Easy cooling modification for all Actro motors

[Daniel Jetschin]

While looking on my motor I discovered that the top can 'fins' obviously seem to work like a radial fan when spinning, so I've tried it out and the result was lots of air was flowing out of them sideways but nothing goes into or thru the motor! :rolling
So I was like :confused: there is better use for this worthless 'canopy inside dust-remover'
After testing I came up with the following:

Make yourself a 'lid' out of something like plastic/glassfiber or aluminium, its best to use a lathe for this, when using plastic like I did simply drill a 6.9 mm hole center to press it onto the shaft screw, it's a tight fit cause the head is 6.95 . For alum. you'll need a glue or setscrew fix. Drill 4 air holes at 90° close to center to let the air pass the lid.
Next press the cap onto the top of motor, align holes with space between fans.
Now you need to close the gap around the lid and motor can, I just used electrical tape for testing but there are better options I'm sure..
Pictures will explain better, excuse the drawings. :smokin:
Now the air will pass the cap holes, blow thru the motor and exit it at the bottom gap.

I'm curious how it'll perform in flight, it will be running alot cooler for sure!

Dan

[Stuka]

Dan,

I can see what you're trying to do. Sort of like the way single stage centrifugal compressors work but I think there might be a better way. If you use a solid disk without holes and remove the tape then the fan will suck air through the round holes in the other side of the motor and will blow out radially from the fan. This is the way it's usually done with electric motors. See attached.

Chris

[Mercuriell]

Looks neat Dan ! - I 've often puzzled over the logic of 'radial' fans - is the Actro motor straightforward to disassemble for bearing changes ?- I've done a couple of Neu motors and they're not too bad.

[cptsnoopy]

While looking on my motor I discovered that the top can 'fins' obviously seem to work like a radial fan when spinning, so I've tried it out and the result was lots of air was flowing out of them sideways but nothing goes into or thru the motor! :rolling
So I was like :confused: there is better use for this worthless 'canopy inside dust-remover'
After testing I came up with the following:

Make yourself a 'lid' out of something like plastic/glassfiber or aluminium, its best to use a lathe for this, when using plastic like I did simply drill a 6.9 mm hole center to press it onto the shaft screw, it's a tight fit cause the head is 6.95 . For alum. you'll need a glue or setscrew fix. Drill 4 air holes at 90° close to center to let the air pass the lid.
Next press the cap onto the top of motor, align holes with space between fans.
Now you need to close the gap around the lid and motor can, I just used electrical tape for testing but there are better options I'm sure..
Pictures will explain better, excuse the drawings. :smokin:
Now the air will pass the cap holes, blow thru the motor and exit it at the bottom gap.

I'm curious how it'll perform in flight, it will be running alot cooler for sure!

Dan

What you are trying to do may cause your motor to overheat.

Stuka has the correct idea. Dan, your lid would be nice without the holes and no tape over the gap. Run the motor up and see if it does not produce a good air flow coming between your lid and the motor. If not then some modifications would need to be made to the "cross" that you put your lid on. For best efficiency you would have a shape that looks like the picture. Air goes into the middle and exits on the side. It will suck a great deal of air through your motor.

Charlie

[OICU812]

If you look at the Bottom of the New Scorpion Motors that milling idea would certainly work for the Actros you would think?

I have never understood why Actro has not done more improvements in this sector, it would be pretty simple for them to incerease the power and life of their motors by making them cooler as you suggest Danny. :wink:

[Daniel Jetschin]

Hey,


I've tried it w/o holes and tape first because I had the same thought first, but it didn't work out it does make a sucking noise but there is no air going into it somwhere on the bottom. It's a bit weird but nothing happens. It's getting warm while running too, not so with my tape mod.
Like it is the air can't intake in the center of the fan, like you say some more mods 'd be necessary. This was the easiest for me now and better than no air passing through it :lol:

Actro is easy to disassemble just remove c-clip, pull can off and you can hit the bearings out.. But haven't tried myself

[OICU812]

Daniel,

Curious man do you have a contact with Actro at all? You would think they would listen to a pro such as yourself to make an improvement on their motor no? I would sure think they would based on the fact they probably sold hundreds more Actros due to your demonstrations with their motors in your Logos.

Just a thought, you certainly have a good idea and I honestly never realized the motor was not moving more air through it till now.

[BruceW]

Daniel,

If you have a smoke machine (like they use on Halloween over here in the states) maybe you can inject smoke near the intake and see how it flows. After seeing your post it got me thinking about trying it with my Hacker A40-10L. It actually stays fairly cool but I'm curious about how well the blower pulls or pushes air through the motor. I'll film it if I do it.

Bruce

[EricW]

IMO It's very possible that the flow through the motor is better with the side taped like Daniel did, this kind of stuff is pretty complicated, and testing it is the easiest way to tell if it works :).
Not exactly the same, but also pretty odd, and a old (working) invention is the "Tesla turbine".
It works as a high performance turbine by forcing flued or air between flat discs with openings in the center.
when you reverse this and start driving the discs it works as a pump.

Eric

[Daniel Jetschin]

I've tested this with sort of smoke to see whats goin on :thumbup: