

In mid-resistance setups, series or parallel operation setups may yield similar results. Depending on whether the system has high or low airflow resistance, series or parallel operation setups can be more beneficial.

Installing them in series or parallel gives the combined theoretical curves shown. In Figure 1, Fan 1 and Fan 2 are the same model. When an increased air volume or pressure becomes necessary for an application, multiple fans can be used instead of replacing a single fan with a larger capacity fan. This article sums up the theoretical backgrounds and provides some general guidelines for designing series and parallel operation setups. On the other hand, running fans in parallel does not increase the static pressure but increases the airflow.

In general, combining axial fans in series does not increase the airflow but increases the air pressure. Many custom-designed setups require more ventilation than a single fan can deliver, so this can prompt the question whether two (or pairs of two) fans should be placed in series or parallel operation. By contrast, when designing custom ventilation setups outside of the realm of PCs, there can be plenty of options regarding fan configuration and placement. a chassis having a certain amount of fan placements, a heatsink fitting one or two fans or a radiator fitting a certain amount of fans in push, pull or push/pull.
#PC FAN AIRFLOW DIRECTION PC#
In PC environments, the options for fan placement are usually predetermined by the application, e.g. Axial fans in series or parallel operation
