Modine Merits U.S. Patent for Unique Engine-Cooling Fan

    RACINE, Wis.--March 26, 2001--Modine Manufacturing Company has been granted a U.S. patent for a unique design of an engine-cooling fan. U.S. patent No. 6,165,909, titled, "Radial Fan," describes the invention, which is the brainchild of Michael Ehlers and Bernhard Stephan, two engineers who work at Modine's facility in Bernhausen, Germany.
    "Modine has 1,168 patents worldwide, but this is our first one for an engine-cooling fan," said Jeff Logic, process technology manager. The fan provides greater airflow without any decrease in efficiency thanks to a specially shaped air guide ring mounted to its cover plate. The ring rotates with the fan, allowing a larger gap between the fan and the air-inlet nozzle of the engine. Modine used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to assist in the development of the fan's unique design.
    The fan was designed for use on another Modine invention, the Compact Cooling System (CCS), for which Modine has also applied for patents. The Compact Cooling System is a new cooling system design for use primarily on heavy trucks that need a high-performance, yet compact, engine-cooling system.