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Quiet 12 V cooling fans from a USB-C phone charger: PD trigger board and two 120 mm fans

Bench build · Everyday gadgets · Beginner · about 15 minutes

A silent 12 V cooler powered by any USB-C phone charger that offers 12 V. Two 120 mm 12 V computer fans make a quiet cooler for a router shelf, a laptop, an aquarium or a charger cabinet. A USB-C PD trigger board asks the charger for 12 V (most 20–30 W phone chargers offer it); the fans draw about 0.2 A each, well inside a 20 W charger. A switch turns them on and off.

Quiet 12 V cooling fans from a USB-C phone charger: PD trigger board and two 120 mm fans: the finished build running on the simulator's bench

Build it in the labGuided build, test sheet and fault finding, free in your browser.

zencircuitlab.com/l/quiet-12v-cooling-fans

Parts list

Test procedure

Each test has an expected value and a pass range, like a factory test sheet:

  1. Fan voltage
  2. Both fans: current
  3. Fan speed

How it works

What it does: A silent 12 V cooler powered by any USB-C phone charger that offers 12 V.

Build it (guided or ready-made), then run its test procedure below. Every test has an expected value and a pass range, just like a factory test sheet.

Background

PC fans are the cheapest quiet air movers there are; USB-C PD made 12 V available from a phone charger.

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