Service Manual

Installation and Maintenance

E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Warning
Failure to comply with these instructions
could cause serious bodily harm or
property damage and will void the
warranty.

Howden 24-07.030r04E 1/25

Service Manual

INDEX

I. General Information ........................................................................................................................3

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................3
Description .........................................................................................................................................3
Options / Accessories (at extra cost) .................................................................................................3
Field Service ......................................................................................................................................3
II. Receiving / Handling / Storage / Disposal ....................................................................................4
Fan identification ...............................................................................................................................4
Receiving and unloading ...................................................................................................................5
Handling.............................................................................................................................................5
Storage ..............................................................................................................................................5
De-commissioning .............................................................................................................................6
Exploded view and part list ................................................................................................................7
III. Installation .....................................................................................................................................8
Required Tools ..................................................................................................................................8
Rotation and flow direction ................................................................................................................8
Preparation ........................................................................................................................................8
Coupling flange with parallel bore .....................................................................................................9
Coupling flange with tapered bushing ...............................................................................................9
Hub-plate installation .......................................................................................................................10
Blades installation..........................................................................................................................12
Minimum tip-clearance ....................................................................................................................14
Impeller diameter reduction .............................................................................................................15
Retaining plate .................................................................................................................................15
Balancing .........................................................................................................................................16
IV. Commissioning ............................................................................................................................16
V. Preventive Maintenance ..............................................................................................................18
VI. Contact Howden .........................................................................................................................19
VII. Trouble Shooting .......................................................................................................................20
VIII. Overview Tightening Torques .................................................................................................23
IX. Hardware Overview ....................................................................................................................24
X. Guideline for acceptable vibration levels of cooling fans in application category BV-3
(according ISO 14694) ......................................................................................................................25
XI. Document Version Control ........................................................................................................25

Howden 24-07.030r04 2/25

E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Service Manual

I. GENERAL INFORMATION Allowable operating temperature

Introduction Min. Max.

All diameters - 20C + 65C
This manual provides information necessary to - 4F + 149F
install, operate and maintain E-series axial
flow cooling fans. Maintenance guidelines and Allowable incidental upset temp. (<12 h)
procedures are given so that your equipment Max. Max.
will operate efficiently, with a minimum of re- All diameters + 80C + 176F
pair or replacement requirements.
Description Maximum tip speed
(As well depends on duty point)
Howden E-series fans are most widely used m/s ft/min
and are available in three different blade pro- ENF 70 13780
files, ENF, ELF & ELFA. Whether you are
ELF 60 11811
looking for a highly efficient impeller and/or a
ELFA 46 9055
low noise solution, the E-series offers you a Table 1: Description table E-series
choice. The fibreglass reinforced polyester Options / Accessories (at extra cost)
blades have an integral shaft, which eliminates
concentration of stress at mechanical joints. Coupling flange with tapered bushing
connection, instead of standard cylindrical
The FRP blade material offers superior damp-
bore connection.
ing of mechanical vibrations and of structure
Epoxy coating.
borne noise compared with metal blades, pro- A4 stainless steel hardware.
longing the fans lifetime. The fan blades are Baked epoxy coating on aluminium
connected to a polyurethane coated steel hub clamping pieces.
with aluminium clamping pieces and A2 Polyurethane leading edge protection for
stainless steel or ST8.8 galvanised steel U- wet applications or stainless steel leading
bolts, nuts and washers for an easy installation edge protection for severe erosion.
and manual blade pitch variation. The Retaining plates to secure the impeller to
impellers are connected to the drive shaft by the drive shaft.
Bolted clamping piece fastening instead
means of a polyurethane coated cast iron cou-
of location pins, for horizontal drive shaft
pling flange, with a cylindrical bore and electro-
applications.
galvanised hardware. Special impellers for fan selections out-
Howden E-series impellers are in compliance side the standard design range.
with EC directive 94/9EC (ATEX 100) for the Tools (torque wrench or an inclinometer
for blade pitch adjustment).
equipment of level group II, Category 2, poten-
Field Service
tially explosive environment class 01. Also re-
spect the instructions in paragraph IV commis- Howden Service maintains a staff of experi-
sioning. enced field service personnel. Their expert
knowledge may be of great assistance at in-
Note: The nomenclature is cooling fans,
spection, installation, or to get your fan unit
however Howden supplies impellers only. Im-
back in service with a minimum of delay.
pellers are components in the sense of Euro-
pean Machinery Directive 98/37/EC.

Howden 24-07.030r04 3/25

E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Service Manual
II. RECEIVING / HANDLING / STORAGE / DISPOSAL
Fan identification
The fan identification code allows identification of the main characteristics of the fan. You can find
this code on the order acknowledgement and packing list included with the shipment.

FAN 30ENF6 EP

Leading edge protection for wet cooling tower applications

Number of blades: 3,4,5,6,7,8,9

Impeller type: ENF, ELF, ELFA

Fan diameter: metric or imperial (>100 = mm, <100 = feet)

Another example:

FAN 8910ELF8

Identifies an ELF fan with a diameter of 8910 mm, 8 blades and without leading edge protection (EP)

The impellers are provided with a product identification plate fixed to the hub plate according the
example below. The unique order number permits future identification of the fan supplied.

