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What is the difference between brushless DC fan and brushed DC fan?
- Categories:Industry news
- Author:rain
- Origin:capital
- Time of issue:2025-06-04 11:07
- Views:
(Summary description)Brushless DC fans and brushed DC fans are two common types of fans, which have significant differences in structure, working principle, performance characteristics, and other aspects
What is the difference between brushless DC fan and brushed DC fan?
(Summary description)Brushless DC fans and brushed DC fans are two common types of fans, which have significant differences in structure, working principle, performance characteristics, and other aspects
- Categories:Industry news
- Author:rain
- Origin:capital
- Time of issue:2025-06-04 11:07
- Views:
What is the difference between brushless DC fan and brushed DC fan?
Brushless DC fans and brushed DC fans are two common types of fans, which have significant differences in structure, working principle, performance characteristics, etc. The following is a specific comparison:
一、Structure and Working Principle
- Motor structure
Brushless DC fan: brushless and commutator, using permanent magnet rotor and electronic commutation circuit (such as Hall sensor or sensorless control).
Brushed DC fan: There are carbon brushes and commutators, and the carbon brushes are in direct contact with the commutators to achieve current commutation through mechanical friction.
- Working principle
Brushless DC fan: The electronic commutation circuit switches the direction of current based on the rotor position signal, driving the permanent magnet rotor to rotate without mechanical contact.
Brushed DC fan: The carbon brush contacts the commutator to conduct current, and the rotor rotates through mechanical commutation, resulting in physical wear.
二、Performance Characteristics Comparison
- Lifespan
Brushless DC fan: No mechanical contact parts (carbon brushes and commutators), minimal wear, typically with a lifespan of 30000 to 100000 hours, or even longer, suitable for long-term continuous operation scenarios (such as servers and industrial equipment).
Brushed DC fan: The carbon brush and commutator are prone to wear and tear due to long-term friction, with a short lifespan of usually 10000 to 30000 hours. Regular maintenance or replacement of the carbon brush is required.
- Noise
Brushless DC fan: Electronic commutation without mechanical impact, smoother operation, lower noise (usually 20-50 dB), suitable for noise sensitive environments such as medical equipment and office spaces.
Brushed DC fan: Friction between carbon brush and commutator produces mechanical noise (usually 30-60 dB), which is more pronounced during high-speed operation.
- Energy efficiency and speed regulation
Brushless DC fan: High electronic commutation efficiency, low energy loss, and larger air volume at the same power.
Supports PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) speed regulation, which can automatically adjust the speed according to temperature or load, with significant energy-saving effects.
Brushed DC fan: Mechanical commutation has contact resistance, high energy loss, and slightly lower efficiency. The speed regulation method is limited (such as voltage reduction speed regulation), with low accuracy, making it difficult to achieve precise control.
- Maintenance requirements
Brushless DC fan: No need to replace vulnerable parts such as carbon brushes, low maintenance cost, suitable for scenarios that are difficult to maintain frequently (such as high-altitude equipment, sealing devices).
Brushed DC fan: The carbon brush needs to be replaced regularly after wear, and the maintenance frequency is high. Long term use may lead to short circuit risk due to carbon powder accumulation.
- Environmental resistance
Brushless DC fan: With good structural sealing, it can be designed to be waterproof and dustproof (such as IP68 rating), and can adapt to harsh environments (such as outdoor equipment and humid scenes).
Brushed DC fan: Carbon brushes and commutators are susceptible to dust and moisture, and have poor environmental resistance, making them suitable for clean and dry indoor environments.
- Application scenarios
Brushless DC fan:
High end electronic devices: servers, data centers, precision instruments.
Industrial and outdoor equipment: new energy vehicles, charging stations, solar inverters.
High demand scenarios: medical equipment, aerospace, smart homes (such as silent fans).
Brushed DC fan:
Low cost short-term applications: small household appliances (such as desktop fans), toys, temporary cooling devices.
Scenarios with low maintenance requirements: ordinary computer case fans (some low-end models), simple mechanical equipment.
三、Summary: How to choose?
Prioritize brushless DC fans:
If long lifespan, low noise, high reliability, energy-saving speed regulation, or use in harsh environments are required, such as industrial equipment or long-term operating cooling systems.
Prioritize selecting brushed DC fans:
If the budget is limited, the usage cycle is short, and the requirements for maintenance and noise are not high, such as temporary heat dissipation and low-cost small appliances.
With the development of technology, brushless DC fans have gradually become mainstream due to their comprehensive performance advantages, especially in high-end and long-term use scenarios where they are more competitive.
Capital Technology Co., Limited is the chief agent of SANYO DENKI, one of the leading enterprises of the cooling fan industry. We are a factory who also have our own independent brand CAPITAL product series. The main products are cooling fan, DC/AC fan, radiator, filter, reactor etc. We can provide customer with the most professional and perfect technical support, welcome to contact me at anytime at rainlee@szcpt.com.
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