Fan control apparatus and fan control method for computer equipment
AssigneeNEC Platforms, Ltd.
InventorHideo IWAMA
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fan control apparatus is provided for the computer equipment including a fan, a temperature sensor, and a device module (e.g. an add-in card) mounting at least two devices aligned along an air flow. The fan control apparatus determines a revolving speed of the fan for cooling each device based on an inlet temperature and a usage rate of each device. In addition, the fan control apparatus estimates an inlet temperature of a second device, which is disposed in the downstream side of a first device among at least two devices, based on an inlet temperature and a usage rate of the first device. Thus, it is possible to control the fan to cause an adequate amount of cooling air for cooling devices mounted on the device module installed in the computer equipment.
Claims10
A fan control apparatus for computer equipment including at least two devices aligned along an air flow caused by a fan, comprising:
- a fan revolving speed determination part configured to determine a revolving speed of the fan for cooling each of the at least two devices based on an inlet temperature and a usage rate of each of the at least two devices;
- and
- a temperature estimation part configured to estimate an inlet temperature of a second device, which is disposed in a downstream side of a first device among the at least two devices, based on the inlet temperature and the usage rate of the first device.
A fan control system for computer equipment including at least two devices aligned together, comprising:
- a fan causing an air flow inside the computer equipment;
- and.
- a fan control apparatus configured to control a revolving speed of the fan for cooling each of the at least two devices aligned along the air flow caused by the fan,
- wherein the fan control apparatus estimates an outlet temperature of a first device, which is disposed in an upstream side among the at least two devices, as an inlet temperature of a second device, which is disposed in a downstream side among the at least two devices, based on an inlet temperature and a usage rate of the first device, and
- wherein the fan control apparatus determines the revolving speed of the fan for cooling each of the at least two devices based on the inlet temperature and the usage rate of each of the at least two devices.
A computer equipment comprising:
- a device module including at least two devices aligned together;
- a temperature sensor configured to measure an inlet temperature of the device module;
- a fan configured to cause an air flow for cooling each of the at least two devices which are aligned along the air flow in the device module;
- a storage unit including a temperature estimation table configured to store an outlet temperature of each device in correspondence with an inlet temperature and a usage rate of each device and a fan control table configured to store a revolving speed of the fan in correspondence with the inlet temperature and the usage rate of each device;
- and
- a fan control apparatus configured to control the revolving speed of the fan for cooling each of the at least two devices with reference to the temperature estimation table and the fan control table,
- wherein the fan control apparatus estimates an outlet temperature of a first device, which is disposed in an upstream side among the at least two devices, as an inlet temperature of a second device, which is disposed in a downstream side among the at least two devices, with reference to the temperature estimation table using an inlet temperature and a usage rate of the first device, and
- wherein the fan control apparatus determines the revolving speed of the fan for cooling each of the at least two devices with reference to the fan control table using the inlet temperature and the usage rate of each of the at least two devices.
A fan control method for computer equipment including at least two devices aligned along an air flow caused by a fan, comprising:
- determining a revolving speed of the fan for cooling each of the at least two devices based on an inlet temperature and a usage rate of each of the at least two devices;
- and
- estimating an inlet temperature of a second device, which is disposed in a downstream side of a first device among the at least two devices, based on the inlet temperature and the usage rate of the first device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.