Specs of the first cylinders used by Cousteau

[navegante]

Hi there,
I am wondering if anyone can help me to find the specs for the first scuba tanks Cousteau used, I mean the triple tanks he used in the 40s. All I know is they were called in France 'Tri-Acier' (steel triples) and were produced by La Spirotechnique (today Aqualung) specially for the French Navy in those days. I'd like to know some details like the working pressure and volume.
This is a picture of the Tri-Acier with a CG45 reg.

 

[AfterDark]

Where's SamMiller on this one? JYC probably told Sam the specs himself!

 

[michael-fisch]

JYC probably asked Sam how to make the tanks.

Michael

 

[tursiops]

Probably 44 cuft and 2250 psi, but the pressure varied from maybe 2100 to 2600.

Interestingly, the US patent application shows a triple, with two tanks for breathing and one for a reserve, and stated that this meant no gas instrumentation was needed.

 

[Luis H]

Probably 44 cuft and 2250 psi, but the pressure varied from maybe 2100 to 2600.

Interestingly, the US patent application shows a triple, with two tanks for breathing and one for a reserve, and stated that this meant no gas instrumentation was needed.

Yes, that is the purpose for the valve in the bottom right cylinder. Cousteau considered an SPG a distraction and didn't like the way it looked on film.

It was a positive shut-off reserve valve and it can be used for decanting.

 

[Luis H]

To the OP, is that picture from Ryan's collection in Tacoma Washington?
Ryan probably has a lot of information on those cylinders.

 

[Akimbo]

is that picture from Ryan's collection in Tacoma Washington?

Is this collection open to the public? I find myself in Tacoma every year or two and would enjoy seeing it.

 

[Luis H]

Is this collection open to the public? I find myself in Tacoma every year or two and would enjoy seeing it.

Ryan normally has an exhibit section in the Tacoma Maritime museum, but he has a much larger collection. He used to have an exhibit above a local dive shop, but that has become more of a storage area.

I haven't talk to Ryan in a while, so I am not sure what he has on display at the moment.

This is a good reminder that I need to give him a call.

For a few years I was traveling a lot to a shipyard in Anacortes Washington and every time I could I would visit with Ryan. I help him several time to organize some of the stuff he has. It was fun. He has some very unique regulator prototypes. It was fun to help him decipher how some of them work.

 

[navegante]

Thank you guys!

To the OP, is that picture from Ryan's collection in Tacoma Washington?
Ryan probably has a lot of information on those cylinders.

Yes, that picture is from the Flashback Scuba Museum in Tacoma, Washington.
I asked about the specs via FB and Ryan Spence answered yesterday: "3x 5 liter at 150 bar. That is basically three 30cf tanks at 2175psi."

 

[Luis H]

I thought that I recognized that display.

Thanks