Fan blades are usually straight when one sees them from the fan motor to the edge of the blade. It is curved widthwise to send air DIRECTLY DOWNWARDS.

In most cases, people who are not directly under the fan dont feel the flow of air. So what I suggest is having the blades bent UPWARDS at the far end.

This would allow air not directly under the fan to flow about and create a greater zone for circulation of air.

Of course, people can get an airconditioner if they could afford its running and maintenance and forget all about fans.

And hey, all my ideas are just thoughts, huh. I'm still trying to work myself in here. So go a li'l easy on the caustic comments please.
-- joker_of_the_deck, Sep 08 2002

One bladed fan http://www.ceilingf...items/018777nf.html
Hey … it's a one-bladed fan! [reensure, Sep 08 2002]

Ceiling Fan .com http://www.ceilingfan.com
Great idea for a ceiling fan! [kelly23, Oct 04 2004]

<stage hiss> Play the environment card, jotd!
-- General Washington, Sep 08 2002


They would if they wore tall hats.
-- General Washington, Sep 08 2002


And you save on haircuts.
-- FarmerJohn, Sep 08 2002


Ithink this is a great idea. however it would only be of significant use if the fan was not mounted close to the ceiling. Curving the blades upwards will limit the amount of air that can be output if there is not a significant amount of room above it. To expand on the idea, why not make the entire blade curved; forming something that looks like a semi-circle or parabola.
-- kumpf, Sep 08 2002


… key point! Fans are easy to spin and require little power to keep them going. If you're willing to sacrifice a little cost for a more brisk wind, you can.

One of the neatest fans I've seen is made from four stout fiberglass fishing poles strung with cord and fitted with canvas sails. It gives a very nice effect and produces a stirring of the room's air that is better IMO than is made by tilted wooden blades.
-- reensure, Sep 08 2002


There's scope here for making fan blades look like something else - the description of blades bent up at the end made me think of the wings of a Boeing 747-400, so why not just use scale model aeroplane wings? - or if you're after curved blades, why not use genuine antique scimitars? (and then invite UnaBubba round - heh heh heh...)
-- hippo, Sep 08 2002


// As a young man, I am ashamed to admit, I used to take bets on whether I could stop the ceiling fan over the bar of the Royal Oak hotel with my head. Hey, it was easy money... //

That explains an awful lot. "Deserving of pity rather than condemnation" springs to mind.
-- 8th of 7, Sep 09 2002


Personally, I like danger. The money is kind of a bonus.

Question: Did you stand on a chair, or are you just much, much thaller than I imagine ?
-- 8th of 7, Sep 10 2002


I don't think fan tips are angled for that reason. If so, I'd expect the vertex to be further from the hub at the trailing than the leading edge, because the fan blade relies on angle of attack, rather than an aerofoil to generate downforce. Maybe it's designed to reduce tip-loss. Maybe it's to keep the edge out of harm's way. Anyone know for sure?

Maybe you can induce an oscillation around the ceiling mount instead, like a typical sweeping fan.

Anyway, thanks for posting this. Thinking around the subject, I have just realised why turbine blades have a higher pitch, shorter chord and reduced undercamber than at the tip. Thanks; it was educational.
-- FloridaManatee, May 21 2003


oscilation would be cool, you could put a small weight on one blade. though spinning and orbiting/oscilating might break it or make it cut a circle in your ceiling?
-- chud, May 21 2003


I would expect that fan blades which curve up at the end do so to draw air in toward the top of the fan, so as to minimize the pressure differential between the air above the fan and the air below.
-- supercat, Jun 04 2003



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