Automatic temperature and humidity regulation – Ventilator type
Patent
1986-10-16
1988-07-12
Wayner, William E.
Automatic temperature and humidity regulation
Ventilator type
236 1EA, 361384, F24F 700
Patent
active
047564733
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a cooling-arrangement which cools the interior of an electronic apparatus such as an information processing apparatus, etc. with a plurality of cooling fans, and particularly to an improvement in the control system for such cooling arrangement which controls the rotational speed of each cooling fan in accordance with the heat generated by the electronic apparatus.
2. Background Art
Heat generated within an electronic apparatus has a very considerable effect on components of electronic circuits and particularly, as is well known, such heat results not only in deterioration of performance but also in breakdown of semiconductor elements in semiconductor integrated circuits including semiconductor elements which determine the performance of electronic apparatus.
In general, electronic apparatus is cooled by exhausting the heat generated to the outside of apparatus with a cooling fan or by supplying external air to the apparatus to thereby cool the inside of the apparatus.
However, if the temperature conditions within the apparatus depend on the normal rotation of such cooling fans, and if the cooling fans should fail and stop its rotation, the internal temperature of the apparatus will rise quickly resulting in breakdown of semiconductor elements, etc.
Accordingly, a plurality of cooling fans are usually provided in order to avoid quick temperature rise within the apparatus due to failure of one or more cooling fans and the apparatus is designed so that the power supply is disrupted and the apparatus stops operating before the interior reaches a risky temperature.
If the power supply to the apparatus is disrupted in this manner, a considerable amount of operation time is lost pending restart of operation by resetting the power switch.
Therefore, it is proposed that the electronic apparatus cooling system be arranged so as to safely minimize any disruption of the supply of electrical power in the event of failure of one or more cooling fans.
FIG. 1 illustrates a cooling system control circuit of a typical prior art electronic apparatus designated by the reference numeral 1.
For cooling purposes, heat generated within the apparatus is exhausted by a plurality of cooling fans 2. Each cooling fan 2 is provided, for example, with a wind sensor 3 which senses flow of air or ventilation. Each sensor 3 is connected to a failure detection circuit 4.
The prior art wind sensor 3 typically included a pair of heaters and a heat sensible element. When the fan rotated normally, thus assuring ventilation, the heat generated by the heater was always exhausted. But if ventilation was lowered, heat generated by the heater accumulated causing a change in a signal issued by the heat sensible element.
If the cooling fan 2 has lost the capability of ventilation, for example, due to overheating of the fan motor or entry of foreign matter into the rotatable portion, or if ventilation capability was simply reduced, the failure detection circuit 4 detected the change in the signal sent by the wind sensor 3.
The failure detection circuit 4 displayed a warning of failure of a cooling fan at the monitor board 5 and in the meanwhile a power supply OFF signal was sent to the power supply control circuit 7 after a predetermined period by way of a delay circuit 6.
Within this predetermined setting period, necessary data in the apparatus is saved and the power supply to the apparatus is turned OFF with the power OFF signal, thus disrupting the operation of the apparatus. Since the apparatus now no longer generates heat it is protected from damage.
As described above, if the cooling fan fails completely, the apparatus is protected from damage but it is a substantial shortcoming that the operation of apparatus is inevitably disrupted. However, the accidental stoppage of a cooling fan, for example, among a plurality of cooling fans, is an assumable failure to be anticipated and provided for in the design of electronic apparatus which must operate continously for a long period.
Since
REFERENCES:
patent: 4085594 (1978-04-01), Mayer
patent: 4126269 (1978-11-01), Bruges
patent: 4628701 (1986-12-01), Phillips et al.
Okada Tsuguo
Takemae Motohiro
Yamamoto Haruhiko
Fujitsu Limited
Wayner William E.
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