What is an industrial air blower? | pdblowers, Inc.

Sep. 01, 2025

What is an industrial air blower? | pdblowers, Inc.

So a blower moves air from one place to another, but so do fans and compressors. What’s the difference?

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Fan – Moves air at low pressure. Generally the pressure upstream and downstream of the fan is ambient so there is very little pressure the fan must overcome to move the air.
Blower – Moves a large volume of air at a moderate pressure. Blowers are needed when there is resistance in the system that must be overcome, like pushing air through a piping system.
Compressor – Reduces the volume of gas by creating a high pressure. A compressor compresses!

Basically it all comes down to the ratio of the discharge pressure over the suction pressure, also known as the pressure rise. The ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) defines these machines by a specific pressure ratio:

Pressure ratio Household examples Industrial examples Fan Less than 1.1 – Ceiling fan
– Kitchen exhaust fan – Dust collection systems
– Rotary dryers to remove moisture during production processes
– Process cooling to remove heat between burners and boilers Blower 1.11 to 1.20 – Leaf blower
– Furnace – Pneumatic conveying of materials through piping systems
– Aeration at wastewater treatment facilities
– Mechanical vapor recompression to remove contaminents Compressor More than 1.2 – Refrigerator
– Air conditioner – Operating pneumatic tools for manufacturing production lines
– Brakes and suspension for trains and automotives
– Extracting, processing and refining oil and gas

You may have noticed that blowers are also sometimes referred to as vacuum pumps.

As a general term, pumps are compared with compressors. A pump is defined as a machine that moves a fluid (liquid or gas) from one place to another, while a compressor is a machine that squeezes a gas into a smaller volume and often pumps it somewhere else at the same time. So both fans and blowers can be considered types of pumps.

Industrial blowers are generally called blowers when they are pushing air or gas in a pressure system, and they are called vacuum pumps when they are pulling air or gas in a vacuum system.

The type of blower that is most appropriate for any given application will depend on a number of different factors. More than one type may work for your situation, and the best choice may require trade-offs of energy efficiency or maintenance needs. Each type of blower has different advantages and disadvantages and they all have their own sweet spot for performance.

Positive Displacement Blowers

Positive displacement blowers move air or gas by repeatedly trapping a set amount of air and pushing it out the other side of the blower into a piping system. The volume of air does not change within the blower, it is simply displaced from the inlet to the outlet.

Positive displacement blowers have been in use since the s and are found across a wide range of industries thanks to the constant and reliable flow of air they provide. Common applications include pneumatic conveying of bulk materials, wastewater treatment, chemical processing, and environmental remediation.

There are many different types of blower that operate with the positive displacement model. The most common is the rotary lobe or Roots style blower:

Rotary Lobe / Roots – A pair of 2 or 3-lobed impellers rotate in opposite directions, sucking gas into the blower and moving it around the outer edge of the cavity inside the blower cylinder before pushing it out the other side. Rotary lobe blowers are equally suited for pressure and vacuum applications, producing a high volume of air and requiring little maintenance. However they can be very loud due to the pulses made by the lobes.

Helical screw – Inside this type of blower one impeller is lobed and fits into the flute of the second rotor; as they turn in a helical pattern they decrease the available volume causing the air to compress. These units can produce higher pressures than rotary lobe blowers with less noise and more energy efficiency, however this comes at a higher price tag.

Rotary vane / Sliding vane – As the rotor spins on this type of blower, sliding vanes move in and out of slots trapping air. The rotor is off center so the air pockets get smaller and compress the air as it moves toward the discharge. Sliding vane blowers may not be as efficient as other types, but they are quiet and are good for continuous duty applications.

Liquid Ring – This type of blower uses water or another compatible liquid as a sealant as the impeller spins, creating small chambers for gas to be trapped and compressed. The heat created is dissipated into the sealing liquid. Some of the liquid is discharged with the compressed gas where it is separated and cooled before returning to the pump. Liquid Ring blowers are often used as a safe choice for handling dangerous gases or achieving higher vacuum levels.

