Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Snow blower fan blades: more or less vs hp.

[Pks]

I am trying to understand the difference in performance between snow blower fan blades. Some are 3 blade or 4 blade and I've even seen one with 6 blades. How does the number of blades relate to the hp?

I am wondering if the load on the engine goes down as the number of blades increases. My thinking is: more blades would have each blade carry slightly less snow per revolution. But since there are more blades, more snow can be moved per revolution (given a constant fan diameter).

Are there any fluid engineers out there who can give there analysis?

Thank you.

 

[hwp]

I'm not a fluid engineer but I doubt that the number of blades makes much difference to the load on the engine. For a given volume of snow to be moved, say 1 cu.ft./sec, each of the n blades would have to move 1/n cu. ft./sec. So the more blades , the less load per blade per cycle. But with more blades, there will be more blades loaded to some extent at any one time, so the load on the engine may be about the same. To put it another way, the amount of "work" it takes to throw 1 cu.ft./sec is independent of the size of each scoop. IMHO.

 

[art]

I don't have any hard facts but I have experiece with three, four, and six paddle units.

I could add more, do more blades help, does a cupped style throw more, further? Does rim sheet clearence to the blades make a difference? Do they blow snow further? Yes to all!

Do they draw more power? I haven't seen it! The larger width units are going to run harder, but not harder then equivelent widths.

I haven't found one with to many blades that it clogs the entrance yet!

So they are less costly in the long run, on the pocket book as well on you!

 

[fish6942]

I asked this same question to Allied/Buhler. Their response was that they really didn't see much difference except that the 4-blade MAY do a little better in the wet/heavy snow. Interesting response considering they offer both 3 and 4 blade models.

 

[art]

The best blowers I've worked with have tighter tolerances to the rim sheets with the paddles and more paddles. The tighter clearence is not good with stone drives unless you are able to adjust it so it doesn't pick the stones.