Usage of a cooling fan

As processors, graphics cards, RAM and other components in computers have

increased in speed and power consumption, the amount of heat produced by these
components as a side-effect of normal operation has also increased. These
components need to be kept within a specified temperature range to prevent
overheating, instability, malfunction and damage leading to a shortened component
lifespan.
While in earlier personal computers it was possible to cool most components using
natural convection (passive cooling), many modern components require more
effective active cooling. To cool these components, fans are used to move heated
air away from the components and draw cooler air over them. Fans attached to
components are usually used in combination with a heatsink to increase the area of
heated surface in contact with the air, thereby improving the efficiency of cooling.
In the IBM compatible PC market, the computer's power supply unit (PSU) almost
always uses an exhaust fan to expel warm air from the PSU. Active cooling on
CPUs started to appear on the Intel 80486, and by 1997 was standard on all
desktop processors.
[1]
Chassis or case fans, usually one exhaust fan to expel heated
air from the rear and optionally an intake fan to draw cooler air in through the
front, became common with the arrival of the Pentium 4 in late 2000.
[1]
A third
vent fan in the side of the PC, often located over the CPU, is also common. The
graphics processing unit (GPU) on many modern graphics cards also requires a
heatsink and fan. In some cases, the northbridge chip on the motherboard has
another fan and heatsink. Other components such as the hard drives and RAM may
also be actively cooled, though as of 2012 this remains relatively unusual. It is not
uncommon to find five or more fans in a modern PC.
Cooling fan application


An 808025 mm computer fan
Case mount
Used to aerate the case of the computer. The components inside the case cannot
dissipate heat efficiently if the surrounding air is too hot. Case fans move air
through the case, usually drawing cooler outside air in through the front (where it
may also be drawn over the internal hard drive racks) and expelling it through the
rear. There may be a third fan in the side or top of the case to draw outside air into
the vicinity of the CPU, which is usually the largest single heat source. Standard
case fans are 80 mm, 92 mm, 120 mm, 140 mm, 200 mm, 230 mm in width and
length. As case fans are often the most readily visible form of cooling on a PC,
decorative fans are widely available and may be lit with LEDs, made of UV-
reactive plastic, and covered with decorative grilles. Decorative fans and
accessories are popular with case modders. Air filters are often used over intake
fans, to prevent dust from entering the case.
A power supply (PSU) fan often plays a double role, not only keeping the PSU
itself from overheating, but also removing warm air from inside the case. PSUs
with two fans are also available, which typically have a fan on the inside to supply
case air into the PSU and a second fan on the back to expel the heated air.
CPU fan
Used to cool the CPU (central processing unit) heatsink. Effective cooling of a
concentrated heat source such as a large-scale integrated circuit requires a heatsink,
which may be cooled by a fan; use of a fan alone will not prevent overheating of
the small chip.
See computer spot cooling.
Graphics card fan
Used to cool the heatsink of the graphics processing unit or the memory on
graphics cards. These fans were not necessary on older cards because of their low
power dissipation, but most modern graphics cards designed for 3D graphics and
gaming need their own dedicated cooling fans. Some of the higher powered cards
can produce more heat than the CPU (dissipating up to 289 watts
[2]
), so effective
cooling is especially important. Since 2010 graphics cards have been released with
either axial fans or a centrifugal fan commonly known as a blower or squirrel cage
fan.
Chipset fan
Used to cool the heatsink of the northbridge of a motherboard's chipset; this may
be needed where the system bus is significantly overclocked and dissipates more
power than as usual, but may otherwise be unnecessary. As more features of the
chipset are integrated into the central processing unit, the role of the chipset has
been reduced and the heat generation reduced also.
Other purposes
Fans are, less commonly, used for other purposes such as:
PCI slot fan: A fan mounted in one of the PCI slots, usually to supply
additional cooling to the PCI and/or graphics cards.
Hard disk fan: A fan mounted next to or on a hard disk drive. This may be
desirable on faster-spinning hard disks with greater heat production. As of
2011 less expensive drives rotated at speeds up to 7,200 RPM; 10,000 and
15,000 RPM drives were available but generated more heat.
CD burner fan: Some internal CD and/or DVD burners included cooling
fans.
Memory fan: Modern computer memory can generate enough heat,
especially when overclocked, that active cooling may be necessary, usually
in the form of small fans positioned above the memory chips.
[3]

