Abstract: A fan shroud for a cooling fan assembly with a fan that is rotatable about an axis of rotation defines a downstream direction along the axis of rotation. The shroud includes a barrel for containing the fan. The barrel is concentric with the axis of rotation and further includes a base portion. A plenum includes a plenum body extending radially from the base portion. The plenum body defines at least one edge of length L1. A skirt extends proximate the at least one edge of length L1 and substantially parallel to the axis of rotation. An interface joins the at least one edge of length L1 and the skirt and has a length L1. The interface comprises an underside having a transition surface of a length less than length L1.

Abstract: A fan includes a hub and blades. A first edge of each blade is proximate an open end of the hub. A first rib is coupled to the hub and substantially aligned with a first plane intersecting the central axis and an intersection of the first edge of the first blade with the hub. The first plane is angularly spaced from a reference plane intersecting the central axis and an intersection of the first edge of the second blade with the hub. An angular spacing between the first plane and the reference plane defines one sector. A second rib is aligned with a second plane angularly positioned between the first plane and the reference plane at a location less than or equal to about (1/nR?0.05) sectors from the first plane, in which nR equals the number of ribs divided by the number of blades.

Abstract: A fan includes a hub and blades. A first edge of each blade is proximate an open end of the hub. A first rib is coupled to the hub and substantially aligned with a first plane intersecting the central axis and an intersection of the first edge of the first blade with the hub. The first plane is angularly spaced from a reference plane intersecting the central axis and an intersection of the first edge of the second blade with the hub. An angular spacing between the first plane and the reference plane defines one sector. A second rib is aligned with a second plane angularly positioned between the first plane and the reference plane at a location less than or equal to about (1/nR?0.05) sectors from the first plane, in which nR equals the number of ribs divided by the number of blades.

Abstract: A fan shroud for a cooling fan assembly with a fan that is rotatable about an axis of rotation defines a downstream direction along the axis of rotation. The shroud includes a barrel for containing the fan. The barrel is concentric with the axis of rotation and further includes a base portion. A plenum includes a plenum body extending radially from the base portion. The plenum body defines at least one edge of length L1. A skirt extends proximate the at least one edge of length L1 and substantially parallel to the axis of rotation. An interface joins the at least one edge of length L1 and the skirt and has a length L1. The interface comprises an underside having a transition surface of a length less than length L1.

Abstract: An automotive engine-cooling fan assembly uses pairs of overlapping fans to improve flow uniformity through the heat exchanger cores and to maximize the amount of fan power that can be achieved with limited motor sizes. One fan of each pair has upstream supports and the other has downstream supports, and these supports are so configured to minimize the axial dimension of the assembly. The use of banded fans maximizes fan performance, and blade skew minimizes fan noise.