Liquid cooling system with automatic pump speed control

• US 7,893,635 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2008
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Grossman, Philip, Hood, Charles D. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro; Bentsu
• Application Number:
  US12/117,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20090277617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 318/41, 318/49, 318/51, 318/53, 318/59, 318/66, 318/67, 318/68, 318/77
• US Class Current: 318/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/201 Cooling arrangements using cooling fluid
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/473 by flowing liquids H01L23/4332, H01L23/4338 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20281 Thermal management, e.g. liquid flow control

Abstract

A system comprising a fan tachometer module, a conversion module, and a pump tachometer module. The fan tachometer module is adapted to measure a speed of a cooling fan. The conversion module is in communication with the fan tachometer module, and is adapted to convert the speed of the cooling fan to a control voltage based on a predetermined ratio between the speed of the cooling fan and a speed of a cooling pump. The pump tachometer module is in communication with the conversion module, and is adapted to control the speed of the cooling pump based on the control voltage.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a fan tachometer module adapted to measure a speed of a cooling fan;

a conversion module in communication with the fan tachometer module, the conversion module adapted to convert the speed of the cooling fan to a control voltage based on a predetermined ratio between the speed of the cooling fan and a speed of a cooling pump; and

a pump tachometer module in communication with the conversion module, the pump tachometer module adapted to control the speed of the cooling pump based on the control voltage.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an amplification module in communication with the pump tachometer module, the amplification module adapted to amplify the control voltage.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the pump tachometer module is further adapted to maximize the speed of the cooling pump while minimizing a noise level of the cooling pump.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the system prevents a customization of a motherboard.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the speed of the cooling pump is actively controlled.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein an amount noise produced by the cooling pump is maintained below an amount of noise produced by the cooling fan.

7. A method comprising:

measuring a cooling fan tachometer frequency;

converting the cooling fan tachometer frequency to a control voltage based on a predetermined ratio between a speed of a cooling fan and a speed of a cooling pump; and

varying the speed of the cooling pump according to the control voltage.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

minimizing an amount of noise produced by the cooling pump.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the amount of noise produced by the cooling pump is maintained below an amount of noise produced by the cooling fan.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the speed of the cooling pump is actively controlled.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the predetermined ratio is used to keep an amount of noise produced by the cooling pump below an amount of noise produced by the cooling fan.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

preventing a customization of a motherboard to adjust the speed of the cooling pump based on the speed of the cooling fan.

13. A method comprising:

measuring a speed of a cooling fan;

increasing a control voltage by a predetermined ratio between the speed of the cooling fan and a speed of a cooling pump based on an increase in the speed of the cooling fan; and

varying the speed of the cooling pump according to the control voltage.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

decreasing the control voltage by the predetermined ratio between the speed of the cooling fan and the speed of the cooling pump based on a decrease in the speed of the cooling fan; and

varying the speed of the cooling pump according to the control voltage.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein an amount of noise produced by the cooling pump is maintained below an amount of noise produced by the cooling fan.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the speed of the cooling pump is actively controlled.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the predetermined ratio is used to keep an amount of noise produced by the cooling pump below an amount of noise produced by the cooling fan.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

minimizing an amount of noise produced by the cooling pump.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

preventing a customization of a motherboard to adjust the speed of the cooling pump based on the speed of the cooling fan.