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View Full Version : Spal vs PermaCool fans


jjusb
10-20-2005, 06:53 PM
Has anyone tried Spal or PermaCool fans for their cooling systems? Have you experimentally tested the fans?

I was looking at tech specs from both websites, and saw that for a 10" model the Spal draws 10A for 1070CFM and the PermaCool draws 6.8A for 1250CFM.

Are the permaCool numbers correct? they seem too good to be truth.
jjusb
10-20-2005, 06:53 PM
Has anyone tried Spal or PermaCool fans for their cooling systems? Have you experimentally tested the fans?

I was looking at tech specs from both websites, and saw that for a 10" model the Spal draws 10A for 1070CFM and the PermaCool draws 6.8A for 1250CFM.

Are the permaCool numbers correct? they seem too good to be truth.
fsae_alum
10-21-2005, 10:55 AM
They are!! Not directly FSAE related, but I conducted a fan and radiator test a while back and this might help you:http://home.satx.rr.com/nissanweb/RadTest/RadTest.htm

General discovery was that Permacools were WAY over-rated and SPAL's we're under-rated. Those SPAL fans rock.

If in the US, you can call C&R Racing http://www.crracing.com/ and talk to Kevin Vancleave to get the SPAL fans.
Mustang Mac
10-21-2005, 11:16 AM
We have used the Spal fans for 5 years with great success. They are small, light an move a lot of air. Have never had anything go wrong with them. Very reliable
BeaverGuy
10-21-2005, 02:15 PM
The numbers given are probably legitimate, the problem is that they are missing the corresponding pressure drop value. The PermaCool numbers very likely are at a lower pressure drop thus requiring less power to pump the air. This is a fan performance graph from Davies Craig. As you can see with lower pressures flow is considerably higher and at the same time power consumption would drop.
http://www.daviescraig.com.au/main/pics/dcslx10g.gif
DaveC
10-21-2005, 04:35 PM
Spal has a good reputation, perma cool makes some less expensive, but lower quality items. I'd also look at Flex-a-Lite, not sure if they have exactly what youre looking for, but they are good fans.

Its also amazing what you can find in a junkyard. OEM fans are sometimes the best out there. I'm using a fan from a '93 Taurus cooling my blown 496 BBC easily. A comparable Flex-a-Lite would have been over $300. Doesnt have much to do with FSAE, but for custom cars in general, look toward the junkyard...