transfer whip usage

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Crush

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Is there any maximum accepted rate at which one should transfer air from a full tank to a deleted tank using a transfer whip? Let's assume that both tanks contain air, one starts at 1000 psi and the other at 3000 psi, both 80 cu ft.

Thanks
 
For filling any cylinder, no matter the source and for air or pre-blended nitrox up to 40% the generally accepted fill rate is 600psi per minute.
 
You can fill as fast as the air will flow from one to the other. The tank being filled will heat up and the tank you are filling from will cool off. Leave the whip open between the two tanks until both are the same temperature to ensure complete equalization.
 
What is said above is true - but only within reason so you need to take it with a grain of salt and apply some common sense.

With two tanks of more or less equal size and roughly similar pressures (1000 psi difference or so) it makes no difference as the amount of change will be minor.

However if transfilling from a large tank to a small one, and especially if going from zero to 3000 plus psi, as would be the case if refilling a 6 cu ft inflation bottle off a 3500 psi 130, the small bottle is going to fill very fast if you just crank the valves open and it will get unacceptably hot.

I used to see a lot of SCBA tanks that were slam filled by fire departments in 30-45 seconds. The number of cracks and hydro failures was impressive in tanks abused this way. I would not do it to one of my tanks.

So I'd suggest using some common sense and keep the fill rates slow enough so the tank being filled stays cool enough that you can keep your hand on it without it being uncomfortable that will limit tank shoulder/wall temp to around 105-110 degrees F.

In the end it makes no difference in how long it takes to transfill the tank. if you do it fast and heat up the tank, you have to leave them connected until the receiving tank cools to get max volume in the recieving tank. That will take you just as long as filling the tank slowly in the first place, but the latter method prevents any long term issues with heating and slam filling the tank.
 
Our old fill system would fill 15 tanks at once. We'd hook up 15 whips (none of them has a valve, just a master valve) then we'd open all the bottles. 15 tanks would equalize in less than 20 seconds. This was done for about 60 tanks 3 times a day. Haven't blown up yet. Hehe.
 
Thanks to all posters.
 
If it is below 40% the rate does not matter. The only issue with speed is heat. The faster you fill the hotter it will get and longer you will have to wait for the temperatures to equalize, but the slower you fill the longer you have to wait even longer :wink:
 
A potential problem with quick transfers or draining is condensation and flash rust inside the cold tank. If your air is super dry, then it shouldn't be an issue. I always take it nice and slow.
 
A potential problem with quick transfers or draining is condensation and flash rust inside the cold tank. If your air is super dry, then it shouldn't be an issue. I always take it nice and slow.

I believe your air would have to be "super wet" to condensate inside a tank.
 

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