Post on 24-Dec-2015
Motivation
Fans cool a computer
Rotational Speed Cooling Capacity
CPU would almost instantly melt
CPU: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1423185Fan Grid: http://forums.legitreviews.com/about12716.html
How It Works
Idea: Use fan blades as an Optical Encoder By measuring the number of pulses in a fixed period of
time, can determine speed of blades
Rotary: http://hades.mech.northwestern.edu/index.php/Rotary_EncoderFan: http://computershopper.com/shoptalk/components/silverstone-fm83-cram-more-fan-into-the-same-space
Results – Calibrated Fans
Calibrated Fan
Vrequired
(V)Nominal RPM
ToleranceVsupplied
(V)sv RPM sRPM
1 5 735 ±5% 4.95368 0.0002340 726.415 0.843447
2 12 4300 ±1% 12.0584 9.18E-05 4305.82 5.83136
Measured range
Nominal RPM
95% Confidence Interval
Challenges
Issue Solution Drawback
Current limit on power supply
Use analog lab equipment that does not impose as stringent current limits.
Makes the UI less robust, due to less automation
Fluctuations in ambient light
Limit RPM readings to phototransistor voltages of magnitude greater than 1.5 mV. Below 1.5mV-> RPM=0
The threshold voltage is not appropriate for all conditions
Precision error Allow user to specify number of iterations before displaying the mean value of iterations
Increases accuracy but increases processing time