What Is a Ring Blower?
A ring blower is a type of blower, which is a compact device designed to generate high air pressure.
It is particularly well-suited for industrial applications requiring relatively low flow rates of 10 m3 or less. Due to its compact size, it is commonly integrated into industrial machinery and equipment.
The term “Ring Blower” is a registered trademark of Teral Corporation and was previously manufactured by Fuji Electric Co. Although they are often referred to as vortex blowers, the widely distributed ring blowers have become a household name. Another well-known name for this type of blower is the vortex blower (Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems), which operates on a nearly identical mechanism.
Uses of Ring Blowers
Blowers come in a wide range of types, each with unique characteristics such as air volume and air pressure, depending on their operational principles and mechanisms. Ring Blowers are known for their ability to maintain high air pressure even at lower air volumes.
Given these characteristics, ring blowers find applications in various industries, including but not limited to the following:
- Air supply and exhaust
- Blowing off water droplets and adherent materials
- Pneumatic conveying of powders and granules through suction or pressure feed
- Paper feeding and material conveyance through adsorption, such as in paper handling
Principles of Ring Blowers
Ring blowers consist of a casing housing numerous impellers, and from the outside, they resemble a ring-shaped casing attached to a motor. The gap between the casing and the impeller is relatively small, and intake and exhaust ports are located near the casing’s periphery.
While turbo blowers and axial fans direct air uniformly in the flow direction, ring blowers create a more complex airflow pattern.
Centrifugal force propels air out of the impeller, causing it to strike the casing, rebound, enter the next impeller, and form a series of whirlpools. During this process, air pressure continues to rise. This repeated increase in pressure earns it the nickname “regenerative blower.”
Additionally, turbulence occurs due to the movement of numerous impellers within the narrow casing, further increasing pressure through momentum transfer. The combination of these effects allows ring blowers to achieve high air pressure in a compact design.
However, the small blade size and narrow flow path make ring blowers less suitable for handling large volumes of air. For applications requiring high flow rates at relatively low pressures, roots type blowers and turbo blowers are more appropriate choices. Equipment selection should align with the intended purpose, making ring blowers better suited for pressure-assisted conveying and handling tasks rather than simple air conveying.