Fan blade with curved planform and high-lift airfoil having bulbous leading edge

A vehicle fan assembly for circulating air to cool an engine, said fan assembly comprising:

• a central hub;
• and
• a plurality of blades with a planform, a root joined to said hub, a tip, and a span between said root and said tip, said blades extending generally radially outward from said hub and each said planform having:
• (a) a first region adjacent said root of said blade with forward curvature;
• (b) a second region adjacent said tip of said blade with backward curvature;
• and p2 (c) an intermediate region disposed between said first region and said second region with substantially straight curvature.

A blade for a vehicle engine-cooling fan assembly comprising:

• a root;
• a tip;
• a span between said root and said tip;
• a planform having:
• (a) a first region adjacent said root of said blade with forward curvature.
• (b) a second region adjacent said tip of said blade with backward curvature, and
• (c) an intermediate region disposed between said first region and said second region with substantially straight curvature;
• and
• an airfoil section having:
• (a) a leading edge,
• (b) a rounded, bulbous nose section adjacent said leading edge,
• (c) a trailing edge,
• (d) a curved pressure surface extending smoothly and without discontinuity from said nose section to said trailing edge,
• (e) a curved suction surface extending smoothly and without discontinuity from said nose section to said trailing edge, and
• (f) a thin, highly cambered aft section formed adjacent said trailing edge and between said pressure surface and said suction surface, said aft section having a location of maximum camber,
• said nose section having a thickness which is greater than the thickness of said airfoil section between said pressure surface and said suction surface and said nose section blending smoothly into said pressure surface and said suction surface.

A vehicle fan assembly for circulating air to cool an engine, said fan assembly comprising:

• a central hub;
• and
• a plurality of blades, each blade having:
• (a) a root,
• (b) a tip,
• (c) a span between said root and said tip,
• (d) a planform including:
• (1) a first region adjacent said root of said blade with forward curvature:
• (2) a second region adjacent said tip of said blade with backward curvature;
• and
• (3) an intermediate region disposed between said first region and said second region with substantially straight curvature, and
• (e) an airfoil section including:
• (1) a leading edge;
• (2) a rounded, bulbous nose section adjacent said leading edge;
• (3) a trailing edge;
• (4) a curved pressure surface extending smoothly and without discontinuity from said nose section to said trailing edge;
• (5) a curved suction surface extending smoothly and without discontinuity from said nose section to said trailing edge;
• and
• (6) a thin, highly cambered aft section formed adjacent said trailing edge and between said pressure surface and said suction surface, said aft section having a location of maximum camber,
• said nose section having a thickness which is greater than the thickness of said airfoil section between said pressure surface and said suction surface and said nose section blending smoothly into said pressure surface and said suction surface.