No “Formula E” race without dry ice

Dry ice is the common name for solid carbon dioxide (CO2). It does not occur naturally on Earth and must be produced artificially. Dry ice is mainly used as a coolant, for example for overclocking computer processors or in motorsports. Vast quantities of dry ice are a constant companion at race weekends, such as in Formula E – the world's first all-electric racing series. No other racing series is so dependent on temperatures and proper cooling. During an ePrix, each team consumes up to a ton of solid carbon dioxide. The artificial coolant is hurriedly poured into the side pods of the Formula E car after each session to prevent the individual components from overheating and possibly being damaged.

Dry ice is produced by releasing pressurized liquefied carbon dioxide. Some of the carbon dioxide evaporates, extracting the heat required for evaporation from the rest of the carbon dioxide and thus cooling it down.

The ILK Dresden is investigating environmentally friendly alternatives for cooling below -50 °C. How can the natural substance carbon dioxide be used as a working medium for special cooling applications, such as in laboratory operations, freeze drying, or cryogenic medicine? https://www.ilkdresden.de/leistungen/forschung-und-entwicklung/projekt/co2-trockeneis-sublimation-zur-tieftemperaturkuehlung

The EU refrigeration market is currently experiencing a shortage of fluorinated refrigerants with high GWP values (GWP = global warming potential). This is accompanied by rising prices, which in the case of the low-temperature refrigerant R-23 have already reached several hundred euros per kilogram. The situation is not expected to change, as the EU F-Gas Regulation, which came into force in 2015, set emission reduction targets that will remain binding for the next few decades. This is increasing the pressure on the manufacturers concerned to find replacement refrigerants for their applications. There are currently no non-flammable refrigerant alternatives for cooling temperatures below -50 °C. CO2 sublimation is a sensible option for achieving cooling temperatures below -50 °C with a non-flammable refrigerant. https://www.ilkdresden.de/leistungen/forschung-und-entwicklung/projekt/hybrid-fluid-fuer-co2-sublimations-kaeltekreislauf

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In the past, dry ice was also used in event and stage technology for ground fog effects. In February 2020, three people died at a party in a swimming pool because the organizer had added dry ice to it to create show effects. Since gaseous carbon dioxide is heavier than air, it displaced the air above the swimming pool, causing the bathers to suffocate.