Design of an Engine Cooling Fan
Fuel economy and exhaust emission of vehicles with large engines is poor in urban driving. This is partly due to auxiliary systems being driven directly by the engine. Improvements are possible when power to auxiliary systems is carefully managed via electric controllers. A new electrically powered engine- cooling fan was required to replace the engine driven fan on a 4.5 litre 4×4.
A complete design process was undertaken to develop a new fan. The analysis tools employed involved a combination of analytical methods with CFD modelling and simulation. The CFD offered a rapid method of validating the analytical design within the specific installation. The results were used to update and calibrate the analytical analysis. This combination facilitated a quick cycle time for design iterations. The project was completed within a period of two months.
