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water torch question/s
Hi,
regarding the ongoign saga of trying to get my torch working, it was suggested that I try O2 in the torch instead of compressed air. Given I don't have an oxygen setup (bottles and reg) and the recurring bottle ental is a bit pricey, I was curious about making my own O2 by an electrolysis method. Knowing that some people here have had experience with water torches, I was curious about the pressures (if any) that you set the water torches to..... I've tried reading up on it, and infer that most systems create the gases (captured seperately) and deliver them to the torch at low pressures. but then I read about oxygen concentrators delivering pressures in the region of 15 psig. I have the tools to construct a fairly basic system based on seperate gas collection, and running off a 48VDC battery bank, but if I am required to deliver at a specified pressure, I may have problems depending upon the required pressure. Thoughts? pressures? Thanks, Des bromilow Brisbane OZ |
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#2
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On Mon, 27 Sep 2004 18:53:21 -0700, in ”õ "Des Bromilow"
wrote: Hi, regarding the ongoign saga of trying to get my torch working, it was suggested that I try O2 in the torch instead of compressed air. Given I don't have an oxygen setup (bottles and reg) and the recurring bottle ental is a bit pricey, I was curious about making my own O2 by an electrolysis method. it can be done, but is not all that simple. However, if you do it with a home built setup, remember that you're also generating hydrogen, and the little torch works quite well using hydrogen and oxygen as fuel and oxidizer. Most industry standard "water torch" designs do not seperate the oxygen and hydrogen streams, but leave the gases mixed, as the automatic mixture is perfect for complete combustion. However, oxy hydrogen is enormously hot. Too much so for many uses, as well as too hot for many torch designs, in part because the combination burns so rapidly that unmodified, the flame tends to travel back up into the torch, instead of staying at the tip. "water torches" solve this by passing the gas mix through a vapor fluxing unit, and the absorbed solvent vapors lower the speed an temp of combustion to something manageable, as well as giving the flame a reducing nature, which is useful for soldering. A limit to making your own oxygen generator is that you'll have little control over the oxygen pressure you generate. Normal water torches are not adjustable in this regard. They operate at quite low pressures, with a swicth that simply turns current on and off to keep the pressure where the system wants it. It's not so simple to build a system to give you varialbe pressures such as the little torch is designed to use. Knowing that some people here have had experience with water torches, I was curious about the pressures (if any) that you set the water torches to..... I've tried reading up on it, and infer that most systems create the gases (captured seperately) and deliver them to the torch at low pressures. but then I read about oxygen concentrators delivering pressures in the region of 15 psig. That was my next suggestion. Oxygen concentrators extract oxygen from the air, I think, rather than electrolysys. Their output is not as pure oxygen as bottled,, but it's fine for a torch setup. I seem to recall the deliverd mix is something like 85 to 90 percent oxygen, which should be fine. I've seen the things for sale on ebay, and you might find used ones for sale from local medical supply firms, perhaps units that ar not longer able to be certified for medical use, or are out of warranty, etc. Prices vary. You don't need anything more than the smallest such unit for a little torch. But from what i've seen, frankly, you'll still be spending more money than to set up an oxygen tank. I'm not sure of prices where you are, but here, a small oxy tank and cheap regulator would cost me a bit over a hundred dollars, with refils for the tank perhaps twice a year if I used the torch frequently, and those refills cost around 10 to 15 dollars. Not that excessive, really. (prices I gave are in U.S. dollars. ) Peter |
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