Systems and methods for cooling fan control
AssigneeVertiv Corporation
InventorsKevin B. Carney, Andrew James Maloney, Brian Heber
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a system and method for independently controlling, in real time, the speeds of a plurality of fans being used to cool a device, where the device has a sensor block having at least one temperature sensor. The system and method utilizes active learning to help optimize a calculation of a real time fan speed command needed to be applied to at least one fan to cool the device, or a component of the device, which the plurality of fans are associated with.
Claims20
A method for independently controlling speeds of a plurality of fans being used to cool a device, wherein the device includes a sensor block having at least one temperature sensor, the method comprising:
- determining an actual real-time ambient temperature rate change of a temperature sensor associated with the sensor block relative to a given fan speed;
- determining a real-time rate of change of a load of the device;
- determining a desired temperature rate change of the temperature sensor;
- comparing the actual temperature rate change to the desired temperature rate change and generating a learning component therefrom;
- and
- using the learning component to generate the new fan speed command to be applied to the given fan, the new fan speed command representing a new fan speed which at least one of:
- optimizes power consumption of the given fan while still meeting real-time changing temperature and load requirements of the device being cooled, or
- reduces a fan noise being produced by the given fan while still meeting real-time changing temperature and load requirements of the device being cooled.
A method for independently controlling speeds of a plurality of fans of a fan assembly being used to cool a device, wherein the device includes a sensor block having a plurality of temperature sensors associated with different ones of the plurality of fans, the method comprising:
- determining an actual real-time temperature rate change of a temperature sensor associated with the sensor block relative to a given fan speed;
- determining a real-time rate of change of a load of the device;
- determining a desired temperature rate change of the temperature sensor;
- considering a present wear level of each one of said fans of said plurality of fans, and generating a wear balancing component adapted to wear balance the given one of the plurality of fans against remaining ones of the plurality of fans;
- comparing the actual temperature rate change to the desired temperature rate change and generating a learning component which takes into account the wear balancing component when determining a new fan speed command intended to maintain a desired ambient temperature set point;
- and
- using the learning component to generate the new fan speed command to be applied to the given fan, the new fan speed command representing a new fan speed which optimizes power consumption of the given fan while still meeting real-time changing temperature and load requirements of the device being cooled, while balancing a wear of each one of the fans of the fan assembly to even out fan wear.
A system for independently controlling speeds of a plurality of fans of a fan assembly being used to cool a device under a load, wherein the device includes a sensor block having at least one temperature sensor, the system comprising:
- an electronic control system;
- a fan speed sensing subsystem in communication with the electronic control system;
- a database including a cumulative fan run time for each fan of the fan assembly and fan operating data including a fan efficiency operating speed band;
- a current sensing and voltage measurement subsystem in communication with the electronic control system and configured to help determine an actual real-time temperature rate change of a temperature sensor associated with the sensor block relative to a given fan speed;
- the electronic control system further being configured to:
- determine and use a real-time rate of change of a load of the device and a desired temperature rate change of the temperature sensor to generate a learning component;
- consider the cumulative run time of at least one of the fans;
- and
- use the learning component and the cumulative run time to determine a new fan speed command for the at least one of the fans which enables the at least one fan to maintain a desired ambient temperature set point while optimizing power consumption of the at least one fan, while still meeting real-time changing temperature and load requirements of the device being cooled.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.