Integrated fan speed control and fault detection circuitry
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsRandhir S. Malik, William Hemena
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Aspects for integrating speed control and fault detection in a fan assembly are described. The aspects include a fan, a first circuit is coupled to the fan for regulating speed of the fan, and a second circuit coupled to the fan and to the first circuit for detecting a fault condition in the fan. A ripple regulator is integrated as the first circuit, and a pulse missing detector circuit is integrated as the second circuit.
Claims16
An integrated system for speed control and fault detection in a fan assembly, the integrated system comprising:
- a fan having a three signal wire arrangement;
- a first circuit coupled to the fan via three signal wires of the three signal wire arrangement for regulating speed of the fan, the first circuit comprising a ripple regulator, the ripple regulator further comprising a transistor coupled to a comparator and further coupled to at least one resistor, a diode, and an inductor, the inductor coupled to a capacitor;
- and
- a second circuit coupled to the fan via the three signal wires and to the first circuit for detecting a fault condition in the fan.
A method for controlling speed and detecting faults in a fan assembly, the method comprising:
- integrating a ripple regulator into a fan mechanism to regulate fan speed;
- and
- integrating a missing pulse detector into the fan mechanism to detect fan failure conditions, the ripple regulator and missing pulse detector coupled to three signal wires of the fan mechanism, the ripple regulator further comprising a transistor coupled to a comparator and further coupled to at least one resistor, a diode, and an inductor, the inductor coupled to a capacitor.
A fan assembly with integrated speed control and fault detection comprising:
- a fan including a tachometer output as one signal wire of a three signal wire arrangement;
- a ripple regulator coupled to the fan via three signal wires of the three signal wire arrangement, the regulator adjusting the speed of the fan and further comprising a transistor coupled to a comparator and further coupled at least one resistor, a diode, and an inductor, the inductor coupled to a capacitor;
- and
- a missing pulse detector circuit coupled to the three signal wires, including the tachometer output of the fan, the missing pulse detector signaling a failure condition in the fan.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.