Simulation and Optimization of Fan System for Road Sweeper

A QC/T51-2006 standard country five-series road-sweeping vehicle is used as research object to improve the mechanization and work efficiency of a road sweeper and reduce the degree of environmental pollution. This study examines the flow of the fluid in an air duct of the sweeper during the working process and identifies the limitations of the original fan structure design. The sweeping air duct and structure are of optimized design. In accordance with considerable analyses and research, fluid simulation of the original air duct was conducted using the finite-element analysis software NX Nastran. A turbulence model is used to simulate the gas field inside the duct, ignoring the influence of temperature on the gas and wind pressure loss caused by a high-speed rotation of the fan. The entire duct was divided into two parts, namely, entrance and exhausted air ducts. In the model transfer process, the original assembly hole and welding plate were removed, and the unnecessary fillet and protruding structure were optimized. This approach was conducted to obtain the accurate value of wind speed in the suction port and outlet, which was compared with the starting velocity of dust particles and suspension speed. The flow field and streamline, velocity vector, and static pressure distribution of the original sweeper were obtained. Results show that through the data simulation analysis, the original sweater fan duct structure was optimized and its design was enhanced. This result increases the air duct speed by 50%. The fan power is reduced by 20 kW, thereby enhancing its efficiency. The energy saving is approximately 36.6%. The results provide data support and theoretical basis for the optimal design of the duct and structure. Furthermore, the results present theoretical and methodological support for the development of a new road sweeper.