Mahle takes its cue from owls

At the IAA Transportation 2024 in Hanover (17-22 September), Mahle is presenting a world first: a bionic high-performance fan that makes commercial vehicles significantly quieter. It was developed for fuel cell and battery electric vehicles. The AI-supported optimization of the ventilation blades was inspired by the wings of an owl, one of the quietest birds. The owl's feathers are said to have a noise-reducing effect.

The design of the fan blades is based on the wings and feathers of animals. This minimizes noise turbulence. Under full load and also when charging the vehicle at night in residential areas or at service stations, the fans can sometimes be disturbingly loud. The bionic solution from Mahle reduces the fan noise of a truck by up to 4 dB(A) - that is more than halving the sound power. In addition, the fan is significantly more efficient than conventional designs - thanks to a ten percent improvement in efficiency and a ten percent reduction in weight. The new fan can also be used in passenger cars.

Mahle offers the fan in a power range from 300 watts to 35 kilowatts. This allows it to be used in everything from small electric cars to large, particularly temperature-sensitive fuel cell trucks. The first prototypes are already being tested by various car and commercial vehicle manufacturers.

Visitors to the IAA Transportation in Hanover can see the fan up close. It is part of an exhibit ensemble that represents Mahles' systemic approach to a fuel cell truck. Together with a fully functional fuel cell, it consists of fuel cell peripherals, thermal management (fan and battery cooling) and an electric heavy-duty axle. The electric axle is a technology demonstrator in which Mahle has compactly integrated two of its SCT electric motors with a total output of 520 kW (707 hp) as well as the complete liquid management system. All products are ready for series application.

The Stuttgart-based technology group is also premiering its new evaporative cooling system for fuel cell vehicles. It generates up to 50 kW more cooling power in the same installation space. This makes it possible to reduce the fan power and thus lower hydrogen consumption by up to 1.5 percent. Mahle has also developed a Powercell unit for hydrogen engines. (aum)