Material Selection and Quality Assurance of Fans Made of Polymer Composite Materials for the Climatic Conditions of the Arctic and Subarctic Regions

The shift of the main extractive industries to the northern and northeastern regions of the country, and the in-tensification of industrial and housing construction in the Far North have posed several complex technological chal-lenges to adapt various types of basic and auxiliary equipment to the extreme climatic conditions of the Arctic and Subarctic regions. Such equipment includes ventilation and cooling systems for industrial premises, various stationery and mobile equipment. As the analysis of the actual operation of fans in conditions of low climatic temperatures and high humidity in the northern areas has shown, the use of traditional materials for their manufacture, for example, polymer composite materials based on polybutylene terephthalate matrix, is in some cases impossible due to their low cold and crack resistance, leading to the destruction of fan housings and impellers. The paper analyzes the possibility of using polymer composite materials to manufacture the main components of an axial fan, which is expected to operate in an Arctic climate. Mathematical modeling of fan operating conditions in the ANSYS software package and FMEA risk analysis is performed. Assessment of critical factors affecting the reliability and durability of fans made of various polymer composite materials and operated at extremely low temperatures. Data on degradation of the mechanical properties of polymer composite materials under conditions of prolonged exposure to low ambient temperatures and increased operating temperatures are provided. The rate of degradation of strength properties under the influence of thermal cyclic effects of temperature (ambient temperature zero crossing) and increased salinity of the air is determined. The possibility of manufacturing axial fan housing and impellers from glass-filled polymer composite materials with a polycarbonate matrix for use in extremely low temperature conditions is shown.