Guys,
I have spent a lot of time trying to improve my compressor monitoring system, filtration quality and I have learned alot from SwampDiver. Thanks Swamp.
My main problem is getting Swagelok tube fittings of 8mm suitable for my Bauer Mariner 200E with the optional P41 filter system. It takes 8 weeks to special order this size from USA.
I really love the P41 filter system. Unlike P21 or P 31 ( P21 is P Zero, I think this is what you guys call it in USA ) , a P41 is not a combo water separator + filter, hence two housings come with a P41. Water Separator as big as a P21 housing and a big & tall filter tower. Its worth the extra money and in the tropics I use this big filter ( 812 grams of 13X ) only for 49 hours ( approx 45% life reduction from 20 Celcius ambient ), based on 40C final water separator temperature.
I have bought many-many things but could not find the time to do it yet at one go. So I do it bit by bit. Anyhow, one of my main concern is to be able to verify how "wet" is my filter cartridge after the 49 -55 hours of use based on weight of the cartridge new and after 49-55 hours. I weighed the cartridge which by label is 1,380 grams but so far with 4 filters already spent, I am reading 1,402g to 1,417 grams new.
This is what I been getting :
1st filter
P/N 062565 ( no CO remover )
New 1417 grams, after 55 hours is 1682 grams.
Ambient Temperature was high here , 3 weeks of 35C.
2nd Filter
P/N 062565 ( no CO remover )
New 1402 grams, after 49 hours is 1658 grams
3rd Filter
P/N 062565 ( no CO remover )
New 1405 gram, after 49 hours is 1643 grams
....................... after 52 hours is 1660 grams
Cooler days, 30C ambient
4th Filter
P/N 67724 ( with CO remover - Hopcalite )
New 1408 grams, after 49 hours 1646 grams
Cooler days, 29 - 30C ambient
NOTE : Cartridge with Hopcalite has reduced air processing capability due to space required by Hopcalite is taken from 13X space. Only 675 grams of 13X in this cartridge.So indeed cooler days has less water vapor.
I been having zero CO using both kind of cartridges. I took precautionary measure to make sure my electrical version compressor does not suck CO in the firts place.
I tested a friend's Bauer Capitano with a Honda and with CO remover type cartridge in a "lousy" situation where it is open air but no wind at all and some walls blocking free air 7 feet left /right and behind the compressor, I got 2-4 PPM CO reading from production air. Only when I use a home type standing fan to blow away the exhaust fume while compressor filling the tank, then the CO level goes to zero. Reading of ambient CO level around the compresor area without the fan asssitance goes from 25 to 40+ PPM....dam, that is scarry.
IMPORTANT NOTE :
I purposely left all 4 spent cartridges in open air untill today. Dry but exposed to air. Over time its weight increases. That mean it is still adsorbing water vapor. One verfication I managed to get out of this "test", is that 13X will produce fine dust when saturated. This cartridge has small holes on top for air entry, I am seeing foam like thingy coming out of these holes. You know those make-a-foam from a can, this one is very light brown color almost white. When I hit the filter to the floor, the dust fell off. Its like very fine sand but not as hard as sand. I recalled many years ago I asked a Singapore Bauer Tech. What the hell is the whitish kind of powder I keep seeing inside the Bauer Pressure Maintaing Valve ( I think you guys call this a back pressure valve) ? He said that is the by-product of over saturated filter media. Later I even read that when activated carbon get wet, it will produce suplhuric acid.
I have seen many Bauer PMV getting jammed in open position, including my old/used ones. I have always thought its the salty sea air because I keep bringing my old Bauer Mariner to sea. It takes only a bit of dust and corrosion to jam open ( seize ) a Bauer PMV push pin or leak the seal. The aluminum bore/liner that housed the stainless steel push pin will freeze this push pin due to corossion and build up of by-product from an over saturated filter media. Once the PMV jammed up, we know that the filter media life goes down the drain by 90% easy and hence one trouble lead to another, bad air start to be produced within as little as 5 tank fills.
Back to topic..........
