The Impact of High Altitude on Antminer KA3

This article will explain the effects of high altitude on the Antminer KA3 and provide operating altitude guidelines for the device.

Characteristics of High Altitude

As altitude increases, atmospheric pressure decreases, air becomes thinner and density decreases accordingly. These characteristics affect the performance of the Antminer KA3 in three main ways.

• Voltage Breakdown
  Voltage breakdown is more likely to affect miners, and this is especially true in the power supply section where the damage it causes is multiplied by the high voltage present.
• Heat Dissipation
  Miners lose their ability to dissipate heat, thin air reduces the amount of heat that can be carried away by a given volume of air, changes in ambient temperature have a significant effect on the miner and power supply, and the operation of the miner and power supply becomes unstable.
• Product Life
  The mining machine and power supply fan’s material and lubricant evaporation accelerates, reducing the fan’s lifespan and raising the likelihood of failure.

Common Plateau Mining Areas

China’s high altitude areas are mainly found on four major plateaus: the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau averages 4,000-5,000 metres above sea level; the Inner Mongolia Plateau 1,000-1,400 metres above sea level; the Loess Plateau slopes from northwest to southeast at 800-3,000 metres above sea level; and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau is above 2,000 metres above sea level, with mines on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau being most affected.

If your mine falls within the range of those listed in the table below, please take extra care.

(Values are urban average elevations; exact measurements are based on mine site)

Operating Altitude Standards for Mining Machines

The Antminer KA3 should be placed at a lower altitude than 2000m in order to maximize miner longevity.

Refer to the 2% standard for stocking if the altitude of your mining site is higher than 2000m; if the mining machine base is large, it is advised to limit the number of single spare parts to no more than 30 to account for potential damage to the power supply and fan.

Read more: Environmental Requirements of Bitmain Antminer KA3