descriptions after answering, in the summary or Explore mode, is exploration, not evidence.
- Follow-up question: on a 700°F oven fan, which of the ten parts deal with the shaft heat path, and which with the pedestal heat path?
References¶
- FanPedia: The Fan & Blower Encyclopedia (PDF) - Twin City Fan & Blower; pp. 85 and 90 (pedestal features, high temperature style pedestal), pp. 110-113 (high temperature packages, cooler box, insulation pins, separated pedestal, plug fan recess cone and insulated plug) and p. 192 (shaft cooler).
- FanPedia online - Twin City Fan & Blower's online version of the encyclopedia.
- Chapter 21: High Temperature, Leak-Tight and RTO Construction - the sections on thermal expansion, shedding and blocking heat at the shaft, and high temperature pedestals.
- Chapter 17: Bearing Details, Lubrication and Pedestals - fixed and floating bearings.