Two-Piece Fan Adapter for Compact Engine-Fan Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fan adapters for engines face challenges in accommodating different engine sizes and spacings, leading to increased complexity and difficulty in coupling the adapter and fan to the engine, particularly due to limited distance between the base and fan ends.
Innovation Solution
A two-piece fan adapter design that includes a base portion and a fan end portion, which are removably coupled using a bolt, dowel rod, and washer, allowing for standardization of coupling portions while accommodating different fan and engine sizes through adjustable spacings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If a smaller distance between the base end and fan end is used in the adapter, then the adapter size is reduced, but the difficulty and complexity of coupling the adapter and fan to the engine increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter is divided into two separate pieces: a base portion that couples to the engine hub and a fan end portion that couples to the fan. This segmentation allows each piece to be optimized independently, with the base portion providing a stable mounting foundation and the fan end portion accommodating the fan coupling, thereby reducing overall complexity despite the compact spacing requirement
2Adaptability or versatility
If different sizes of adapters are used to accommodate different engine sizes and spacings, then the adaptability increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The base portion of the adapter is designed with universal coupling features that can accommodate different engine hub configurations. The standardized base portion with its specific geometry and coupling mechanisms can work with multiple engine types, reducing the need for entirely different adapter designs for different engines
3Length of stationary object
If coupling elements are fitted in a smaller distance between base end and fan end, then the adapter compactness is improved, but the ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The base portion is pre-assembled and pre-positioned on the engine hub before the fan end portion is attached. This preliminary action allows for proper alignment and positioning of the base portion with adequate working space, while the subsequent attachment of the fan end portion completes the compact assembly without requiring difficult fitting operations in confined spaces
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A fan adapter (10) includes a base (12) and a fan end portion (14). The base (12) includes a mounting portion (22) and a coupling portion (24), and the base (12) is configured to be coupled to a portion of an engine. The fan end portion (14) includes a mounting portion (34) and a coupling portion (36). The coupling portion (36) of the fan end portion (14) is configured to be coupled to the coupling portion (24) of the base (12), and the fan end portion (14) is removably couplable to the base (12) via one or more coupling elements (16, 18, 20) to prevent relative rotation between the base (12) and the fan end portion (14).