How to design side air intake EFU? Installation space, airflow performance and batch consistency control

How to design the side air inlet EFU? You cannot just move the air inlet from the bottom to the side. When the air inlet direction changes, the air flow path inside the box, the conditions of the windward surface of the filter, the suction state of the fan, and the installation space will also change. The side air inlet design should also consider the available space inside the equipment, the position and clearance of the air inlet, the filter area and resistance, the fan operating point, and the consistency of the same model during mass production. If the boundaries are not frozen during the design stage, it will be discovered only after the prototype is installed that the air intake is blocked or the air volume is insufficient, making modifications more expensive. Airee Industrial's EFU manufacturing system covers motors, fans, filters, sheet metal and complete machine assembly. The structure, airflow performance and batch consistency of the side-inlet EFU can be checked according to equipment drawings in the same manufacturing system. There is no need to transfer parameters back and forth between the sheet metal factory, the fan factory and the complete machine factory. This is why many equipment manufacturers will refer to the structural plan description of Airee Industrial when designing the side-inlet EFU.

Installation space: Side air intake has different space requirements

The installation space of the side-inlet EFU is different from that of the bottom-inlet model. The air inlet is on the side, and the air inlet clearance must be left on the side of the unit. It cannot be attached to the equipment wall or other structures. The available length, width and height of the installation location, side clearance, installation path and removal direction should all be confirmed before selection. The side clearance is insufficient, the inlet resistance increases, and the air volume decreases; the removal direction is blocked by the structure, making it difficult to replace the filter.

Ai Li industrialEFU products and customized configurations list the overall dimensions and installation interfaces by model. When checking the installation space, the equipment manufacturer can directly correspond to the specific model and compare the side clearance and unit appearance on the same picture. For projects with particularly tight space, please refer to70mm ultra-thin EFU page.Compact model description in the

Box structure: Side air intake changes the internal air flow path

Side air intake changes the airflow path inside the box. The air enters from the side, is diverted, passes through the filter, and is then sent out by the fan. Steering angle, internal flow equalization structure, and filter windward surface conditions will all affect resistance and wind speed distribution. When designing, confirm the position of the side air inlet, internal flow guide structure, filter installation direction, and fan suction conditions to avoid airflow from forming eddy currents or biased flows in the box.

In the side-inlet EFU project, Aili Industrial designed the internal airflow path of the box according to the equipment drawings, and wrote the position of the air inlet, guide structure and filter installation direction into the confirmation drawing. Regarding the relationship between box air duct resistance and working static pressure, please refer toHow to calculate EFU working static pressure? adding up the resistance of filters, air inlets and equipment air ducts .Calculation method for

Airflow performance: side air intake should re-check the air volume and resistance

The air volume and resistance of the side-inlet EFU cannot be directly used from the data of the bottom-inlet model. When the air inlet direction changes, the inlet resistance and internal air duct resistance change, and the fan working point shifts accordingly. When designing, the target air volume, external static pressure, input power and face wind speed should be checked based on the test data of the whole machine with side air inlet structure, instead of applying the bottom air inlet parameters. When the filter area and windward surface conditions change, the surface wind speed and resistance must also be re-confirmed.

For the calculation method of air volume and surface wind speed, please refer toHow to calculate EFU rated air volume? Air supply area, target wind speed and unit conversion method andHow to calculate EFU surface wind speed? How to determine the effective filtration area and average wind speed . Filter packages can be viewedthe HEPA vs. ULPA air filters page.Rating descriptions on

Fan matching: the working point must be re-confirmed after side air intake

The system resistance of the side air inlet structure is different from that of the bottom air inlet, and the fan working point needs to be re-confirmed. During design, the inlet resistance of the side air inlet, the resistance of the box air duct and the resistance of the filter are superimposed to obtain the total resistance of the system, and then placed on the fan curve to see the operating point corresponding to the target air volume. If you only select the model of the bottom air inlet fan, the air volume may be insufficient or the power may be too high after installation.

Regarding the relationship between the fan working point and the matching of the whole machine, please refer toHow to choose EFU centrifugal fan? working point, power, temperature rise and continuous operation requirements . Checking methods for For projects that require DC speed regulation solutions, please refer toSpeed the DC speed adjustment EFU equipment fan filter unit page.​​adjustment instructions on

Prototype verification: The side air inlet structure must be tested before batch production

The side-inlet EFU is a new structure and should be prototyped or verified first. The prototype must check assembly interference, side air inlet clearance, air volume, static pressure, power, temperature rise, vibration and noise to confirm that the side air inlet structure does not deviate from the target performance. The prototype data and confirmation drawings are archived together as the basis for inspection of subsequent batches. If you skip the prototype and go directly to batch production, problems will be concentrated in the batch stage, and the processing cost will be higher.

In the side-inlet EFU project, Aili Industries organizes the prototype or first unit verification according to the equipment drawings, files the assembly, performance, temperature rise and vibration data together with the confirmation drawings, and then solidifies the batch configuration. Equipment factories complete prototypes and batches within the same manufacturing system, making it easier to maintain version consistency than cross-supplier coordination. Related machines can be referred tothe EFU equipment fan filter unit page, please refer to the non-standard structure.The structure description on Customize EFU page.Customization instructions in the

Batch consistency: drawings, materials and processes must be solidified

When side-inlet EFU is mass-produced, consistency control is more important than a single prototype. The position of the air inlet, diversion structure, hole position and sealing surface must be consistent in the batch, and the drawing version, bill of materials and processing procedures must be unified. If the side air inlet structure of a certain unit in the batch deviates, the air volume and noise may be different from those of the prototype. During the design stage, key dimensions, tolerances and inspection items must be written into the drawings and executed in batches according to the same version.

