Velocity measurements in the wake of an automotive cooling fan

Axial, radial and tangential velocity component measurements in the wake of an automotive cooling fan have been acquired. The volume flow rate through the system was measured using a unique moment-of-momentum flux device. Time averaged velocity vector directions were approximated by suspending and photographing a tuft in the fan wake. Digital images of the tuft and reference angles were acquired to locate the mean flow angles at 40 positions for four flow rate conditions. Hot-wires in an X configuration were aligned with these mean flow angles at the ( r, θ, x) locations reported in the paper. The time series data acquired at these locations were phase averaged with respect to a fixed reference point on the rotating fan. An ensemble of 900 realizations provides the sample population for the statistical quantities. These data were acquired such that 370 samples per revolution could be averaged.