BCM Community

Bus Discussion => Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) => Topic started by: Bob & Tracey on September 20, 2013, 12:38:53 PM

Title: Electric cooling fan
Post by: Bob & Tracey on September 20, 2013, 12:38:53 PM
Is anyone running an electric cooling fan instead of the engine driven fan? I think I would like to pursue this... Any thoughts???

Bob
Title: Re: Electric cooling fan
Post by: DaveNCari on September 20, 2013, 12:47:35 PM
Instead of...NO! In addition to...YES!

I have a large electric fan blowing IN while the engine driven fan draws through.....

Dave
Title: Re: Electric cooling fan
Post by: FloridaCliff on September 20, 2013, 01:08:39 PM
Hey Bob,

This is a topic that comes up every now and then.

I will let the residential engineers speak, but basically, for the amount of CFM you need, the size of the motor required to move that air, the generator required to produce the power,  its not worth it.

For the long time bus board  members "remember Two Dogs?"

Cliff
Title: Re: Electric cooling fan
Post by: bevans6 on September 20, 2013, 01:10:16 PM
I've seen four stroke buses running a bank of 16 to 20 electric cooling fans on a very large side mounted radiator, I assumed they were for engine not AC.  The normal presumption is that a two stroke generates too much heat, the radiators are too small and the electric fans don't generate enough CFM of airflow.  I think that if you say doubled the size of the radiators you might be able to use electric fans.  People have tried it though.

Brian
Title: Re: Electric cooling fan
Post by: chessie4905 on September 20, 2013, 01:55:18 PM
I think TwoDogs was quite successful with his electric fan setup. It may be still in the archives. Worth the read.
Title: Re: Electric cooling fan
Post by: TomC on September 20, 2013, 01:58:15 PM
With the size of the 4104 radiator, the electric wont cool enough. Stick to what works and has worked for over 50 years. Transit buses can and do use electric fans mainly because they have each stop to cool off. Pulling a long grade is completely different. Good Luck, TomC
Title: Re: Electric cooling fan
Post by: niles500 on September 21, 2013, 12:53:45 AM
You call this successful?

http://www.busnut.com/bbs/messages/233/10584.html (http://www.busnut.com/bbs/messages/233/10584.html)
Title: Re: Electric cooling fan
Post by: Bob & Tracey on September 21, 2013, 04:23:17 AM
Thanks, I am hearing what I kinda thought already. I will leave things as they are.

Bob
Title: Re: Electric cooling fan
Post by: chessie4905 on September 21, 2013, 05:51:58 AM
  Successfull to him. Entertaining to the rest of us. AC condenser fan from 4905 should work, as the coils are about same size as 4104 rad. That motor draws a lot of amps though. He could install a torus fan setup from one of the city old looks. We put one on our 4104. One main problem with most GM's is engine to radiator clearance, which probably is limiting for the large electric motor required.
  Here's info for thought: http://www.electricfanengineering.com/ (http://www.electricfanengineering.com/)
Here is a location for replacement fan blades of more efficient design and airflow. Also cw or http://www.hortonww.com/products/products.asp?/en/39 (http://www.hortonww.com/products/products.asp?/en/39) rotation avail:
Title: Re: Electric cooling fan
Post by: luvrbus on September 21, 2013, 06:00:12 AM
Read the archives about Mark's (Boomers) electric fans on his Eagle a different set up but they work it has for years
Title: Re: Electric cooling fan
Post by: Don Fairchild on September 21, 2013, 09:48:28 AM
Clifford, doesn't Hal run electric fans on his eagle. I know he has a four stroke but they work for him and he has that power dialed up a lot if I recall. I like hydraulic fans myself.

Don
Title: Re: Electric cooling fan
Post by: luvrbus on September 21, 2013, 09:53:28 AM
Yea he does Don right now he running 625 hp on his series 60
Title: Re: Electric cooling fan
Post by: lvmci on September 21, 2013, 11:39:48 AM
Hi All, I had asked once before about other options, specifically for situations where low rpms was causing heat build up, in a traditional fan belt set up. I don't remember if I ever asked properly about running an evapoative style 3/4 or 1 HP 24 volt electric fan belt motor to run the squirl fans off the same pulley, at maximum speed in those situations. Has any one ever done that? I was thinking if I was in stop & go fwy driving, the squril cages could draw the max amount of air thru the radiators and blow thru the engine compartment, standing still, of course the amperage draw would be the qualifier,  lvmci...