Direct Drive Fan Vs Belt Driven Fans

Direct drive fans have no power transmission loss since the propeller is directly connected to the motor shaft.

Direct drive fan vs belt driven fans.

However a belt drive fan has power transmission loss due to the friction between the belt and sheaves and due to the drive shaft bearings. Belt drive fans have the two motor bearings similar to direct drive fans plus the two shaft bearings. Direct drive fans configure the overall fan and motor assembly in a narrower more straight line footprint than belt drive fans which tend to have shorter and wider footprints. Unlike the belt driven fans in case of a direct drive fan there is lesser energy loss.

Direct driven fans mount the motor to the fan shaft in order to directly transmit energy. When compared to belt drive fans which require belts sheaves and bushings direct drive is just plain simpler and maintenance folks tend to lean toward direct drive for daily maintenance. Direct drive fans with relubricable motor bearings must be lubricated as per the fan manufacturer s recommendations in terms of grease type and frequency. Direct drive fans require fewer parts and thus usually less maintenance.

You have a fan a motor and maybe a coupling. There s also no belt residue and these fans cost less to maintain generally speaking because belts don t wear down and break. There is no defined limit on motor horsepower for direct drive fans which allow a wide range of flexibility for application requirements. In addition belt driven fans are less efficient than a direct driven fan of equivalent size due to transmission losses.

This is because of the fact that the amount of friction is greatly reduced in case of this fan when the fan is operating. More often than not the maintenance cost of this kind of fan is also comparatively lower. Because of the fewer parts involved they can often be more compact in design. Greater efficiency is the biggest pro of direct drive fan configurations.

Unlike belt driven fans there s less energy loss because there s a reduced amount of friction as the fan operates. Direct drive advantages direct drive fans are typically lower maintenance since there are no bearings belts or sheaves to maintain.