USB Computer Fan

[Subduck]

I have made a little cooling fan for my router cause it doesnt have one and it doesn't run at full speed. It is a 12V fan and USB only provides 5V. If i connected the 2 other wires from another 5V USB would it provide the an 10V therefore making it run faster?

[ag90]

probably try it

[W-L]

I have made a little cooling fan for my router cause it doesnt have one and it doesn't run at full speed. It is a 12V fan and USB only provides 5V. If i connected the 2 other wires from another 5V USB would it provide the an 10V therefore making it run faster?

 

You would have to connect it in series but I'm not sure how much the USB ports would like that If I recall correctly it would short out the 5V USB line so it's not a good idea. It would be better off to go with a wall adapter or use a buck boost to increase the voltage to the 12V you require.

 

Note most USB ports only supply around 0.5A.

[multifrag]

The fan will run at 5V, even better as it will be very quiet. I'm pretty sure adding two 5v sources won't change the voltage. You will either gonna have to get a voltage booster or just run it at 5v

[Johannes_Lazor]

Dont. The USB's have the same source.

It would be like connecting it like this:



Please dont short out your router..




Get one of these instead, With this you can change the voltage to a balance where it isnt too loud and isnt too slow.
http://www.amazon.com/Universal-Power-Adapter-Output-1-5-3-4-5-6-7-5-9-12/dp/B00GO8LJ6Q/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1435696386&sr=8-4&keywords=ac+dc+variable+power+supply&pebp=1435696399337&perid=14B9X042QMPQ8V5AT45J

[Subduck]

Dont. The USB's have the same source.

It would be like connecting it like this:

USB in series.png

Please dont short out your router..

Get one of these instead, With this you can change the voltage to a balance where it isnt too loud and isnt too slow.

http://www.amazon.com/Universal-Power-Adapter-Output-1-5-3-4-5-6-7-5-9-12/dp/B00GO8LJ6Q/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1435696386&sr=8-4&keywords=ac+dc+variable+power+supply&pebp=1435696399337&perid=14B9X042QMPQ8V5AT45J

How could i change the voltage of the fan with connectors like those? Also the router is not connected at all to the fan. I have the fan seperate.

[Lolucoca]

Did it by myself for summer... Doesn't look great but it

works... I used a normal USB cable, splitted it and used the red/black wires to power the fan.

[Subduck]

Did it by myself for summer... Doesn't look great but it

works... I used a normal USB cable, splitted it and used the red/black wires to power the fan.

What cable is connected to the four pin connector?

*Edit: I saw now But does it run very fast? Mine isnt blowing very much air.

[Johannes_Lazor]

How could i change the voltage of the fan with connectors like those? Also the router is not connected at all to the fan. I have the fan seperate.

You should not put different power supplies in series nontheless, One of the supplies will take all the load.

You just cut off the connectors or something, You are strapping a fan to your router so cutting off the cable 4-6cm from the connectors isnt very drastical.

You could just solder it back on if you regret it.

[W-L]

How could i change the voltage of the fan with connectors like those? Also the router is not connected at all to the fan. I have the fan seperate.

 

If you want the fan to run at full speed all the time this will be perfect:

http://www.amazon.com/Wall-Adapter-Power-Supply-12VDC/dp/B006GEPUYA

 

For a Buck boost that will let you cary vary the voltages or use the 5V USB line and boost it to 12V:

http://www.amazon.com/Switching-Regulator-Converter-Adjustable-Stabilizers/dp/B00BYTEHQO/ref=pd_sim_23_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=056GQ8PPZR9XWNC35HG5

Edited June 30, 2015 by W-L

[Lolucoca]

@Subduck: Just a normal USB cable with a conventional USB power supply. Not really fast, but enough for me (and I'm pretty sure for a router too)

[Subduck]

If you want the fan to run at full speed all the time this will be perfect:

http://www.amazon.com/Wall-Adapter-Power-Supply-12VDC/dp/B006GEPUYA

 

That is exactly what i needed! And it looks like I also have one. Thanks mate!

[W-L]

That is exactly what i needed! And it looks like I also have one. Thanks mate!

 

Just double check with a multimeter since some of the non-regulated ones even though it says 12V runs at a higher range of ~13-16V. 

[Subduck]

Just double check with a multimeter since some of the non-regulated ones even though it says 12V runs at a higher range of ~13-16V. 

Will do.

[Lolucoca]

Or you could use 2 USB ports to almost double the speed of the fan...

[Subduck]

Or you could use 2 USB ports to almost double the speed of the fan...

I dont have a 3 pin connector on the end. And im not sure which wire is red or black because the wires aren't colour coded. When i got it working first time i think it was luck Or something broke and now it is not working.

 

http://prntscr.com/7ngo34

[Lolucoca]

Just try until it spins! In a USB cable there's normally 3 or 4 cables: Data (normally green and white) and Power (red and black). Either it spins or not. (With some some fans it spins backwards if you get it wrong. Usually it doesn't work when the two cables touch each other. I used needles to solve this problem.

With photos:

[kamilmirza]

Or you could use 2 USB ports to almost double the speed of the fan...

can you show us how you managed to attach 2 USB ports? can you explain it to for the noob?

[Lolucoca]

I just tied the red wire of the first cable together with the black wire of the second cable and used the remaining wires...

[W-L]

can you show us how you managed to attach 2 USB ports? can you explain it to for the noob?

Welcome to the Forums!

 

I highly don't recommend to connect it in series it shorts out the 5V USB power line with itself from the PSU, most boards have a short circuit protection circuit built in to make it work but it's not ideal. A better solution is to use a buck boost converter to raise the voltage.

[kamilmirza]

Welcome to the Forums!

I highly don't recommend to connect it in series it shorts out the 5V USB power line with itself from the PSU, most boards have a short circuit protection circuit built in to make it work but it's not ideal. A better solution is to use a buck boost converter to raise the voltage.

thank you

well I tried attaching 2 USB cables in series but the fan speed was still the same (slow)

plus I even tried single USB connection with my phone charger but still the fan speed was same

and I can't order/afford such converter in my country (Pakistan)

BTW I experimenting on Cooler Master Sickle Flow X (2000 RPM), I want it to run at full speed via USB for my laptop cooling solution

[W-L]

-SNIP-

 

The buck boost converters aren't very expensive from Asia, but if you have 12V wall adapter that would work just as good and let you connect more fans than a USB port since most are only capable of 0.5-1Amp.