Dyson develops 'near silent' fan

Engineers eliminate irritating tones of earlier model

Dyson has developed a “near silent” update to its bladeless fan that it says is quieter than a buzzing mosquito. 

The British company says its Air Multiplier fan is up to 75% quieter than the original model, released in 2009, after its team of 65 engineers reduced the turbulence of high-velocity air.

The fan is the first Dyson machine to include a Helmholtz cavity in the base to eliminate tones of 1,000Hz, similar to the frequency of the noise produced by the wing beat of a mosquito. Dyson's engineers found that the frequency that most irritated users of its previous fans was 1,000Hz, making their goal for it to be “totally inaudible” from the new model.

A Helmholtz cavity catches sound waves travelling through the machine. When air is forced into the Helmholtz, the pressure increases. These sound waves are then bounced within the cavity, dissipating the sound and in turn improving the tone of the machine.

Dyson said it invested £40 million into its newest fans, spending almost £15 million every week on research and development in 2012. The various sizes of the new fans cost between £220 and £300 and weigh between 7.3lb and 15lb.

Sir James Dyson said: “By reducing air turbulence and using simple engineering principles like a Helmholtz cavity, Dyson engineers have targeted tones and reduced sound volume, making quiet fans with powerful airflow.”

Wiltshire-based Dyson, which employs more than 3,600 staff worldwide, was founded in 1992 and sells machines, including vacuum cleaners and hand dryers, in more than 50 markets.