Dyson's Air Multiplier is the overpriced bladeless fan you never asked for
By Paul Miller 
posted October 12th 2009 7:01PM
posted October 12th 2009 7:01PM
SAY GOODBYE TO THE BLADE
James Dyson introduces the bladeless fan. No blades. No buffeting.
James Dyson, who for the past 30 years has continuously revolutionized the vacuum cleaner his attention to addressing the everyday fan. As a result, he has designed the Dyson Air MultiplierTM fan, which has no blades, but instead uses a unique technology to multiply air 15 industry through unprecedented advancements in airflow engineering, has turned times, expelling 119 gallons of smooth and uninterrupted air every second.
Until today, conventional electric fans have gone largely unchanged. The fundamental problem has remained the same for more than 125 years; the blades chop the air creating an uneven airflow and unpleasant buffeting.
Dyson's fluid dynamics engineers spent four years running hundreds of simulations to precisely measure and optimize the machine's aperture and airfoil-shaped ramp before perfecting Dyson's Air Multiplier technology. Air fluctuations were mapped with Laser Doppler Anemometry, helping measure control the machine's airflow.
"We realised that this inducement, or amplification, effect could be further enhanced by passing airflow over a ramp," says Dyson. "And of course this was the point where the idea of a bladeless fan became a real possibility. Here was a way to create turbulent-free air and finally do away with blades."
How it works: inducement and entrainment
Air is drawn into the base of the machine. The air is forced up into the loop amplifier and accelerated through the 1.3mm annular aperture, creating a jet of air that hugs the airfoil- shaped ramp. While exiting the loop amplifier, the jet pulls air from behind the fan into the airflow (inducement). At the same time, the surrounding air from the front and sides of the machine are forced into the air stream (entrainment), amplifying it 15 times. The result is a constant uninterrupted flow of cooling air.
The Dyson Air MultiplierTMfan is powered by an energy efficient brushless motor and air speed can be precisely adjusted with a dimmer switch. Conventional fans are wired to run at just two or three settings.
No blades mean no need for a grille and it's safe and simple to clean.
And because its motor is at its base, the Dyson Air MultiplierTM fan can be tilted with a touch, unlike a conventional top-heavy fan, which needs to be positioned with two hands and can topple easily.
The Dyson Air MultiplierTM fan is available in two 10-inch models: blue & iron and silver & white with an MSRP of $299.99. A 12-inch model is available in silver & iron with an MSRP of $329.99. All three machines are available at The Conran Shop (NY), Luminaire (Chicago/Miami) and Twentieth (LA). To learn more about the Dyson Air MultiplierTM fan visit www.dyson.com.
James Dyson introduces the bladeless fan. No blades. No buffeting.
James Dyson, who for the past 30 years has continuously revolutionized the vacuum cleaner his attention to addressing the everyday fan. As a result, he has designed the Dyson Air MultiplierTM fan, which has no blades, but instead uses a unique technology to multiply air 15 industry through unprecedented advancements in airflow engineering, has turned times, expelling 119 gallons of smooth and uninterrupted air every second.
Until today, conventional electric fans have gone largely unchanged. The fundamental problem has remained the same for more than 125 years; the blades chop the air creating an uneven airflow and unpleasant buffeting.
Dyson's fluid dynamics engineers spent four years running hundreds of simulations to precisely measure and optimize the machine's aperture and airfoil-shaped ramp before perfecting Dyson's Air Multiplier technology. Air fluctuations were mapped with Laser Doppler Anemometry, helping measure control the machine's airflow.
"We realised that this inducement, or amplification, effect could be further enhanced by passing airflow over a ramp," says Dyson. "And of course this was the point where the idea of a bladeless fan became a real possibility. Here was a way to create turbulent-free air and finally do away with blades."
How it works: inducement and entrainment
Air is drawn into the base of the machine. The air is forced up into the loop amplifier and accelerated through the 1.3mm annular aperture, creating a jet of air that hugs the airfoil- shaped ramp. While exiting the loop amplifier, the jet pulls air from behind the fan into the airflow (inducement). At the same time, the surrounding air from the front and sides of the machine are forced into the air stream (entrainment), amplifying it 15 times. The result is a constant uninterrupted flow of cooling air.
The Dyson Air MultiplierTMfan is powered by an energy efficient brushless motor and air speed can be precisely adjusted with a dimmer switch. Conventional fans are wired to run at just two or three settings.
No blades mean no need for a grille and it's safe and simple to clean.
And because its motor is at its base, the Dyson Air MultiplierTM fan can be tilted with a touch, unlike a conventional top-heavy fan, which needs to be positioned with two hands and can topple easily.
The Dyson Air MultiplierTM fan is available in two 10-inch models: blue & iron and silver & white with an MSRP of $299.99. A 12-inch model is available in silver & iron with an MSRP of $329.99. All three machines are available at The Conran Shop (NY), Luminaire (Chicago/Miami) and Twentieth (LA). To learn more about the Dyson Air MultiplierTM fan visit www.dyson.com.
That is so kool!
Really 'cause I'm not a fan.
LOL pax copia
bravo, pax
Almost as cool as their washing machine that ceased to exist
@ pax copia
It's a play on words!
well done Pax
Dyson is like Apple in many ways, they take a product that is already available to the public, make it amazing and sell it as a premium.
