In the context of producing a pulling force perpendicular to the 'spinning plane' of a propeller/fan,
is it correct to say that a propeller mainly achieves it's force by being aerofoils producing lift and a fan mainly achieves it's force by utilizing Newtons third law?
[Physics] Difference between propeller and fan in pulling force
aerodynamics
Best Answer
There is no difference in physics between a propeller and fan. In English the distinction is probably that a fan moves air while the propeller moves the vehicle through the stationary air (or water).
edit: Although aerospace engineers call the front stage of a turbine engine a "fan".
There is a difference between an aerodynamic regime at low speeds and higher pressures where the air behaves as a fluid, and low pressure regimes where it is purely mechanical 'billard balls' hitting flat blades - as in a high vacuum turbo molecular pump