HOWDEN COOLING FANS

Hengelo, The Netherlands
Phone +31-74 2556000
Fax +31-74 2556060
Order No. 103459
Fan type 30ENF6 EP

Howden 24-07.030r04E 4/25

Service Manual
Receiving and unloading
Upon unloading this equipment, inspect it for
damage. If damage occurred, file a claim im-
mediately against the carrier and mark the bill
of lading accordingly.
Superficial transport damages like scratches
or small holes may be repaired with touch-up
material (PU filler, e.g. Sikaflex 252).
All consignments are accompanied by a
packing list with the following data:
Order number of the Customer and of
Howden.
Impeller type (fan identification code)
Parts supplied by Howden.
The delivered goods shall be checked upon
arrival for full compliance with the order
and/or the parts count and description stated
on the packing list.
Shortages should be reported to your How-
den Contract Engineer within 2 weeks from
receipt of shipment at destination.
Handling
Fan blades of E-series impellers larger than
26 ft. are packed in so-called bunk beds or
specially developed transport frames.
Figure 1
The width of these crates suits standard con-
tainer dimensions. Fan blades that will be
transported by container sea-freight, are
equipped with and hoist eyes (see figure 2),
Howden
E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans
to allow easy container loading / unloading.
Through these hoist eyes, one can pull the
bunk beds from the container without dam-
aging the fan blades or the crates.
Figure 2
The fan blades can be lifted from the packing
by placing a single sling around the blade.
Position the sling as such that the blade tip is
somewhat hanging down which makes it
easier to move the blades around.
Fan blades of impellers smaller than 26 ft.,
are packed in strong wooden cases or crates.
Storage
If not installed immediately, it is recom-
mended to store the impeller in a dry and
shaded area.
For long-term storage (in excess of 6 months)
it is necessary to check the condition of the
corrosion protection agent on all machined
surfaces.
Reapply or repair where necessary, using an
acid-free corrosion protection agent (e.g.
Esso Rust ban 397 or equivalent).
You may stack the bunk beds to a maximum
of 3 high. Do not allow any heavy materials of
any kind to be stored on top of the blades.
24-07.030r04 5/25
Service Manual

De-commissioning
In accordance with our ISO14001 certified
environmental management system, our
cooling fans can easily be disassembled after
de-commissioning. Their metal components
and polyethylene fan casings are highly
suitable for recycling. Since no viable
recycling procedure for reinforced plastics
exists, fan blades need to be shredded and
incinerated or used as land-fill. The inert
nature of the materials used will prevent
chemical pollution of soil and ground water in
case of in land-fill.

Howden 24-07.030r04 6/25

E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Service Manual

Exploded view and part list

8
1
15
9
2
16
14
3
17

11

9 12

10 13 7

18 19

4 5 6

Figure 3 Figure 4

Item Description Material (standard construction) Quantity

1 U-bolt Stainless steel A2/ steel 8.8 2 / blade
2 Upper clamping piece Aluminium 2 / blade
3 Lower clamping piece Aluminium 1 / blade
4 Washer Stainless steel A2/ steel 8 4 / blade
5 Nut Stainless steel A2/ steel 8 4 / blade
6 Blade Fibreglass reinforced polyester -
7 Hub plate Polyurethane coated mild Steel 1
8 Coupling flange bolt Steel class 8.8 electro-galvanised 8
9 Washer Electro-galvanised 16
10 Nut Electro-galvanised 8
11 Coupling flange Nodular cast iron polyurethane coated 1
12 Split tapered bushing Manufacturers standard 1 (optional)
13 Bolt Manufacturers standard 3 (optional)
14 Retaining plate Polyurethane coated steel 1 (optional)
15 Central bolt M16 or M20 or M24 Steel class 8.8 electro-galvanised 1 (optional)
16 Washer Electro-galvanised 1 (optional)
17 Gasket Rubber 1 (optional)
18 Key - 1 (optional)
19 Key Not supplied by Howden
Table 2

Howden 24-07.030r04 7/25

E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Service Manual

III. INSTALLATION
Required Tools
Torque wrench (check tightening torques
for the correct model)
Socket and wrench
Inclinometer
Straight edge:
Minimum length > blade width
Rotation and flow direction
Standard rotation is clockwise when viewed
into the air-stream. See figure 5.
Preparation
Clean all mating surfaces between shaft, ta-
pered bushing (if applicable) and fan hub. All
corrosion preventive coatings should be re-
moved.
Check the following before parts shall be as-
sembled:
Drainage hole at the blade tip and blade
shoulder shall be open
Make sure the drive shaft is properly cen-
tred with respect to the fan casing. Also
check if the shaft is vertical within the pre-
scribed tolerance.
Check the concentricity of the driver shaft
end before mounting the impeller. The im-
peller should not be mounted if the con-
centricity error exceeds 0.02 mm (0.0008)
see figure 6.

