The objective of this project is to create a system that reads the current temperature inside a desktop or server and determines whether it needs to be cooled and by how much. The system will use only the necessary amount of power to control the cooling and the overall heat output of the computer is kept at a minimum.
Around 70% of energy produced in the United States each year is wasted as heat and comes from electronics such as computers. One way to reduce heat and power is through the use of thermoelectric generators which converts temperature differences into electrical energy. However, these generators tend to have very low efficiencies. Rather than trying to salvage heat and energy waste from electronics, reducing the amount of energy being used initially would be a better option.
The built-in sensors on the motherboard and other computer components can be utilized to track the current temperature. Depending on the current temperature, the heat sink fan rpm will either increase or decrease and improve the overall CFM efficiency. This information will be monitored and displayed via a connected mobile application.
The system will create an efficient use of power and reduce thermal stress on the CPU. As a result, the lifetime of the component will also increase.
Most of the hardware components will be included in the computer itself. A smartphone will be necessary to view the mobile app connected to the monitoring system
Average price of personal computers (USD): $1,100 - $2,100
Average price of a smartphone (USD): $500 - $1,000