Appearance
Many gamers, case modders, and enthusiasts utilize fans illuminated with colored
LED lights.
Physical characteristics
Main article: Mechanical fan
Most fans used in computers are of the axial-flow type; centrifugal and crossflow
fans are sometimes used.
Two important functional specifications are the airflow that can be moved,
typically stated in cubic feet per minute (CFM), and static pressure.
The dimensions and mounting holes must suit the equipment that uses the fan.
Square-framed fans are usually used, but round frames are also used, often so that
a larger fan than the mounting holes would otherwise allow can be used (e.g., a
120 mm fan with holes for the corners of a 90 mm square fan). The width of square
fans and the diameter of round ones are usually stated in millimeters; common
sizes include 40, 60, 80, 92, 120 and 140 mm. Heights are typically 10 or 25 mm,
but this is usually not an important dimension as it does not affect mounting holes
or apertures in the case.
The speed of rotation (specified in revolutions per minute, RPM) together with the
static pressure determine the airflow for a given fan. Where noise is an issue larger,
slower-turning fans are quieter than smaller, faster, fans that can move the same
airflow. Fan noise has been found to be roughly proportional to the fifth power of
fan speed; halving speed reduces noise by about 15dB.
[4]
Axial fans may rotate at
speeds of up to around 8,000 rpm; fans may be controlled by sensors and circuits
that reduce fan speed when temperature is not high, leading to quieter operation,
longer life, and lower power consumption than fixed-speed fans. Fan lifetimes are
usually quoted under the assumption of running at maximum speed.
A fan with high static pressure is more effective at forcing air through restricted
spaces, such as the gaps between a radiator or heatsink; static pressure is more
important than airflow in CFM when choosing a fan for use with a heatsink. The
relative importance of static pressure depends on the degree to which the airflow is
restricted by geometry; static pressure becomes more important as the spacing
between heatsink fins decreases. Static pressure is usually stated in either mm Hg
or mm H
2
O.
The type of bearing used in a fan can affect its performance and noise. Most
computer fans use one of the following bearing types:
Sleeve bearings use two surfaces lubricated with oil or grease as a friction
contact. They often use porous sintered sleeves to be self-lubricating,
requiring only infrequent maintenance or replacement. Sleeve bearings are
less durable at higher temperatures as the contact surfaces wear and the
lubricant dries up, eventually leading to failure; however, lifetime is similar
at relatively low ambient temperatures.
[5]
Sleeve bearings may be more
likely to fail at higher temperatures, and may perform poorly when mounted
in any orientation other than vertical. The typical lifespan of a sleeve-
bearing fan may be around 30,000 hours at 50 C. Fans that use sleeve
bearings are generally cheaper than fans that use ball bearings, and are
quieter at lower speeds early in their life, but can become noisy as they
age.
[5]

Rifle bearings are similar to sleeve bearings, but are quieter and have
almost as much lifespan as ball bearings. The bearing has a spiral groove in
it that pumps fluid from a reservoir. This allows them to be safely mounted
with the shaft vertical (unlike sleeve bearings), since the fluid being pumped
lubricates the top of the shaft.
[6]
The pumping also ensures sufficient
lubricant on the shaft, reducing noise, and increasing lifespan.
Ball bearings: Though generally more expensive, ball bearing fans do not
suffer the same orientation limitations as sleeve bearing fans, are more
durable at higher temperatures, and are quieter than sleeve-bearing fans at
higher rotation speeds. The typical lifespan of a ball bearing fan may be over
60,000 hours at 50 C.
[5]

