Setting Up Cascade

[rx7diver]

Finally getting around to setting up my bank. I'll have 4 6000psi bottles and a very basic setup. Each has it's own valve so no panel. My question is how do I want to run the compressor and use the tanks? Just have the compressor dumping into the cascade and slowly whipping into my tanks? Or should I use the compressor to fill the cascade, then bleed into my tanks after?

With my setup I won't always be able to run the compressor, or have time to. I hope to get to the point where I run the compressor for ~ 30 / 60 minutes or something at the end of each work day and "save up" gas for when I need fills. That would be a lot easier than spending 3 hours babysitting a compressor while filling all of my tanks at once. That's the plan anyway.

It's going to take quite a few ~30/60 minute after-work sessions to fill those four cascade bottles from empty to 4,500 psig using your SA-6!

Just thinking out loud, but what if you reduced your cascade system down to three bottles, and left the fourth one "free." You could take that single bottle somewhere to get it filled (to 6,000 psig, using your local volunteer fire department's 24 scfm compressor, say), and bring it back and dump its air into your 3-bottle cascade system. Do this a few of times. Then use your SA-6 only when you need to, maybe to top up or help keep topped up your cascade system (to 4,500 psig).

Alternately, keep your 4-bottle cascade system intact, and purchase/rent/borrow a fifth cascade bottle to use as above.

Will this work idea work for you?

Oh, I suppose you'll need to invest in a hand truck.

rx7diver

 

[happy-diver]

My bottles each weigh 103 KILOGRAMS empty
Nope try 105.8 KILOGRAMS that's 233.24907 pounds EACH
You can stick that on your own trolley

 

[rx7diver]

My bottles each weigh 103 KILOGRAMS empty
Nope try 105.8 KILOGRAMS that's 233.24907 pounds EACH

I had no idea these 6,000 psig bottles are this massive! My personal experience is with the cascade bottles (3,500 psig?) that were used in the system at the univ where I did my open water course (in 1986). Those old bottles were easy enough to cart around.

ETA: Hmmm. I just googled. It seems that some 509 cu ft, 6,000 psig cascade bottles here (in the USA) each weigh 188 lbs. And some 444 cu ft, 4,500 psig cascade bottles weigh 150 lbs. Evidently, there are different "flavors" of cascade bottles, even fixing the service pressure.

rx7diver

 

[rob.mwpropane]

It's going to take quite a few ~30/60 minute after-work sessions to fill those four cascade bottles from empty to 4,500 psig using your SA-6!

Just thinking out loud, but what if you reduced your cascade system down to three bottles, and left the fourth one "free." You could take that single bottle somewhere to get it filled (to 6,000 psig, using your local volunteer fire department's 24 scfm compressor, say), and bring it back and dump its air into your 3-bottle cascade system. Do this a few of times. Then use your SA-6 only when you need to, maybe to top up or help keep topped up your cascade system (to 4,500 psig).

Alternately, keep your 4-bottle cascade system intact, and purchase/rent/borrow a fifth cascade bottle to use as above.

Will this work idea work for you?

Oh, I suppose you'll need to invest in a hand truck.

rx7diver

By my calcs, it would take 5.5 hrs to fill all 4. 83 min / bottle @ 415cf in each bottle.

The local vfd do not use compressors anymore to fill. They have a service truck that fills their 6000psi banks when needed. It drives around to all the different stations.

I can get singles filled there (I did before I had the compressor). They don't like to do doubles outside the blast chamber.

In reality if all I have to do is start the system at the end of each day for a bit, it really wouldn't be that bad at all. The initial filling of all 4 and topping off my scuba tanks 100% would be a pain, but after that I wouldn't really be filling them from empty again.

I really need a LP bank system to complement the larger HP bottles. The quest never ends, lol. I have to call around to a few shops and see if they have any older O2 bottles they can't get refilled they want to donate to the cause.

 

[Tracy]

I had no idea these 6,000 psig bottles are this massive! My personal experience is with the cascade bottles (3,500 psig?) that were used in the system at the univ where I did my open water course (in 1986). Those old bottles were easy enough to cart around.

ETA: Hmmm. I just googled. It seems that some 509 cu ft, 6,000 psig cascade bottles here (in the USA) each weigh 188 lbs. And some 444 cu ft, 4,500 psig cascade bottles weigh 150 lbs. Evidently, there are different "flavors" of cascade bottles, even fixing the service pressure.

rx7diver

There are many different bank bottles, the biggest difference is classification. The DOT 3aa3500, 4500, 5000 tanks are ridiculously stupid heavy. The exemption 3500/4500/6000 are considerably lighter. The ISO 4500s seem to be the lightest.
My 5000 psi DOT bank bottle are over 300 pounds each.
If you want to get even more stupid with weight, ASME bottles are even heavier than DOT bottles.
I have about 30 of them in my basement, I don't ever want to remove them.

 

[Gone for diving]

You could put the compressor on a cycle timer,,, or pressure sw, but then the drains need to be auto,
Believe me it never ends but it sure is fun,

 

[rob.mwpropane]

There are many different bank bottles, the biggest difference is classification. The DOT 3aa3500, 4500, 5000 tanks are ridiculously stupid heavy. The exemption 3500/4500/6000 are considerably lighter. The ISO 4500s seem to be the lightest.
My 5000 psi DOT bank bottle are over 300 pounds each.
If you want to get even more stupid with weight, ASME bottles are even heavier than DOT bottles.
I have about 30 of them in my basement, I don't ever want to remove them.

I'm not sure what my 6000 tanks are, but they're heavy. Empty I can bear hug them and barely life them up, just enough to get onto the concrete flior of the shop.

You could put the compressor on a cycle timer,,, or pressure sw, but then the drains need to be auto,
Believe me it never ends but it sure is fun,

What I really need is friends who live close who can help cushion the blow to my wallet, lol...

Its ran from a diesel, so pull start (although I have a starter for it), and manual drains for now.

I would really like to install the automatic condensate drains, but they're stupid expensive.

Does anyone have a less expensive alternative to the commercial ACD available?

 

[BRT]

I'm not sure what my 6000 tanks are, but they're heavy. Empty I can bear hug them and barely life them up, just enough to get onto the concrete flior of the shop.


What I really need is friends who live close who can help cushion the blow to my wallet, lol...

Its ran from a diesel, so pull start (although I have a starter for it), and manual drains for now.

I would really like to install the automatic condensate drains, but they're stupid expensive.

Does anyone have a less expensive alternative to the commercial ACD available?

I'm sure the experts will have a reason why this won't work but I used something similar to this Atkomatic 1102 Solenoid Valve 120v-ac | eBay
for my auto drain. There has to be a recycle timer to control it.

 

[happy-diver]

Once you start bit by bit it gets done

Now don't take this to the bank but something like this has a timer

Pardon our interruption...

ACDS3 Automatic Condensate Drain

We offer retro fit automatic condensate drain systems to fit most breathing air compressors, including Bauer, Mako, Eagle, Scott, Bristol, or any SCBA compressor that did not originally have automatic drains.

www.breathingair.com

Get some ideas and copy them

Maybe modify-build a box

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Changed directions a little. Found a deal I couldn't pass up. These are in addition to the 4 6000psi bottles.

9 4500 and 4 3500. Picked them up today.