Airborne AI Data Center Hot Air Balloon/Blimp
Posted by 4GOT_2FLUSH@reddit | CrazyIdeas | View on Reddit | 3 comments
Ok, AI/data centers produce a lot of heat and use a lot of electricity.
The higher you go, the more efficient solar panels are.
Ok, so we have solar panels to power computers, but how do you keep them airborne?
Use the heat from cooling the chips to keep the whole thing suspended with a giant hot air balloon.
It's also colder the higher you go so you can push the computers harder and be cooled better.
I bet they don't really think about how heavy these chips and computers are, and there can be some innovation there.
It can have a little propellor to catch different wind currents and stay in the sun as much as possible. Perhaps even use wind as an energy source when it's "stationary."
It can use starlink or satellite internet to transfer data. It wouldn't be good for low latency stuff but high data intensity things that take days or weeks can be done there.
octopus4488@reddit
Ok, this is basically the flying nightmare of a physics student. It is an issue of residual heat, air pressure, air temperature, solar energy, wind energy... jesus, delete this.
4GOT_2FLUSH@reddit (OP)
It's supposed to be a crazy idea lol
WorldsGreatestWorst@reddit
Batteries and computers and solar panels are very heavy, making this impossible on its face. Look at a blimp or hot air balloon—the payload they carry are a small fraction of the balloon size. Your data center would need a ballon the size of Ohio.
But it’s also infinitely easier, less dangerous, and more efficient to put data centers on the water.