International. Ziehl-Abegg announced that it was the center of attention in bionics for many of the visitors at the ISH fair in Frankfurt. This time a marine mammal was the idea behind a new amateur development. Therefore, a small cinema on the theme of "whale watching" was integrated into the fair stand that was inaugurated by a speech by whale researcher Dr. Karsten Brensing, with inflatable gifts in the form of the man-sized animal for the summer holidays.
"The fair was repeatedly flooded with visitors" to the delight of Peter Fenkl, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ziehl-Abegg. The main focus of interest was on the innovative ZAbluefin fan that increases efficiency by up to 15 percent. "That's why our engineers have clearly underlined their position at the forefront of bionics and as leaders in fan technology," Fenkl emphasizes.
Development engineers studied the physical structure and characteristics of the humpback whale to transfer elements to the new ZAbluefin radial impeller. It is also the reason why marine biologist Dr. Karsten Brensing spoke at the opening of Ziehl-Abegg's presence at the fair. The renowned whale expert explained to visitors how 30-ton marine mammals live and hunt – and in this context depend on being extremely agile. Evolution has optimized the animal's body for movement through water so they are also able to undertake journeys covering several thousand kilometers with minimal energy expenditure.
CEO Fenkl explained which elements of the humpback whale are replicated in the ZAbluefin radial impeller: for example, the leading edge of the fan blade has a wavy profile - this is based on the size of the golf ball (technical term: tuber) on the whale's fins This prevents excessive turbulence, reducing both flow losses and noise. Flow engineers have also closely examined the whale's rear fin, the "flounder." The V-shaped outline of the rear section of the fin delays potential flow breaks, allowing the fan to be used for different pressure ranges. The latest generation of radial fans in Ziehl-Abegg in sizes from 710 mm, now benefits from this knowledge that has been acquired in the field of bionics. The name of the product ZAbluefin comes from English.
