Twin City IM-495 User Manual
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MPLFN, MPLFS, MPLQN, MPLQS
Modular Plenum Fans
INSTALLATION, OPERATION & MAINTENANCE MANUAL
IM-495
May 2014
Contents
Introduction .........................................................................1
Shipping and Receiving .....................................................1
Handling .............................................................................. 1
Short Term Storage ...........................................................1
Long Term Storage............................................................1
Foundations and Supporting Structures .......................... 2
Fan Installation ...................................................................3
Assembly of Fans ..............................................................3
Fan Operation – Safety .....................................................3
Operation Checklist ............................................................ 4
Maintenance of Fans ......................................................... 4
General Motor Maintenance ......................................... 4
Wheel and Shaft Maintenance ..................................... 5
Structural Maintenance ................................................. 5
Troubleshooting Guidelines................................................ 5
Troubleshooting Performance Problems
Air Capacity Problems ..................................................5
Noise Problems .............................................................5
Vibration Problems ........................................................ 5
Motor Problems ............................................................. 5
Limitation of Warranties and Claims ............................... 6
Introduction
The purpose of this manual is to provide instructions that
complement good general practices when installing or operating fans manufactured by Twin City Fan & Blower. It is the
responsibility of the purchaser to provide qualified personnel
experienced in the installation, operation, and maintenance
of air moving equipment.
Handling
Handling of all air moving equipment should be conducted by trained personnel and be consistent with safe
handling practices. Verify the lift capacity and operating condition of handling equipment. Maintain handling
equipment to avoid serious personal injury.
Units shipped completely assembled may be lifted with
slings and spreader bars. Use well-padded chains, cables
or nylon straps. On most units, lifting lugs are provided
for attaching chains (see Figure 1). Lift the fan in a fashion that protects the fan and fan coating from damage.
Never lift a fan by the inlet or discharge flange, shafting
or drives, wheel or impeller, motor or motor base, or in
any other manner that may bend or distort parts.
Partial or disassembled units require special handling. All
parts should be handled in a fashion which protects the
coatings and parts from damage. Components should
be handled such that forces are not concentrated and
bending or distortion cannot occur.
Figure 1. Lifting Lug Locations
Instructions given in the body of this manual are general in
nature and apply to a variety of models manufactured by
Twin City Fan & Blower. Most units can be installed and
maintained with the instructions given. Additional product
and engineering information is available at www.tcf.com.
Special applications may require additional information. These
instructions are supplied in the form of attached appendices.
Use the instructions in the appendix if the directions in this
manual differ from instructions in the appendix.
As always, follow good safety practices when installing,
maintaining and operating your air moving equipment. A
variety of safety devices are available. It is the user’s
responsibility to determine adequate safety measures and
to obtain the required safety equipment.
Shipping and Receiving
All Twin City Fan & Blower products are carefully constructed and inspected before shipment to insure the highest standards of quality and performance.
Compare all components with the bill of lading or packing
list to verify that the proper unit was received.
Check each unit for any damage that may have occurred in
transit. Any damage should be reported immediately to the
carrier and the necessary damage report filed.
NOTE: When lifting, the
straps/chains should be at a
minimum angle of 45°
Housing should be lifted using straps and spreaders. Do
not distort housing or side plates when lifting.
Short Term Storage
If fan installation is to be delayed, store the unit in a
protected area. Protect the fan and motor bearings from
moisture and vibration (or shock loading).
Long Term Storage
Prior to Storage – Motor bearings are to be greased at
the time of going into extended storage per the motor
manufacturer’s specifications.
©2014 Twin City Fan Companies, Ltd.
Storage Procedure – Fans should be stored indoors
whenever possible where control over temperature,
shock and dust is reasonably maintained. If units are to
be stored outside in the elements, they should be covered with a water-resistant material. Stored equipment
should be stored on a clean, dry floor or blocked up
off the ground on blocks to prevent unit from setting in
any water or directly on the ground. If shock or vibration
will be present during storage, the unit may need to be
placed on some type of vibration dampening material
to aid in preventing brinelling of the bearing surfaces.
Periodic Check – On a monthly interval, the equipment
should be checked to ensure that it has remained in
an acceptable stored condition. After verifying the fan is
disconnected from the electrical supply, the fan wheel
should be rotated several times by hand while adding
enough grease to replenish the bearing surfaces with
fresh grease and to maintain a full bearing cavity. Grease
used must be compatible with that already supplied in
the motor and fan bearings. The fan impeller should
be left at approximately 180 degrees from that of the
previous month to prevent the shaft and impeller from
taking a set in one position. Storage records should
be maintained which indicate the above requirements
have been followed. Consult the motor manufacturer for
proper storage, space heater connection and lubrication
if the unit was supplied with one.
Start-Up – When the unit is removed from storage, all
bearing grease should be purged and replenished with
fresh grease as per the lubrication decal. The motor
resistance should be measured to verify it is still at a
satisfactory level compared to the value recorded prior
to storage.
Foundations and Supporting Structures
Floor mounted fans should be installed on a flat, level
surface with sufficient structure support. Support shall
be suitable for static and dynamic loads and foundation
frequencies be separated at least 20% from the rotational speed/speed ranges.
