Gradually increases speed as temperature increases
Widely adjustable temperature range
This circuit adopt a rather old design technique as its purpose is to vary the speed of a fan related to temperature with a minimum parts counting and avoiding the use of special-purpose ICs, often difficult to obtain.
R3-R4 and P1-R1 are wired as a Wheatstone bridge in which R3-R4 generates a fixed two-thirds-supply "reference" voltage, P1-R1 generates a temperature-sensitive "variable" voltage, and Q1 is used as a bridge balance detector.
P1 is adjusted so that the "reference" and "variable" voltages are equal at a temperature just below the required trigger value, and under this condition Q1 Base and Emitter are at equal voltages and Q1 is cut off. When the R1 temperature goes above this "balance" value the P1-R1 voltage falls below the "reference" value, so Q1 becomes forward biased, pulse-charging C1.
This occurs because the whole circuit is supplied by a 100Hz half-wave voltage obtained from mains supply by means of D3-D6 diode bridge without a smoothing capacitor and fixed to 18V by R9 and Zener diode D1. Therefore the 18V supply of the circuit is not true DC but has a rather trapezoidal shape. C1 provides a variable phase-delay pulse-train related to temperature and synchronous with the mains supply "zero voltage" point of each half cycle, thus producing minimal switching RFI from the SCR. Q2 and Q3 form a trigger device, generating a short pulse suitable to drive the SCR.
author: RED Free Circuit Designs
circuit from http://www.redcircuits.com/