Key Takeaways
- Fan Law 1: CFM changes proportionally with RPM – a 10% increase in fan speed means 10% more airflow
- Fan Law 2: Static pressure changes with the square of CFM/RPM – small airflow increases create significant pressure increases
- Fan Law 3: Horsepower changes with the cube of CFM/RPM – a 10% airflow increase requires 33% more horsepower
- Fan Curves: Manufacturer charts predict performance at various conditions, essential for equipment selection and troubleshooting
# Understanding The 3 Fan Laws and Fan Curve Charts in HVAC Systems
It is critical for an HVAC technician to understand airflow and how blowers and fans perform under various conditions. These relationships are expressed in the 3 fan laws, which are mathematical formulas that govern everything from simple residential blowers to complex commercial ventilation systems.
While designers must use these laws quantitatively when sizing and selecting equipment and ductwork, a service technician should also understand them qualitatively – as in how changing fan speed or static pressure affects airflow and horsepower. This knowledge becomes especially valuable when calculating accurate heat loads for system design or troubleshooting airflow issues in the field.
The Fundamental Laws of Fan Operation
Fan Law 1: CFM is Directly Proportional to RPM
Formula: CFM₂ = CFM₁ × (RPM₂ ÷ RPM₁) or RPM₂ = RPM₁ × (CFM₂ ÷ CFM₁)
What it means: As you increase fan RPM, CFM increases at a 1:1 ratio. So if you need to increase CFM by 10%, your RPM has to increase by 10%. Since it is a 1:1 ratio, it also means we can interchange RPM for CFM in Fan Laws 2 and 3.
We use Fan Law 1 all the time in the field. If we need to change airflow, we change fan speed either by changing a motor speed tap, VFD output, pulley diameter, or other means.
Apply it in the field: If your blower is moving 1000 CFM at 1100 RPM, and you need to decrease airflow by 10% to 900 CFM, Fan Law 1 says your RPM must decrease by 10% also. Let’s put that in the formula:
RPM₂ = RPM₁ × (CFM₂ ÷ CFM₁)
RPM₂ = 1100 × (900 ÷ 1000)
RPM₂ = 990 RPM (your new speed)
We also need to understand that for us to make predictions using this fan law and fan laws 2 and 3, everything else about the air and the system must stay the same, including air temperature and density. System friction must also stay constant, so these fan laws cannot be used with automatic dampers that self-adjust to maintain flow.
Fan Law 2: Total Static Pressure Changes with the Square of CFM (or RPM)
Formula: SP₂ = SP₁ × (CFM₂ ÷ CFM₁)² or SP₂ = SP₁ × (RPM₂ ÷ RPM₁)²
What it means: A 10% increase in CFM will result in a 21% increase in static pressure. Think about that – a small increase in airflow creates a significant increase in duct pressure.
This increased pressure will be evenly distributed across components like coils and filters. So this fan law can be applied to total static pressure or a static pressure drop across a single component in the system. That matters because some components have static pressure limitations that affect their performance.
Air filters work best when they have a low pressure drop across them, because this usually means the air velocity is low enough to allow for “dwell time” through the filter material, catching more particulates. Condensate traps that are already close to their limit may have to be made deeper, so they don’t get overwhelmed. Air proving switches must be adjusted so they do their job at the new CFM and static pressure.
Apply it in the field: At 1000 CFM, you read a 0.15″ w.c. pressure drop across a media filter. You need to increase your airflow to 1200 CFM. What will be the new pressure drop?
SP₂ = SP₁ × (CFM₂ ÷ CFM₁)²
SP₂ = 0.15 × (1200 ÷ 1000)²
SP₂ = 0.26″ w.c.
This new pressure drop will probably be too high, according to most filter manufacturer specs that recommend less than 0.2″. It will perform like a dirty filter, even when brand new. The filter surface area now has to be increased.
Using Fan Law 2 to predict static pressure will prevent you from creating unintended consequences by increasing airflow on a system that is already close to its limit. This becomes particularly important when working with complex BMS control systems where airflow changes can affect multiple zones and control sequences.
Fan Law 3: Horsepower Changes with the Cube of CFM (or RPM)
Formula: HP₂ = HP₁ × (CFM₂ ÷ CFM₁)³
What it means: A 10% increase in airflow results in a 33% increase in horsepower required to do that work. If your motor is already close to its rated HP, a small airflow increase can overload it. Let’s demonstrate that.
Apply it in the field: At 1000 CFM, your blower draws 1.5A. You need to know how much HP it uses now and what your new HP will be when you increase airflow to 1200 CFM.
Use an amps to HP conversion tool to calculate HP₁ in the Fan Law Formula. You’ll have to know or make an educated guess what the motor efficiency and power factor is. As you can see below, HP₁ is 0.206 HP.
