Making high power fan controllers - guide

[AlucardCasull]

Think one of these controlers could be adapted for a 110v fan?

 

[Ven0m]

Think one of these controlers could be adapted for a 110v fan?

Perhaps in theory it could, but if I remember correctly, tiristors (or whowever it's called in English) are used in such situation. Eventually you might try high frequency PWM controller, but I'm not sure how it would work.

Recently I hadn't got time to maintain this guide, but ifI find some, I'll try to clear it a bit and extend.

 

[Sleeper]

Temperature based fan controller?

I am upgrading to a new MB (Chaintech vnf3-250) and it doesn't support Speedfan's fan control. (I had made Venom's fan controller using Speedfan and it worked flawlessly on my old board. I loved the way it throttled up the fans during load, but ran super quiet at idle.) Has anybody created a temperature control setup for fan control? Stallin223 had mentioned a bit about his, but I would love to see some schematics. Anybody else tinker with this idea?

Thanks
Paul

 

[Sleeper]

Well I came across this. (please for give me if it has been discussed before)
http://www.bit-tech.net/article/51/
It looks quite interesting. Anybody had any experince with this?


Paul

 

[MadSkillzMan]

you know, ive got an aquarium heater/chiller idea using TECs, copper pipe, and PVC pipe..

Is there anyway i can set a temp, and then have a circuit send power to my TEC's based on temp?

 

[Sleeper]

This circuit is designed to modulate fan speeds based upon temp readings. (As the temp rises, so does the fan speed.) If you are not concerned about flow control of the pump, I imagine a much simpler circuit setup (on/off) could be made using a thermistor as a temp trigger.

Paul

 

[MadSkillzMan]

well id imagine itd be much similar, instead of increasing/decreasing voltage, your just turning on and off.

no, not woried about flow, since itd run into a filter/protein skimmer, so the rate would have to be constant

its been so long since i read this thread, i didnt realize this is the circuit im looking for

 

[Sleeper]

Here is some more of the "thermister" type circuits.

http://www.cpemma.co.uk/thermal.html#pwm2

Paul

 

[RotKT]

thanks

 

[bartsimsonii]

Hey venom first off great guide and I have a Q.

I want to make a controller for three fans that are almost exactly the sam as this one but theyre a bit higher powered(1.8 amps as oppose to 1.5 and draw more power).http://www.comairrotron.com/details_dc_family.asp?PartNumberID=839 Do I need to change any of the components in the second fan controller that is reccomended?

 

[Ven0m]

Sorry that that late, but I was pretty busy.
I think that it should handle it without greater problems. However if you want to have several such fans on oen channel, you might use more powerful transistors.

 

[max_clock]

Let me tell you something. I made many of your fan controllers since when I first readed the sticky and they work GREAT!! Mines are adapted to PCI brackets, so they are kind of stealth..lol.and very very efective cooling/noise solution.
I love BD139..lol

 

[fel]

Hi!
I wonder if i can modyfie my fan controller to turn the fans off?
Can anyone help?
The fan controller is a vantec nexus.
I can change the speed, but never turn them off.
Thanks & very good guide!

 

[nodiaque]

Problem with circuit with 2 rheostat

Hi, I just tried making the circuit with 2 rheostats and I have a little problem. 1 of my rheostat is switch capable and the other is a simple 3 prong rheostat. I used exactly the one in the circuit (1k and 2k). Now, whatever the resistance I put in the rheostat, the fan always turn at the same intensity. I tried removing the rheostat from the circuit, the fan continue to turn, only slower (not much though).

What am I doing wrong? I used different transistor since there's none of these you guys are talking about but they come from a similarity table, so it's the same (PNP is a 2N3906 and NPN is a 2N3904). The guy at the store looked at the circuit and said it should work since it's the samething.

I've checked the circuit and could I've put a transistor on the wrong side? Or maybe it's something else. I've put my circuit on a test bench so nothing is soldered now a and connected to a psu out of my case, so nothing blow in my tower if I did something wrong.

Thanks a lot

 

[aznboi64]

Fel - Does your nexus hum? Mine does and was wondering what I can do to eliminate this annoyance. And this only happens when the fans are set somewhat low. And I need it that low so I don't go crazy.

 

[spagnitz]

PWM fan speed control can sometimes result in increased noise has been my experienced

 

[THE JEW (RaVeN)]

Perhaps I missed it, but what program other than Circuitmaker are people using to draw up diagrams and/or test their circuits? Thanks.

 

[antipesto93]

looks realyl fun to make/customixze......except ime doing gcse electrosics in year 10 lol

 

[Packrat]

Anyone use the LM317? I just made a fan controller (1.5A per channel) that was super simple and only cost a few bucks, it's just the 3 transistors, a cap, a resistor, and a pot (I used only one pot to control 3 fans, but it would just be 2 extra wires and 2 extra resistors and of course the extra pots if you were gonna do individual channel control). I like the LM317T since that one does 1.5A, but there are TO-3 package versions (not sure what the suffix is for that one) that do 3A per.

 

[Packrat]

Hey,
This circuit seems to claim that there would be a stable minimum voltage. I don't understand the engineering, but it seems like that is what it claims. If not, then I'm probably not going to be happy with my controller. Well... Happy enough, but it might make me try PWM sooner.

Thanks.

If you're tricky with resistors I'm sure it's doable. When I made my controller with the LM317 I just had to stick a resistor just before (I think, might have been after) the potentiometer in order to make it a 5v minimum.