Help Critique My Fill Station Design

[Asheron]

Double post

 

[Mudbags]

Using HP air for drive gas isn't uncommon

- It's cleaner and drier. Less maintenance on booster air drive due to corrosion or contamination from generally dirty shop compressed air (I'm sure LP filtration would be used but it still delivers relatively 'wet' air to the pump).
- It's higher pressure and readily available so higher flow is available. The booster can run at closer to it's capacity if you feed it150psi from the HP air source. Shop compressors generally max out at 120-130psi.
- One less compressor to service.
- Additional load, considering relatively low cylinder fill quantity, is good for the HP compressor (someone noted this in a previous post).

I'm interested in the moisture sight glass, can you share some info on what you're using there?

 

[randy88k5]

I have a large compressor for drive gas. I want to add some better filtration, but it should so ok.

As for the sight glass, Filter Techs and August Industries has them. You can buy moisture indicator inserts or CO/moisture combos.

 

[tryerson64]

Hard to avoid over- or undertightening some of those pipe thread joints when aligning things so well on a mounting board. If there’s ever a version 2 of this system, perhaps consider using compression fittings in place of pipe threads? The picture shows you already use some compression fittings, and properly swaged, 1/4”-diameter ferrules on both male and female unions, elbows, and tees should work at your maximum HP line pressures.

 

[Asheron]

Hard to avoid over- or undertightening some of those pipe thread joints when aligning things so well on a mounting board. If there’s ever a version 2 of this system, perhaps consider using compression fittings in place of pipe threads? The picture shows you already use some compression fittings, and properly swaged, 1/4”-diameter ferrules on both male and female unions, elbows, and tees should work at your maximum HP line pressures.

If this is to my board, I 100% agree!! It was a PITA to get everything aligned, but it went this way because it was built with a box of fittings I got for $50 bucks…….so I was constrained since I was trying to build with what I had laying around. I don’t feel bad since I built the whole manifold panel for almost no cost. I’ve got 2 real manifolds sitting and waiting for version 2.0.

For someone building and having to purchase parts it is definitely cheaper, easier, and better to swagelok everything.

 

[Wookie]

For someone building and having to purchase parts it is definitely cheaper, easier, and better to swagelok everything.

I have bags and bags of swagelok's I was given.

They ain't cheap.

 

[tryerson64]

You’re quite right. Additional cost of SS compression fittings (Swagelok, Gyrolok, whatever) makes the PITA assembly of pipe threads not so bad after all. Once the pipe fittings are leak-tight, you can spend that extra money on helium…

 

[NothingClever]

Great thread.