Finalized my helium setup. what are your thoughts on this?

[Skal]

Here's my helium setup. You might be wondering wtf is going on in this picture so to put it short, I want to CTB by inhaling helium while asleep without fear or discomfort.

So it basically consists of air pump motors and a solenoid valve, controlled by timer plugs to flow air and helium with a time delay. First, the air pumps deliver air for one hour. After that, the air stops, and helium starts until the tank is empty (to ensure a smooth transition between air and helium, both gases flow simultaneously for 5 seconds). I'll fall asleep within an hour and breath helium while asleep. This way I can CTB without suffering or fear.











*The helium tank I'll use is guaranteed to be at least 95% pure (nitrogen tanks aren't common where I live).
*The gas mask I'll use is very airtight; blocking the air inlet completely prevents breathing, so I believe it's reliable.

I haven't done a full test yet, so I don't know if it will work properly. What do you think about this setup? Please let me know if you have any advice. Thank you.

 

[devils~advocate]

Well thought out from an engineering perspective.
The air pump motors (3 qty) are for pushing normal air to the mask? How did you determine that 3 were needed? 1 or 2 would not get the needed air flow to the mask?
So the fans turn off based on a timer switch....then another timer switch opens a valve to allow the inert gas to flow.

What kind of mask is that? Just a regular respirator, i.e. the kind used for spray painting or other similar uses?
Being asleep while all this happening may introduce issues that might be a failure point.....Some have suggested restraints of arms and legs.

I am curious, can you list the parts, models etc...

 

[LettinGooo]

Not going to comment on the technical aspects of your setup but my He attempt failed because I started physically jerking so violently I fell out of a computer chair and ripped the tubes from the exit bag out of the He cannisters. Have you taken any consideration to firmly anchoring your setup to something and making sure the tubes have enough slack if they get pulled on.

 

[Skal]

The air pump motors (3 qty) are for pushing normal air to the mask? How did you determine that 3 were needed? 1 or 2 would not get the needed air flow to the mask?
So the fans turn off based on a timer switch....then another timer switch opens a valve to allow the inert gas to flow.

Yes, the air pushed by the motors goes to the mask. I tried using only one motor at first, but the airflow was too low for me to breathe comfortably. So I added two more motors, which provide enough airflow for comfortable breathing (haven't tried using just two though).
I've also considered using a regular air tank instead of motors, but for whatever reasons they are much more expensive where I live, so I decided to use motors.

What kind of mask is that? Just a regular respirator, i.e. the kind used for spray painting or other similar uses?
I am curious, can you list the parts, models etc...

You can check this website for the mask's intended use. It's written in Japanese so run it through ChatGPT or Gemini
Also here's the list of the parts:

Amazon.co.jp: エアポンプ DC12V 真空ポンプ ダイヤフラムポンプ 自吸式 空気吸引ポンプ 15L/min 小型 電化製品に適合 エアコンプレッサー ダイアフラム 電気真空吸引 真空ポンプ 実験室 固有のポンプ : 産業・研究開発用品

Amazon.co.jp: エアポンプ DC12V 真空ポンプ ダイヤフラムポンプ 自吸式 空気吸引ポンプ 15L/min 小型 電化製品に適合 エアコンプレッサー ダイアフラム 電気真空吸引 真空ポンプ 実験室 固有のポンプ : 産業・研究開発用品

www.amazon.co.jp

https://www.monotaro.com/p/0209/7304

https://www.monotaro.com/p/6844/3444

https://www.monotaro.com/g/01004310/

YOU+風船用ヘリウムガス | YOU＋（ユープラス株式会社）

YOU+では35ℓ、200ℓ、400ℓの風船用ヘリウムガスを販売しております。法律に基づき質の高い工場と提携して製造している安全性の高いヘリウムガスです（濃度検査も複数回実施済み）初めての方でも安心してお使いいただけるようヘリウムガスの入れ方の動画や長持ちのポイントなどもご説明しております。

www.yplus.co.jp

Being asleep while all this happening may introduce issues that might be a failure point.....Some have suggested restraints of arms and legs.

