300 bar tank

[andy j]

I'm in the market for a tank, idealy i would like a 300 bar 12l.
My regs are scubapro r190 with a din 1st stage. Will i be able to use these regs on a 300 bar bottle without causing them any damage. I'v connected them to my 3 ltr pony with about 240 bar in and they semed ok.
Are all din connections the same? i was told some are longer than others?

I can get hold of a carbon fibre tank realy cheap but was told they cannot be used for diving, is this so?

Is there a reason most bottles are only 232 bar and not 300, Surely a 12ltr 300 bar will hold the more air than a 15ltr 232bar cylinder and would be more managable?

I know they are probaly stupid questions but please bear with me as i am a holiday diver trying to convert to some hardcore british summer diving.

Cheers

 

[widget]

Firstly the cylinders.

Scuba 12 litre / 300 bar working pressure scuba cylinders are not mass produced. Industrial 300 BAR working pressure cylinders are, but usually in smaller sizes like 7 or max 10 litres. These cylinders will have a differant neck thread to prevent scuba valves been used.

There are numerous reasons why scuba cylinders in 300 bar are not mass produced, usually its cost, inability of fill stations to fill to 300 bar etc and not ALL scuba regs can operate on a 300 bar system - but purely from a manufacturing point of view because of the above, demand is low.

That said, Faber dos make them with the standard M25 x 2 scuba neck thread, but usually only on order (ie) when they have sufficient quantity for a run, this makes them relitively expensive and occassionally difficult to get hold of.

No, not all Din connections are the same, 230 bar din connectors have less threads (ie) are shorter than 300 bar din connectors, the reason for this is obvious.

I cant comment on the legality of using wrapped tanks in England, you would need to chat to the relevant authorities there, but here, yes, they are not allowed (illegal) in the scuba market.

Certainly my suggestion is to stick to the commonly available cylinders, 12 or 15 litre cylinders in 232bar working pressure.

Now the reg.

I would imagine your reg has a 230 bar din as standard, so in its present format it will not fit a 300 bar scuba valve. Before you decide to buy and fit a 300 bar din fitting I would suggest you discuss the viability of using a R190 on a 300 bar cylinder with a Scuba Pro dealer.

 

[WD8CDH]

Most regs sold in the US with DIN fittings have the 300 bar DIN fitting and will handle 300 bar. A few 300 bar regulators came with what is now called the 232 bar fitting. The Cyklon 300 is an example. Either fitting will handle 300 bar, but 300bar tanks usually have the longer valve fitting and the shorter regulator fitting won't fit.

 

[maged_mmh]

simply, if your DIN has 7 threads then it is rated to 300bars; if it has 5 then it is for 200bars.

 

[andy j]

Thanks for the replies, my din does have seven threads on it.
A 300 bar cylinder would be more handy for me as i need one to charge an airgun

 

[crpntr133]

Have you looked at the buoyancy of the carbon fiber wrapped tank? I would say that it will be way positive.
I don't know if this stands in England but in the US if any of the cabon fiber is exposed then the tank is condemned and pulled out of service.

 

[Diver0001]

I can get hold of a carbon fibre tank realy cheap but was told they cannot be used for diving, is this so?

Who told you that?

Is there a reason most bottles are only 232 bar and not 300, Surely a 12ltr 300 bar will hold the more air than a 15ltr 232bar cylinder and would be more managable?

In practice the difference in volume is minimal and the difference in weight is also minimal.

R..

 

[WD8CDH]

In the US, most of the DOT exemptions for carbon fiber tanks SPECIFICALLY prohibits SCUBA use. The Luxfer CF SCUBA tank was of course made under a different exemption. I would suspect many other countries have similar standards.

Interspiro makes carbon fiber tanks specifically for SCUBA that are aproved in some countries.

Interspiro Divatorlite

Euro diving zone sells CE certified carbon fiber SCUBA tanks:

eBay Store - Euro Diving Zone: Carbon Fiber Cylinders: SCUBA Diving Carbon Fiber 6.8 Liters Cylinder 300 Bars

By the way, most 300 bar steel tanks are much more negative than 232 bar tanks.

 

[JonW*Interspiro]

Hi, Jon with Interspiro here...I hope I can answer any questions. To my knowledge, I believe we are the only company that manufactures a fully composite cylinder approved in the European as well as the US market. They have a 300 DIN connection and are rated at 4350 psi. These cylinders are much lighter weight than the standard cylinder, but also more expensive...not really geared towards the recreational market unless you don't mind paying a little more for some really good equipment. Feel free to contact me if you need more info or go to our site at interspiro.com

 

[WD8CDH]

Hi Jon,

What is the exemption number for your US market tanks? What sizes are available?

By the way, I have owned several of your older steel tank twin sets. (4400 psi).