The use of straighteners in the inlet duct of centrifugal fans is suggested for eliminating any inlet distortion. An experimental investigation was performed to study the effect of inlet straighteners on the performance characteristics of centrifugal fans. Two types of straighteners were used, circular tubes and zigzag cross section, with different lengths. Circular tubes with different diameters have been investigated. The study was conducted on three types of fans, namely radial, backward with exit blade angles 60 degrees and 75 degrees and forward with 105 degrees and 120 degrees. The results confirm that the inlet straighteners exhibit different effects on the fan performance for the different blade angles. Accordingly, the results indicate the selection of long circular tube straighteners with large diameter for radial blades, long zigzag type for backward 60' blade angle and short zigzag type for backward 75' blade angle. Generally, good improvements in efficiency are observed for radial and backward blades on account of a slight drop in static head. In addition, an increase in the flow margin up to 12% and a decrease in the noise level from 3 to 5 dB are indicated compared to the free inlet condition. On the contrary, unfavorable influences are exerted on the forward fan performance. (c) 2006 Published by Elsevier Ltd.