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Technical Paper

Method of Research Approach for Structural Analysis of Automotive Plastic Fans: Analytical and Experimental Investigation

1996-02-01
960143
In this paper a method of research approach adopted by USUI International Corporation (UIC) for structural analysis of automotive plastic fan is described. The fan material used and perfected by UIC for engine-driven fans is polypropylene. The analysis is carried out by finite element method and complemented by experiments in some cases. Structural analysis procedure specific to automobile engine-driven fan is described. Polypropylene fan offers several advantages over other plastic/metal fan. Polypropylene is lightest of all plastics having specific gravity of 0.9. However plastic fans pose certain challenging structural problems. Plastic properties such as modulus of elasticity are temperature dependent and properties detoriate with increase in temperature. Also continuous or repetitive loading of plastic fan over the period of life of fan results in creep of plastic material at high stress areas on the hub of fan. In actual practice plastic fan with molded-in steel insert is used.
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