Flow

Figure 6
Figure 5

Howden 24-07.030r04 8/25

E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Service Manual

Coupling flange with parallel bore Coupling flange with tapered bushing

(Supply of coupling flange with tapered

a) Check if the shaft and bore diameters are
bushing is optional).
according to specification. The standard
execution has a H7 fit.
a) Do not lubricate bushing, coupling flange
b) Slightly lubricate the shaft, the key, and
bore or hardware. Use of lubricants can
the bore of the hub with grease.
cause coupling flange damage.
c) Locate the key (19) into the drive shaft
b) Slip the bushing onto the drive shaft and
(figure 7).
check the key (19) for proper fit (figure 8
d) To slip the coupling flange over the shaft
on page 10). Be sure the shaft is com-
we advise you to uniformly heat up the
pletely through the bushing. Keep a bolt
coupling flange up to maximum 120 C
length as minimum distance X between
(248 F) by means of a hot plate, electric
bolts (13) and flange of the drive (figure 9
induction or oil bath, until a 0.15mm dif-
on page 10).
ference in diameter is reached. Wear
c) Lock the bushing on the shaft by tighten-
protective gloves during this operation.
ing the setscrew in the flange. Support
e) Slip the coupling flange (11) onto the
the bushing with a sleeve to prevent it
drive shaft and check the key for proper
from sliding down during assembly.
fit. Be sure the coupling flange is com-
d) Install the coupling flange onto the bush-
pletely through the shaft against the shaft
ing. Start bolts (13) by hand turning just
shoulder.
enough to engage threads.
f) For reverse coupling flange configuration:
e) Keep tightening them as equally as
(e.g. impeller hanging below the driver)
possible, in several steps, while drawing
Install the retaining plate (14) with gasket
the hub onto the bushing until the bush-
(17) and secure it to the shaft with the
ing tightly grips the shaft.
lock washer (16) and the central bolt
f) Tighten the bolts to the torque shown in
(15). Supply of retaining plate items 14,
table 3. Do not over-torque. Excessive
15, 16 and 17 by Howden is optional.
torque can cause coupling flange or
Item 19 (key) is not supplied by Howden.
bushing damage. Some gap must remain
For torque values of the retaining plate
between the flange of the bushing and
bolts see table 7 on page 22.
coupling flange in properly tightened as-
sembly.
15
Torque value for bolts
16 tapered bushing to coupling flange
Class 8.8 (A3B)
14
Bolt size Torque Torque
17 (bushing type) (Nm) .
(lb ft)

11 5/16 (P2) 22 16
3/8 (Q2, R2) 39 29
19 (S1) 95 70
5/8 (U1) 190 140
3/4 (W1, W2) 339 250
Table 3

Figure 7

Howden 24-07.030r04 9/25

E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Service Manual

g) For reverse coupling flange configuration: Hub-plate installation

(e.g. impeller hanging below the driver)
Install the retaining plate (14) with seal a. Mount the hub-plate (7) onto the machined
ring (17) and secure it to the shaft with surface of the coupling flange (11) (fig. 10).
the lock washer (16) and the central bolt
(15). Supply of retaining plate items 14,
15 and 16 by Howden is optional. For
torque values of the retaining plate bolts
see table 7 on page 22. 8

15

16

14

17 7
11 11

12 9

13 10
18
19

Figure 10

b. Place the bolts (8) with washers (9) and

Figure 8 tighten the nuts (10) alternating, keep tight-
ening on all of them as nearly equal as pos-
sible.
c. Tighten the nuts (10) to the torque shown in
figure 11 on the next page. (For the correct
thread size refer to table 8 on page 23).
Use original Howden hardware exclusively
(the nuts are treated with special low fric-
tion coating).

Figure 9

Howden 24-07.030r04 10/25

E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Service Manual

Thread Standard bolts (8.8, A3B)

size Stainless steel (A4)

Nm lb.ft

M12 75 55

M16 185 136

M20 360 266

M24 625 461

M30 1260 929

Figure 12
M42 2600 1918
Tip: The hub-plate may be installed with the
M48 5500 4057
clamping pieces either at the flow inlet or flow
outlet side. This may help to correctly position
the fan blades in the fan casing (see figure 12).

This configuration is only possible when the

coupling flange is fitted on the opposite side
from the lower clamping pieces or in a configu-
ration like figure 12, for impellers with a diame-
ter 9 (2743 mm).

If you prefer to use a configuration with the

coupling flange fitted in between the lower
Figure 11 clamping pieces, for impellers smaller than 9 ft.,
than please ask Howden at order placement.

Tip: You may also choose to install the fan Important

blades onto the hub-plate before bolting the
complete impeller onto the coupling flange.
Impellers with a diameter smaller than
4455 mm or 14 feet are balanced
according to a certain hub-plate
configuration. Check the sticker on the
hub-plate to make sure the installation
corresponds to the applied balancing
method (refer to balancing section on
page 15).

