It’s Just Cool: Dyson Air Multiplier
By Gordon DeWitte
Or it’s just cooling. In any case, I saw this on Fast Company — “…Doesn’t Suck, It Blows” –, and couldn’t decide whether to go with the “Cool” title, the “Hot Or Not,” or the “Tool Pr0n” title. Dyson’s new Air Multiplier™ is probably not the fan you want to have out in the garage, but the technology involved is kinda neat. It is, as you may have noticed from the picture, blade-less, and based on phenomena the Dyson engineers noticed when developing their Airblade hand dryer — which is also interesting in that it uses a single thin sheet of air, moving at up to 400 mph, to blast the water off your hands. In the Air Multiplier™, this sheet of air, generated by a “mixer flow impeller” in the base, creates negative pressure as it exits the rim, and draws in more air from behind the fan. The result is a claimed 15× amplification in air, and none of that annoying “unpleasant buffeting” from fan blades.
The 10″ fan is $300, and the 12″ is $330. So while it won’t hurt if you stick your hand in it, it will cost you an arm and a leg.
Dyson [Manufacturer's Site]
October 14th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Yawn… This concept has been used for decades in industry, admittedly with compressed air rather than a directly connected blower. Google “air amplifier” for a variety of manufacturers. Exair claims 25X amplification.
Now the airblade hand dryer, that’s interesting.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:04 am
Maybe they should learn to spell v-e-n-t-u-r-i
October 14th, 2009 at 10:19 am
I’ve seen fans of this type used by Formula One drivers while sitting in their cars in the garage for a number of years now.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:39 am
Hackadays’ version on weather this is or this is not “fanless fan”:
http://hackaday.com/2009/10/14/it-has-blades-dysons-little-white-lie/
October 14th, 2009 at 10:41 am
For $270-300 in savings I can live with the “buffeting”. However if you are stupid enough to put your fingers through the fan guard you deserve to get them bloodied/chopped off !!
October 14th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Typical overpriced Dyson stuff. They try to convince you that their gee-whiz and pseudo-science is worth the outrageous price.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Kris,
I have used a lot of vacuums…. The dyson Animal has no equal…..
Even my large HP chop vac can’t put the hair out like that…. I know they are expensive, but to hate because of this ….Means hating some others…MAC, SNAPON, FESTOOL.
PLus thier science is not Pseudo Science, just good application.
You never know what this might inspire……. Technology breeds more innovation.That is what toolmongers are all about
ShopMonger
October 14th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
I would like to point out that there are still blades and that this kind of claim while it seems true is indeed false, I think they are pulling the wool over our eyes
October 14th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Kris: Having used a Dyson Airblade hand-dryer, I can say from firsthand experience that it is without a doubt the most efficient hand-drying apparatus I’ve ever seen in my life. It gets your hands as dry as a fresh towel in about half the time. I doubt you’ve ever used a Dyson product, so don’t knock it ’till you try it.
I’ve never tried their vacuums or this fan, but I want an Airblade for my bathroom. It’s that cool.
cl
October 14th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
and none of that annoying “unpleasant buffeting” from fan blades.
But how are you supposed to put your face in front of it and tell Luke that you’re his father?
October 15th, 2009 at 4:55 am
Greg,
Yes in this scenario there are blades, but in the ones that use compressed ari, the compressors don’t really don’t have blades…. So there is no wool over the eyes, just a firm understanding of how things work.
Again i will say Ignorance is the worst kind of critic.
ShopMonger
October 16th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
By the way, the Dyson Airblade hand-dryer is over $3000 !… what a rip off…!!!!
and it’s loud as heck!
F.
October 17th, 2009 at 12:12 am
Louder than other forced-air hand dryers? Not to my ear (although I still prefer towels for my personal use).
cl