Eddy current fan drive

Abstract

An eddy current fan drive cooling system is operable in a vehicle having a sheave rotating at a speed related to an engine speed. A driving assembly of the cooling system is attached to the sheave. A plurality of poles are exposed around an outer perimeter of the driving assembly. A plurality of windings are wrapped around the poles. The windings are electrically connected to receive a driving signal to generate a magnetic field around the poles. A driven assembly carrying a cooling fan is provided around the driving assembly. The driven assembly includes a plurality of concentric rings arranged around the exposed poles of the driving assembly. An eddy current torque is produced in the rings in response to magnetic flux passing through the rings from the exposed poles due to the magnetic field around the poles.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.