Howden 24-07.030r04 11/25

E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Service Manual

Blades Installation a fan hub, provided that the blade sets will be
installed in the sequences spelled out in this
Impellers 4455 mm / 14 feet paragraph.
Impellers up to and including a diameter of
4455 mm or 14 feet are balanced in assembly The blades are marked with a unique blade
and have a unique balancing code. number, a project number and a balancing
Check if the blades share the same project code (see figure 13).
number.
The blades must be positioned in the lower
clamping pieces with corresponding bal-
Balancing code Project nr.
ancing code.
(For position of these numbers see figure 13).

Impellers > 4455 mm / 14 feet, and odd

number of blades
Impellers with an odd number of blades -
require the blades to be installed as sets.
Check if the blades share the same project Blade nr
number.
The blades must be installed on a hub-
plate as sets. A blade-set share the same
2- or 3-digit figure in the balancing code
(e.g. 11A, 11B, 11C, 11D, 11E in case of a
5-bladed impeller).
(For position of these numbers see figure 13).

Impellers > 4455 mm / 14 feet, and even Figure 13

number of blades
Impellers with an even number of blades re-
Procedure:
quire the blades to be installed in pairs.
a. Place a blade in a suitable lower clamping
Check if the blades share the same project
piece of the hub plate, considering the in-
number.
stallation rules as described in this para-
The blades must be installed on the hub-
graph.
plate in pairs, with the paired blades posi-
b. Place the upper clamping pieces over the
tioned opposite each other. Always position
blade stem and insert the U-bolts through
blade A facing blade B. Pairs share the
the holes of the hub-plate. Place the
same 2- or 3-digit figure in the balancing
washers and hand-tighten the nuts just
code (e.g. 31A facing 31B, 32A facing 32B,
enough to keep the blade in place. For the
33A facing 33B in case of a 6-bladed im-
standard configuration (blades on top of
peller).
hub plate) we recommend to insert and
(For position of these numbers see figure 13).
tighten the inner U-bolt first (next to the
collar). When the blades are hanging un-
Note: For impellers > 4455 mm / 14 feet the
derneath the hub-plate we recommend in-
blade sets can be installed on any position of

Howden 24-07.030r04 12/25

E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Service Manual

serting the outer U-bolt first. Check if the
upper clamping piece is mounted
horizontally by measuring the gap A an B
between the lower and upper clamping
piece (see figure 14).
Figure 14
c. Tighten the nuts alternating such that the
blade can still be somewhat turned in the
clamping piece.
d. Make sure that the blade stem collar is flush
against the lower clamping piece, which can
be achieved by pulling the blade outwards.
e. Place a straight edge or a sufficiently stiff
strip (at least as long as the profile width) on
top of the blade (discharge side) at about 50
mm (2 inches) from the blade profile end.
Place an inclinometer on top of the straight
edge (figure 15).
f. Lift the blade at the tip and rotate the blade
around its axis until the desired angle is set,
within a maximum tolerance of 0.5 de-
grees.
g. Re-check if the blade stem collar is flush
against the lower clamping piece.
Tighten the U-bolt nuts evenly to full torque
as shown in figure 16, starting with the U-
bolt at the collar side. Both the torque
values of our standard stainless steel (A2)
or galvanised steel (ST8.8) hardware as
well as our optional A4 stainless steel
hardware are shown. The material code A2,
St8.8 or A4 is stated on the nut. Make sure
that the blade angle does not change during
this operation (for the correct thread size
refer to table 8 on page 23).
After tightening of the nuts, the threaded
bolt ends out of the nuts shall have equal
length. The U-bolt is damaged if this is not
the case and don't fit for purpose anymore.

Figure 15

Howden 24-07.030r04 13/25

E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Service Manual

Note: the polyester stem will be com-

pressed during this operation and may pro-
duce a cracking sound. WARNING

DO NOT forget to re-tighten the U-

bolts as they may loosen due to creep
of the FRP material of the blade stem.
ONLY use original Howden hardware.
The nuts are treated with special low
friction coating.
DO NOT re-tighten location bolts of
the lower clamping pieces (location
bolts are used in special applications
only).
After loosening and disassembling of
a U-bolt, the legs of the U-bolt have
lost the parallel shape due to
Thread (A2, St8.8) ( A4)
= Optional
relaxation effects. That is why it is not
size = Standard
allowed to re-use those U-bolts.
. .
Nm lb ft Nm lb ft

60 44 Idem Minimum tip-clearance

M12
140 103
M16 Tip clearance s is the distance between the
250 184 blade tip and the impeller casing (figure 17).
M20 Due to normal impeller casing tolerances the
425 313 380 280 tip clearance is not constant around the im-
M24
peller casing.
650 479 500 369
M30
1100 811 970 715
M36
1300 959 - -
M42

Figure 16

h. Repeat the above operation for all blades.

i. Re-tighten the U-bolts after 50-75 hours in
operation, or 120-150 hours stand still. Do
not loosen the nuts first, but start to tighten
immediately.
j. When the blade angle has changed, the U-
bolts need to be tightened again to full
torque and also re-tightened after 120-150
hours.
Figure 17
Howden recommends a tip clearance of 0.5% of
the impeller diameter. Fan selections using
Howden CF-P20 software use this default stan-
dard, unless otherwise specified. Tip clearance
shall never be less than 0.25%.

