tmassey
Contributor
Hello!
I have recently acquired a medical O2 tank as part of a larger purchase that I would like to use for emergency O2. Depending on cost and other factors, I may need to use parts from the valve for the fill station, so I have a bit of a clean slate. I just realized I’ve never ever looked at the details of an emergency O2 setup. It’s been little more than a black (OK, green) box to me. What is the best configuration for emergency O2?
The bottle I have is a Catalina MD: 3l water/425l O2 with a 3/4-16 UNF thread. (Ref: Medical | High Pressure Aluminum Gas Cylinders | Composite Cylinders ). It has a CGA 870 post valve that I may need to steal a QD fitting from, so replacing the valve might make sense.
First things first: what do I want for the user to wear? My initial thinking is maximum O2 concentration and maximum gas duration. To me, that seems to mean demand valve and mask, but others say this is not necessary or to even avoid this. Once that’s decided, what type of regulator does this need? And then, of course, what type of valve does that lead to?
I’m filling this myself, and I have no other CGA 870 equipment, and given its pricey medical usage I’d just as soon avoid it. CGA 540 would be better, but DIN would be wonderful.....
The other choice is to scavenge my parts, scrap the tank and simply use an AL80. Easy to fill, huge capacity, and I have lots of regulators for it, but I’d still have to figure out how to deliver this to the user. And the size and weight of the MD tank is very appealing: emergency O2 only gets used if you have it with you...
Anyway, I would appreciate your thoughts. Assuming you had a MD with or without valve and an AL80 and you were filling yourself, how would you set up an emergency bottle?
I have recently acquired a medical O2 tank as part of a larger purchase that I would like to use for emergency O2. Depending on cost and other factors, I may need to use parts from the valve for the fill station, so I have a bit of a clean slate. I just realized I’ve never ever looked at the details of an emergency O2 setup. It’s been little more than a black (OK, green) box to me. What is the best configuration for emergency O2?
The bottle I have is a Catalina MD: 3l water/425l O2 with a 3/4-16 UNF thread. (Ref: Medical | High Pressure Aluminum Gas Cylinders | Composite Cylinders ). It has a CGA 870 post valve that I may need to steal a QD fitting from, so replacing the valve might make sense.
First things first: what do I want for the user to wear? My initial thinking is maximum O2 concentration and maximum gas duration. To me, that seems to mean demand valve and mask, but others say this is not necessary or to even avoid this. Once that’s decided, what type of regulator does this need? And then, of course, what type of valve does that lead to?
I’m filling this myself, and I have no other CGA 870 equipment, and given its pricey medical usage I’d just as soon avoid it. CGA 540 would be better, but DIN would be wonderful.....
The other choice is to scavenge my parts, scrap the tank and simply use an AL80. Easy to fill, huge capacity, and I have lots of regulators for it, but I’d still have to figure out how to deliver this to the user. And the size and weight of the MD tank is very appealing: emergency O2 only gets used if you have it with you...
Anyway, I would appreciate your thoughts. Assuming you had a MD with or without valve and an AL80 and you were filling yourself, how would you set up an emergency bottle?