Development of Banana-Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composite Fan Blade for Electric Motor Cooling

Abstract

- In this paper, we report the design and testing of axial cooling-fan blades fabricated from banana-fiber–epoxy composites. Five composite fans labelled (B–F) with increasing banana-fiber content (by weight) and one commercially obtained ABS plastic fan labelled A as the control. Samples B-F were manufactured by hand lay-up in a 6-blade mold. Banana fibers were NaOH-treated and used at, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% fiber weight fractions for samples B–F respectively. The fans blade spanning 120 mm and chord 6 mm were cured 24 h at room temperature + 2 h at 80 °C. We characterized physical (density, porosity), mechanical (tensile, flexural, impact, hardness, fatigue), thermal (thermal conductivity, specific heat), and performance metrics (airflow rate, motor surface temperature, motor power/vibration) for each sample. Tensile and flexural tests followed ASTM D3039 and D790, Izod impact per ASTM D256, hardness per ASTM D2240, and fatigue per ASTM D3479. Composites with moderate fiber fraction of 30–40 wt% showed significantly higher stiffness and heat dissipation than the control, reducing motor temperature by 10 % under full load. Statistical ANOVA confirmed significant effects of fiber content (p<0.01) on strength and thermal performance. We conclude that 30–40 wt% banana fiber yields optimal cooling efficiency and mechanical integrity. This work demonstrates the feasibility of low-cost, eco-friendly banana–epoxy fans for motor cooling.