System and method of designing cooling fans

• US 6,931,306 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2002
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minebea Mitsumi, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Minebea Company Limited (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Inventors: Frankel, Scott, Martin, Peter, Hardt, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): JARRETT, RYAN A
• Application Number:
  US10/176,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20030236595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 700/90, 700/95, 700/117, 700/299, 700/300, 702/96, 702/98, 702/132, 361/687, 361/688
• US Class Current: 700/300
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/004 by varying driving speed
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A method of programming behavior of at least one cooling fan includes installing the at least one cooling fan within a housing. Operating parameters of the at least one cooling fan are set. Operation of the at least one cooling fan within the housing is conducted based on the operating parameters. The operating parameters of the at least one cooling fan are captured if the operating parameters result in adequate cooling within the housing by the at least one cooling fan.

Claims

1. A system to determine cooling solution specifications of a remote housing, comprising:

a communication interface;

a processor;

a machine-readable storage medium; and

machine-readable program code, stored on the machine-readable storage medium, having instructions, which when executed cause the processor to, via the communication interface,

set a speed of the fan within the remote housing,

set an alarm condition for the fan within the remote housing,

set a temperature condition of a temperature sensor within the remote housing, and

capture the cooling solution specifications of the fan for the remote housing based on at least one of the speed, the alarm condition, and the temperature condition.

2. The system of claim 1, further including instructions which when executed cause the processor, via the communication interface, to:

set a speed of a second fan within the remote housing,

set an alarm condition for a second fan within the remote housing, and

set a temperature condition of a second temperature sensor within the remote housing.

3. The system of claim 2, including instructions which when executed cause the processor, via the communication interface, to:

set a speed condition of the fan and if the speed condition of the fan is not met, cause the speed of the second fan to be set to a specified level and the alarm condition of the first fan to occur.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein if the temperature condition is met for the second fan, the processor further executes instructions to set the speed of the first fan to a specified level and cause the alarm condition to occur for the second fan.

5. The system of claim 2, including instructions, which when executed cause the processor, via the communication interface, to set the fan speed to a different speed from the speed of the second fan to diminish beat frequencies that cause noise in the remote housing.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the remote housing includes the fan, the second fan, a power source for the fan and the second fan, and a fan computer adapter to allow the system to communicate with the fan and the second fan in the remote housing.

7. The system of claim 2, including a display, a display screen of the display displaying basic information of the fan and the second cooling fan including part numbers, fan identifications, fan speed, and status.

8. The system of claim 2, including a display, a display screen of the display displaying basic information for the temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor including sensor identifications, part numbers, and temperatures detected.

9. The system of claim 1, further including a display, a display screen of the display displaying a part number and a model number of the fan.

10. The system of claim 1, further including instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to generate a fan control entry window on a display to allow the setting of the temperature condition, the alarm condition, or a speed condition.

11. The system of claim 1, including instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to generate a comment field on a display to allow comments to be entered.

12. The system of claim 1, including instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to generate a message box on a display.

13. The system of claim 1, including instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to refresh data of the fan, the data including a fan speed and an alarm status of the fan.

14. A computer program product stored in a computing device having a processor and a communication interface to determine cooling specifications of a remote housing, comprising:

a machine-readable storage medium; and

machine-readable program code, stored on the machine-readable storage medium, the machine readable program code having instructions, which when executed, to cause the processor, via the communication interface, to,

set a speed of the fan within the remote housing,

set an alarm condition for the fan within the remote housing,

set a temperature condition of a temperature sensor within the remote housing, and

capture the cooling solution specifications of the fan for the remote housing based on at least one of the speed, the alarm condition, and the temperature condition.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, including instructions, which when executed, cause the processor, via the communication interface, to:

set a speed of a second fan within the remote housing,

set an alarm condition for a second fan within the remote housing, and

set a temperature condition of a second temperature sensor within the remote housing.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, including instructions which when executed, cause the processor, via the communication interface, to:

set a speed condition of the fan and if the speed condition of the fan is not met, cause the speed of the second fan to be set to a specified level and the alarm condition of the first fan to occur.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein if the temperature condition is met for the second fan, the processor executes instructions to set the speed of the first fan to a specified level and cause the alarm condition to occur for the second fan.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, including instructions, which when executed, cause the processor, via the communication interface, to set the fan speed to a different speed from the speed of the second fan to diminish beat frequencies that cause noise in the remote housing.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the remote housing includes the fan, the second fan, a power source for the fan and the second fan, and a fan computer adapter to allow the system to communicate with the fan and the second fan in the remote housing.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, including instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to display on a display screen basic information of the fan and the second cooling fan including part numbers, fan identifications, fan speed, and status.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, including instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to display on a display screen basic information for the temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor including sensor identifications, part numbers, and temperatures detected.

22. The computer program product of claim 14, including instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to display on a display screen a part number and a model number of the fan.

23. The computer program product of claim 14, including instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to display on a display a fan control entry window to allow the setting of the temperature condition, the alarm condition, or a speed condition.

24. The computer program product of claim 14, instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to display on a display screen a comment field to allow comments to be entered.

25. The computer program product of claim 14, including instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to generate a message box on a display.

26. The computer program product of claim 14, including instructions, which when executed, cause the processor, via the communication interface, to refresh data of the fan, the data including a fan speed and an alarm status of the fan.