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Cooling fan performance: pressure rise, flow rate, shaft power have been acquired. The control variables for these measurements include the fan rprn and the relative immersion of the fan into the shroud. In addition tuft visualizations and hot-wire anemometry have been used to visualize and measure the velocity field in the wake of the fan. The velocity measurements have been processed to provide phase averaged mean and RMS fluctuation levels. The mean values have been differentiated to provide the phase averaged streamwise vorticity magnitudes. The data are used to gain an understanding of the fluid mechanical attributes of the flow field, as well as to provide experimental results for comparison with computational investigations.

A new and unique facility has been developed at the Turbulent Shear Flows Laboratory at Michigan State University for the study of automotive cooling fans. Performance data can be acquired for a variety of fan and component geometries using this facility. Additionally, detailed velocity measurements can be made in the wake of the fan. This paper describes the details of the facility with examples of the data that can be acquired.