Why not use something like Nitrogen for cooling??

[AEboy128]

I was thinking that for a serious o/c'er why couldn't you use the same things that can be used in cars. For example the company called NOS or nytrous oxide systems makes a cooler for drag/street racing that works by cooling off the engine. When released from the bottle it is an extremely cool gas. So what i was thinking is why couldn't this be used kinda like water cooling. Has anyone else thought of this?? Any thoughts??

My system: <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=8946" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=8946</A>

 

[jollygrinch]

i seem to remember a post or two about this a while back. i would think the main reasons would be that it'd be expensive and when a water cooler leeks you have to buy a new component, when a nitro cooler leeks (especialy when you're not home) you have to buy a new cat and call the hazmat team.

(not that i wouldn't try it if i had the means)


---Cold pizza, cold coffee, and the THG forum...oh the heartburn.---

 

[AEboy128]

just thinkin that cuz i got a bottle of NOS or nitrous for a car in my garage full of nitrous so i thought it might be kinda interesting if used in a computer.

My system: <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=8946" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=8946</A>

 

[peteb]

um - sorry, i thought nitrous worked by injecting into the comunction chamber as it provides a better source of available oxygen for combustion -> more power. I don't think it has anything to do with engine cooling (are you thinging of intercoolers for turbos that cool the air therefore making it more dense and having a higher oxygen to volume ratio?)

This is why nitrous is used sparingly as it effectively burns out engines over time...

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[Guest]

Nitrous is different from Nitrogen as is nitromethane. Stick hose from nos bottle in ya mouth and breath...hehe..

~OMG IT nearly melted, lucky I had the extra fan *inside* ~

 

[lhgpoobaa]

chemist speaking here...
nitrous oxide, or NOx is combustive yet burns cool.
you COULD use liquified NOx to cool your processor... but why would you?
by the same token you could use liquid air, oxygen, nitrogem hydrogen or even helium!
liquid nitrogen is used for extreme overclocking because:

1. it has a very low boiling point -170 C or so, better than liquid air or oxygen

2. its non flammable, unlike liquid hydrogen or oxygen. useful if you have leak with electrical components about. (that means no BOOM)

3. it wont kill you. unlike liquid oxygen going boom! unless you breath great big mouthfulls and starve your body of oxygen (beware working with it in a small enclosed room though... can get slow subtle asphyxia)

4. its CHEAP and relativley easy to obtain. compared to say liquid oxygen or helium.

still... if you are going to use liquid nitrogen you ave all the hastles of protecting your computer and youerself from the effects of such extreme cold.
condensation, icing up, compontents cracking etc.
plus... if you run out of liquid N2... you gotta turn of your beast.]

all clear now?

AMD chips run hot. The world is getting hotter. Therefore, AMD is causing Global Warming!

 

[Crashman]

Actually it works mostly by cooling. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is only something like 30% oxygen by volume, so it's not much better than air. But it does several things to promote combustion efficiency. First of all it cools the intake charge, making the air more dense, meaning more fuel can be burned. That's why an additional gasoline jet is added. Second, the Nitrogen helps combate spontaneos detonation, allowing you to use even more N20 with even more fuel without damaging the engine. That said, the majority of engine damage occurs from not supplying an adequate supply of fuel, a lean burn can go right through the top of the pistons.
There are other aspect that contribute additional performance. The main reason it is used instead of compressed air is that it has a better ability to cool the intake charge. The main reason LOX is not used is that it is too dangerous, and too hard to set up.
I probably know more about cars than computers.

Cast not thine pearls before the swine

 

[peteb]

Trying to remember - was air 22% before breathing and 16% after?

No that much of an increase I guess - but still 1/3 more oxygen than non-aspirated air...

Thanks for the info though - you are a man of many talents.

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[lhgpoobaa]

air typically is
79% nitrogen (N2)
20% oxygen (O2)
1% co2, water, pollution etc.
thats for standard outside air of course.

AMD chips run hot. The world is getting hotter. Therefore, AMD is causing Global Warming!

 

[Negaverse23]

I believe OzzieBloke already <A HREF="http://forumz.tomshardware.com/hardware/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=336250#336250" target="_new">tried</A> the Nitrogen theory.

=
<font color=green><i>Will code HTML for food.</i></font color=green>

 

[AEboy128]

Yea thats what i think. Because i remember when my brother took his 89 Mustang GT to the track w/o nitrous he had to buy ice to cool off the intake between runs. But after he installed nitrous and was using it he didn't have to buy ice anymore. I asked him why he didn't need ice anymore and he said the nitrous kept it cool enough that he didn't need it anymore. Thats kinda where i got to thinking that if nitrous can cool of the intake of a car then why couldn't it be used to cool of a cpu or a video card. Thanks for all of your responses.

My system: <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=8946" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=8946</A>

 

[Crashman]

Because so many people abused Nitrous, many places now carry sour nitrous, with a small amount of sulfer dioxide. Instead of getting light headed, you'll get sick from accidental or intentional overexposure. In order to assure you get pure stuff, you have to get it from a medical supply company, good lcuk!

Cast not thine pearls before the swine

 

[Guest]

(especialy when you're not home) you have to buy a new cat and call the hazmat team.

Good one!

 

[peach]

I probably know more about cars than computers.

<font color=blue>Hence the crash in .... <i>Crash</i>man???????

And I thought it was a reference to computers. Gee, we might have more in common than I thought.

<i><font color=blue>on company time....</i>

 

[FatBurger]

lol
I totalled a car once...not a fun time. Bad story behind that, but I'm not going to share it here.

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[peach]

<font color=blue>oooh - if I had only crashed just ONE car... I could afford something like this... <A HREF="http://www.computergiants.com/solutions/sol_list.asp?packid=52" target="_new">http://www.computergiants.com/solutions/sol_list.asp?packid=52</A> I guess thats a little overkill though.

<i><font color=blue>on company time....</i>

 

[silverpig]

What you're talking about is a simple refrigerator. All thermodyamics here. You take a gas and compress it. The increase in pressure is accompanied by an increase in temperature. The thermal energy is then conducted away through the container into the surroundings and the gas cools to an equilibrium temperature with the surroundings (say, room temperature). You then release the gas, it expands, and is accompanied with a drop in temperature of the gas (ie, cold air comes out).

This is the reason why those little air duster can things that you use to blow out your computer get cold if you hold down the trigger...

To apply this to computer cooling, you'd need a heatsink, some tubing, a compresser and a radiator. Compress the gas, pipe it through the radiator to cool it to room temp, then pump it out and into the heatsink, letting it expand.

I guess you could also do it with an open system, taking in regular air, compressing it, putting it through the radiator, and then letting it expand in some pipes on the way to your global win or whatever...

Lyrics. Wasted time between solos.