Now, what happens to HP₂ when we increase the airflow from 1000 to 1200 CFM?
HP₂ = HP₁ × (CFM₂ ÷ CFM₁)³
HP₂ = 0.206 × (1200 ÷ 1000)³
HP₂ = 0.355 HP (your new requirement)
What happens if your motor is only 1/3 HP (0.333)? Your motor will be overloaded and will not last long. You’ll need to step up to a 1/2 HP motor. Wouldn’t that be good to know before proposing the airflow change?
Fan Curve Charts: Your Performance Roadmap
Manufacturers test their equipment under a variety of conditions and plot fan performance on a “Fan Curve Chart.” This is useful for predicting how the performance changes as other variables change.
Fan curve charts look different from manufacturer to manufacturer. Most look like a graph, as shown below. The curve represents a constant RPM for a specific model.
To read the chart: Plot a horizontal line starting at the static pressure axis until it intersects with the curve. Then plot another line straight down to the CFM axis. This is the CFM at those conditions.
Some manufacturers add a Brake Horsepower (BHP) curve to this chart to show how much power is required to do the work we are asking the fan to do at a given RPM and SP. This intersection is called the Operating Point.
When a BHP curve is added, we can determine the horsepower required by plotting a vertical line up from our Operating Point to intersect with the BHP curve.
Using the 3 Fan Laws with a Fan Curve Chart
The manufacturer will always provide a “System Line” that represents the path the fan has to stay on as conditions around it change. Any point plotted on the chart must be along the System Line.
Once an Operating Point can be plotted on a fan curve chart at a known RPM, we can now use the 3 fan laws to predict what will happen if RPM or SP changes. CFM and horsepower will change with RPM and SP changes.
Refer to the fan curve above. Let’s assume the RPM curve is for 1000 RPM. Assume the CFM units are ×1000. Let’s also assume that the static pressure units are inches w.c.
Let’s pretend at the given Operating Point, this fan moves 6500 CFM at 4″ w.c. The required BHP is 6.9. What if we want 6000 CFM instead?
What will our new RPM be?
Fan Law 1: RPM₂ = RPM₁ × (CFM₂ ÷ CFM₁)
RPM₂ = 1000 × (6000 ÷ 6500)
RPM₂ = 923 RPM
The fan has to be slowed down to this RPM to get the desired CFM.
What will our new SP be?
Fan Law 2: SP₂ = SP₁ × (CFM₂ ÷ CFM₁)²
SP₂ = 4 × (6000 ÷ 6500)²
SP₂ = 3.4″ w.c.
What is our new HP required?
Fan Law 3: HP₂ = HP₁ × (CFM₂ ÷ CFM₁)³
HP₂ = 6.9 × (6000 ÷ 6500)³
HP₂ = 5.4 HP
Selecting Equipment Using Fan Curve Charts
Manufacturers provide performance specifications to allow designers to select the right fan for their system. In residential design, we size the duct friction based on the fan performance of the air handler we have pre-selected based on the tonnage our load calculation calls for. But in commercial design, we size the fan based on the friction of the duct system we have already designed.
In either case, we must consult the manufacturer’s fan performance data to verify the fan is a good match for the load. This is especially critical when scheduling commercial HVAC maintenance where proper fan performance ensures system efficiency throughout the heating season.
Exercise: Select the better exhaust fan for our commercial application. 1000 CFM @ 0.5″ w.c.
We have 2 choices: Greenheck Model SQ-130-B or a smaller model SQ-100-VG.
Both models will do the job. Notice the larger model SQ-130-B operates at a lower RPM (1140) compared to SQ-100-VG (1521). Lower RPM will usually mean quieter operation. If noise is a concern, you may decide to select the larger fan.
But the smaller model requires less BHP (less wattage to run), and no doubt costs less. So if initial cost and operating cost are a priority, you would select the smaller SQ-100-VG.
Notice, also, the shaded grey area. This is considered the unstable area where the fan does not run fast enough to move the air in a predictable way. This is called the stall and surge effect.
Most manufacturers now utilize selection software that automatically plots the design conditions you enter into the fan curve chart, giving more accuracy. But it is still important to be able to read a fan curve chart.
Understanding these performance characteristics becomes even more critical when working with modern BMS network architectures where fan performance data feeds into building automation systems for optimal control.
Conclusion: Mastering Fan Laws for Better HVAC Service
Ultimately, a service technician should be able to understand the 3 Fan Laws to be more accurate when making airflow adjustments. Commercial technicians, especially ones that commission and balance equipment, should be able to read fan curve charts to take the guesswork out of making adjustments or finding potential design flaws.
Even if you are not in those sectors of the industry, having this knowledge will always enable you to be a better technician. Whether you’re troubleshooting a residential system or optimizing a commercial installation, these fundamental principles guide every airflow decision you make.
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Originally Published on Tim De Stasio HVAC
