Fan (mechanical)

A mechanical fan is an electrically powered device used to produce an airflow for the purpose of creature comfort (particularly in the heat), ventilation, exhaust, cooling or any other gaseous transport.

Mechanically, a fan can be any revolving vane or vanes used for producing air currents. Fans produce air flows with high volume and low pressure, as opposed to a gas compressor which produces high pressures at a comparatively low volume. A fan blade will often rotate when exposed to an air stream, and devices that take advantage of this, such as anemometers and wind turbines often have designs similar to that of a fan.

Typical applications include climate control, cooling systems, personal comfort (e.g., an electric table fan), ventilation (e.g., an exhaust fan), winnowing (e.g., separating chaff of cereal grains), removing dust (e.g. sucking as in a vacuum cleaner), drying (usually in addition to heat) and to provide draft for a fire. It is also common to use electric fans as air fresheners, by attaching fabric softener sheets to the protective housing. This causes the fragrance to be carried into the surrounding air.

In addition to their utilitarian function, vintage or antique fans, and in particular electric fans manufactured from the late 19th century through the 1950s, have become a recognized collectible category, and in the U.S.A. an active collector club, the Antique Fan Collectors Association, supports the hobby. ^[1].

New to the market are sleek portable fans that showcase a modern design sensibility. The New York Times lamented that inexpensive and effective fans abound at drug and discount stores, but they are often eyesores. The writer quoted contemporary ceiling fan designer Ron Rezek as saying: “Portable fans are the ugly ducklings of the fan industry. Not many designers, including myself, have tackled them^[2].” Rezek praised several appealing contemporary fan designs that have found alternatives to the traditional metal cage and have incorporated innovative approaches to safety, such as the Otto fan by Swiss designer Carlo Borer.