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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 232 / Tuesday, December 7, 2021 / Proposed Rules
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these blade types into the right product class, DOE is proposing to update the proposal for measuring blade thickness as follows: 1 Locate the cross section perpendicular to the fan blades radial length, that is at least one inch from the tip of the fan blade and for which the blade is thinnest, and 2 measure the thickest point of that cross section within one inch from the leading edge of the fan blade.
DOE expects that this proposal would result in ceiling fans with rolled-edge blade designs being assigned to the appropriate product class, while having minimal effect on the blade thickness measurement of other blade types relative to the proposal in the September 2019 NOPR.
DOE seeks comment on its proposal to measure ceiling fan blade thickness at the thickest point within 1 of the blades leading edge, along the plane perpendicular to the blades radial length at which the blade is thinnest.
Specifically, DOE seeks feedback on if this update will prevent ceiling fans from being incorrectly classified into the wrong product class. DOE also welcomes feedback on if the blade thickness should be measured within 1
of the leading edge, or if the allowable thickness measurement zone should be restricted to closer to the leading edge e.g., within 12 or 14 of the leading edge.
I. Specifications for Ceiling Fans With Accessories Sections 3.3.1 Test conditions to be followed when testing and 3.5.1 of appendix U, require that a ceiling fans heater and light kit be installed, but not energized during the power consumption measurement. These provisions are in place to include any impact these accessories might have on airflow, but prevent any reduction of the measured airflow efficiency that would result from including power consumption that does not relate to the ceiling fans ability to circulate air.
Beyond heaters and light kits, an increasing number of ceiling fan models on the market contain other features, such as air ionization and ultraviolet technology, that do not relate to the ceiling fans ability to circulate air, but that consume power and therefore could reduce the measured airflow efficiency.
DOE proposes to amend the language in sections 3.3.1 and 3.5.1 in appendix U to apply more broadly to any additional accessories or features that do not relate to the ceiling fans ability to create airflow by rotation of the fan blades. Specifically, DOE proposes that such accessories or features must not be energized during testing. If the
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accessory or feature cannot be turned off, it shall be set to the lowest energyconsuming mode during testing. This proposal would clarify the application of the test procedure to ceiling fans with accessories or features other than light kits and heaters, while not incurring additional test costs or burdens. DOE
does not expect this clarification to result in manufacturers having to re-test their ceiling fans, because DOE expects that manufacturers would have set such accessory features to their lowest energy-consuming state during testing.
DOE seeks comment on its proposal to require that testing be performed without any additional accessories or features energized, if possible; and if not, with the additional accessories or features set at the lowest energyconsuming mode for testing.

Manufacturers are already required to determine this value if making representations under the current test procedure for ceiling fans and will be required to use this value to ensure the products they distribute in commerce comply with the amended energy conservation standards. Further, the rounding of airflow to the nearest CFM
is consistent with the current DOE
guidance for the Federal Trade Commission FTC EnergyGuide label.
DOE seeks comment on its proposal to specify that any represented value of airflow CFM at high speed, including the value used to determine whether a ceiling fan is a highly-decorative ceiling fan, is determined pursuant to 10 CFR
429.32a2i and rounded to the nearest CFM.

J. Product Specific Rounding and Enforcement Provisions
2. Blade Edge Thickness Rounding and Tolerance Appendix U of 10 CFR part 430
currently does not prescribe measurement tolerances for blade edge thickness. The September 2019 NOPR
proposed that blade edge thickness for small-diameter ceiling fans be measured with an instrument with a measurement resolution of at least one tenth of an inch. Further, DOE proposed that blade edge thickness be rounded to the nearest tenth of an inch, effectively providing a tolerance range of 0.1 in. See 84 FR
51440, 514501. This tolerance would enable both tape measures and calipers to be used for this measurement, which typically have resolutions of 1/32 in 0.03 in and 0.001 in, respectively. In response to the September 2019 NOPR, ALA and Hunter suggested that blade edge thickness should be measured with dial calipers only. Hunter No. 29 at p.5;
ALA, No. 34 at p. 4 Hunter stated that the proposed blade thickness resolution of 0.1 inches is too large and that a tape measure cannot be used, and instead recommended that the required instrument resolution should be 0.001
in, with a measurement tolerance of 1/
32 in. Hunter No. 29 at p. 5
Upon further consideration, DOE
recognizes that a rounding and tolerance requirement of 0.1 in would not provide sufficient resolution i.e.
number of digits to represent fan blade edge thickness in relation to the 3.2 mm 0.126 in threshold defined in Sections 1.8 and 1.13 in appendix U. Based on observation from round robin testing, DOE understands that most, if not all, laboratories use calipers to measure blade edge thickness. Accordingly, in this SNOPR, DOE proposes to require the use of an instrument with a measurement resolution of at least 0.001
in, and for the blade edge thickness
1. Airflow CFM at High Speed Rounding In the September 2019 NOPR, DOE
proposed amendments to 10 CFR 429.32
to specify that represented values are to be determined consistent with the test procedures in appendix U and to specify rounding requirements for represented values. 84 FR 51440, 51450.
DOE proposed represented value and rounding requirements for productspecific information that was necessary to determine the minimum allowable ceiling fan efficiency and the proper category of certain ceiling fans, including blade span, blade RPM, blade edge thickness and distance between the ceiling and the lowest point on the fan blades. Id In this SNOPR, DOE is proposing alternate rounding requirements for blade edge thickness, as discussed in section III.J.2.
DOE notes that airflow CFM at high speed is also product-specific information required to determine product category. Specifically, airflow CFM at high speed is required to determine whether a ceiling fan is a highly-decorative ceiling fan. While 10
CFR 429.32a2i already provides the represented value calculation for airflow, neither that section nor appendix U provides any rounding requirements for airflow at high speed as it relates to determining whether a ceiling fan is a highly-decorative ceiling fan. Accordingly, in this SNOPR, DOE
proposes to specify that any represented value of airflow CFM at high speed, including the value used to determine whether a ceiling fan is a highlydecorative ceiling fan, is determined pursuant to 10 CFR 429.32a2i and rounded to the nearest CFM.

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