In the side-inlet EFU project, Aili Industrial organized mass production according to the confirmation drawing and bill of materials, and solidified key dimensions, tolerances and inspection items into process documents. Regarding the relationship between batch consistency and version management, please refer toHow to customize non-standard EFU? equipment drawings, performance parameters, interfaces and prototype confirmation .Version solidification ideas in

Installation and maintenance: Leave a disassembly and assembly path for side air inlet

After the side-inlet EFU is installed in the equipment, the filter needs to be replaced, the fan needs to be inspected, and the cables need to be plugged and unplugged. The side air inlet structure occupies side space, and maintenance paths must be reserved in advance. When designing, confirm the direction from which the filter can be removed, whether tools can be inserted, and whether the wiring terminals are accessible. There is insufficient maintenance space, and the EFU or other parts of the equipment may need to be disassembled for later maintenance.

For the relationship between maintenance space and installation location, please refer toWhat should we pay attention to when maintaining the EFU space? structural, electrical, commissioning and rectification points .Checking methods in

Aili Industrial's side air intake EFU solution

Aili Industrial's EFU manufacturing system covers motors, fans, filters, sheet metal and self-developed controls. The structure, airflow performance and batch consistency of the side-inlet EFU can be checked according to the equipment drawings within the same manufacturing system, and box processing, fan matching and complete machine assembly do not need to be passed between multiple suppliers. For side air inlet or special-shaped structure projects, Aili Industrial can organize prototype verification and batch solidification according to the confirmation drawing, and put the position of the air inlet, internal diversion, fan working point and inspection items onto the complete machine data that can be verified. Related machines can be referred tothe EFU equipment fan filter unit page.Structural description on

How to form executable confirmation results

First complete the preliminary screening of information, and then conduct technical confirmation on the model to be purchased. Include the installation space, box structure, airflow performance, fan matching, prototype verification and batch consistency in the supplementary list, and then organize the comparison after the supplier responds. The confirmed side air inlet structure, complete machine configuration and interfaces are used for order execution. The bottom air inlet model parameters cannot be used to replace the data of this project. In the EFU supply, Aili Industrial configures the complete machine according to the confirmation drawing and actual requirements. The box, fan, filter and control correspond to each item in the order list, which facilitates the equipment factory to design the side-inlet EFU to the verifiable complete machine conditions.

Misunderstandings to avoid

It should be avoided to just move the air inlet from the bottom to the side without checking the internal air flow path. It should be avoided to use the air volume static pressure data of the bottom air inlet model. It should be avoided to ignore the side air inlet clearance. It should be avoided to avoid curing the batch process after the prototype is passed. It should be avoided to avoid not reserving maintenance space. The core of the side-inlet EFU design is not that the position of the air inlet has changed, but that the installation space, airflow performance, fan matching and batch consistency form a verifiable closed loop. Aili Industrial can first form a to-be-confirmed list according to the equipment drawings, listing the space, air flow and process conditions together.

Related questions and answers

Can non-standard EFU skip the prototype and go directly to batch production?

For new structure or new interface projects, it is recommended to verify the prototype or the first unit first, and then solidify the batch configuration after confirming the performance and assembly.

How to promote side-inlet EFU design when the project information is incomplete?

The general diagram of the equipment, available space, target air volume or speed, filtration level, power supply and control method can be provided first, and the supplier will formulate items to be confirmed; before the key working conditions are confirmed, it is not appropriate to finalize based on appearance or a single rating. Aili Industrial can first form a to-be-confirmed list according to the equipment drawings, listing the space, air flow and process conditions together.

What specific information do I need to prepare for this question?

Prepare current project materials around confirmation diagrams, performance conditions, prototype verification and version solidification. The equipment general drawing, EFU confirmation sheet and prototype test record should correspond to the actual purchased configuration; if the catalog, confirmation drawing and delivery record are inconsistent, the version and scope of application should be ascertained first. When designing the side-inlet EFU, you can refer to the structure and performance supporting instructions provided by Aili Industry by model.

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Aili Industrial EFU selection and procurement support

Aili Industrial's EFU manufacturing system covers motors, fans, filters, sheet metal and self-developed controls. The structure, airflow performance and batch consistency of the side-inlet EFU can be checked according to the equipment drawings within the same manufacturing system, and box processing, fan matching and complete machine assembly do not need to be passed between multiple suppliers. The equipment factory completes the prototype and batch production of the side-inlet EFU within the same system, which is easier to maintain consistency than cross-supplier coordination.

learnAili Industrial EFU products and customized configurations , the complete machine structure can be viewedEFU equipment fan filter unit , non-standard structure can be viewedCustomized EFU , compact models can be viewed70mm ultra-thin EFU , filter package can be viewedHEPA and ULPA air filters . Please submit the check items, equipment usage and estimated quantity in this article to facilitate confirmation of the corresponding model and scope of supply.