Before I could install my dew point meter, weighing the filters is the only way I can do to try to verify how much water moisture the filter cartridge have caught. What I can't calculate is, how many grams of the total increase of weight is from oil vapor and other possible dust.
812 grams of MS 13X can only adsorb water vapor 20% of its own weight. Bauer user manual also use 20% as calculation bases. So 163 grams is the maximum "extra" water weight the filter cartridge should handle. However, following Bauer table properly and verified with data logging temperature recorder on final water separator to verify Bauer table accuracy based on 40C final separator temperature ( in fact temperature only goes to 40C , 50% of the time ), I am wondering why I am getting by average extra 240 grams weight gain. The air quality after 49-55 hours is excellent in terms of smell and zero CO level ( using Toxi RAE 3 CO Meter and QRAE II ) ........superb. Better than my old mariner with P21 filter system. No lab testing though. I am wondering about the unknown 77 grams ( average ) of weight gain. I know all oil type compressor will release oil into the air. I do not know how many micron is the fresh air filter at the snorkel, it could also still allow probably dust under 10 micron ?? Or is the activated carbon been catching other nasties also or whatever other gases and sure it must have weight/mass too.
I have bought a dew point meter from Shaw :
Super Dew
It has arrived for at least 4 months now but I was still waiting for Swagelok parts, August Industry P3 tower a 33" tower :
33" Filter Tower August Industries Inc.
This P3 tower is for hand pack and will be installed before the P41 tower. So I never got to install the Shaw meter or P3 tower so far.
I do not want Bauer Securus sytem for its dew point alarm capability :
First is , I will be stuck with special Bauer filter cartridge that has the sensor, it cost like US$50 more for my P41 size.
Secondly, bad wiring at sensor harness or connector can shut down my compressor because the Securus will assume dew point have hit wetter than -55C.
Third I do not like not being able to read exact dew point temperature. Bauer only shows 3 LED status for dew point.
Fourth, I do not like reading dew point at high pressure because such high pressure at 207 BAR (3,000 psi ) will make the air so much wetter, error rate will be higher or lower accuracy sensor can be used. I am still wondering, those on-line dew sensor installation at high pressure side like Bauer Securus or the LW one, if they do not come with stand alone pressure sensor and correction algorithm...how do they measure dew point temp to equivalent of 1 ATM in real time at all pressures from 20 to 207 BAR ? I will be setting the Shaw to read at 10 BAR maximum and constant, this way I can get best accuracy, after all I paid for a decently good certified sensor...........and dang this thing is so expensive...
.
This is my upgrade goal :
Second water separator to a August Industry P3 filter, will be hand packed.
P3 filter to Bauer original P41 filter housing, using Bauer original filter cartridge
P41 to Swagelok 0.5 micron particle filter
Swagelok 0.5 micron filter to a splitter ( tee ) , one output goes to a 6,000 psi line valve, the other output goes to that chemical moisture meter ( black one ) and then to Bauer PMV and filler hose. I choose to have chemical moisture sensor to back up the Shaw.
The output that goes to the 6,000 psi line valve ( with check valve prior ) , it is to feed Scubapro MK2 regulator. From MK2 regulator, I then feed the Shaw dew point sensor manifold. I am still a bit lost here, I need to plumb a stainless steel tube from the low-pressure port of MK2. To read dew point accurately I am told not to use any plastic tubing because no plastic is gas proof like 316S would be. If I were to special order Swagelok fitting again.. I wil cry
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The output air from the Shaw sensor will be flow regulated by this 2 liter per minute flow limiter.
TDL Regulator Flow adapter [GA-Reg-Flow] - $45.00 : Tech Diving Limited, a subsidiary of Scuba Training and Technology Inc.
I am hoping this flow limiter which also acts as a one way valve will be able to keep the sensing manifold/chamber of the Shaw Sensor as dry as possible when compressor is off. It will take time for a sensor to read maximum low. From this 2 liter per minute output of the Shaw sensing chamber, I will dump it to QRAE 2. This is a 4 gas meter but I bought only the oxgen ( yes, up to 30% only and I do not do nitrox anyway ) and CO sensor.
