Hi Steve and welcome to DOW,
I’m not sure if you’re vehicle or small engine bound, but here’s what I started using as a pulling fan for my line D imbert dimensions for small engine operation. I got it for 8 bucks at a garage sale. It’s a bump house inflater fan. I’m pulling through my system. I have a filter bypass arrangement, manually switching hose from no filter(start up) to filter after flare(run mode). The motor is completely isolated from the fan, so no chance of tarring it up. I made a cone adapter and riveted it to the fan housing. Check out the vid at 2m51s to see running temp after long run, works great.
You could use something preformed, as well. The unit stays cool/warm so soldering or gorilla gluing might work, just remember you don’t want air leaking into the gas here as it makes the mixture explosive.
Here’s a how to do it cone layout program. There are others, just google it if this seems difficult to follow.
Pepe
Edit: I knew I had an easier to follow cone maker somewhere. Remember you still have to add your “bend lines”. I usually bend using 20 bend lines. Or if you have a roller, just roll away.
Koen,
For some time I have been thinking about using an R/C brushless motor ducted fan, or just a brushless motor with some kind of home-brew impeller (cut-down R/C propeller?). I am sure this will work, but I haven’t tried it yet, so I did not say anything. So here is my idea… I was thinking of mounting it inside a PVC pipe nipple, or using a pipe elbow with the motor on the outside of the elbow and impeller on the inside. Yes, you would need a speed control and servo tester (which is a variable pulse-width circuit that needs a low current, 5volt power source [battery OK]). The brushless motors have a range of Lithium-Ion cells they can use. A “2-S” to “3-S”, for example is looking for about 7 to 11 volts. (and would probably still work at 12 volts) Many of the speed controls have a “BEC” battery eliminator circuit that would provide the 5 volts for the control. I think if you did it right, the survival time of this setup could be much longer than a marine blower. A car-type speed control would have reverse!
I will be trying this, I am just too cheap to buy the parts!
Since I have some of the parts on hand already, you have inspired me to try it sooner!
This afternoon I combined bicycle fitness with a trip to Lowe’s (big-box lumber / hardware store). 11 miles later, I have some assorted plumbing bits! This project might get somewhere!