That's very worrisome indeed. I think I'll look into buying belts or something to restrain my body. Thank you for reminding me.

Not going to comment on the technical aspects of your setup but my He attempt failed because I started physically jerking so violently I fell out of a computer chair and ripped the tubes from the exit bag out of the He cannisters. Have you taken any consideration to firmly anchoring your setup to something and making sure the tubes have enough slack if they get pulled on.

Really sorry to hear that. I haven't seriously considered anchoring my body and setup until now, but your story made me realize I really should look into it. Much appreciate for your input.

I guess something like this would suffice?

 

[ipmanwc0]

It seems fine, make sure that the helium is indeed pure enough because I think even a small percent of oxygen can ruin it. Make sure to do a test run on the parts one by one to make sure they function properly

 

[devils~advocate]

I guess something like this would suffice?
View attachment 196436

Thank you for listing out the parts and your process.
The mask is one that is used for standard respirator applications. This is a good idea since it is a common attainable item, affordable and not specialized.

If you can, please post a photo of the hose(s) connected to the mask. I am curious of the connection.

Yes, those are the type of restraints that some have suggested. Involuntary muscle movement are a concern for some.

 

[Skal]

It seems fine, make sure that the helium is indeed pure enough because I think even a small percent of oxygen can ruin it. Make sure to do a test run on the parts one by one to make sure they function properly

I got it. I'll double-check everything carefully.

Thank you for listing out the parts and your process.
The mask is one that is used for standard respirator applications. This is a good idea since it is a common attainable item, affordable and not specialized.

If you can, please post a photo of the hose(s) connected to the mask. I am curious of the connection.

Yes, those are the type of restraints that some have suggested. Involuntary muscle movement are a concern for some.

Yes, here are photos of the mask and hose.
The two black circular parts are a dust filter housing (the filter itself has been removed since it's not needed here) and a fit checker. A fit checker is normally used to check the seal of the mask, but I noticed that the hole in it happens to fit a standard 6 mm OD oxygen tube perfectly. So I repurposed the fit checker as an adapter to connect the tube to the mask. Right now the fit checker, the tube, and the filter housing are all glued together so there are no gaps.

https://www.monotaro.com/p/3316/5273/

https://www.monotaro.com/p/3708/4311/

 

[devils~advocate]

I got it. I'll double-check everything carefully.


Yes, here are photos of the mask and hose.
The two black circular parts are a dust filter housing (the filter itself has been removed since it's not needed here) and a fit checker. A fit checker is normally used to check the seal of the mask, but I noticed that the hole in it happens to fit a standard 6 mm OD oxygen tube perfectly. So I repurposed the fit checker as an adapter to connect the tube to the mask. Right now the fit checker, the tube, and the filter housing are all glued together so there are no gaps.

https://www.monotaro.com/p/3316/5273/

https://www.monotaro.com/p/3708/4311/

Thank you for the photos and product information. Very ingenious.

This type of respirator mask with single source port appears to be a Japan only product.
Most if not all, half-face respirators in the USA and other places are dual ports on the side of the mask.

To others reading this and wondering, there is a way to gas feed dual port types of masks with an adapter for spray painting.

 

[wishingiwasok]

Yes, the air pushed by the motors goes to the mask. I tried using only one motor at first, but the airflow was too low for me to breathe comfortably. So I added two more motors, which provide enough airflow for comfortable breathing (haven't tried using just two though).
I've also considered using a regular air tank instead of motors, but for whatever reasons they are much more expensive where I live, so I decided to use motors.



