Quote:
Originally Posted by Diesel_Dave
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From a FE standpoint a clutched mechanical fan is superior to a pure electric fan because you don't have all the losses associated with the alternater converting mechanical power to electrical power and then an electrical motor converting electrical back to mechanical...
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This is probably a wash when you consider you can shroud an electric fan to a radiator with much closer tolerances (it isn't bolted to a big bouncy engine). So the air an electric fan moves goes more towards cooling. It also doesn't require a separate belt and associated weight/losses there.
The most efficient cooling air uses your forward motion (with appropriately sized openings for the current airflow demands), but for occasions where you need to force air over your radiator an electric fan isn't a bad choice.