If the fans are mounted in a structure, the support
should be placed under the enclosure inlet and outlet
edges as a minimum. The fan mounting surfaces or
beams must be flat and level. Structural resonance
should be at least 20% from the fan operating speed,
when considering the weight of all fans and accessories.
Any ducting and/or dampers with sleeves should have
independent support; do not use the fan for support.
Isolating the fan from ductwork with flex connections
eliminates transmission of vibration.
1. Sufficient structure must be provided to support
weight of fan assembly.
2. Sufficient restraint must be provided to resist the
pressure force against the fans. Typically fans are
assembled in an application in a modular fashion with
multiple fans working in parallel. The cumulative thrust
force must be restrained to prevent the fan assemblies
from leaning or tipping forward. The force acting on
the fan assemblies is calculated as shown below.
Thrust force (lb
27.68
H x W x N x P
f) =
s
Where
P
s = Maximum operating static pressure (in. w.g.)
W = Width of each individual fan (in.)
H = Height of each individual fan (in.)
N = Quantity of fans in system
27.68 = conversion factor for in. w.g. to PSI
Example
Parallel fan system employing nine (9) – Size 182 fans
in a 3 x 3 configuration. (3 fans high x 3 fans wide)
System pressure is 5 inches of water column.
Outside dimension of fan housing = approx. 38 in. by
38 in.
Thrust force (lb
27.68
Thrust force (lb
27.68
NOTE:
The thrust force is distributed evenly across
H x W x N x P
f) =
38 x 38 x 9 x 5
f) =
s
= 2348 (lbf)
the front surface of the parallel fan system.
3. Recommend attachments to the sides and top of the
parallel fan system incorporating some form of spring
support, i.e. rubber snubbers/isolators or springs. Such
devices should be attached to prevent significant point
loading on an individual fan. They should be located
on the side of the parallel fan system at the top corner and along the top every 2 fans or less.
a. When the fans are rigidly mounted to the base, an
assumption can be made that half of the thrust
load will be supported at the base, and the supports added at the top of the fan need to carry a
minimum of one half of the thrust load.
b. When the fans are supported on an isolation base
or isolators, it will be necessary to add thrust
restraints around the periphery of the fan assembly
to support the entire thrust load. Flex connections are required when using isolators or isolation
base.
c. Attachments to the fan can be made utilizing the
factory mounting holes. Recommend that the gage
of the materials be checked for tear out strength
in thrust applications. If necessary utilize multiple
mounting hole locations to distribute the load.
2
Twin City IM-495
Figure 2.
3/8-16 x 0.75 Screws & Nuts
axial anges where accessable
front and back anges
3/8-16 x 0.75 Screws & Nuts
Fan Installation – Factory Assembled Units
Follow proper handling instructions given earlier.
1. Move the fan to the final mounting position.
2. Remove skid, crates, and packing materials carefully.
3. If supplied, place vibration pads or isolation base on
mounting bolts. Line up holes in fan base with bolts.
4. Place fan on mounting structure. Carefully level unit
using shims as required at all mounting hole locations. Bolt down the unit.
Assembly of Fans
1. Fans must be securely bolted to a base either directly
through the factory mounting holes or with a properly
designed clip. Final bolting of each individual row of
fans to the support structure or base should be done
after the individual fans are bolted together as a row.
NOTE: A thin gasket or caulk may be used to prevent
undesired air leakage and noise
2. The bolts to be snugged up on vertical sections for the
first row. Once all fasteners are in place, the bolts shall
be tightened to torque values in table. See Table 1.
3. The bolts holding the fan to the supporting structure
can now be torqued.
4. The second row and succeeding rows can be installed
using the same assembly steps as the first row.
5. Sealing around the perimeter should be accomplished
using a flexible material.
Table 1. Torque Values MPLFN/MPLFS/MPLQN/MPLQS
Fasteners
Size
3/8 – 16 UNC
Net Type
Nylock 16 – 17
Torque Values
(ft lbs)
Electrical Wiring of Fans
The customer is required to investigate and install
equipment in compliance with all local electrical and
safety codes for the equipment location. Twin City Fan &
Blower requires all power cabling be located away from
the rotating impeller and fastened to the inside of the
fan housing. Wiring must be routed away from the motor
to reduce potential contact with hot or greasy surfaces.
When a fan is supplied with an outlet damper, wiring
the electrical supply to the motor requires routing the
supply through the damper housing frame. Knockouts of
various sizes are provided in the damper housing frame to
accommodate cable connectors or raceway (see figure 3).
Fan Operation - Safety
For general safety practices for air moving equipment,
see AMCA Catalog 410.
Twin City Fan & Blower has many safety accessories
available. These safety devices include (but are not
limited to) inlet and discharge screens. The use, abuse,
or non-use of safety devices is the responsibility of the
purchaser.
Facility-related safety conditions include fan accessibility and location. How easily can non-service personnel
access the unit? Is the fan in a hazardous duty environment? Was the unit ordered for this duty? Other
concerns must also be addressed. All fans should be
powered through switches which are easily accessible
to service personnel from the fan. Every switch should
have the ability to be “locked-off” by the service person
and the key to be retained by this person to prevent
accidental power of the fan while service is in process.
Twin City IM-495 3
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