Fluid bearings have the advantages of near-silent operation and high life
expectancy (comparable to ball bearings), but tend to be the most expensive.
Magnetic bearings or maglev bearings, in which the fan is repelled from
the bearing by magnetism.
Air pressure and air flow
Air pressure is most important for cooling. It indicates cooling power per unit area.
If the diameter of a fan is constant, then more air pressure indicates more air flow.
A simple relation of air flow with air pressure is (fan diameter)
2
* (air pressure)
2
/
(100 * 28.51875) = air flow, where the diameter of the fan is in millimeters, air
pressure is in mmH2O, and air flow is in cubic feet per minute.
[citation needed]

Fan sizing
Fans are available in many sizes and capacities. Typically square 120 mm case and
power supply fans are used where cooling requirements are demanding, as for
computers used to play games, and for quieter operation at lower speeds, but
140 mm and larger fans also exist. 80 mm fans are used in less demanding
applications, or where larger fans wouldn't be compatible. Smaller fans are usually
used for cooling CPUs, graphics cards, northbridges, etc. For a given physical size,
airflow capacity increases with power consumption
[


Force between two cylindrical magnets
For two cylindrical magnets with radius , and height , with their magnetic
dipole aligned and the distance between them greater than a certain limit, the force
can be well approximated (even at distances of the order of ) by,
[5]


Where is the magnetization of the magnets and is the distance between them.
For small values of , the results are erroneous as the force becomes large for
close-to-zero distance.
In disagreement to the statement in the previous section, a measurement of the
magnetic flux density very close to the magnet is related to by the formula

The effective magnetic dipole can be written as

Where is the volume of the magnet. For a cylinder this is .
When the point dipole approximation is obtained,

Which matches the expression of the force between two magnetic dipoles.







A neodymium magnet (also known as NdFeB, NIB or Neo magnet), the most
widely used
[1]
type of rare-earth magnet, is a permanent magnet made from an
alloy of neodymium, iron and boron to form the Nd
2
Fe
14
B tetragonal crystalline
structure.
[2]
Developed in 1982 by General Motors and Sumitomo Special Metals,
neodymium magnets are the strongest type of permanent magnet commercially
available.
[2][3]
They have replaced other types of magnet in the many applications
in modern products that require strong permanent magnets, such as motors in
cordless tools, hard disk drives and magnetic fasteners

Description
The tetragonal Nd
2
Fe
14
B crystal structure has exceptionally high uniaxial
magnetocrystalline anisotropy (HA~7 teslas - magnetic field strength H in A/m
versus magnetic moment in A.m
2
).
[4]
This gives the compound the potential to have
high coercivity (i.e., resistance to being demagnetized). The compound also has a
high saturation magnetization (J
s
~1.6 T or 16 kG) and typically 1.3 teslas.
Therefore, as the maximum energy density is proportional to J
s
2
, this magnetic
phase has the potential for storing large amounts of magnetic energy (BH
max
~
512 kJ/m
3
or 64 MGOe). This property is considerably higher in NdFeB alloys
than in samarium cobalt (SmCo) magnets, which were the first type of rare-earth
magnet to be commercialized. In practice, the magnetic properties of neodymium
magnets depend on the alloy composition, microstructure, and manufacturing
technique employed.
There are two principal neodymium magnet manufacturing methods:
Classical powder metallurgy or sintered magnet process
Rapid solidification or bonded magnet process
Sintered Nd-magnets are prepared by the raw materials being melted in a furnace,
cast into a mold and cooled to form ingots. The ingots are pulverized and milled to
tiny particles, which then undergo a process of liquid-phase sintering in which the
powder is magnetically aligned into dense blocks. The blocks are then heat-treated,
cut to shape, surface treated and magnetized.
As of 2012, 50,000 tons of neodymium magnets are produced officially each year
in China, and 80,000 tons in a "company-by-company" build-up done in 2013.
[8]

China produces more than 95% of rare earth elements, and produces about 76% of
the world's total rare-earth magnets.
[5]

