Dry Ice Cooling & Rule 12.9

We have had yet another mad idea, but I doubt we have been the first to think of it...

Is it within the rules to use something like dry ice to cool motors/ESC's?

I have had a look and the only one that might stop it is rule 12.9: Hazardous Materials

The idea isn't based around having to cool down an over worked motor or esc which would otherwise burn out, but to try and improve the functionality of an already working motor/esc set up eg. reducing the temperature to increase the efficiency of the motor/esc.

I reckon a good fan set up would be more than sufficient for our needs but you never know Dry Ice might be worth the effort

Old idea, and in the early days it was worth the effort due the consumable rule.

But yes, you can use dry ice to cool down any motor. No problem whasoever.

Hazardous materials. CO2 in solid form has only 1 hazard, the cold. (suffication is less a concern.)

Do you think that anyone would stop us from using it at an event. The robot would look like it was constantly on fire, though the 'smoke'/dry ice would settle as an nicely atmospheric haze on the arena floor... Ooooo pretty swirly smokey stuff :lol:

As long as you follow this rule you should be fine.

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12.10 Bonnie Tyler
Appropriate 80s ballad music must be played if dry ice is to be used.

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Your issue would be getting it cold enough from a supplier and then keeping it cold enough over 2 to 3 days to allow it to be of any use throughout an event. Can't remember exact numbers but I'm sure I heard that after a day at an event you would essentially lose half the solid CO2 available to you or something along those lines as it's such a pain to keep it cold.

Dry ice is a hazardous material and requires specialist transportation and handling requirements. In confinement it may cause asphyxiation.

I don't believe it would be a suitable coolant for the above reasons and I also expect that event organisers may have a problem with you using it.

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Originally Posted by PJ-27

As long as you follow this rule you should be fine.

Quote:

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12.10 Bonnie Tyler
Appropriate 80s ballad music must be played if dry ice is to be used.

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:mrgreen :mrgreen: :

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Originally Posted by kane

Dry ice is a hazardous material and requires specialist transportation and handling requirements. In confinement it may cause asphyxiation.

I don't believe it would be a suitable coolant for the above reasons and I also expect that event organisers may have a problem with you using it.

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It's not worth the hassle according to me at the moment. During the series it was an option. The consumable rule. Using 2 kg of dry ice to cool the 4 DeWalt drives would have been a good idea.
Now, installing a good fan will do equaly well for less problems and cost. Dry Ice ain't that cheap.

On the other hand, having an insulated box with 5 kg of dry ice under the workbench doesn't sound like a real danger.
Of course, manipulating the stuff with unprotected bodyparts is a fast way to get iceburns. But that's just common sense and 3 braincells rubbing together.

I agree with you guys, fans may not be as cold as dry ice but they are much easier to install, use, transport, maintain and won't give you ice burns! In a heavy weight perhaps but not in a feather.
I have vague plans to build a heavy weight Conker at some point so perhaps it will be useful then...

great idea
there are no spinner heavies

There are no spinner heavys cos the british arenas cant contain them. I would have to go to the US to fight with it. The Robochallenge arena is fine for a single heavyweight but no more... shame really...

It was something we considered for cooling the 4QDs on 13Black, you don`t need to store it as its easy to make from either a fire extinguisher or the CO2 bottles at the event. Just blast CO2 into a towel or glove for a bit and you`ll have loads.
In the end we went with big heatsinks and pc fans but they lasted about 30 seconds before the shock loads broke the blades off so find some thick bladed ones.
I seem to remember our 4QDs dropped to 40% power output when they got hot so it really is something worth thinking about.

I wouldn't think Alan or jonno would be happy with their co2 being wasted like that , unless you kept your towel over the fill rig exhaust and only used co2 that had to be vented off anyway. May be there a while then !

yes thats how I meant, we made some at a recent event and was dropping lumps into cups of hot water to make 'mystic smoke effects' :D

I used to work at a lab, and most of the things that got shipped in came with dry ice packaging.
So I get a load of it put it in a large lab since and blast it with hot water.

On several occasions I was very tempted to shout fire! and Run from the lab.