Howden 24-07.030r04 14/25

E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Service Manual

To make sure that the tip clearance is not less
than 0.25% in any location we recommend the
following steps:
a. Determine the longest blade by measuring
the tip-clearance of all blades at a fixed
point in the fan casing.
b. Now measure the tip clearance of the long-
est blade at a number of measuring points
(see table 4 for the number of recom-
mended measuring points). Slowly rotate
the impeller by hand to the different meas-
uring points.
c. Centre the impeller in the casing, or the
casing around the impeller, in case the tip
clearance is too small and repeat the previ-
ous steps.
Retaining plate
(Supply of retaining plate is optional).
Install retaining plate with gasket, washers and
bolts after the coupling flange or after the im-
peller has been installed. For torque values of
electro-galvanised retaining plate bolts see
table 7 on page 22 of this manual.
Important
Howden strongly recommends the
installation of a retaining plate for all
vertical shaft applications with impeller
hanging below the driver or whenever
the airflow is directed towards the
driver.

Diameter Diameter Number of meas-

Metric (mm) Imperial (ft.) uring points
700-2000 3-6 4
2001-4000 7-13 6
4001-6000 14-18 8
6001-12500 22-40 12
12501-16000 44-48 16
Table 4

Impeller diameter reduction

In case the tip clearance is smaller than the

above described minimum tip clearance, and
centring the impeller does not help, one has the
possibility to reduce the impeller diameter by
placing one or more 5 mm thick nylon spacer
rings between the blade stem collars and the
lower clamping pieces. The same number of
spacer rings shall be installed on all blades of
an assembly. This method allows the impeller
diameter to be reduced by 40-50 mm.

After installing the nylon rings, torque the nuts

again according to the blade installation proce-
dure as described previously.

Howden 24-07.030r04 15/25

E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Service Manual
Balancing
The impellers are balanced according to ISO
1940, balancing quality grade G6,3.
Impellers with a diameter smaller than 4455
mm or 14 feet are balanced in assembly ac-
cording to a certain hub-plate configuration:
A. Clamping pieces installed at flow inlet side
B. Clamping pieces installed at flow outlet side
A sticker on the hub-plate marks the applied
balancing method. See figure 18.
Figure 18 Sticker as attached on the hub-plate
If not agreed otherwise, the impeller is bal-
anced according method B by default.
Important
If the impeller is installed in a different hub-
plate configuration than it was balanced,
e.g. configuration B for an installation with
the clamping pieces at flow inlet side, you
run the risk of an unquiet operation.
Howden
E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans
IV. COMMISSIONING
a. Check all bolts and nuts for proper tighten-
ing (including the fan casing hardware).
b. Make sure that the metal bearing support
structure is electrically earthed in order to
avoid sparkling by electrical static dis-
charge.
c. Turn the impeller by hand to check that it
runs freely and does not rub or strike the
impeller housing.
d. Impellers driven by a two-speed e-motor:
Only switch from high speed to low
speed after the impeller speed has
slowed down to less than the low speed.
To be sure you may choose to switch the
e-motor only after the impeller has come
to a complete standstill. Neglecting this
rule may lead to irreparable impeller
damage!
e. Make sure that all tools and assembly aids
like beams, supports, laddersetc. have
been removed. All the required protec-
tions, mechanical and electrical must be
installed before starting the fan. Make sure
that all applicable local safety require-
ments have been met to ensure safe op-
erating conditions.
f. Bump the motor to check for clockwise
rotation of the impeller, when viewed into
the air stream (also see figure 6).
24-07.030r04 16/25
Service Manual

g. Immediately after first start up check for 19, in case the fan is mounted directly on
smooth operation of the fan assembly. the gearbox shaft.
Check for irregular noise / vibrations.

Howden adopts the guideline given in

standard ISO-14694 describing the
acceptable vibration levels. The in situ
vibration level of any fan is not solely
dependent on the balancing grade.
Installation factors, the mass and stiffness
of the supporting system, will influence the
in situ vibration level. Therefore, fan
vibration level in situ is not the
responsibility of the fan manufacturer
unless specified in the purchase contract.

ISO-14694 classifies fans according to

their application and drive power. Howden
cooling fans are in general used for
industrial processes, power generation
and HVAC with a drive power level up to
300 kW. According ISO-14694 Howden
cooling fans are classified in the so-called
fan application category BV-3.

For fans in application category BV-3

balancing grade G6.3 is recommended
(ISO-14694) and therefore Howden
cooling fans are balanced according to
this balancing grade. The vibration levels
given in table X are a guideline for
acceptable operation of Howden cooling Figure 19 Vibration Measuring Points measured at Fan
Units of Air Cooled Condensers
fans.

