InfraStructures - June/July 2020 - Cleanfix Reversible Fans, A Solution to Your Radiator Plugging Issue

Cleanfix Reversible Fans, A Solution to Your Radiator Plugging Issue

When you take into account the increasing thermal loads brought about by lower emissions diesel engines in the environments which heavy-duty OEM off-highway machines often work in, it is clear to see how cooling can be a challenge. A challenge not just in terms of having enough cooling capacity for effective, efficient heat transfer in engines and high flow hydraulic systems, but also in dealing with significant issues resulting from dirt, debris and other contaminants that can clog radiators, coolers and air intake screens. Airflow restriction caused by dirty or plugged coolers can result in a range of problems, everything from overheating of engines and powertrain components to higher fuel consumption and increased maintenance for the machine operator/owner. It can even result in less comfortable cabin conditions for machine operator as a plugged A/C condenser will reduce the efficiency or stop the A/C system from operating.

A major benefit is to have a Cleanfix Reversible fan installed on the engine or hydraulic fan drive. Cleanfix Reversible fans have been in production since 1998. They have been an OEM factory option for several years – amongst them: Case, New Holland, Fendt, Oxbo, Caterpillar, Flory, Komatsu forestry, and many others. The principle of radiator/cooler cleanout has remained the same since the beginning. The blades of the Cleanfix fans have a curvature which creates a high static pressure. When the fan performs a cleanout, the blades rotate approximately 180˚ which changes the air direction and creates the same static pressure in the opposite direction.

Cleanfix offers air control and hydraulic control systems. For air-controlled fans, it can be tied into the onboard compressed air system of the machine. If there is no onboard compressed air system on the machine, a compressor can be used to control the fan. For hydraulic-controlled fans, it is tied into the machine’s hydraulic pilot pressure circuit. Both of these control systems can be equipped with the Cleanfix timer module. The hydraulic Cleanfix fan has a patented smart seal design which prevents the chance of external hydraulic oil leakage from the fan.

In addition to the reversing function, Cleanfix offers a continuously variable blade angle adjustment. Blade angle is based on the temperature of the air passing through the radiator/cooler package. When air temperature is low, the blade angle is low, as air temperature increases, the blade angle increases. This reduces fuel consumption, because the power consumption of a fan depends on the angle of its blades. This is all performed without the need of complicated electronics. In a defined temperature range, Cleanfix automatically adjusts the angle of the blades in order to meet the cooling requirements of the engine at the minimum possible power draw. Variable pitch fans can also be used strictly to prevent overcooling in the cold months. When you have a variable pitch fan, the larger the fan diameter and/or the higher the fan rpm will result in a more significant fuel and horsepower savings.

Many heavy-duty OEM off-highway machines are operated and/or controlled by either viscous clutches or hydraulic motors. The fan RPM gets matched based on the cooling need of the ECU and the temperature underneath the enclosure to better address cooling requirements. Contamination such as debris and/or clogged radiators increase the static pressure. A restriction of airflow due to contamination can be compensated with an increase of fan speed, but this costs power! Power which is required by the engine and power which costs fuel.

The viscous clutch, or the electronically-controlled hydraulic-motor will increase the fan speed automatically perhaps unnoticed (as long the temperature gauge is not in the red range) to the machine user.

Cleanfix offers the Pulstronic and Hytronic fans for machines requiring continuous OEM controlled cooling.
For OEM’s requiring full ECU fan control for cooling and/or cleanout, Cleanfix offers a fan with hall effect sensor which communicates the fan position to the machine ECU.

Seasonal fans can be used on machines that require reverse airflow in cold months to prevent overcooling of the engine and hydraulic systems.

Fans can be specified with 12, 9, 8 and 4 blade arrangements, based on the cooling requirements, fan diameters and engine size. Fan diameter range from 350 mm to 1,300 mm. Different fan blade types are available. From narrow blades to wide blades, fixed pitch blades, variable pitch blades, heavy-duty blades, puller and pusher blades.

Overheating damages engines, hydraulic, and hydrostatic systems. Even minor failures can put your machine down at the worst time, and major component failures can cause significant downtime and expense. Cleanfix Reversible fans eliminate tedious cleaning of cooling components. This ensures that critical machine cooling systems operate at their best, when working in the field and provides a substantial long tem payback to the operating/maintenance costs of the machine.

Source: Cleanfix

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