I’m prepared to be proven wrong on this, as my exposure to quantum computer cooling systems has been super brief, but as far as I know there are no toxic coolants.
Like I said though, my exposure was brief. Unfortunately we didn’t land any projects with the supercomputer people 😞. I’m always down to learn more about niche topics though. Makes me super fun at parties. If you have good sources shoot them my way. I couldn’t find anything in my 5 ish minutes of web searching.
Wrong. I breathed in some helium once and it made my voice all high pitched which threatened my fragile masculinity. Very toxic.
(/s…)
Never worked much with cryogenics, but the one thing I learned was to never get in an elevator with (large quantities of) liquid nitrogen — if the elevator stops it can displace the oxygen and that’s…kinda bad.
SF6 has 23,500 times greater global warming potential (GWP) than CO2 as a greenhouse gas (over a 100-year time-frame) but exists in relatively minor concentrations in the atmosphere. Its concentration in Earth’s troposphere reached 11.50 parts per trillion (ppt) in October 2023, rising at 0.37 ppt/year.[8] The increase since 1980 is driven in large part by the expanding electric power sector, including fugitive emissions from banks of SF6 gas contained in its medium- and high-voltage switchgear. Uses in magnesium, aluminium, and electronics manufacturing also hastened atmospheric growth.[9] The 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which came into force in 2005, is supposed to limit emissions of this gas. In a somewhat nebulous way it has been included as part of the carbon emission trading scheme. In some countries this has led to the defunction of entire industries.[10]
Umm wtf? Why are we selling this stuff in compressed air cans ? Even methane is “only” 30x more potent than CO2 .
3M made a great alternative I actually tried to get my company into, Novec 4710… But turns out they’ve stopped making it.
The removed about SF6 is that it’s so stable (as required, to resist high voltage electric breakdown) that it also lasts way, way long in the atmosphere.
Yeah man, I don’t know. I think we need to just use less energy, as a species.
I’m prepared to be proven wrong on this, as my exposure to quantum computer cooling systems has been super brief, but as far as I know there are no toxic coolants.
The pre cooler is a Pulse Tube Refrigerator, and the main cooler is a Dilution Refrigerator. Those both use helium, and that stuff floats out into space. I doubt it’s going into the ocean. Here’s another article that talks about the operation.
Like I said though, my exposure was brief. Unfortunately we didn’t land any projects with the supercomputer people 😞. I’m always down to learn more about niche topics though. Makes me super fun at parties. If you have good sources shoot them my way. I couldn’t find anything in my 5 ish minutes of web searching.
Wrong. I breathed in some helium once and it made my voice all high pitched which threatened my fragile masculinity. Very toxic.
(/s…)
Never worked much with cryogenics, but the one thing I learned was to never get in an elevator with (large quantities of) liquid nitrogen — if the elevator stops it can displace the oxygen and that’s…kinda bad.
Yeah, totes. Scentless non-toxic gases can still be deadly by merit of not being oxygen.
The only recreational octave-shifting gas I indulge in is Sulfur Hexafluoride. Bolsters the ol’ baritone.
That’s no bueno for the environment.
I just looked it up and…
Umm wtf? Why are we selling this stuff in compressed air cans ? Even methane is “only” 30x more potent than CO2 .
3M made a great alternative I actually tried to get my company into, Novec 4710… But turns out they’ve stopped making it.
The removed about SF6 is that it’s so stable (as required, to resist high voltage electric breakdown) that it also lasts way, way long in the atmosphere.
Yeah man, I don’t know. I think we need to just use less energy, as a species.