Claw – These units use claw shaped rotors to pull in air and compress it before pushing it out the discharge. They are limited in flow, but are able to go up to 25 psig. Claw pumps can be a more expensive option, but definitely have a sweet spot of flow, power, and vacuum where they are the best choice.

Centrifugal Blowers

Centrifugal blowers (also commonly called Centrifugal fans) use a bladed rotating impeller to increase the speed of the air that passes through. As the ambient air is pulled into the wheel, centrifugal force increases the speed of the air causing it to gain kinetic energy and decrease in volume; the air is rotated 90 degrees before it is discharged at a higher speed than it entered.

A common type is the multistage centrifugal blower, which contains a progression of impellers down the rotating shaft so the pressure is increased gradually as the air passes through each of the impeller groups. A single-stage centrifugal blower must achieve all of the air compression in a single pass of the impeller, so it has to operate at a much higher speed than a multi-stage centrifugal blower. Multi-stage units are ideal for creating high pressure from small volumes of air. These units are frequently used for applications that require constant pressure and a pulse-free flow, like aeration during wastewater treatment.

Regenerative Blowers

A third category is the Regenerative blower, also known as a side channel blower or ring compressor. A regenerative blower has an impeller that is mounted directly onto an electrical motor. As the impeller turns, intake air is pulled into the pockets between the blades of the impeller, accelerating both axially and radially. The airflow cycle creates a vortex as it spirals along the side channel, regenerating the velocity energy and building pressure as it passes from pocket to pocket until it is released through the discharge.

Regenerative blowers are a good choice to move a moderate volume of air at very low pressure or vacuum. They are extremely easy to maintain as they are self-lubricated and contain no oil. Common applications include healthcare and scientific applications, vacuum hold down for packaging, agitation for plating, and low pressure pneumatic conveying.

To select the best blower for a specific application, first gather information about your application’s specifications and requirements.

How much airflow is needed?
What pressure or vacuum level is needed?
What is the type of application?
Are there specific industry or regulatory requirements? (e.g. healthcare applications may require oil-free equipment)
Are there noise restrictions?
Will the blower be mobile (i.e. mounted in a truck or trailer) or will it have a permanent installation site?
What type of drive will power the blower (motor, engine, steam turbine)?
What is the elevation of the installation site?
What is the temperature range where the blower will be operating?
Are there specifications for existing systems the blower will be integrated into?
Who will be maintaining the equipment?

There are blower selection tools available that can help narrow down what type of equipment may work for your application based on basic flow and pressure/vacuum needs—here’s a blower guide from the CAGI industry association— but eventually you will want to speak with an experienced blower professional who has years of experience with similar applications and their challenges.

For over 30 years, pdblowers has specialized in blower and vacuum pump technologies. From system integration to ground-up fabrication, we provide blower and vacuum pump solutions across a wide range of industries. At our 50,000 square foot production facility and headquarters in Gainesville, Georgia we build specialty equipment enclosures, positive displacement blower packages, multi-stage vacuum systems, soil remediation equipment, MET-certified UL control panels, and more.

We are the largest distributor of Roots blowers and we provide sales and service for positive displacement blowers and all the related equipment needed for your pressure or vacuum system. In addition to our primary location in Gainesville, Georgia we also have distribution locations in Ohio, Nevada, and North Carolina.

At pdblowers, Inc. we pride ourselves on providing excellent customer service, backed by decades of experience and specialized product knowledge.

Regenerative vs. Centrifugal Blowers - Becker Pumps

In centrifugal blowers, the air is drawn in through an inlet at the center of the impeller. Curved vanes on the impeller spin this air inside the housing, speeding it up as it is forced outward by centrifugal forces. The accelerated air on the periphery of the impeller is able to exit while relatively lower pressure created at the center works to suck even more air into the unit.

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In regenerative blowers, the impeller is divided into a series of cells. As the impeller spins, air trapped by each cell is forced outward by centrifugal pressure but is then redirected by specially shaped vanes to the inside edge of the following cell. This sets up a powerful spiral airflow that increases pressure as it is squeezed into successive cells before exiting the unit.

