Abstract
Because of their longer operating times and larger size relative to conventional fans, the cooling fans mounted in buses consume larger amounts of energy. Most of the cooling fans mounted in a bus are connected to the engine by a viscous clutch. A viscous cooling fan's speed is determined by its fluid temperature, which is affected by the air flow through the radiator. The fan does not react immediately to the coolant temperature and in doing so causes unnecessary energy consumption. Therefore, the fuel economy of buses using viscous fans can be improved by changing to an electric cooling fan design, which can be actively controlled. In addition, electric power consumption is increased by using electric cooling fans. Thus, when electric fans are applied in conjunction with the alternator management system (AMS), the fuel economy is further enhanced. In this study, simulations were performed to predict coolant temperature and cooling fan speeds. Simulations were performed for both viscous and electric cooling fans, and power consumption was calculated. Additionally, fuel economy was calculated applying both the alternator management system and the electric cooling fan.