Immediately after commissioning the Possible Measuring Points

vibration level has to be below or at the
given start-up value. When the vibration
level increases to alarm level investigation 1 Gearbox - lateral flange - horizontal
to the cause of this level has to be initiated
and action taken to correct it. When the 2 Gearbox - front end - horizontal
vibration level increases to shutdown level
corrective action should be taken 3 Gearbox - bearing cover of output shaft - vertical
immediately or the fan should be shut
down.

The vibration limits shown in table X apply

to assembled fan units. The values shown
are velocity, in millimetres per second
(mm/s). Filter-In, at fan rotational
frequency and are to be taken at the fan
bearings or at gearbox sides as per figure

Howden 24-07.030r04 17/25

E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Service Manual
h. Measure the power. In case the fan power
(after correction for temperature) is different
than required, adjust the pitch angle
accordingly (3 degrees tolerance from de-
sign blade angle). Note: the absorbed
power is inversely proportional to the air
temperature. If a larger adjustment is re-
quired, after temperature correction, verify
with a new fan selection or contact
Howden.
i. Re-tighten the U-bolts after 50-75 hours in
operation, or 120-150 hours stand still.
Check the tightening torque of the bolts of
the tapered bushing and the coupling
flange bolts.
WARNING
Contact with rotating fan blades can cause
severe injury or death. Never insert items
into the fan to determine movement or
direction of rotation. Install fan guards or
screens on arrangements with exposed
fans. Always use lockout and tag out
procedures before performing fan
adjustments, maintenance, service or
inspection.
Important
Following measures must be emphatically
respected for potentially explosive
environments and to comply with Directive
94/9/EC (ATEX 100):
Electrically earthed metal bearing
support to avoid sparkling by electrical
static discharge
Minimum prescribed tip clearance to
avoid rubbing along the impeller casing.
Directions for design of the impeller
support structure according to Howden
document 03-07.341
Howden
E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans
V. PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE
Though the impeller requires little
maintenance, it is recommended to conduct
inspections at regular intervals, to check
damage due to vibrations, fouling or wear
and tear.
Actual recommended maintenance intervals
will depend on the use and operation of the
complete system and shall be determined by
the operator.
Important
De-energise the fan and use lock out and
tag out procedures prior to performing
adjustments, service, inspections or
lubrication.
Check for smooth operation of the fan
and listen for irregular noise or vibrations.
De-energise the fan and make a visual
inspection for deposits, and or damages.
Visually inspect the blades surface and
blade stems for cracks. Hairline cracks
could appear in resin rich areas around
the edges of the fan blade and will nor-
mally stop progressing. Hairline cracks in
itself are harmless, however we advise
you to fill these cracks with a touch-up
material (PU filler, e.g. Sikaflex 252) to
prevent moisture penetration affecting
the blades. Howden Cooling Fans can
provide you a repair kit complete with in-
structions.
For all other cracks we suggest to send
photographs to Howden Cooling Fans for
evaluation.
24-07.030r04 18/25
Service Manual

Visually inspect the blades for wear and VI. CONTACT HOWDEN
tear. Exposed fibreglass should be re-
coated. We recommend shipping the
Howden Cooling Fans
worn blades to Howden for refurbish- Lansinkesweg 4
ment. P.O. Box 975
For wet cooling tower applications visu- 7550 AZ Hengelo
ally inspect if the leading edge protection The Netherlands
is still sufficient. If the leading edge pro-
tection is (partly) worn, we advise to ei- Tel. +31 74 255 6000
ther install Howden stainless steel nose Fax +31 74 255 6120
caps or to apply a new PU coating. The Email: cooling.fans@howden.nl
stainless steel caps can easily be in- Web: www.howdencoolingfans.com
stalled over the leading edge of the
blades and attached with rivets is a
practical solution for repair inside a cool-
ing tower. Howden shall be glad to ad-
vise you the best maintenance solution
for your application.
Replace corroded bolts and nuts.
Deposits should be removed from impel-
ler and fan housing using brushes and/or
a water jet with a maximum water pres-
sure of 3 bar or 45 psi. This is even more
important after change out of any blades,
to ensure proper balance.
Check if the drainage holes at the blade
tip and blade shoulder are still open.

Repairs of the FRP blades shall be carried

out strictly in accordance with Howden pro-
cedures.

We suggest that any damage be photo-

graphed and forwarded to Howden Cooling
Fans for evaluation.

