Fans and Curing chambers ?

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Fans and Curing chambers ?

Postby ped » Tue Jun 30, 2015 1:55 pm

Sitting here thinking, but not sure which is correct?, If you use a computer fan in a curing chamber setup (fridge) which is incorporated into a hole in the chamber wall would you have the fan 'drawing' air from inside the chamber to the outside for air flow or would you have it 'sucking' air into the chamber?
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Re: Fans and Curing chambers ?

Postby GUS » Tue Jun 30, 2015 3:00 pm

depends which way you set it up ped.

propellers are "air scoops" which obviously cut the air at high speed & create a draw.

by dint of angle & length different fixed blades promote different abilities at differing speeds, depending(on a wind turbine for instance) where it is located & what dort of performance for the environment is required.

A computer fan on the other hand will be a fixed unit in a case, 7 by connecting it to a battery briefly you'll be able to see which way it needs setting to pull from the outside to the inside chamber (or otherwise).

You won't make enough positive pressure within to "blow the bloody doors off" but obviously chamber size dependent, the air will bounce around the chamber (turbulence) & try to get out the way it came unless there is a chimney or cracks allowing the unit to de-pressurise slightly.
run a 9 v battery over the terminals (briefly) to get an idea at a lower input voltage it'll be 12v right?
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Re: Fans and Curing chambers ?

Postby wheels » Tue Jun 30, 2015 5:03 pm

Either way, the air that enters will be at ambient room temp and RH - whether you pull it in, or push it in! IMO, in the UK it rarely helps, and often causes more problems than it solves.

Have you got a specific purpose in mind Gus?

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Re: Fans and Curing chambers ?

Postby Swing Swang » Tue Jun 30, 2015 7:03 pm

Regarding sucking vs blowing - I just have the air going round and round with no vent to the outside world apart from the hole at the bottom of the condensing plate and a less than perfect door seal. Works for me, but I do need to oven the door for an hour at least every other day.

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Re: Fans and Curing chambers ?

Postby wheels » Tue Jun 30, 2015 8:29 pm

That's a better idea. Use the fan just for circulation of the air rather than to (attempt to) control RH.

This area is so difficult though as what works for one doesn't work for another. It's very much a case of trial and error - if the fridge is for air drying that is?

The point I was trying to make, but doing it badly, was that a system open to the outside will draw in air at ambient temp/RH which might not be beneficial. For example: the introduction of air at 22°C and 75%RH will increase the humidity in the fridge. It's got to as when the air's cooled to 10°C the previously 75% RH air will be 100%RH+. It's got to be, its dew point's around 17°C. Now that maybe looks beneficial if you want to increase humidity, except that, at the same time the 22°C air will start the fridge motor running and the usual result of this is that the RH will drop. The two will work against each other.

I hope that makes sense.

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Re: Fans and Curing chambers ?

Postby wheels » Tue Jun 30, 2015 9:56 pm

FWIW, I did three articles on converting a fridge starting here:

http://www.localfoodheroes.co.uk/?e=780

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