From QRAE 2 output, I will dump it to a C02 sensor.
I already have all above items ready. With all above, I can get air quality protection in real time.
The CO2 sensor is a cheapo one from Taiwan ( 50 ppm accuracy ) and can read temperature too. I am intending to buy this just for experiment sake and I have bought the 400PPM CO2 calibration gas anyway. At least I want to know how much CO2 will 13X adsorb when its still fresh. Swampdiver said oxygen level will increase at first when 13X is fresh because C02 also adsorbed by 13X. In latest Bauer user manual ( page 19 Capitano/Mariner 200-250 ) this C02 thingy is also confirmed. Bauer stated that when running the compressor, dump some air first for 1-2 minute before filling, because the 13X is full of C02, scavenging is the term Bauer used. The sudden partial pressure decrease will cause the C02 to be dislodged from the 13X sieve.
I am hoping the air temperature sensor of this Taiwanse CO/RH/Temp can react fast enough with 2 LPM air flow. I been curious on how hot is the air actually coming out of the compressor. I know the MK2 regulator reducing pressure will cause air to cool down.
My Mariner 200 final water separator and filter tower gets warm air blown by the pulley fan from the cooler pipes and compressor block since it is on the European type carry frame, very compact. I have always wondered how much heat does that hot air blowing to the final water separator housing, will contribute to warming up the housing, instead of warm air produced by gas compression...
I really like those who place their water separator and filter tower away from the compressor. Unfortunately I have no space for that kind of plumbing.
What I have done so far:
Install data logging digital temperature meter. 2 of 2 channel units.
Each cylinder head get one and the final water separator. So 4 hot spots covered.
I also use infra red gun to compare the data. On all 3 cylinders, there are always some area hotter by 10C than some within the same cylinder head. Where it is closest to intake valve, it is hotter. I set the limit of my compressor running to 130C and to be turned off for 20 minutes per 1 hour of running or when temp exceed 130C. I still can not get the confirmation on what is the Bauer overheat temperature level for auto shut down. Some said 165C for Securus. My intention for installing the 4 temperature sensors is to make sure the compressor will not overheat and start producing poison from burnt oil.
I also wants to observe any anomally between cylinder heads temp. Temperature sudden increase info and oil pressure reading are also very important for longevity of the compressor and can assist in troubleshooting.
Install automotive type oil pressure sender and oil temperature sender. Now that the new Bauer K120 block runs on 6 BAR oil pressure, unlike the older model with 50 BAR, I can then use automotive oil pressure sender, instead of marine transmission oil pressure sender that can read up to 75 BAR.
Install digital pressure gauge ( Keller , from Swiss ) for cylinder 2 and 3. For the cylinder no 1, I need to machine an adaptor. This nice meter has the dumbest fitting design. Its a G1/4" thread but with a lousy o-ring. One leaked at 43 BAR and one blew an o-ring in 10 minutes at cylinder no 3, 207 BAR. I am starting to wonder why I choose this brand
The hardest part of this project is understanding the metric and imperial thread for fittings. I am fitting stupid....very very stupid. The terms used for fittings are just too many, same thing called by different names..........holy cow !! British standard, US Standard, Metric standard and etc.
What I know of compressor accesories are USA supplied because when you Google things , 90% are USA website and they are imperial with NPT threads. My Bauer is all metric with o-ring and/or with copper gasket. I personally do not like using teflon tape, like how an NPT will need....but some I cant avoid. My country is metric but for pipes we speak inches...
. I have to source the 8mm 500BAR rated pipe all the way from Singapore. If I go for 1/4", local importer will stock it but my Bauer can't take that without adaptors. Local Swagelok distributor stock inches parts because they supply oil companie and US oil companies ( big in my country ) uses imperial fitting. Hence a 100% special order for my needs. Bauer uses Voss and this brand is not available in my country and also Singapore. I find Swagelok a better quality and I ordered all 316SS ones..........dang, by the time everything arrived in like 4-5 months, I got so lazy installing them....
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I really envy you guys in USA for being able to source anything and everything much easier.
Safe diving guys.
