Re: Mechanical Fan Question
I'm not a fan (accidental pun) of shrouds; by covering so much of the radiator's surface they block ambient air flow through the fins when the fan isn't pulling.
For example: a radiator that's 20" wide and 20" tall has a surface area of 400 square inches on it's front side. But on the back side the fan opening for a 16-inch fan is only 254 square inches (3.14x9x9 fan radius squared). THE SHROUD HAS JUST COST YOU 160 SQUARE INCHES OF COOLING SURFACE!
For that reason many custom shrouds have resorted to rubber flaps to allow air flow, like the picture below. Still a poor trade off in my opinion.
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