Understanding the "Bifurcated fan": Examples and Illustrations

[kach22i]

"Bifurcated fan"

What does the term "Bifurcated fan" actually mean?

Please provide a link to some examples and or illustrations which clarify the term.

The images and text I've seen using Google image search
"Bifurcated fan" have shown.......

1. Axial fan with centered engine pod; front intake, rear thrust.

2. Axial fan with centered engine pod; front intake, right and or left
thrust (sides).

3. Axial fan front and back (possible common shaft) opposing intakes,
with exhaust/thrust top and bottom or right and left (sides).

4. Axial fan with remote drive (via belt) including combinations above
(1,2, & 3).

Like many architectural terms (my thing) you may not obtain it's true meaning and
context from regular dictionaries. I will assume "Bi" means split in
two somehow. That could mean split thrust, split intake or split flow
by engine placement.

What the heck is "Furcated" by it's self?

 

[brewnog]

Bifurcated means "split into two forks" or "branches", so snakes have bifurcated tongues.

As for a bifurcated fan, well the shroud in which the fan sits splits into two forked channels which carry the air, so there is a void behind the axis of the fan itself. Google images results are pretty self explanatory. They're used where the motor needs to be shielded, from hot gases for instance.

http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bifurcated fan&sa=N&tab=wi

 

[kach22i]

Thank you.