The fan was developed for particularly demanding fuel cell and battery electric vehicles. When optimizing its ventilation blades with the use of AI, the MAHLE engineers took inspiration from the wings of an owl: This minimizes noise turbulence and makes the fan much more quiet and efficient. The bionic fan blades can reduce the fan noise of a truck by up to 4 dB(A).
It is particularly in noise-sensitive areas that the new bionic high-performance fan shows its strength. During fast charging of vehicles, for example, reduced noise levels increase comfort for drivers and area residents alike. MAHLE offers the fan in a broad power range from 300 watts to 35 kW. This enables its use in small electric passenger cars all the way through to large, particularly temperature-sensitive fuel cell trucks. The first prototypes are already being trialed by various passenger car and commercial vehicle manufacturers.
To save even more weight, MAHLE also developed the fan cover and carrier in accordance with bionic principles. As a result, both components are more than 10 percent lighter, and have increased structural integrity.
“10 percent lighter”
5kg*0.1=.5kg, so its now 4.5kg
the quiet fan blade design is a nice touch.
but is it “10 percent” less expensive???
the world is better served by offering inexpensive things that people of all income levels can use for a decade.
if the world of engineering was ‘just’, it would seek to have more modularity.
these ‘bionic’ arms could simply have been made of ABS or ultramid with replaceable arms.
rather than this ‘custom’ housing that only mahle makes…
i love MAHLE and their products. but maybe lets design stuff that benefits the world.