What size cylinders are in use for argon/air drysuit inflation?

[texdiveguy]

I use an Al13/3000psi with AIR....our local ARGON fills run about $1.00cf....I use AIR instead because of cost/ARGON avlb. and I persl. don't notice much thermo improvement with ARGON.....so its AIR for me most of the fills.

 

[lowridersvt]

luxfer al13 mounted on my back gas with halcyon straps or al6 plate mounted with halcyon straps

 

[PepeUSMC]

Nobody boosts argon... phoooy

Here's a pic of my home booster:

And another

Built it myself from a double acting hydraulic cylinder and some hoses and check valves. Its driven by a AL80 but you can also drive them off a hydraulic jack. Both Masterline and Haskels can boost argon just fine too, although those commercial boosters are way more expensive. The unit above cost me about $175 or so.

RJack would you be willing to share this design in more detail, I am interested in building my own argon booster.

 

[grantctobin]

RJack would you be willing to share this design in more detail, I am interested in building my own argon booster.

15yr thread revival!

Tagging him would help using an asperand @rjack321

 

[rjack321]

RJack would you be willing to share this design in more detail, I am interested in building my own argon booster.

Seriously, spend your money on suit heat not a home brew argon booster of yesteryear. Argon is not a budget gas to buy, is marginally effective, only serves to keep a tiny extra fraction of heat in vs modern suit heat which actively warms you.

 

[azstinger11]

15yr thread revival!

Tagging him would help using an asperand @rjack321

lol

 

[Boarderguy]

 

[PepeUSMC]

Seriously, spend your money on suit heat not a home brew argon booster of yesteryear. Argon is not a budget gas to buy, is marginally effective, only serves to keep a tiny extra fraction of heat in vs modern suit heat which actively warms you.

I have free argon at work Hence my desire to use argon as inflation gas. Both the wife and I have heated vests that we use and heat loss is not my main concern using argon. Honestly the main reason I would like to look at your booster pump design is not for argon, its for the helium side of trimix. Again I have access to helium at work (although I do have to buy that by the cubic foot). Right now I cascade fill my tanks to blend trimix and I can only work with a dive tank that is close to empty and a helium T cylinder that is close to full so I have to plan/time/wait for, when I can blend up trimix. With a booster pump I could top off tanks with supply T cylinders that are not full. I like building my own things and I like pinching pennies

 

[rjack321]

Hydraulic cylinder based boosters are not useful for breathing gas types of volumes. They use high pressure air to boost argon in single digit cf type volumes. In theory you could use a 15+cfm air compressor to drive a homemade booster. In reality that is a losing proposition compared to buying a USUN booster.

 

[PepeUSMC]

Sounds good. Thanks for the advice.

Hydraulic cylinder based boosters are not useful for breathing gas types of volumes. They use high pressure air to boost argon in single digit cf type volumes. In theory you could use a 15+cfm air compressor to drive a homemade booster. In reality that is a losing proposition compared to buying a USUN booster.