Nah, that blows.
@RyanK
Could be worse. The other product sucks.
Hah, reminds me of a joke:
A fan looks over at the vacuum and says, "You suck!"
The vacuum looks to the fan and says, "Blow me"
It's a lot funnier with graphics and captions....I swear.
Finally!
I think it'll just end up having Nerf balls through it in some overprivileged youth's dorm room.
In this day and age, youths only throw Wiimotes.
Dyson = Apple = RipOff.
@Vanilla
My Dyson vac is my favorite 'tech-ish' purchase ever. Before that my crappy Bissell left dog hair all over my place...
Dyson > Apple > your opinion
They should just call it a nerf accelerator and market it to kids then .
Gosh! dyson is failing all laws of physics. He will replace AC with a FAN. His fan can take small power of the order of 5 watts and suck all the heat around and give you cool air.. LOL
Did someone just destroy energy ? OOps :D
I want to hit my quidditch ball through it and score a goal.
you mean quaffle?
I have the same thoughts about Emma Watson... oh wait... that was supposed to be internal monologue...
@Nytrojen
Bonnie Wright is better looking I think.
i honestly dont get the point besides the buffeting noise. the only thing i can think is that dyson had some traumatic experience with vacuums and fan blades and felt compelled to rid the world of their noisy evils
@nytrojen
the best thing about your cockring comment is that your name has trojen in it
This is beautiful. Too bad I don't have large amounts of disposable income....
Noisy as a vacuum cleaner?
Screw that.
I like my air "buffeted" thank you.
I'll bet some asshole already has their credit car out to pony up for this thing.
I think i am quite content with my $10 fan which essentially does the same as this $300 one. Not a "fan" of your overpriced fan.
I see what you did there...
I'm a fan of Dyson's inventions, so hopefully this device isn't as impractical as Engadget's sarcasmotron ray makes it out to be. I'll reserve judgment until I've seen impressions elsewhere.
The Sphere is still my favourite.
Design is moronic to say the least. Reserve you judgement to your heart's content.
The "air multiplier" technology is pretty sweet though, they should send it to Mars, and repopulate the Mars atmosphere with it....
I have to admit on my last trip to SFO I finally got to use the Dyson hand dryer's engadget talked about. While not as quick as drying hands as they claim, it did come pretty close to it's claim. It was also the only hand dryer I would prefer to use to paper towels.
I've never felt I was a victim of fan buffeting so that's not much of a plus. If you had said it was nearly silent that would have impressed but the shrill whine of a vacuum cleaner-type sound is a big "no thanks."
Looks like Steve Job's version of a frying pan.
If they made a solid state fan though, that would make me SO happy.
i think dyson is a pretty cool guy. eh makes thinks with fans in and doesn't afraid of anything
i think dyson is a pretty cool guy. eh creates skynet and doesn't afraid of anything
This is brand diluting at it's finest. I own a DC17 Animal, but have serious doubts about the company's longevity outside the Vacuum market. I haven't heard good things about their hand dryers-- and still hear occasional complaints about the durability of their vacuums.
Send this thing back the Sharper Image.
Their hand dryers kick ass dude. Way better than traditional dryers.
really? i used a Dyson hand dryer once and wasn't very impressed. then again hand dryers just blow in general (pun very much intended)
@kojo87
Than maybe you didn't use a Dyson handryer. Because they actually suck. not blow :)
No, it still blows... If Dyson made a hand dryer that sucked, it'd rip your skin off.
The Dyson hand dryer is brilliant, while they are costly I believe they cut down on electricity consumption too. I usually spend a while under traditional ones until my hands are dry but the Dyson dries you in one 'dip'. Usually have them at airports and casinos.
Their hand dryers are embarassingly awful.
The hand slot is so small that with the buffeting of the air stream flowing over your hands, it's nearly impossible to get you hands dry without touching it. Which eliminates the primary benefit of the "touch free dryer technology".
It would be easier to use if they'd angled the slot so that primary muscle groups are in control while you pull your hands through it, but they didn't. They angled it to optimize gravity's downward pull on the water, but in doing so, set it up in at an awkward angle for human use.
And this is with a healthy adult using it. They certainly didn't think of the elderly, the infirm, or anyone with even slight neuromuscular issues.
The slot points nearly upward, making it completely impossible for short people, small children or the disabled in wheelchairs to use the device as designed.
Added to all that FAIL, they just don't work that well. There's always water left over on the edges of my hands or between my fingers.
Worst thing is, some of the stores in my area have bought his snake oil and switched over completely, and don't have any other drying method available in their facilities. Except toilet paper, which I've seen people use in preference to the Dyson airblade.
Really, the fact that Dyson released this hand dryer product into the wild in it's current state has me convinced that Dyson is a one trick pony.
I don't care if it works better, if it's louder than a normal fan I'll pass.
Yes, there was always a problem with fan blades, too pesky with their simple and affordable design. Now that it's solved I can get a good nights sleep.
I think it's too noisy for that.
I laughed aloud at both posts. Good work.
you sound like a man who knows his cockrings
Can you use it to blow humongous bubbles?
If I see this on display in the stores, I am going to give a good kick.