New axial fan for railway applications with high back pressure
The AxiEco from ebm‑papst has successfully established itself on the market for over two years. The versatile axial fan range has now been expanded to include a model that is specially tailored to the requirements of railway engineering and has many design tricks. The AxiEco Track was recently presented at InnoTrans 2022 in Berlin for the first time.
The product range's new fan was specially developed in view of the requirements of railway engineering. Until now, AC fans were often used in this arena. In contrast to modern EC fans, however, these can only be poorly regulated to the requirements, they are loud and they consume a lot of electrical energy. In the AxiEco Track, the impeller, integrated diffusor ring and hub form a compact unit. The blade tips pass directly into the integrated diffusor ring, which has eliminated the tip gap. The diffuser is integrated directly into the impeller, which increases the pressure, reduces outlet losses and helps to reduce noise levels. The fan blades are grooved, which increases mechanical stability and enables a higher power density. The fan housing is made of aluminum and can withstand strong forces.
These design tricks increase efficiency and also reduce noise. This results in remarkable characteristic values: in the largest size (500), the AxiEco Track enables an air flow of over 13,500 m³/h with a static pressure increase of over 750 Pa. In the size 450, it achieves a noise reduction of 6 dB (A) compared to its HyBlade predecessor.
The AxiEco Track, which can be used as a plug-and-play solution, is available in sizes 300, 400, 450 and 500 mm and, thanks to its high static pressure increase, covers all typical applications, for example it can be used in condensers in air conditioners or for cooling electronics and variable frequency drives. The size 500 features automatic resonance detection, i.e. critical speed ranges are detected automatically and "blended out". As a result, and due to its compact, robust design, it is resistant to vibrations and shocks, ensuring long operational reliability. Due to the wide voltage input, the fan is suitable for all voltage ranges and mains frequencies worldwide.
Standards for additional safety apply particularly in railway engineering. For example, EN 44545 and EN 50121-3-2 place special requirements on fire protection in railway vehicles and on the electromagnetic compatibility of the installed components respectively. The AxiEco Track was also subjected to shock and vibration tests in accordance with IEC 61373 category 1B.
Efficient fans and drives for quick-charge stations
ebm‑papst now offers efficient cooling solutions for all aspects of electromobility, including a variety of compact fans for electronics and switch cabinet cooling as well as powerful drives with integrated K4 control electronics for media-based cooling pumps. These are necessary for supplying the cooling circuits. Thanks to its high power density, the ECI-63.20-K4 internal rotor motor is typically used as a pump drive for charging cable cooling in the level 3 range with charging currents of up to 500 A. With variants in the 180 to 370 W power range, the compact drive covers a wide range of applications. The speed-torque-controlled external rotor motors in the VDC-49.15-K4 series, on the other hand, also allow conclusions to be drawn about pressure and coolant flow. This means additional sensors are not required in the application, which has a positive effect on the system control of the charging station.
The interior of a quick-charge station, its power electronics and cooling circuits are usually cooled with air. Depending on requirements, the fans in the AxiEco and AxiForce series, for example, can be used for this purpose. The AxiEco offers impressive performance and efficiency in a compact installation space, enabling the design engineer to optimize the design of the application. With a diameter of 200 mm, this fan delivers an air flow of 1,820 m³/h. The speed can be adjusted to the required cooling capacity using a PWM or analog signal. This also allows the operating noise to be reduced to a minimum. AxiForce compact fans are well suited for applications with high back pressure. In sizes 80, 120 and 172 mm, they achieve pressures of up to 1,200 Pa and air flow rates of up to 650 m³/h. These fans have a steep air performance curve such as is required for cooling in densely packed quick-charge stations. There is also a particularly environment-resistant version with encapsulated electronics in protection class IP68, which is dustproof, protected against powerful water jets, and has successfully passed the salt spray test. As an option, these are available with ATEX certification in accordance with DIN EN 60079-7, Group IIC, T4. These features make the AxiForce series ideally suited for use in charging infrastructure, as well as in battery storage systems and switch cabinet cooling.