You can check this website for the mask's intended use. It's written in Japanese so run it through ChatGPT or Gemini
Also here's the list of the parts:

Amazon.co.jp: エアポンプ DC12V 真空ポンプ ダイヤフラムポンプ 自吸式 空気吸引ポンプ 15L/min 小型 電化製品に適合 エアコンプレッサー ダイアフラム 電気真空吸引 真空ポンプ 実験室 固有のポンプ : 産業・研究開発用品

Amazon.co.jp: エアポンプ DC12V 真空ポンプ ダイヤフラムポンプ 自吸式 空気吸引ポンプ 15L/min 小型 電化製品に適合 エアコンプレッサー ダイアフラム 電気真空吸引 真空ポンプ 実験室 固有のポンプ : 産業・研究開発用品

www.amazon.co.jp

https://www.monotaro.com/p/0209/7304

https://www.monotaro.com/p/6844/3444

https://www.monotaro.com/g/01004310/

YOU+風船用ヘリウムガス | YOU＋（ユープラス株式会社）

YOU+では35ℓ、200ℓ、400ℓの風船用ヘリウムガスを販売しております。法律に基づき質の高い工場と提携して製造している安全性の高いヘリウムガスです（濃度検査も複数回実施済み）初めての方でも安心してお使いいただけるようヘリウムガスの入れ方の動画や長持ちのポイントなどもご説明しております。

www.yplus.co.jp

That's very worrisome indeed. I think I'll look into buying belts or something to restrain my body. Thank you for reminding me.


Really sorry to hear that. I haven't seriously considered anchoring my body and setup until now, but your story made me realize I really should look into it. Much appreciate for your input.

I guess something like this would suffice?
View attachment 196436

You'd want to make sure your arms couldn't reach your face, because even asleep people can try to pull things off the face and you wouldn't want to pull the mask off unintentionally

 

[Skal]

You'd want to make sure your arms couldn't reach your face, because even asleep people can try to pull things off the face and you wouldn't want to pull the mask off unintentionally

That makes sense. I actually sleep with earmuffs on most nights, and when I wake up in the morning I often find that I've taken them off in my sleep. I have absolutely no memory of doing it.

 

[Skal]

I tried sleeping with the mask on (without the filter housing and the fit checker so I could breathe easily). When I woke up this morning, it was off. Since the buckle at the back of my neck was undone, I must have taken it off myself, but I have absolutely no memory of doing so. I probably felt some discomfort and took it off subconsciously. If this happened during an attempt, it would be a disaster. I think I need to keep wearing the mask every night until my body gets used to it.

 

[curiousgeorgette]

I wish I was smart enough to figure out how to do all of this, well done and I hope you find peace <3

 

[Skal]

Update: Did some test today. I set a timer for one minute so that the system would switch from air to helium after one minute. The main goal of the test was to check the transition between air and helium, and that part actually worked smoothly, which was good.

However, there's one big drawback: the solenoid valve makes a very loud popping sound when it switches. My guess is that the sound happens because the helium pressure is suddenly released when the valve actuates. If you watch the video, you'll see the sound is so loud that it actually startled me and caused the camera to shake a bit (also sorry about the messy room). I feel like it might be difficult to reduce the noise unless the valve is physically enclosed, maybe with something like a thick metal plate around it for sound insulation. Another issue is the motor noise. Even when wearing earmuffs, it's still quite loud.

Next, I set the timer for one hour and tried a full test run. Unfortunately, a problem occurred and I had to stop the test after about 30 minutes. As time passed, both the motors and the wiring between the motors and the DC adapter became extremely hot. After about 10 minutes it was only slightly warm, but by the 30-minute mark it was too hot to touch, which made me scared so I shut everything down. I checked the product page on Amazon again and noticed it actually says the motors are "not suitable for long-term continuous operation." So it seems the motors are meant for situations where you need a large flow rate for a short period of time. In hindsight, I probably should have used something designed for continuous operation, like a septic/air pump that's built to run quietly for long periods.

