New Fan Drives, Fans From Horton

Horton has developed a new fan drive system and fans for on-highway vehicle applications. 

The new LCX Series of variable-speed fan drives target medium- and heavy-duty trucks designed to meet the Phase 2 greenhouse gas emissions regulations. Available in three sizes, the drives are based on Horton’s existing variable-speed drives designed to rotate the fan at a wider range of speeds to more precisely match actual cooling requirements and deliver reduced fuel consumption and emissions, decreased noise and less parasitic draw on the engine.

The LCX Series drives add three new features — Cold-Start Disengagement (CSD), extremely low off-speed and superior low speed controllability. CSD is a proprietary technology engineered to disengage the LCX Series fan drives as much as 80% quicker than standard drives, enabling engines and cabs to warm up faster during cold weather starts.

The low off-speed feature is designed to ensure that very little of energy is consumed by the spinning of the fan during times when engine cooling is not needed, providing an off speed that is as much as 50% lower than competitive products under similar conditions, Horton said.

Optimized low-speed controllability is intended to address conditions where engine speeds are low and the desired fan rotation is also close to the lowest level, which can result in uncontrolled surges. Horton sad the LCX Series variable-speed fan drives can be controlled at very low speeds to accommodate slighter cooling needs such as those associated with AC head pressure. The benefit, the company said, is more precise fan control across all speeds, increasing fuel economy reducing emissions, offering more available horsepower and reduced noise variation through smoother modulation.

The new HS6 and HS11A fans are also designed for on-highway applications and meet increasing efficiency demands through optimization of fan blade design characteristics. The six-blade HS6 fan has 35% less blade area than an eight-blade fan, which enables more ram air to pass through the engine compartment, thus reducing cooling draw and improving duel consumption and emissions.

The HS11A fan incorporates a new blade profile that provides increased flow and pressure and is ideal for tightly packed, airflow-restrictive cooling systems, Horton said. With 5% less blade area versus a the standard 11-blade molded fan, it delivers 5% more airflow, while reducing noise by 2 bB(A), the company said.

Horton will officially launch its news fan drives and fans at IAA in Hanover, Germany.