

The seals will press against the surface of the neighboring blades to close any gaps between the blade edges. The blade edges will overlap when the damper closes. The face side seal will point downward, and the rear side seal will face up. Add insulation material to this space to thermally insulate the damper.īlade seals are placed in grooves along the blade profile just above the curved edge. The center of the airfoil is typically hollow to allow for mild warping during high velocity airflow. The edges of the blade are rounded to create an aerodynamic profile. Airfoil BladesĪirfoil blades consist of two flat pieces of metal fused into an “airfoil” shape. Single thickness blades work best for applications that require a tight closing damper with minimal air leakage. These blade seals will cover the space between the closed blades. Blades seals are found along the edge of each curve. The face side curve will interlock with the rear side curve of the blade below it, while the rear side curve will interlock with the blade above. The edges of the blade will curve in opposite directions, so that the blades interlock when the damper closes.

This blade profile goes by different names in the industry – V-curve, 3V, UVU blades – but the design will be the same. Typically, these blades will have a V-bend at their center and a U-bend curve at each edge. Single thickness blades are blades that sport a uniform thickness across the blade profile. Let’s begin with the single-thickness blade. In this article, we will review the common types of damper blades and how they work in your damper. For instance, curtain blades fall along a frame tract to close off the damper. Some damper blades do not rotate on axles. Backdraft damper blades will rotate along an off-center axis. Most damper blades will rotate along a central axis. The simple action of opening and closing has a variety of uses.īlade type and blade action will often determine the damper’s purpose in your HVAC system. These blades are designed to rotate along their axles to open or close the damper when needed. Damper blades are adjustable metal slats installed inside the damper’s frame. A damper without blades is just an open frame. Start with the damper blade primer on the MCDLG Newsstand.ĭampers are made from many different components, but damper blades are the most important part. In this article, we review seven types of damper blades and their purposes.
