From Enclosure to Suspension: A Century of Blower Technology Evolution

Introduction

The blower, an industrial device that may seem unassuming, is in fact a mirror reflecting the evolution of human industrial civilization. From the ancient animal‑hide bellows to today’s… Air-Suspension Centrifugal Blower Each technological advancement in blowers has profoundly shaped the development trajectories of foundational industries such as metallurgy, chemical engineering, environmental protection, and power generation. This paper adopts a dual perspective—historical and technical—to trace the nearly two-century evolution of blowers, uncovering the underlying logic and driving forces behind these technological transformations.

I. Echoes of Antiquity: The Origins of Bellows Technology

Before discussing modern blowers, it is necessary to trace their origins back to earlier times. Humanity’s use of “blowing air” predates the Industrial Revolution by a long margin.

As early as 5,000 to 6,000 years ago, metallurgy had already emerged in China. Early metallurgical processes integrated a variety of techniques, with forced air supply playing an indispensable role. The earliest devices used for this purpose were fans and blowpipes—known in ancient times as “tuo.” Later, our ancestors devised bellows made from animal hides, with air ducts and air inlets at opposite ends. Over the course of Chinese history, air‑blowing equipment evolved from hide‑made bellows to wooden fans and eventually to piston‑type wooden bellows. Although these ancient inventions differ greatly in form from modern blowers, their fundamental principle of pressurizing and conveying gas has remained consistent across millennia.

However, it was not until the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century that blowers truly emerged as modern industrial equipment.

II. The First Generation: Roots Blowers—The Dawn of the Positive-Displacement Era

Key date: 1854

The starting point of modern blower technology is generally marked by Roots blower It is marked by the invention of.

There are two prevailing accounts regarding the origins of the Roots blower. One holds that the British engineer George Jones was the first to develop a twin‑rotor blower in 1849, while the more widely accepted view attributes its invention to… American brothers Francis Roots and Philander Roots —In 1854, while designing a waterwheel in Indiana, they conceived this type of blower and subsequently manufactured it at their own wool‑spinning mill. In 1867, the Roots blower was exhibited at the Paris World’s Fair and received an award; thereafter, the public came to refer to this gas‑handling machine as the “Roots blower.” This marked a significant milestone in the history of blowers. The only machine type that retains the human name designation. 。

Roots blowers belong to Positive-displacement blower It operates by rotating two “figure‑eight”‑shaped rotors within the casing, thereby varying the chamber volume to draw in and compress gas. Its advantages include a simple structure and reliable operation; however, it suffers from relatively low efficiency, significant noise and vibration, and energy losses due to “external compression.” China began manufacturing Roots blowers in 1951.

III. The Second Generation: Screw Blowers—From Concept to Reality

Key milestones: The concept was proposed in 1878, and the technological foundation was laid in 1934.

The concept of the screw blower dates back further than most people realize. On March 24, 1878, Heinrich Krigar, an engineer from Hanover, Germany, A patent was granted for the “screw blower” (Schraubengebläse). However, due to the technological limitations of the time, this concept remained unable to be translated into a commercially viable product for many years.

The real breakthrough occurred when The 1930s 。 In 1934, Swedish engineer Alf Lysholm At the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, the SRM technology for screw compressors was established and its application in industry was initiated. In 1946, the British company James Howden became the first to obtain a license from the Swedish firm SRM to manufacture screw compressors.

Screw blowers compress gas by meshing two parallel male and female screw rotors; compared with Roots blowers, they offer higher efficiency, reduced flow pulsation, and lower noise levels. However, due to limitations in manufacturing precision and cost, the widespread adoption of screw blowers has been a lengthy process.

IV. The Third Generation: Multi‑Stage Centrifugal Blowers—The Dawn of the Dynamic‑Type Era

Key milestones: the centrifugal fan was invented in 1862, and its design was refined in 1880.

The history of centrifugal blowers also dates back to the 19th century. In 1862, the British engineer Guibel. He invented the centrifugal fan, in which the impeller and the casing are arranged on concentric circles; the casing was constructed of brick, and the wooden impeller featured backward‑curved straight blades. Although its efficiency at the time was only about 40%, this marked… Powered blower The birth of.

1880 , engineers developed volute‑cased centrifugal fans with backward‑curved blades for ventilation in mines, bringing their design to a more refined state. Subsequently, higher pressures were achieved by connecting multiple impellers in series. Multistage centrifugal blower It has gradually developed. The 1980s Due to their low noise levels, smooth operation, and uniform air supply, multistage centrifugal blowers have begun to replace Roots blowers in wastewater treatment plants abroad. However, their large size, heavy weight, and still‑insufficient efficiency have paved the way for the emergence of next‑generation technologies.

V. The Fourth Generation: Single-Stage High-Speed Centrifugal Blowers—A Breakthrough in Three-Dimensional Flow Theory

Key period: the 1990s

Enter The 1990s , blower technology has achieved a qualitative leap. With “Triadic Flow Theory” In the design of centrifugal compressors and blowers, Single-stage high-speed centrifugal blower Born in response to the times.

