Fiber wrapped tanks

[sharpenu]

I am a firefighter here and we have been using the Scott 4.5 and Scott 50 here for years. We have over 50 packs and 150 tanks in service. Here are the answers to your questions:

They are labor intensive. Hydro every 3 years, visual biannual.

They are fragile- when exposed to chemicals, they can fail

They are 4500 psi tanks.

The 30 minute tanks are 45cuft, the 1 hour are 90cuft.

When wet, water gets between wraps and can separate the laminations.

As far as the failure that Detroit had, if it is the same one we got the safety bulletin on, the tank had been exposed to a caustic chemical, and placed back in the truck. We have had no problems in the six years we have used them, and I love them for firefighting. But, they are not suitable for SCUBA.

 

[Savitar]

hey guys,

here's a couple of pictures of diver/inventor Tony Maffatone using seven fiber wrapped tanks in a rig he designed to mix his gas on the fly, duing his dive!

http://www.tonymaffatone.com/Tony photo gallery/pages/Mvc-100l.htm

http://www.tonymaffatone.com/Tony photo gallery/pages/Mvc-135l.htm

Oh, BTW: Tony died when he was testing this setup.

This in no way should be construed to endorse fiber wrapped tanks, or building yourown gear.

dive safe,
Warren

 

[Rev. Blade]

On my most recent visit to my local dive shop, I had to check out the new tanks. The sales kid started bragging to me how great these new fiber wrapped AL tanks were. The only drawback he could come up with was the price. ~$450 for a tank. I asked him if the shop could fill the tanks to the rated pressure, and he advised me that although they couldn't, the tank would still hold almost as much air as a 3000psi aluminum 80, when the fiber tank was filled to the shop's max fill pressure. As tempting as it was to buy a $400. tank that would be almost as good as an AL80... I somehow managed to resist. (Well, almost as good, until the fiber delaminated from salt water exposure.)

http://www.luxfercylinders.com/products/scuba/specifications/us_imperial.shtml

 

[Pepsi]

AGA once bubbled...
... plus in the fire service they have 1hr bottles. :whoa:

Gotta poke some fun at ya- what constitutes a "1 hr bottle"?

Strap a steel 95 on your back and breathe in 1 atmosphere (on the surface) and it'll last you 2 hrs. I weight 235 lbs and have breathed it at 20 ft for 1hr24mins.

 

[Don Burke]

If they get better at keeping them from delaminating and get the price down, they might be able to sell me some fiber K-bottles.

maybe

I don't see a need for them in the water.

 

[scubafanatic]

....if 'chipping' the fiberglass will destroy a fiber-wrapped tank, how does one get it hydro-stamped? Metal tanks get the hydro-stamp 'pounded' into the metal.......what happens to the water-proof exterior of the fiber-wrapped tank when it's time to stamp it?


Karl

 

[pasley]

http://www.luxfercylinders.com/news/releases/20021022b.shtml
The above is a link to the press release from LUXFER about their Hoop wrapped SCUBA tanks.

As for me, I will stick with my Catalina brand tanks and keep the change in my pocket.

 

[gjmmotors]

"we are in the process of giving away, giving away!!!!!, our old bottles and air packs, most of the cylinders are composite and IMO dangerous. "


WHy give them away when companies pay real good money for them so they can remanufacture them?
Most of the volunteer fire departments will puchase remanufactured scba's due to the extreme high price of buying them new.
-g

 

[427HEVN]

PSI offers some more information on the hoop wrapped scuba tanks. PSI link

 

[wubbels]

Composite scuba cylinders have became very popular in Central Europe (Belgium/Holland/Germany ...) in past year. The cyclinders we use are CARBON wrapped STEEL cylinders (alu is not allowed here!!!). Cylinders are manufactured by WORTHINGTON in Austria.
Most common used are 7, 10 or 12 liter @ 300bar !!! (or double sets).
Advantage a 12liter @ 300bar = 3600barl (compared to 15liter @ 200bar = 3000barl - which is a standard bottle here).

Weight of a 12liter carbon @ 300bar is approx. 10-11kg (empty), where a 15liter steel @ 200bar is around 20kg.

Indeed they are positive when empty, but who cares to put an add. 2-3kg on his belt, when in total he will save 6-8 kg on his back !!! Using doubles its even more impressive, you've to add around 5kg, but in total save 14 to 20kg !!! (try to carry a double 15liter steel @ 200bar). (still then you have 20% more air).

An other advantage is that these are standard O2 clean (with double), nitrox ready. A double 12 liter /300bar will last you easy for 2 sea-wreck dives (totals 7200barl of gas).

Conc. pricing: they are a little more expensive then steels (something 270 EUR for steel 15liter/200bar // 370 EUR for carbon 12liter/300bar) so not really an issue knowing that it contains 20% more gas.

Filling to 300bar is 'easy' here, only they have to fill in 2 charges (waiting after the first fill to cool down, approx. 4-5hour - then it will be filled once more from 260 to 290-310bar).

These bottles are currently so successful that you have an delivery time (in Belgium and Holland) of more then 2-3months at this moment.

control and approval is same as our steel tanks (since its a steel tank).

So ... nothing but positive about these composite CARBON/STEEL scuba cylinders