How to Run a Computer in a Sub-Zero Environment?

Underdog asks: "I've seen tons of Slashdot articles on cooling hardware, but my company may be taking on the task of wiring a large sub-zero (as low as -14) warehouse with temperature sensors and the requisite network equipment and computers to read them. Our initial proposal includes at least a dozen acquisition computers, hung from the racks in the freezer. Does anyone have any experience with installing computers in extremely low temperature locations?"

Heat it

[SlamMan]

Run your network gear/servers in a heated environment. Temp controlled server room, spot cooler/heater feeding a rack, use the tools you like, but you're not going to find much that works properly (at the very least, doesnt void warrenty) in en environment that cold.

Mac G4

[LennyDotCom]

I left a Mac g4 dual Proc on my back porch in Connecticut for over 3 years summer winter and fall sometimes in winter the keyboard would be covered in snow and I would just turn it over anrd let it dry out it's still working today. I wish I had a Dell siting next to it for a comparasin.

Sorry about spelling and grammer

Liquid Cooling/Heating

[wrfelts]

Although it may be cost prohibitive, the concepts used when cooling a computer through liquid emersion [electronics-cooling.com] may do well in this sort of environment. If the expelled heat of the computers is not enough to keep the liquid up to optimal temperature, you can conserve some energy by utilizing the excess heat from the refrigerant system. This method can also be used to raise the "PC-tank" environment up to optimal for a "cold boot" (sorry, could't resist.) The expelled heat of the computers will add to the load of the refrigeration system as a whole and needs to be calculated into the whole power efficiency equation.

Good luck.

Toughbooks

[Saval]

At least Panasonic Toughbook-29 seems to meet your temperature (and humidity) specifications:
http://www.panasonic.com/business/toughbook/df_tes t.asp#12 [panasonic.com]

Though that is only part of the solution...

A Chicken Will Do

[KidSock]

During the Cold War it was proposed that a live chicken placed inside of nuclear bomb would be sufficient to keep things from freezing up. In the case of a computer I would suspect the ambient heat of the electronics would be adequate to keep things at a reasonable tempurature provided the compartment and insulation was good enough.

Re:Mac G4

[NMThor]

This of course begs the question: WHY??

Re:Just an idea...

[Bananatree3]

The idea of vegatable-oil submersion definitally works for the motherboard, pci-boards, etc. without any mods. However things like powersupply and hard-drive would require a bit more extra care. You could submerge the hard-drive for instance by covering it in some sort of leak-proof -thermally conductive container, and then silicone the hole where the wires come out.

Re:Condensation shouldn't be a problem

[BobPaul]

If e.g. the CPU warms the air inside the case and the air now is capable of holding more water, will not the humidity inside the case increase and then the water condensate when it contacts the case which is cooled from the outside?

No. For the sake of making up numbers, lets say the cold air can hold 50g of water per cubic meter and that the relative humidity of the cold air is 75%. This means that the air is actually holding 75% of 50g, or 37.5g of water per cubic meter. Condensation will occure when the air can no longer hold any water, so we have a ways to go before reaching 100% humidity.

Now the air is warmed in the processor so much that it is capable of hold 100g of water per cubic meter. It's still holding 37.5g of water because there is no where for new water to come from. This means that the relative humidity is now 37.5%. We are much farther from condensing that we were before.

Water would only condense on the ram if the ram were so cold that the air immediately next to it were cold enough to lower the capacity enough that water must condense. This won't happen unless the ram is COLDER than the ambient air, like a waterblock/peltier combination or a cold pop can. The pop can is colder than the ambient temperature so the air immdeiately next to the can is cooled enough to lower it's capacity (and thus increase it's humidity) until condensation occurs.

Just make sure that your computer parts are warmer than the air inside the freezer and you'll be fine.

Re:Lenny's Mac G4

[Announcer]

That was just Lenny's way of getting attention. That's all. He's been posting about that incident here on Slashdot for... how long, Lenny? ;)

Use a data logger

[Anonymous Coward]

I've installed computers in the outdoors, and what you want is something from http://www.campbellsci.ca/ [campbellsci.ca] such as a beautiful CR10X which has a temperature range of -25 to +50C or other models with extended ranges, such as -55 to +50C.
These things are great for weather stations, and have all the electronics for measuring temperature, among other things. They are a bit expensive, and not very fancy, but still great and indistructable.

You could also get a bunch of sheilded low-voltage pair cable, and make a 107 temperature probe ( http://www.campbellsci.ca/Catalogue/107.html [campbellsci.ca] see manual for electronics) from a bunch of high-quality resisters ordered elsewhere, and do the half-bridge resistance measurement outside of the cooled warehouse, but measure the end of the probe.

Re:In addition ...

[zero_offset]

You're exactly right. My little brother drives a forklift in a 10,000 sqft subzero area of an even larger freezer warehouse. Different areas are kept at different temps. He works the coldest section which is used to store steaks and shrimp. He has to wear an enormous arctic-explorer-looking insulated coat, giant insulated gloves, and these military boots I bought for him that inflate (creating an air barrier). The workers are only allowed in the cooler for 15 minutes at a time. And this is in the middle of Florida where the outside temperature passes the 100 degree mark most days. I'd be worried about bearing fluid thickening or siezing up completely.