The so‑called “three‑dimensional flow theory” is a precise description of the three‑dimensional airflow within turbomachinery, along with an optimized design methodology. The application of this theory has significantly increased the efficiency of single‑stage centrifugal blowers to More than 82% , far exceeding multi-stage centrifugal blowers. Single-stage high-speed centrifugal blowers employ a gearbox for speed increase, with oil lubrication and cooling inside the gearbox. Their advantages include high efficiency, compact size, light weight, a wide flow‑rate adjustment range, and a high degree of automation.

However, gear‑based speed increasers introduce challenges such as structural complexity and high maintenance costs. This has prompted engineers to seek a more radical solution— Eliminating the gearbox allows the motor to directly drive the impeller at high speed. Thus, suspended‑bearing technology came into the purview of blower developers.

VI. The Fifth Generation: Magnetic‑Levitation Centrifugal Blowers—The Dawn of the Contactless Era

Key timing: entered the market in 1996.

The concept of magnetic levitation was first proposed as early as the mid-19th century, but its actual application in engineering practice has required a long and arduous process of exploration.

In 1996, the Swiss Sulzer Group (SULZER) ABSHST’s high-speed magnetic‑levitation blowers were the first to enter the market. Since then, international giants such as Sweden’s Atlas Copco have also successively launched comparable products. In 2009, China Magnetic Valley Technology successfully developed the country’s first magnetic‑levitation blower. , marking the successful localization and establishment of this technology in China.

The core breakthrough of the magnetic‑levitation blower lies in… Magnetic levitation bearing ——The rotor levitates and rotates within the magnetic field, thereby achieving Contactless, friction-free, and lubrication-free This technology thoroughly addresses several core challenges, including high-speed drive, transmission, friction losses, and fluid‑flow efficiency optimization. Compared with conventional blowers, magnetic‑levitation blowers typically achieve energy savings of 30% or more, operate at lower noise levels, and require virtually no maintenance.

VII. Sixth Generation: Air-Suspension Centrifugal Blowers—From Aerospace to Industrial Applications

Key period: Emerging in the late 1990s and commercialized around 2001.

If the magnetic‑levitation blower represents the pinnacle of electromagnetic technology, then… Air-suspension blower It is a masterful exposition of fluid dynamics.

The core technology of the air‑suspension blower — Foil Air Bearing ——Originally originated from Aerospace field In the late 1950s, Garrett Corporation of the United States developed foil bearing technology. In 1998, NASA first adapted air‑bearing technology from military applications for civilian use. 。

The true commercialization of air‑suspension blowers is closely linked to… South Korea Inseparable. In the late 1990s Air‑suspension blowers began to emerge in South Korea. Their developers largely came from the Samsung National Aerodynamics Research Institute, a facility originally tasked with R&D in military and aerospace technologies. Following the end of the Cold War, some of the scientists who held key expertise left the institute to start their own companies, working to adapt military‑grade technologies for civilian use. Around 2001 , companies such as South Korea’s Turbowin have launched commercial air‑suspension blowers. Since then, Chinese enterprises have… 2009 Later, they began to enter this field.

The air‑suspended blower utilizes the airflow generated by high‑speed rotation. Air membrane The rotor is lifted, thereby achieving contactless operation, zero friction, and lubrication-free performance. Its operational efficiency can reach 95% Around this, the structure is simpler than that of magnetic levitation.

VIII. The Intrinsic Logic of Technological Evolution

Looking back at the evolution of blowers from the first generation to the sixth, we can clearly discern a consistent technological trajectory:

From “contact-based” to “contactless,” from “oil‑based” to “oil‑free.”

Each technological generation seeks to address the core pain points of its predecessor:

• Roots blower : The “availability” issue has been resolved—mechanized gas pressurization and delivery have been achieved.
• Screw blower : It has addressed the “better” issue—delivering higher efficiency and lower noise.
• Multistage centrifugal blower : The issue of “powerization” has been resolved—transitioning smoothly from volumetric to dynamic operation.
• Single-stage high-speed centrifugal blower : The issue of “efficiency optimization” has been resolved—three-dimensional flow theory significantly enhances efficiency.
• Magnetic levitation blower : The “frictionless” issue has been resolved—magnetic bearings enable contactless operation.
• Air-suspension blower : It resolves the issue of “extreme simplification”—using air itself as the bearing medium, resulting in the simplest possible structure.

Behind this evolutionary trajectory lies the cross-disciplinary integration and coordinated advancement of multiple fields, including aerodynamics, materials science, automatic control, and permanent‑magnet motors.

Conclusion

Counting from the invention by the Roots brothers in 1854, modern blowers have come a long way. Over 170 years The evolution of the blower. From bulky mechanical positive-displacement devices to today’s sophisticated systems that integrate aerodynamics, electromagnetics, high-speed motors, and intelligent control, the history of blower development is also a chronicle of humanity’s ongoing quest to answer the timeless question: “How can we harness energy more efficiently?”

Today, magnetic‑levitation and air‑bearing blowers are rapidly gaining traction worldwide, driving the wastewater treatment, chemical, power, metallurgical, and other industries toward… More energy-efficient, more environmentally friendly, and smarter The direction of development. And at the very beginning of it all was nothing more than a modest aspiration from over two centuries ago—to harness the power of the wind.

(This article’s data and historical facts are compiled from publicly available sources and are provided for reference only.)