Wanted- flow sensor to auto-powerdown system

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scalar
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Wanted- flow sensor to auto-powerdown system

Post by scalar » Mon Dec 17, 2007 5:53 am

Does anyone make an inexpensive water-cooling flow sensor with a data output, so that if the sensor stops spinning, it will force a powerdown of the computer?


The simple plastic indicators with a paddle wheel are okay ..... but who sits by their computer 24x7 watching to make sure the wheel is still spinning? What if you leave for the weekend and the flow stops friday night?

I know what's necessary to make this, but not the manufacturing skills to build it myself. It just needs a magnet on the shaft of a spinning paddle or turbine wheel, and a reed-switch near the outside of the tube. The spinning magnet repeatedly opens and closes the reed-switch.

The reed-switch opening and closing is used to generate pulses that constantly reset a countdown timer, possibly using the cheap 555-timer. If the timer does not reset for 60 seconds or so, it will count down and a relay kills power to the system.

-Scalar

gb115b
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Post by gb115b » Mon Dec 17, 2007 6:17 am

you can get flow sensors that plug into motherboard fan headers...

then you just need to configure speedfan to run a shutdown program when the flow sensor becomes 0

also when googling to find the flow sensor came across this thread

http://forums.overclockers.co.nz/archiv ... -3432.html

bobkoure
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Post by bobkoure » Tue Jan 29, 2008 11:12 am

Why flow sensors? Why not measure temperature on whichever device will get hot the fastest if pumps or radiator fan fails (might be CPU, might be GPU). You'd still have plenty of time to shutdown gracefully, wouldn't impede flow (the more "oomph" you need to use to circulate your water, the louder things are going to be) and would involve no moving parts.

mark19891989
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Post by mark19891989 » Tue Aug 25, 2009 2:28 pm

bobkoure wrote:Why flow sensors? Why not measure temperature on whichever device will get hot the fastest if pumps or radiator fan fails (might be CPU, might be GPU). You'd still have plenty of time to shutdown gracefully, wouldn't impede flow (the more "oomph" you need to use to circulate your water, the louder things are going to be) and would involve no moving parts.
on my wc setup, i just set it so that if the cpu temp goes over 70C it shuts down. i tested it with my air setup, unpluging fan and running fah, and it kills power fast enough. havnt tested it wiv the wc setup , but it does give me peace of mind.

edit: soz, didnt relize how old this thread was.

ListysDad
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Post by ListysDad » Wed Sep 02, 2009 7:25 am

The temp sensing can be set very simply and is far more reliable than flow sensing. All you need is a 'strap on' temp sensor and a relay so that when the sensor 'trips' is cannot come back on by itself. By using one of these you also do not introduce prospective leaks and flow restrictions.

Oaven
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Post by Oaven » Mon Nov 23, 2009 9:34 am

Does anyone have a guide for us not-so-technically-genius-we-write-our-own-software-yet-not-totally-stupid-we-can-build-our-own-PCs type people on how to auto-shutdown our PCs if the temperature of our CPUs reaches a certain point? And could the same be done for a graphics card?

~El~Jefe~
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Post by ~El~Jefe~ » Sat Dec 05, 2009 10:37 am

well, on this retailer, I noticed this item. I only link to where I find things first vs. go to the manufacturer's website.

Looks Snazy

It at least has an alarm and is cheap and compact. I like it when things are more kit than ala carte. Stuff gets pricey.

Madz
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Post by Madz » Wed Jan 27, 2010 8:55 am

The only thing I can say over TT products is:

Cheap and mostly poor quality.

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