Did you know? The idea of electric fans saving the summer heat has been around for thousands of years.

Electric fans can be said to be a highly valuable household item and are present in almost every household today. Their purpose is simple: to cool, circulate air more effectively, and provide a comfortable temperature. However, the birth of electric fans and the process of their development have undergone many fluctuations, which few people know about.

Long ago, humans had the idea and developed the first mechanical fan models. Many great civilizations in the world have contributed to the development and design of fans to make them a perfected tool. Until 1882, an American engineer invented the first electric fan.

Where does the origin of electric fans come from?

The origin of fans can be traced back to ancient China. The Chinese were among the first to mechanize fans. Ding Huan, a Chinese artisan and mechanical engineer, invented a rotary fan around 180 AD during the Han dynasty. With just one operator, it could cool larger spaces than any handheld fan.

During the Tang dynasty, the Chinese continued to harness hydraulic power to drive rotating fans. The invention of the water-powered fan in the 1830s marked a significant leap in fan-making, eliminating the need for manual operation. Over the next few decades, the development of electricity became an opportunity for the advancement of electric fans, spreading across Europe and the Americas.

The History of Electric Fan Invention

In 1882, Schuyler Skaats Wheeler used the ideas of Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison to develop the first electric fan. The device consisted of two fan blades attached to an electric motor and lacked a protective cover. Later, Curtis & Crocker Company, where Wheeler was the plant manager, commercialized his invention.

During that time, other fan manufacturing companies such as Emerson, Westinghouse, and General Electric emerged and faced increasing competition, demanding adjustments and improvements in fan designs. New fan blade shapes and increased blade quantities were applied in new fan models to enhance cooling efficiency. Also, the first pedestal fan appeared on the market during this period.

Electric fans began to be widely used in households over 110 years ago.

The ancient Egyptians were among the earliest people in history to use fans. They used simple fan types to help them escape the heat of the desert. In China, during the Han Dynasty, a craftsman named Ding Huan invented a unique mechanical fan. Ancient Greeks also used simple fan types to help them cool off in the summer.

However, it wasn't until the early 1900s that electric fans were commonly used in households. In 1910, the Westinghouse company introduced the first electric fan for household use, initially made of brass until brass became scarce due to its use as ammunition in World War I, after which materials were replaced with steel and aluminum to reduce weight.

However, shortly thereafter, air conditioning began to replace electric fans in commercial buildings, leading many manufacturers to cease production of commercial fan models and focus on improving electric fans for household use. By the 1950s, air conditioning became popular for households, and fans began to lose popularity.

However, with the increasing energy costs, fans became more popular in the 1970s, amid the oil crisis. In 2009, Dyson was granted a patent for a new design of bladeless fan.

Conclusion

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