Apparatus, system, and method for controlling speed of a cooling fan

An apparatus to control speed of a cooling fan, the apparatus comprising:

• a power sensing module that senses input voltage and input current of a stage of a power supply, the power supply comprising one or more stages, the power supply configured to regulate at least one output bus;
• a power calculation module that calculates input power from the input voltage and the input current;
• a temperature sensing module that senses a power supply temperature at a power supply component and senses a system temperature at a system component, the power supply temperature sensed within the power supply, the system temperature sensed within an electronic component serving as a load to the power supply;
• a fan speed calculation module that calculates a power supply fan speed signal for a power supply fan and calculates a system fan speed signal for a system cooling fan, the power supply fan speed signal being a function of the input power calculated by the power calculation module and the sensed power supply temperature for at least a portion of a power supply fan speed range of the power supply fan, the system fan speed signal being a function of the input power calculated by the power calculation module and the sensed system temperature for at least a portion of a system fan speed range of the system fan;
• and
• a fan speed transmission module that transmits the power supply fan speed signal to the power supply fan and transmits the system fan speed signal to the system fan, the power supply fan adjusting a power supply fan speed based on the power supply fan speed signal, the system fan adjusting a system fan speed based on the system fan speed signal.

A system to control speed of a cooling fan, the system comprising:

• a power supply, the power supply comprising one or more stages, the power supply configured to regulate at least one output bus;
• a fan providing cooling for a component;
• a power sensing module that senses input voltage and input current of a stage of the power supply;
• a power calculation module that calculates input power from the input voltage and the input current;
• a temperature sensing module that senses a temperature at the component, the component cooled by the fan;
• a fan speed calculation module that calculates a fan speed signal for the fan, the fan speed signal being a function of the input power calculated by the power calculation module and the sensed temperature for at least a portion of a fan speed range;
• and
• a fan speed transmission module that transmits the fan speed signal to the fan, the fan adjusting a fan speed based on the fan speed signal.

A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer usable program code executable to perform operations for controlling speed of a cooling fan, the operations of the computer program product comprising:

• sensing input voltage and input current of a stage of a power supply, the power supply comprising one or more stages, the power supply configured to regulate at least one output bus;
• calculating input power from the input voltage and the input current;
• sensing a temperature at a component, the component cooled by a fan;
• calculating a fan speed signal for the fan, the fan speed signal being a function of the input power calculated by the power calculation module and the sensed temperature for at least a portion of a fan speed range;
• and
• transmitting the fan speed signal to the fan, the fan adjusting a fan speed based on the fan speed signal.