Ceiling fan pressure increase or decrease

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the effects of a ceiling fan on air pressure within a room, exploring scenarios of both open and closed environments. Participants consider the implications of airflow dynamics and temperature changes due to fan operation.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that in a typical room, the pressure remains the same on average due to the connection with the exterior atmosphere, despite localized changes in pressure around the fan.
  • Another participant proposes that in a hermetically sealed box with an internal fan, the turbulence generated would warm the air, leading to an increase in pressure due to thermal expansion.
  • A further contribution clarifies that while perfect insulation would enhance the effect, a regular closed room could still experience noticeable temperature increases from typical appliances, potentially affecting pressure.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the impact of a ceiling fan on air pressure, particularly regarding the conditions of the room (open vs. closed) and the effects of temperature changes. No consensus is reached.

Contextual Notes

Assumptions about room conditions (e.g., hermetically sealed, insulated) and the extent of pressure changes remain unresolved. The discussion does not clarify the specific mechanisms by which pressure might change in different scenarios.

singhsshub
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Would air pressure increase or decrease due to a ceiling fan in a room?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Neither, this is internal flow. The pressure directly around the fan will decrease (before the fan) and increase (after the fan) somewhat, this pressure smears out to miniscule amounts in other parts of the room. But on average the pressure stays the same.

Also, the room is usually connected to the exterior atmosphere, which equalizes the pressure.
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: russ_watters, Chestermiller, Bystander and 2 others
singhsshub said:
Would air pressure increase or decrease due to a ceiling fan in a room?
If the room was a hermetically sealed box, with an internal fan, then the internal air would be warmed by the turbulence generated by the fan. The warmer air would expand, so pressure would increase.
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: russ_watters and Arjan82
Not just hermetically sealed, but also perfectly insulated, but yeah, nicely found :)
 
Arjan82 said:
Not just hermetically sealed, but also perfectly insulated, but yeah, nicely found :)
It wouldn't need to be perfectly insulated. Certainly that would maximize the effect, but a regular closed room could still be heated sufficiently to cause the expansion effect temporarily. Lots of typical home appliances can produce sufficient heat to raise the temp of a closed room noticeably.
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Baluncore and Arjan82

Similar threads

Undergrad Sound pressure and inverse distance law
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
Undergrad How dynamic and static pressures are related
  • · Replies 55 ·
2
Replies
55
Views
20K
Undergrad How to calculate air volume of a fan using pressure?
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
Undergrad Resulting force on a chamfered pneumatic piston
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Undergrad Water pressure affects air pressure
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
4K
High School Understanding the Physics of a Ceiling Fan: Basics & Beyond
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Undergrad Curved Tube For Constant Pressure Increase?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
Undergrad Understanding the thrust generated by a typical jet engine
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
High School Air pressure from a ceiling fan.
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
10K
Graduate Optimal Size of Rocket Engine Nozzle for Vacuum Performance
  • · Replies 26 ·
Replies
26
Views
4K