Bonded Nd-magnets are prepared by melt spinning a thin ribbon of the NdFeB
alloy. The ribbon contains randomly oriented Nd
2
Fe
14
B nano-scale grains. This
ribbon is then pulverized into particles, mixed with a polymer, and either
compression- or injection-molded into bonded magnets. Bonded magnets offer less
flux intensity than sintered magnets, but can be net-shape formed into intricately
shaped parts, as is typical with Halbach arrays or arcs, trapezoids and other shapes
and assemblies (e.g. Pot Magnets, Separator Grids, etc.),
[9]
and do not suffer
significant eddy current losses in rapidly-varying magnetic fields. There are
approximately 5,500 tons of Neo bonded magnets produced each year. In addition,
it is possible to hot-press the melt spun nanocrystalline particles into fully dense
isotropic magnets, and then upset-forge or back-extrude these into high-energy
anisotropic magnets.
Repulsion or attraction between two magnetic dipoles
The force between two wires, each of which carries a current, can be understood
from the interaction of one of the currents with the magnetic field produced by the
other current. For example, the force between two parallel wires carrying currents
in the same direction is attractive. It is repulsive if the currents are in opposite
directions. Two circular current loops, located one above the other and with their
planes parallel, will attract if the currents are in the same directions and will repel
if the currents are in opposite directions. The situation is shown on the left side of
Figure 5. When the loops are side by side as on the right side of Figure 5, the
situation is reversed. For two currents flowing in the same direction, whether
clockwise or counterclockwise, the force is repulsive, while for opposite directions,
it is attractive. The nature of the force for the loops depicted in Figure 5 can be
obtained by considering the direction of the currents in the parts of the loops that
are closest to each other: same current direction, attraction; opposite current
direction, repulsion. This seemingly complicated force between current loops can
be understood more simply by treating the fields as though they originated from
magnetic dipoles. As discussed above, the B field of a small current loop is well
represented by the field of a magnetic dipole at distances that are large compared
to the size of the loop. In another way of looking at the interaction of current loops,
the loops of Figure 5A and 5B are replaced in Figure 6A and 6B by small
permanent magnets, with the direction of the magnets from south to north
corresponding to the direction of the magnetic moment of the loop m. Outside the
magnets, the magnetic field lines point away from the north pole and toward the
south pole.
Model
Jennings J143-200
Category
Cooling Unit
Type
Emergency fan Power Unit (EFPU)
Dual Power Source
12V wall adapter and a 12V sealed lead acid battery
Color
Textured Gray Stone
Powerplant
One 80mm SUPERRED CHA8012B 12VDC 0.16A CASE FAN @ apppoximately
2500+/-10% RPM
31.73 CFM
Noise Level: 28 dBA
One 80mm SUPERRED EH8012BS 12VDC 0.14A Case FAN @ approximately
220010% RPM
Airfow: 28.89 CFM
Noise Level: 20.9 dBA
Two 80mm ADDA Corp AD0812MS-A70 12VDC CASE FANS @ approximately
2500 RPM
Air Flow: 33.21 CFM
Noise Level: 22.41 dBA
One 12mm EVERCOOL EC12025M12S 12VDC CASE FAN @ approximately
2000 RPM
Air Flow: 74.48 CFM
Noise Level: 29.28 dBA


Lights
2 super-bright LEDs
Design
Vertical Stand with dual folding wings
Physical Dimensions
Length x Width x Height
122mmx157mmx335mm (wings retracted)
122mmx330mmx335mm (wings unfolded)
Weight
4 lbs
5 lbs (battery included)
Special Features
5 position selector switch
AC/DC mode switch
battery charger
battery charger shut off switch
Battery time
3 hours full load
5 hours low speed
MBM5 currently says the CPU is currently running at 38 degrees and the fan RPM
is running at 3750 currently and the low is 1418 RPM and the high is 3792 RPM



2 wire pc fan
These are the oldest and most simple PC fans. Only two wires comes out out of the fan
controller, the positive and the negative. Giving power to the fan, it will rotate at full speed. The
internal diagram of a typical two-wire fan is as follows:



The connector of a 2-wire fan has a red and a black cable. The red cable goes to the positive of
the power supply and the black to the negative. Usually, for more flexibility, they have a male-
female 4-wire molex power connector. In one end of the connector the fan is connected in
parallel with the 12V (YELLOW - BLACK). Therefore, the fan is powered normally and the
cable of the PSU can be used to power another device.



.