Experts in Building Environments™

FANWALL TECHNOLOGY® — The Preferred Fan Array

FANWALL® System Advantages Compared to Conventional Fan Systems
FANWALL® System Advantages Compared to Conventional Fan Systems

FANWALL TECHNOLOGY® for air handlers and packaged DX equipment is a key customer solution from Nortek Air Solutions. More than just a fan array, FANWALL systems create a fully integrated and engineered system of state-of-the-art fans, motors, cabinetry, controls, and accessories that can be easily combined to match new construction and retrofit application requirements.

Energy Efficiency

  • Ultra-high efficiency Permanent Magnet (PM) Motors have proven to be 7% – 15% more efficient compared to NEMA Premium® efficiency induction motors.
  • Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) enable individual on/off and speed control of fans to maintain peak static efficiency and pressure over the air handler operating range.
  • Fans come in 7 sizes from 10 – 22 inches to match performance requirements and optimize operation efficiency.

Quiet Operation

  • High-performance polymer fans have an aerodynamic shaping of the blades, shroud, and cones, while the material provides damping to reduce sound tones from the impeller and motor.
  • Coplanar Silencer® is a patented enclosure for FANWALL cubes. The cubes are lined with perforated steel and acoustic insulation to provide up to an 18 dB reduction in discharge sound power.

Redundancy and Reliability

  • If a fan or motor failure occurs in a FANWALL system, the remaining operating fans can compensate to maintain airflow and static pressure until the failed component(s) can be repaired or replaced.
  • Dedicated VFD for each fan and motor combination. A fan, motor, or VFD failure is inherently isolated, eliminating the need for a bypass VFD or potential for a ground fault failure of the entire array.

Easy Installation

  • Ideal for installation where space or access is limited, especially as retrofit or replacement. Overall air handler length can be reduced by 30% – 70% using a FANWALL system.
  • Single-point power connection to all VFDs speeds installation.
  • FANWALL cubes can be arranged in many different combinations to suit the space available.

Flexible Configurations

  • Both AMCA Certified™ stainless steel fans and high-performance polymer fans are available in multiple sizes to efficiently meet system performance or application requirements.
  • Choice of motors to meet project efficiency requirements, including induction, PM, and ECMI.

Advanced Engineered Design

  • Variable cube dimensioning allows the selected array to more closely fit air tunnel dimensions, so that the fans produce a uniform piston of air over the entire coil surface for optimal heat transfer and even filter loading.
  • System optimization controls allow on/off control of individual fan cubes to match requirements in variable airflow applications with the optimum number of fans and motors operating at peak efficiency.
  • FANWALL backdraft damper seals off the fan to prevent recirculation of system air with very little leakage if a cube is taken out of operation. When open, the damper’s aerodynamic design ensures almost zero-system effect.
  • Stringent balance requirements and sturdy components in each FANWALL cube eliminate internal vibration and the need to isolate a FANWALL array within the air handler. It can also help eliminate the need for a concrete inertia pad for the air handler and facilitate meeting requirements for seismic certification.
  • The need for sound attenuators and other ancillary components that create a static-pressure penalty within the air handler can be eliminated.

Low Maintenance and Service

  • FANWALL systems eliminate belts and sheaves, because they use direct-drive fans instead of belt-driven fans.
  • Permanently sealed motor bearings provide long life and require little-to-no maintenance.
  • Components in a FANWALL system typically are significantly smaller, lighter weight, and easier to access than the same components for conventional fan systems.
Blue Cross Blue Shield — FANWALL® Retrofit - Kansas City, MO

FANWALL® arrays are used to replace aging fans in the Kansas City Blue Cross Blue Shield office, resulting in improved system reliability and energy savings.

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Blue Cross Blue Shield Thumbnail
Encore Wire — Sustainable R&D Center - McKinney, Texas

A new R&D center with a challenging product testing environment needed to be not only compact and reliable, but also had to be energy efficient to contribute points to LEED® Platinum certification.

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Encore Wire Case study
Carolinas Medical Center - Charlotte, North Carolina

FANWALL® arrays are used to replace outdated fans in the Carolinas Medical Center, improving reliability and leading to significant energy cost savings.

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Carolinas Medical Center