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The Spacing of Ceiling Fans for Human Comfort in Warm Temperature Conditions
Abstract
Airspeed tests of a commercially popular 52
in. ceiling fan operating at a low speed of 155 fpm
provided sufficient airspeed for comfort to 82F in
an average floor area of 97.2 ft^2 beneath the fan.
When operating at maximum speed, the average floor area increased to 151.0 ft^2. At 85F, the average
floor areas for the low speed and maximum speed
tests were 31.8 ft^2 and 55.6 ft^2 respectively.
The maximum on-center spacing recommended for the
tested ceiling fan mounted at 8.5 ft. above the
floor, operating at maximum speed, and providing
comfort at a room temperature of 82F is 14 ft.; and
at a temperature of 85F, it is 9 ft. Future ceiling fans should be designed to create a both a
larger main air plume and a larger comfort zone.
The ceiling fan provided relatively high air-speeds throughout the largest floor area in the
zone from the floor to the 24 in. height. Since
ceiling fans create higher airspeeds near the
floor, they should be used cautiously when rooms
are comfortably conditioned during all seasons and
have children playing in the room or adults sitting
on the floor of the room.
Citation
Spain, S. (1987). The Spacing of Ceiling Fans for Human Comfort in Warm Temperature Conditions. Energy Systems Laboratory (http://esl.tamu.edu); Texas A&M University (http://www.tamu.edu). Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /6501.