More complex two-stage regenerative blowers “supercharge” this turbine effect by directing air around the unit a second time through a parallel series of impeller cells.

ADVANTAGES OF CENTRIFUGAL BLOWERS

Centrifugal blowers are known as low-pressure/high-volume devices. While pressure remains relatively stable, these devices are capable of moving large amounts of air quickly. They are used where large volumes of air are needed at lower pressures and are built in a range of sizes with capacities ranging from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of cubic feet per minute (cfm).

To increase pressure, centrifugal blowers need to be run faster or are mounted in a multi-stage series of blowers powered by a single motor, but these solutions tend to be relatively inefficient and expensive to power.

Centrifugal blowers are typically used in:

Ventilation and heating
Filtering and dust removal
Pneumatic transfer
Incinerators and industrial furnaces

Centrifugal blowers are relatively simple machines and can provide a cost-effective solution for many high-volume applications. However, the need to drive high rotation speeds means motors often operate at near capacity, while dedicated bearings, belts, or gearing equipment is needed to transfer power to units not equipped with a directly mounted motor.

As a result, centrifugal equipment tends to be:

Noisier
More expensive to maintain
Often has a shorter operating life

ADVANTAGES OF REGENERATIVE BLOWERS

Regenerative blowers are known as high-pressure/low-volume devices. While regenerative devices don’t move as much air volume as centrifugal equipment, they’re able to increase air pressure significantly. This means they can be used for a wide variety of both pressure and vacuum applications.

Regenerative blowers also rely on a “no touch,” almost frictionless mounting that allows the impeller to spin faster than the motor driven by its own internal pressure differential.

These blower motors are usually directly mounted, so no additional transfer equipment is needed.

These include:

Suction mounting for CNC machining
Vacuum packaging
Slug removal on punch equipment
Chip removal during engraving
Industrial drying
Medical and surgical devices

The need for precision manufacturing and lighter materials means regenerative blower equipment is relatively expensive but also comes with more customization options or accessories than comparable stand-alone centrifugal equipment.

WHICH BLOWER IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

HOW BECKER BLOWERS ARE BETTER

Our blowers have many unique features that set them apart from the others.

PATENTED FILTERS WITH CLEAR HOUSING

Our regenerative blowers are fitted with a patented built-in inlet filter that has a clear housing. This allows you to visually inspect the filter and determine if it’s dirty.

Since clogged filters lead to overheating and damage to the machine, being able to check the cleanliness of the filter easily can extend the life of the blower.

What’s more, the housing is integrated so it doesn’t need to be externally added on, which would increase the cost, require additional plumbing, and expand the unit’s dimensions.

Lastly, our filters are included in the price of the blower. Other companies charge separately for filters, which also have to be installed—incurring more expense for the customer.

AN IMPECCABLE IMPELLER

Our impeller is optimally designed with oblique blades and a closed face. This makes our motor better at scooping air, which reduces the amount of energy it needs to operate. The design also allows for a cooler exhaust temperature with higher flow or vacuum/pressure.

Because Becker blowers use a closed face impeller, we don’t need to add another one to provide a double-stage blower. However, other manufacturers use open face impellers with blades that are bent only slightly to grab the air. Therefore they have to use two impellers to provide a 2-stage blower.

BECKER KNOWS REGENERATIVE BLOWERS

Becker Pumps is a leading supplier of regenerative blowers and vacuum equipment to a wide range of industries. Whatever your pressure or suction needs, Becker has a high-efficiency pump capable of meeting them.

Becker’s SV range of single and double-stage regenerative blowers are available in capacities from 50 to 735 cfm and feature:

Compact designs
Highly efficient IE3 motors in 11 different power ratings
Inlet and discharge silencers
Versatile rubber foot or pedestal mounts

All of our regenerative units also feature non-contact compression, sealed bearings, and double filter equipment that allow significantly longer maintenance intervals.