Browse Topic: Fans
This SAE Standard establishes a test method and a definition for disclosing the performance of suction/blower fans when applied to self-propelled sweepers that solely use a pneumatic conveyance means for the collection and transfer of “sweepings” into a collection hopper.
The deployment of high-power DC charging infrastructure for electric vehicles introduces new challenges in managing noise, particularly in public environments where acoustic comfort and regulatory compliance are essential. Noise emissions from both charging stations and vehicles during charging are a concern for operators of charging parks regarding customer experience and noise immission regulations. AVL employed a structured three-step approach to develop a non-expert tool for assessing the noise radiation of charging stations and vehicles during the charging phase. In a first step, AVL characterized the noise emissions with sound power measurements. Secondly, the measurement results were transferred to the virtual domain. To achieve this, the vehicles and charging station were characterized in the simulation with multiple monopole sources supported by transfer function measurements. This simulation model was validated against the sound power measurement results. After successful correlation of the simulation model, AVL implemented a user-friendly noise mapping tool for predictive planning of charging parks moving from a 3D FEM simulation approach to a simplified noise radiation model according to ISO 9613. Measurements were conducted on a representative high-power DC charging station and two electric vehicles. The vehicle cooling fan was identified as the dominant noise source on the vehicle side, while internal cooling fans of the charging station were the primary contributors to the noise radiated by the charger. Noise emissions were found to increase with higher charging currents, indicating a strong dependency on thermal load. The project established a reusable workflow for acoustic source identification enabling the creation of a scalable database. The noise mapping tool allows easy prediction of noise radiation from multiple charging stations and vehicles during the planning phase of charging parks and supports the design of countermeasures to meet regulatory requirements.
The present work demonstrates a Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) based methodology that couples a Finite Volume Method (FVM) and Finite Element Method (FEM) based tools to estimate air guide deformation, thereby predicting accurate aerothermal performance. The method starts with a digital assembly step where the assembly shape and the induced stress due to assembly is predicted. A full vehicle Aerodynamic simulation is performed to extract the surface pressure on the air guide which is then used to estimate the extent of deformation of the air guides. Based on the extent a subsequent Aerodynamic simulation may be carried out to predict thermal efficiency. Comparison against pressure data and deflection data extracted from the wind tunnel experiments of vehicles has shown reasonable match demonstrating the accuracy and usefulness of the method.
In the evolving landscape of energy efficiency and sustainability, understanding machine behavior in real-world operating conditions is essential. This solution introduces a data-driven Energy Management Dashboard designed to analyze and report critical machine parameters by leveraging LFI (Leverage Fleet Intelligence) and LFI Data (Local Field Intelligence Data). The tool serves as a robust solution for engineering and operations teams to gain actionable insights into machine performance and exposure. By tracking key parameters—such as engine fan speed, coolant temperature, and machine speed—across a fleet of machines (with support for over 1100 unique signals), the solution enables real-time monitoring and historical analysis. It helps identify when parameters go outside their specified limits and assesses the resulting impact on overall machine performance. The core functionality includes: Monitoring machine operating conditions under real field environments. Correlating parameter anomalies with performance degradation. Identifying exposure and usage trends based on location and operating conditions. Recommendations on potential impact of parameter value variations on the Engine Torque, malfunction in specific features of the tractor (machine). This solution architecture integrates seamlessly with existing data pipelines and leverages LFI data for contextual insights. The development process involved collaboration with the Ruse squad to ensure relevance to on-field challenges. The expected outcomes include improved visibility into machine usage, early detection of potential issues, and enhanced data-driven decision-making for field operations and energy management. By transforming raw machine data into clear visual insights, this solution empowers teams to take proactive measures in improving efficiency and reliability.
In automotive systems, efficient thermal management is essential for refining vehicle performance, enhancing passenger comfort, and reducing MAC Power Consumption. The performance of an air conditioning system is linked to the performance of its condenser, which in turn depends on critical parameters such as the opening area, radiator fan ability and shroud design sealing. The opening area decides the airflow rate through the condenser, directly affecting the heat exchange efficiency. A larger opening area typically allows for greater airflow, enhancing the condenser's ability to dissipate heat. The shroud, which guides the airflow through the condenser, plays a vital role in minimizing warm air recirculation. An optimally designed shroud can significantly improve the condenser's thermal performance by directing the airflow more effectively. Higher fan capacity can increase the airflow through the condenser, improving heat transfer rates. However, it is essential to balance fan capacity with energy consumption to achieve optimal performance. This study investigates the impact of varying these parameters on vehicle-level A/C performance and MAC Power Consumption. By systematically altering the condenser opening area, changing the shroud configuration, and adjusting the radiator fan capacity, we aim to find best conditions that enhance A/C performance and effect MAC Power Consumption. Experimental data were collected through a series of controlled tests, the results were analysed to decide the correlation between these variables A/C performance metrics such as average grill temperatures, refrigerant pressure and MAC Power Consumption. The findings provide valuable insights for automotive engineers and designers, highlighting the importance of these factors in achieving efficient as well as effective A/C systems in passenger vehicles.