Problems that still need to be solved:
Motor overheating
Noise from the motor
Loud popping sound from the solenoid valve

Tbh I'm starting to get a bit tired of all this, and I'm beginning to feel like I should just dump this setup and do it the normal way lol.

 

[Lupop]

Wow... I see all that technical equipment, and I'm asking to myself: what about those guys who just get some sleeping pills, put the head in a plastic bag linked to the cylinder by a simple hose, and get their bus?
I know they do it like this in Swisse death clinics.

 

[Skal]

Wow... I see all that technical equipment, and I'm asking to myself: what about those guys who just get some sleeping pills, put the head in a plastic bag linked to the cylinder by a simple hose, and get their bus?
I know they do it like this in Swisse death clinics.

Hmm, I wonder why they take sleeping pills if they do it the normal way. You usually go unconscious within a minute and die within 15 minutes so everything is over before the pills kick in, or maybe they do it in a different way


--------------
Update: Bought a septic air pump and an electric ball valve to fix the issues mentioned above. Septic air pumps are designed for 24/7 use in residential setups, so I figured it should handle heat well and stay relatively quiet. I also went with an electric ball valve since it opens slowly, which I hoped would get rid of the loud popping noise from the solenoid valve.

I ran a full one-hour test, and so far things look pretty good. The motor heat and noise issues are basically gone. It's still a bit noisy, but it doesn't bother me if I place it farther away and use earmuffs. The popping noise when the valve operates is also gone. I guess I don't have to worry about being woken up by the noise during an attempt anymore. The pump is rated at 40 L/min, but the airflow at the mask outlet was around 23–24 L/min. I'm guessing that's due to tubing resistance, but it's still more than enough airflow for breathing.

Unless something new comes up, I think this will be my final setup. If anyone has suggestions or sees any potential improvements, I'd really appreciate your input!

https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00X7LDJ02

Amazon.co.jp: U.S. Solid 電動ボールバルブ 85-265V AC 電気ボール弁、2線自動復帰、フルボア、ノーマルクローズ (ステンレス鋼, 飲料水に適用, Gタイプの内ネジ, 1/4”, DN8) : 産業・研究開発用品

Amazon.co.jp: U.S. Solid 電動ボールバルブ 85-265V AC 電気ボール弁、2線自動復帰、フルボア、ノーマルクローズ (ステンレス鋼, 飲料水に適用, Gタイプの内ネジ, 1/4”, DN8) : 産業・研究開発用品

www.amazon.co.jp

Septic air pump:


New piping:


Timer plugs:


New diagram:

 

[fightclub17]

This is so technical my brain hurts. Why have they made it this difficult for us to ctb?

 

[Skal]

This is so technical my brain hurts. Why have they made it this difficult for us to ctb?

I think it would be much simpler if you used a regular air tank and a 3way electrical ball valve. It's just large air tanks are hard to come by where I live so I went with an air pump which complicated the whole setup. Hopefully someone will come up with a more sophisticated setup.

The attached pic is the complete diagram of what I used for this setup:

 

[Kai64]

that looks so good, you don't know how lucky you are to built such a good way to die without having to suffer.

so unfortunate those things don't exist in my state, only in other states, i can't buy it hidden from my mother.

may i ask when are you planning in ctb? I will in late may.

 

[Skal]

that looks so good, you don't know how lucky you are to built such a good way to die without having to suffer.

so unfortunate those things don't exist in my state, only in other states, i can't buy it hidden from my mother.

may i ask when are you planning in ctb? I will in late may.

being caught by family members is a big concern for me too (living with my parents). I'm planning to ctb in late March or April at the latest. I really want to get it done asap. Wishing you best luck!

 

[Kai64]

being caught by family members is a big concern for me too (living with my parents). I'm planning to ctb in late March or April at the latest. I really want to get it done asap. Wishing you best luck!

thank you man, i hope i eventually find a painless method too.

wishing you luck on your attempt as well.