Cooling fan assembly with water fording features

An automotive cooling fan assembly comprising:

• a motor;
• a fan that is driven by the motor to rotate about a rotational axis, the fan including a cylindrical hub having a first end, a second end, and a curved surface that is parallel to
• the rotational axis and extends between the first and second ends, and blades disposed along a circumference of the curved surface, the blades protruding radially outward from the hub with respect to the rotational axis;
• and
• a shroud that supports the motor, the shroud including
• a barrel that at least partially surrounds the fan and is concentric with the rotational axis, and
• a motor support structure that extends from the barrel and supports the motor,
• wherein
• an operating gap is disposed between an end of the hub and the motor support structure, where a dimension of the operating gap corresponds to an axial distance between the end of the hub and the motor support structure, where the term axial refers to a direction that is parallel to the rotational axis,
• the motor support structure includes a protrusion that protrudes axially into the operating gap, the protrusion spanning less than 360 degrees relative to the rotational axis, and
• the dimension of the operating gap is a minimum at the protrusion.