DIY air manifold for fill station

[phantomrfa]

thank you for all you help i will be getting the correct adaptors.I could machine this job myself, but left that type of work a long time ago.I Will be talking to the parker agent to find the best way around this. iain/hsm
Junior Member
In UK a 5 port manifold block (1/4NPT female outlets) 5000 psi (350 barg rated) as your photo the retail cost is £50 plus £2.80 p&p. where in the U.K.? phone number/web site ,would be better than paying import duty from the people i found

 

[iain/hsm]

One thing with your manifold block is to make sure the spacing between the outlets is sufficient to fit any line valves without having to take the bonnets off. The enclosed photo is of a standard manifold its 3.250” (82.55) B/C and is enough to fit the stock Sherwood valves type 414barg (6000psi) are £20.00 each sterling or $40.00US.

The other bits in the photo are in line bleeders, and ported vents, Also have 2L/min ported vents for fitting to the PVC tubing used in oxygen/helium analysers.

You can make these up pretty much as you like with a combination of parts, With Parker they do make a 1/4NPT to 1/4 BSPP male x male adaptor but you will have to put on the 60 degree female "cone" into the BSPP end yourself if you want to fit 1/4BSP UK type HP hose. Cost including the stainless fitting & cone is £15.00 ($30.00)
Alternative is use hose ends in JIC No4 and fit the JIC 4 connections they are only £2.50 ($5.00) and a HP hose JIC one end and BSP 60 degree female swivel the other is no more expensive. JIC 4 is on the photo at the non return valve end. Iain Middlebrook

 

[phantomrfa]

iain/hsm
Junior Member
In UK a 5 port manifold block (1/4NPT female outlets) 5000 psi (350 barg rated) as your photo the retail cost is £50 plus £2.80 p&p. ((( where in the U.K.? phone number/web site ))),would be better than paying import duty from the people i found

thankyou again but what uk web site are you talking about ?please post link

 

[phantomrfa]

this is what i am trying to build. I will post pics later on but i would like to find all the parts first thankyou to the person who posted this, i have moved things around to suit me.

 

[iain/hsm]

this is what i am trying to build. I will post pics later on but i would like to find all the parts firstView attachment 46423 thankyou to the person who posted this, i have moved things around to suit me.

Great drawings, always a good start. IMHO suggest some small changes.
What is the size, make and model of your compressor? you need this for filter sizing.
Starting with the downstream side of system;

1. Suggest add a non return valve after the separator. That way you can drain any water in separator without affecting the chemical charge in the filter.
2. Suggest add a water vapour visual indicator after the filter but before the BPR £30.00 ($60.00)
3. Suggest add pressure gauge (upstream of the BPR) or on separator for ease of fitment to know BPR pressure setting at all times (say 150-180barg) UK now work on a water vapour of less than 25Mg /m3 for stored gas over 300barg so you will need both this and the visual indicator to achieve this, also possible an increase in the BPR pressure setting or you run system blind and have to resort to a WAG for filter chemical change out times.
4. Filter size and type: For UK suggest Bauer type filters as they are biggest in diameter 100mm shells and use 70mm cartridges, they have the largest surface area of chemical, largest jet area and the largest amount of chemical per filter. In USA suggest MAKO type filters 95mm diam use 63mm filters. Both offer ease of filter availability and both offer repack stainless cartridges options for you to repack with your own filter chemical. (price of filter is dependant on barrel length)
5. Micronic filter on filter outlet not specified, but should read 2mu

From a safety point of view I would add some concerns.

6. On the vertical manifold non return valves are missing, should have (3) three. It should NOT be possible to transfill oxygen from the storage banks back into air banks or visa versa. Also the single greatest concern is the lack of non return valve to the inlet of manifold from the compressor IMHO this has to have a non return valve to avoid filling the filter tower with pure oxygen. While I understand the drawing shows valves fitted and as you cannot use ¼ turn type valves with oxygen so there is no visual indication of valves position, open or closed. As a “filling monkey” myself I can guarantee I would cock it up and leave a valve open, besides it saves having to keep on twisting the things to reassure yourself they are in the correct on or off position.

A quick note:
For the UK and EU countries, here is where we differ to the USA and only if you intend to sell the product i.e. you are a dive shop or commercial compressor station including UK type diving clubs such as BSAC SAA etc. Here is the problem:

7. The second manifold C needs non-return valves to the outlets to avoid back filling. If an air cylinder is being filled, to avoid any back fill with say a dirty air or nitrox or even a partially filled oxygen PP cylinder prior to air being opened at the same time.

8. However if they are both nitrox cylinders, you now do need the backfill ability to be able to measure the residual nitrox in the cylinder/s in the first place.

9. The agreed solution within UK HSE for commercial set ups is to have two separate and independent systems ie another manifold just for air cylinder filling!.

Enclosed below is a couple of pictures from your drawing I set up on the workbench to show the actual layout, and the ease of the "Mix and Match" fittings.
If you need more detail let me know.

As for suppliers these product are distributed mostly to the trade so the parts should be available from you local dive shop both UK and USA. We are an OEM engineering supplier we have no web site either UK or USA. If not available we can supply direct or if any problems. My contact in UK is: HSM Engineering Technology Ltd.
Unit 3-5 Beaumont Court. Belton Park Industrial Estate. Loughborough LE11 5DA England. tel: +44 (0)1509 211233 fax: +44 (0) 1509 269061
email is iain@hsm-engineering.demon.co.uk

 

[phantomrfa]

I will email you next pay day when i find out what money i have spare,thankyou for your time the pic helps a lot to show the lay out .Think of this as a nitrox compressor ,One O2 bottle bleeding into a mixer then sucked into compressor /filtered sent to manifold for air or nitrox then to banks or whips .The two tanks with green pipeing are nitrox 32 only,why will i need non return valves ?.I need two way flow to the banks of gas.I can understand compressor input to manifold and fill whips. I will go and read it again

 

[phantomrfa]

life has moved on and i have found stainless steel The plate is being bent into shape this week.I have alot of parts valves ,pressure gauges,2@230bar tanks 50l,1@300bar 68l.Its a start ..Ian-hsm i will cotact you when money is better too many bills this month .

 

[Hoosier]

All fittings in an air system should be stainless. Air before filtering will be soaked with water. Hydraulic fittings are made to handle oil, not water. Rust can lead to contamination issues and in the long term possible failers.

It is a critical point for a long run. Once rust is developed, you can't perceive it until you totally dis-assemble all inline fittings. Even it is so hard to remove a rust stain on the chamber with an acid (Any acid isn't recommended on an ionized AL chamber though).

Just my 2 bar.

 

[phantomrfa]

the shed is 8'x4' waiting on parts from the U.S. ,got to love ebay for cheap parts The green thing is my nitrox stik with plastic airflow golf ball in side for gas mixing.I have a lot of work left to do i hope to have it pumping by november but still need, filters ,board regulator,some fittings and more bottles.All i can say is i will never get my money back, but its better than going to the dive shop and more fun doing it yourself

 

[pescador775]

Whoa, very sanitary, nice job.