Howden 24-07.030r04 19/25

E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Service Manual
VII. TROUBLE SHOOTING
In case of any failure, please contact Howden stating the impeller order number as mentioned on
the nameplate located at the hub of the impeller.
Problem Possible cause
Air volume low. Fouling of system.
Obstacles in housing/air
stream.
Static pressure higher than
specified.
Blade angle decreased
due to rotation of the
blades. (I.e. forgot to re-
torque the U-bolt nuts).
Air temperature higher
than design air tempera-
ture.
Power absorption (too) Fouling of system.
high. (1)
Obstacles in housing/air
stream.
Howden
E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans
Possible solution
Clean system air-cooler
bundles or cooling tower
fill.
Check actual total area of
obstacles and impeller
housing inlet shape
against original selection.
In dry-coolers the mini-
mum required free height
of the air inlet area is 1.0
times the fan diameter.
This shall be higher in
case of multiple row units.
Increase blade angle.
(Up to 3 degrees, thereaf-
ter do selection check).
Re-set blade angle and
refer to the blade installa-
tion instructions for the
correct torque.
Increase blade angle.
(Up to 3 degrees, thereaf-
ter do selection check).
Clean system air-cooler
bundles or cooling tower
fill.
Check actual total area of
obstacles and impeller
housing inlet shape
against original selection.
In dry-coolers the mini-
mum required free height
of the air inlet area is 1.0
times the fan diameter.
This shall be higher in
case of multiple row units.
24-07.030r04 20/25
Service Manual

Problem Possible cause Possible solution

Power absorption (too)
high. (2)
Impeller is rubbing against
fan casing.
Vibration level high. (1)
Static pressure higher than
specified.
Air temperature lower than
design air temperature.
Airflow too high.
Blade angle too large.
Transmission out of order.
Bolting of drive-train con-
nection, support structure
or fan housing is not tight.
Impeller not centred.
Tip clearance too small.
Fan casing too weak.
Imbalance of impeller.
Lack of stiffness in support
structure.
Bolting of drive-train con-
nection or fan housing is
not tight.
Drive alignment incorrect.
Driver bearing damage.
Drainage holes are
blocked.
Blade is not flush against
lower clamping piece.
Blade angle(s) not within
0.5 tolerance.
Decrease blade angle.
Clean system air-cooler
bundles or cooling tower
fill.
Check performance
against current air tem-
perature.
Decrease blade angle.
Set blade angle according
fan selection details.
Check transmission.
Tighten all bolts.
Centre the impeller.
Decrease impeller diame-
ter by placing nylon rings
between lower clamping
pieces and blade stem
collars.
Stiffen fan casing.
Check if position of fan
blades is according to in-
struction.
Reinforce support struc-
ture.
Tighten all bolts.
Realign.
Repair or replace.
Open the drainage holes.
Release U-bolts, pull the
blade outwards and re-
tighten the U-bolts to the
correct torque.
Re-set the blade angles.

Howden 24-07.030r04 21/25

E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Service Manual

Problem Possible cause Possible solution

Vibration level high. (2)
Scratches or small dam-
ages.
Hairline cracks on blade
surface.
Noise higher than pre-
dicted.
Table 5
Blades are out of tracking.
The blade tips should be
reasonably located in the
same plane. A maximum
tolerable deviation of 0.5%
of the fan diameter is ad-
vised.
Fan is in stall.
Resonance of the cooler
structure.
Transport and handling.
Could appear in resin rich
areas around the edges of
the fan blades and will
normally stop progressing.
Airflow higher than speci-
fied.
Static pressure too high.
Fan too close to obstacles.
Influence of mechanical
noise caused by drive-
train.
Resonance of fan-drive
and/or support structure.
Contact Howden for ad-
vise.
Decrease blade angle or
replace impeller.
Change natural frequency
of the cooler or run the fan
at a different speed or
install a fan with more or
fewer blades.
We advise to fill these
cracks with a touch-up
material e.g. Sikaflex 252
to prevent moisture pene-
tration affecting the blades
(Contact Howden for a re-
pair kit).
Hairline cracks are harm-
less in itself, however we
advise to fill these cracks
with a touch-up material
e.g. Sikaflex 252 to pre-
vent moisture penetration
affecting the blades (Con-
tact Howden for a repair
kit).
Reduce blade angle.
Contact Howden for ad-
vise.
Contact drive-train sup-
plier.
Contact Howden for ad-
vise.

Howden 24-07.030r04 22/25

E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Service Manual

VIII. OVERVIEW TIGHTENING TORQUES

Torque values for impeller hardware
Class 8.8 (A3B) A2, St8 A4
. . .
Application Bolts size Nm lb ft Nm lb ft Nm lb ft

5/16 (P2) 22 16
3/8 (Q2, R2) 39 29
Tapered bushing 1/2 (S1) 95 70
5/8 (U1) 190 140
3/4 (W1, W2) 339 250
M12 75 55 75 55
M16 185 136 185 136
M20 360 266 360 266
Coupling flange
M24 625 461 625 461
bolts*
M30 1260 929 1260 929
M42 2600 1918 2600 1918
M48 5500 4057 5500 4057
M12 60 44 60 44
M16 140 103 140 103
M20 250 184 250 184
U-bolts* M24 425 313 380 280
M30 650 479 500 369
M36 1100 811 970 715
M42 1300 959 - -
Table 6

*(See hardware overview table 8 on page 23 for correct bolt size)

