Server fan farm

[fj40_73]

I have always had cooling issues with my v8 and space was limited... A flex fan directly to the pulley fit and would work .. but sounded horrible and I would have to rev in stop n go traffic. One large electric fan.. not so good.. Two 10" fans.. not much better.. Then I tired the 2 10" fans with a shroud that only restricted free flowing air.

I saw some youtube videos of rockcrawlers using a series of server fans.. and decided to give it a go.

Using a few relays, an arduino mini and two potentiometers to control speed.. this is where i am at.

 

[fj40_73]

https://thelandcruiser.com/sy/mud/IMG_4914.MOV

First test on fans went good. I had fan trigger one set to come on at 185 and off at 174. Fan speed 80%. It would drop temp from those numbers in under 3 mins. Noise level way better then any of the large fan set up so far... Next I will try lowering fan trigger 1 to 50% and at 190 have fan trigger 2 run them at 80%.

 

[Mark Jennings]

That is like so ‘cool’…..I use something similar on another hobbie car oil cooler, just 2 of the muffin fans through a toggle switch…keeps the oil temps down in stop and go traffic.

Cool Beans!

 

[Engineer8000]

That is cool. Curious how those fans will hold up in environmental conditions. Dust and moisture will kill them fairly quickly I think.

 

[charliemeyer007]

Redundancy has advantages. I'd add a back up controller. Are you pushing or pulling the air? Heat wise, pushing the air would likely help fan life, but pulling the air would provide a lot more protection for the fans.

 

[archie73]

Curious how deep/thick the shroud is? I’m running the Taurus fan, but it’s trimmed to fit around the LS water pump. Do you have an estimate of how many CFM’s you’re going to pull? TIA

 

[fj40_73]

Redundancy has advantages. I'd add a back up controller. Are you pushing or pulling the air? Heat wise, pushing the air would likely help fan life, but pulling the air would provide a lot more protection for the fans.

Pulling. If the computer goes out.. they will just run at 100%. The main on and off to the system is triggered by one of the two 30amp relays. One relay goes to 6 fans and the 12 to 5v reducer that starts the arduino mini. the other 30 amp relay supplies power to the other 6 fans.. The fans are rated at 3.3 amps so decided to run 2.

The fans are used from ebay bought in builk offerings about $14 each. Time will tell on durability, atm the air flow is more then needed..so if I start to loose one or two here and there.. i should be good and have time to address them. Solid State Brushless DC Motor. Ball Bearing Permanently Lubricated. Not sure how this is any less durable then any other fan I have ran.

Material: Sound-Absorbing Thermoplastic Frame and Impeller Rated V-0
Air Flow: 220 CFM

12 x 220 if running at full = 2640.. not super impressive, but coverage beats any circle fan set up and it should be easier on the fan with no restrictions like pulling up air from behind a shroud from covered dead space.. @80% its pulling just over 2000 cfm.

Time will tell... it's finally not my DD so I can experiment.

Fan shroud was just some tin from lowes, bent up to fit and attach.. but is about .6" with bend and only extends past the radiator tank a couple rubber strips thick. This gives .5" of space between fins and tin/fans.
Fan body 1.5"
This is the biggest radiator I could get in between the headlight buckets. I made some hacky lower brackets attached to the frame out of a set of universal mounts cut up and welded to fit with rubber cushions.

Griffin Thermal Products 1-25202-XS Griffin Universal Fit Radiators | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - Griffin Universal Fit Radiators with qualifying orders of $125. Shop Radiators at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

Here is the youtube video that inspired me to give it a go:

 

[Engineer8000]

A year from now, everyone will want one. That rig in the video is pretty cool.

 

[thatcabledude]

Holy hell

 

[archie73]

Pulling. If the computer goes out.. they will just run at 100%. The main on and off to the system is triggered by one of the two 30amp relays. One relay goes to 6 fans and the 12 to 5v reducer that starts the arduino mini. the other 30 amp relay supplies power to the other 6 fans.. The fans are rated at 3.3 amps so decided to run 2.

The fans are used from ebay bought in builk offerings about $14 each. Time will tell on durability, atm the air flow is more then needed..so if I start to loose one or two here and there.. i should be good and have time to address them. Solid State Brushless DC Motor. Ball Bearing Permanently Lubricated. Not sure how this is any less durable then any other fan I have ran.

Material: Sound-Absorbing Thermoplastic Frame and Impeller Rated V-0
Air Flow: 220 CFM

12 x 220 if running at full = 2640.. not super impressive, but coverage beats any circle fan set up and it should be easier on the fan with no restrictions like pulling up air from behind a shroud from covered dead space.. @80% its pulling just over 2000 cfm.

Time will tell... it's finally not my DD so I can experiment.

Fan shroud was just some tin from lowes, bent up to fit and attach.. but is about .6" with bend and only extends past the radiator tank a couple rubber strips thick. This gives .5" of space between fins and tin/fans.
Fan body 1.5"
This is the biggest radiator I could get in between the headlight buckets. I made some hacky lower brackets attached to the frame out of a set of universal mounts cut up and welded to fit with rubber cushions.

Griffin Thermal Products 1-25202-XS Griffin Universal Fit Radiators | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - Griffin Universal Fit Radiators with qualifying orders of $125. Shop Radiators at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

Here is the youtube video that inspired me to give it a go:

So with the fans, the shroud assembly looks like 1.5-2”? I like the redundancy. I only have one fan motor and if it dies I have no fan. I’ve gone a decent distance without it by accident, so there’s that…

 

[fj40_73]

so far so good..

 

[archie73]

so far so good..

How many and what kind of miles? Dirt roads/trail?

 

[DPHFJ40]

Flex-a-lite makes a electric fan controller that runs the fans at medium and high depending on adjustable set point. Jegs and Summit sell short beaded pipes with a temp sender port to add into the upper radiator hose.
Fans built for cooling electronic enclosures probably would not last long with engine compartment temp, vibration, dust, moisture. Safer to use Spal or Flex-a-lite fans.