Delta Axial Fan vs Centrifugal Blower

Delta axial fans and centrifugal blowers are both used to remove heat from electronic and industrial equipment, but they move air in different directions.

An axial fan moves air straight through the fan, parallel to the motor shaft. A centrifugal blower draws air into the center of the impeller and discharges it through a side outlet, normally changing the airflow direction by approximately 90 degrees.

This structural difference affects airflow, static pressure, installation space, duct connection and suitable applications.

Axial Fan vs Centrifugal Blower: Main Differences

Neither design is automatically better. Selection depends on the equipment airflow path and the operating point required by the thermal system.

What Is a Delta Axial Fan?

A Delta axial fan uses rotating blades to move air in a direction parallel to its shaft. Air enters through one face of the fan and exits through the opposite face.

Axial fans are commonly installed at an equipment inlet, outlet or internal partition to create front-to-back airflow.

Delta axial fan families include:

• AFB Series

• AUB Series

• EFB Series

• PFB Series

• PFR Series

• QFR Series

• TFC and THD Series

Typical frame sizes include 40 mm, 60 mm, 80 mm, 92 mm and 120 mm, with multiple thickness, voltage and speed options.

Advantages of an Axial Fan

• Direct front-to-back airflow

• High free-air volume

• Standard square mounting dimensions

• Easy installation on enclosure panels

• Wide choice of sizes and voltages

• Tachometer and PWM configurations available

• High-pressure PFB and PFR options available

Typical Axial Fan Applications

• AI and GPU servers

• RAID storage arrays

• Network switches and routers

• Telecom equipment

• UPS systems

• Industrial control cabinets

• Power supplies and inverters

• General enclosure ventilation

What Is a Delta Centrifugal Blower?

A centrifugal blower uses an impeller inside a shaped housing. Air enters near the center of the impeller and is accelerated outward by centrifugal force before leaving through a tangential outlet.

The side outlet produces a concentrated airflow that can be directed into a narrow duct, heat sink or specific hot area.

Delta centrifugal blower families include:

• BFB Series

• BSB Series

• BUB Series

• KSB Series

• High-pressure blower models

Advantages of a Centrifugal Blower

• Side-discharge airflow

• Easy connection to a narrow duct

• Concentrated cooling of a specific component

• Suitable for airflow paths requiring a 90-degree turn

• Good pressure performance in compact systems

• Multiple low-profile sizes available

• Tachometer and control options available on selected models

Typical Centrifugal Blower Applications

• Projectors and display equipment

• Embedded computers

• Power modules

• Battery chargers

• Medical equipment

• Air purifiers

• Printing equipment

• Compact heat-sink assemblies

• Ducted electronics cooling

• Localized hot-spot cooling

Representative Delta Models

The following models illustrate the different airflow and performance options available. Models of different dimensions should not be compared using CFM alone.

Maximum airflow is measured under low-resistance conditions, while maximum static pressure is measured at zero airflow. The fan curve should be used to determine performance at the actual system resistance.

Can an Axial Fan Replace a Centrifugal Blower?

An axial fan generally cannot directly replace a centrifugal blower because the airflow direction and mounting structures are different.

Replacing a blower with an axial fan may require:

• Redesigning the duct

• Changing the mounting bracket

• Providing a larger inlet or outlet

• Repositioning the heat sink

• Modifying the equipment enclosure

• Revalidating thermal performance

An axial fan may work if the equipment can be redesigned for straight-through airflow, but it is not normally a drop-in replacement.

Can a Centrifugal Blower Replace an Axial Fan?

A blower generally cannot directly replace an axial fan because it does not discharge air straight through the opposite face.

A blower replacement would require:

• A new side-discharge airflow path

• A matching duct

• Different mounting points

• Sufficient inlet clearance

• Thermal and acoustic validation

For general cabinet ventilation, an axial fan is normally more practical. A blower is more suitable when cooling must be directed to a specific area.

Delta Fan and Blower Selection Support

DataStorageIC supplies Delta axial fans and centrifugal blowers for server, storage, telecom, industrial, medical and power-electronics applications.

To request pricing or confirm a replacement model, please provide:

• Complete Delta model and suffix

• Required quantity

• Photo of the original product label

• Connector and wire photos

• Available installation dimensions

• Required airflow direction

• Equipment type and application

• Requested delivery date

We can assist with axial fan and blower comparison, specification verification, airflow-path evaluation, connector matching, replacement selection, stock status and lead-time confirmation.