Thermal management is critical for modern vehicles, particularly for Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs), where maintaining optimal temperature ranges directly influences thermal system efficiency and vehicle range. Accurate prediction of underhood airflow behavior is essential for effective thermal management and also to estimate overall energy consumption by cooling system, with air-side dynamics playing a pivotal role in heat transfer over the heat exchangers of cooling package. Simulation tools like GT-Suite are indispensable for this purpose, enabling engineers to evaluate complex thermal interactions without the cost and time constraints of extensive physical testing. While 3D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models offer detailed insights into flow characteristics, they are computationally expensive and time consuming. In contrast, 1D models provide faster simulation times, making them ideal for system-level analysis and iterative design processes. However, 1D models inherently lack the ability to capture detailed flow phenomena, which can compromise the accuracy of thermal predictions. To mitigate this, calibration using 3D CFD data or experimental measurements becomes critical, ensuring that air-side behavior is represented as accurately as possible. One of the key challenges in this calibration process arises at low fan speeds, where matching flow rates becomes difficult due to the unavailability of windmilling data. Along with calibration of normal operating conditions, this paper also presents a methodology for tuning fan maps under such constraints, focusing on strategies to enhance model fidelity and novel methodology to calculate fan mechanical power. We explore simulation-based techniques, leveraging steady-state operating conditions to refine fan characteristics. The study further discusses sensitivity analysis, validation strategies, and potential inaccuracies introduced by missing windmilling effects and method to accurately fill in the missing fan map data. The proposed methodology ensures improved predictive accuracy of underhood airflow behavior, enhancing thermal system design for automotive applications. This method improves the reliability of underhood airflow predictions, ultimately contributing to more accurate thermal management system predictions out of digital tools.
Noise generated by a vehicle’s HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) system can significantly affect passenger comfort and the overall driving experience. One of the main causes of this noise is resonance, which happens when the operating speed of rotating parts, such as fans or compressors, matches the natural frequency of the ducts or housing. This leads to unwanted noise inside the cabin. A Campbell diagram provides a systematic approach to identifying and analyzing resonance issues. By plotting natural frequencies of system components against their operating speeds, Test engineers can determine the specific points where resonance occurs. Once these points are known, design changes can be made to avoid them—for example, adjusting the blower speed, modifying duct stiffness, or adding damping materials such as foam. In our study, resonance was observed in the HVAC duct at a specific blower speed on the Campbell diagram. To address this, we opted to optimize the duct design instead of changing the blower speed. This approach helped eliminate resonance at that operating point, reducing noise in the cabin. By applying the Campbell diagram tool, HVAC noise can be minimized, resulting in a quieter cabin and an improved driving experience.
Manufacturers of fans/propellers using hydraulically-actuated pitch control claim energy efficiency gains up to 75% over fixed-pitch solutions. Unfortunately, the added cost, weight, reliability and maintenance considerations of hydraulic solutions has limited the introduction of pitch control for small-to-medium fans and propellers leaving a large market unserved by the efficiency gains associated with changing the pitch of a blade when the blade shaft’s speed changes. Pilot Systems International and Cool Mechatronics are developing an electromagnetically controlled pitch (EMCP) fan/propeller that will produce a new pareto optimal in size, weight, power, cost and cooling (SWaP-C2). The technology will substantially improve the efficiency of military ground vehicle cooling fans which is typically the third greatest power draw (~20kW)1 in the entire vehicle and provide critical performance improvements during silent watch. It will be a key enabler for the electrification of aircraft.
The oil cooling fan of a Main Gearbox (MGB) is a mechanically-driven component whose purpose is to force an air flow through an air cooled oil cooler; its performance is crucial in ensuring that the MGB oil temperature does not exceed a predefined threshold, set to alert the crew in case of an abnormal situation. The design and the certification of a cooling fan is a process involving several steps and multiple disciplines; mechanical design, aerodynamic analysis, dedicated tests carried out both on rigs and at aircraft level need to be exploited as complementary tools to assess the correct aero-mechanical behavior of the system. The aerodynamic assessment is associated to performance, measured in terms of MGB oil temperature: considering a comparison between two cooling fans, one outperforms the other if the resultant MGB oil temperature is lower, keeping the same boundary conditions (engine torque, wind speed, ambient temperature, etc.). The correct mechanical behavior is instead associated to multiple requirements that need to be satisfied: target fatigue life, high and low temperature limits, blade loss containment, maximum speed, etc. The process connecting the very first blank page to the certification of the part is usually linear and well defined, and the experience gathered by Leonardo Helicopters over the years has allowed to follow this path easily in most cases. This paper discusses an intriguing situation: the goal of the activity herein discussed was to replace an obsolete oil cooling fan with a new one. The latter was expected to outperform the first both from the aerodynamic point of view (i.e. lower MGB oil temperature) and from the mechanical point of view (i.e. longer life). The preliminary CFD analyses and the rig tests proved that the new fan was able to outperform the legacy one in regards of the aerodynamic requirement; nevertheless, during the last steps of verification carried out at aircraft level, the installation of the new fan resulted in a higher MGB oil temperature. This triggered dedicated troubleshooting: a sequence of investigative tests performed by means of dedicated rigs, targeted at properly identifying the aerodynamic operative point of the cooling fan and at understanding the reason behind the unexpected outcomes obtained. The relevance of this contribution does not lie in the description of the certification process per se, rather in the nonlinear dynamics characterizing the test sequence once the flight activities pointed out an unpredicted behavior.
