What is the difference between an air diffuser and an air grille?

Both air diffusers and air grilles play an important role in HVAC systems, but they have certain differences in function, structure and application.

First of all, from a functional point of view, air diffusers are mainly used to transfer oxygen from the air to liquid, or to evenly distribute air flow in indoor air conditioning systems to reduce the direct impact of air flow and improve the comfort of the indoor environment. It splits the air into fine bubbles or air flows through specific designs, such as porous plates or porous tubes, to achieve uniform diffusion of air.

The air grille (sometimes also called a louver vent or grille vent) is mainly used as a protective and uniform flow device at the orifice end of the air distribution or inhalation. It is usually installed at the air supply or return air outlet of the air conditioning system to protect the internal components from external damage and evenly distribute or inhale air. The design of the air grille allows air to flow through its gaps or holes while preventing large particles from entering the air conditioning system.

Secondly, in terms of structure, air diffusers may contain more internal components, such as perforated plates, diffusers, etc., to achieve fine distribution of air. Air grilles are relatively simple, mainly composed of a series of blades or slits, which are used to control the direction and speed of airflow.

Finally, in terms of application, air diffusers are more common in scenarios where precise control of air distribution and oxygen transfer is required, such as water treatment processes in activated sludge methods or high-precision laboratory environments. Air grilles are widely used in various HVAC systems as an important component of supply and return air vents.