Torque values for retaining plate bolt

Class 8.8 / A4
.
Retaining plate Thread Nm lb ft
[mm] / [inch] Size

M10 48 35
M12 85 63
79 mm / 3.11
M16 150 110
M20 195 144
M16 200 148
189 mm / 7.44 M20 245 181
M24 300 221
M24 540 398
240 mm / 9.45
M30 700 516
360 mm / 14.17 M30 850 627
Table 7

Howden 24-07.030r04 23/25

E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Service Manual

IX. HARDWARE OVERVIEW

Dia Met. Dia Imp. Thread size U-bolt Coupling Thread size
(mm) (ft) type coupling bolts
ENF ELF ELFA

1219 4
1240
1385 80 M12
1524 5
1585
1780
1829 6
1980
M12 115 M16
2134 7
2220
2438 8
2475
2743 9
2775
3048 10
3120
3353 11
190 M20
3515
3658 12
3962 13
M16
4267 14
4455
4877 16
4950
M20
5486 18
5545
6096 20 250 M24
6240
6702 22 M24
7030
7315 24
7920
7925 26
8535 28
8910
9145 30 M30 335 M30
9754 32
9900
10000
10400 34
10973 36
11100
M36 M42 500 M42
12192 40
12400
Table 8

Howden 24-07.030r04 24/25

E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Service Manual

X. GUIDELINE FOR ACCEPTABLE VIBRATION LEVELS OF COOLING FANS IN

APPLICATION CATEGORY BV-3 (ACCORDING ISO 14694)

RIGIDLY MOUNTED FLEXIBLY MOUNTED (2)

(1)
CONDITION
PEAK R.M.S. PEAK R.M.S.
[MM/S] [MM/S] [MM/S] [MM/S]

START-UP 6.4 4.5 8.8 6.3

ALARM 10.2 7.1 16.5 11.8

SHUTDOWN 12.7 9.0 17.8 12.5

* Rigidly mounted: Structure of concrete

** Flexibly mounted: Structure of steel, wood or composite

Table 10

XI. DOCUMENT VERSION CONTROL

Version 03 12 April 2007 Adjustment of blades installation warning block
Adjustment of preventive maintenance
Adjustment of commissioning including figure of vibration
measuring points
Supplement AISI terminology with A2/A4 references
Adjustment of blades installation warning block
Adjustment of preventive maintenance instructions
Adjustment of trouble shooting table in vibration level high
item
Replacement of the word galvanised into electro-
galvanised
Fit information added at installation instructions of parallel
bore coupling flanges
Adjustment of blade assembly procedure regarding re-
tightening after blade angle adjustment
Adjustment of instructions coupling flange with tapered
bushing
Replacement of the word cap screws into bolts

Howden 24-07.030r04 25/25

E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Service Manual

Adjustment of text: another step in blades installation

procedure
Replacement of TIP at the end of blades installation
procedure.

Version 04 December 1, 2010 Removed mild before steel hub in description, p3.
Changed allowable operating temperature in table 1 :
Max.
+ 65C
+ 149F

Inserted section: De-commissioning

Vibration measurement procedure changed in g. of chapter:
IV. Commissioning

Inserted Possible to heading Measuring Points p15.

Added a new chapter:

IX. Maximum Vibration Levels For Balance Vibration category
BV-3 (ISO 14694) & added Table 9

Changed material codes:

Old New
AISI 304 A2
AISI 316 A4

Inserted Blades Installation Procedure b, p13

Inserted IV Commisioning Section G p17

Howden 24-07.030r04 26/25

E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Service Manual

Text blocks

Front page warning block

Introduction
Description part1 E-series
Description part2 E,D,SX-series r1
Description part3 E,SX-series r1
Description part4 E,D,SX-series
Description table E-series
Options E-series r1
Field service
Receiving E-series
Receiving and unloading
Handling E-series
Storage
Exploded view table E-series r2
Required tools E-series
Rotation
Preparation
Coupling flange with parallel bore r1
Coupling flange with tapered bushing r1
Coupling flange with tapered bushing table E,SX-series r1
Hubplate installation part 1 E,SX-series r2
Hubplate installation part 2 E -series
Hubplate installation important block E-series
Blades installation part1 E-series
Blades installation part2 E,SX-series
Blades installation part3 r2
Blades installation warning block r1
Minimum tip clearance
Minimum tip clearance table E,SX-series
Impeller diameter reduction

Howden 24-07.030r04 27/25

E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans

Service Manual

Retaining plate r2
Retaining plate important block
Balancing E-series
Balancing important block E,SX-series
Commissioning r3
Commissioning table D,SX,E-series r1
Commissioning important block
Commissioning warning block2
Preventive maintenance
Preventive maintenance important block
Contact Howden
Trouble shooting r1
Trouble shooting table1 r2
Overview tightening torques table1 E-series r1
Overview tightening torques table2 E-series r1
Hardware overview E-series
Maximum vibration levels category BV-3 (ISO 14694)
Document version control

Howden 24-07.030r04 28/25

E-series Axial Flow Cooling Fans