The rapid adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) necessitates updates to the automotive testing standards, particularly for noise emission. This paper examines the vehicle-level noise emission testing of a Nikola Class 8 hydrogen fuel cell electric semi-truck and the component-level noise emission testing needed to create a predictive simulation model using Wave6 software. The physical, component-level noise emission testing focused on individual cooling fans in a semi-anechoic chamber to assess their isolated noise contributions. With this data, an initial model was developed using spatial gradient statistical energy analysis, which successfully predicted pass-by noise levels based on varying fan locations and speeds. Real-world pass-by testing confirmed the model's accuracy across different cooling fan speeds. By leveraging advanced simulation techniques, engineers aim to enhance the accuracy and reliability of pass-by noise predictions through cost-effective studies of architectural changes before implementation. As EVs produce noise differently from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, current industry standardized tests inadequately capture their full noise profiles. This paper highlights the need for regulatory updates to ensure effective pass-by testing for Class 8 electric semi-trucks and other EVs to adequately address their unique noise characteristics. Future work aims to refine the model and tackle issues with existing standards that do not accommodate EV architecture.
The Electroimpact Automatic Fan Cowl Riveter uses two novel drill processes to control exit burr height and achieve the required hole quality in CRES (Corrosion-Resistant Steel, also called stainless steel) material stacks. Both processes use piloted cutters on the OML (Outer Mold Line, referring to the exterior surface of an airframe) side, and two different tools are used in a backside spindle on the IML (Inner Mold Line, referring to the inside surface of an airframe) side of the component. The first process uses a shallow-angle shave tool in the IML spindle to directly control the exit burr height after it is produced by the OML spindle and is called the “burr shave” technique. The second process uses a countersink tool in the IML spindle and produces an “intermediate countersink” after the pilot hole is drilled by the OML spindle, but before the final hole diameter is drilled. These drill processes were able to achieve the required hole quality in a challenging CRES material stack, which allows the machine to be qualified for one-up assembly of the component.
Cooling system for an IC engine, consisting of the Water pump (WP), Radiator and Fan, plays an important role in maintaining thermal efficiency of the engine and protects the engine from overheating. Based on the vehicle application requirement, Fan will be mounted directly either on Crankshaft or WP pulley. But wherever increase in Fan speed ratio are in demand, it is preferred to mount the Fan on WP pulley. So it important to understand the WP housing structural strength with respect to vibration loads contributed from Radiator Fan assembly. This paper presents investigation of Failure of WP Housing during engine validation at engine test bed with Electronic Viscous Fan, based on the different operating conditions of the engine and fan as per the validation cycle. While the accessories are loading and the corresponding stresses are high when the fan is engaged. But in the current case, the failure of WP housing happened only during Fan clutch disengaged condition. Experimental Frequency Response Function (FRF) were carried out to identify the mode shapes and resonant frequencies. Vibration on WP housing were compared with Fan engaged and disengaged condition to identify the critical frequency ranges that minimize vibrational impacts on the WP housing. The results indicate a significant correlation between Fan Blade Pass Frequency (FBPF) and vibrational amplitude on WP housing. By optimizing FBPF, it is successfully mitigated high vibration levels, thereby enhancing the structural integrity and operational reliability of the WP housing. In addition, the results of crack initiation points, strain gauge measurements, structural and modal analyses are examined to enhance the WP housing strength.
Automotive cooling module system consists of condenser, radiator and intercooler which is used for thermal management of vehicle. Condenser helps to reject cabin heat, radiator to reject engine heat and intercooler rejects charged air heat to ambient. CRFM (Condenser, Radiator and Fan module) is conventionally packaged under the bonnet of passenger vehicle. Fan circulate airflow through heat exchangers and has primary role of airflow delivery. While performing vehicle level thermal management duty, fan noise is generated from CRFM and fan noise is considered as an important design attribute of CRFM. Many researchers have done fan noise simulation at component level and very limited literatures at vehicle (system) level simulation are available. Customer perceives noise from outside of the vehicle and it is important to predict fan noise at vehicle level at various operating speeds. Such simulations are transient in nature and modeling complexity demands high computational cost. Current paper discusses simulation methodology for component and vehicle level simulation. Results of both scenarios are compared with experimental results and correlation established is discussed in this paper. Vehicle level and component level fan noise simulations are carried out in LBM (Lattice Boltzman Method) based software and physical tests were conducted in semi anechoic chamber. This paper also demonstrates test and simulation approach used to perform this work. In current process, vehicle level and component level simulation correlation is established. Current methodology can be used for design ranking and will further assist in providing design countermeasures to reduce cooling module fan related noise during early product development.
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