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Stan, although this is a bit long, I hope it helps you out.
This has been an interesting thread.
I train oxygen service technicians and gas blending personnel for mixing
enriched air and trimix. Most of the interest in these types of courses
has been over the past few years who either need to make gas mixes for
resale in a dive center situation of individuals who want to do it on their
own. I have been fortunate in that i have trained people from the
recreational, commercial, hyperbaric, and scientific fields.
When it comes to materials that are available there is a lot and very
little out there,the course outlines for these programs from NAUI and IANTD
(i have not seen one from GUE) are pretty good and the materials they have
available are adequate beginnings. From those base materials we add to it
real experience, CGA, USN, and NOAA, materials and information from gas
equipment manufacturers, filtration, software and compressor companies and
the Oxygen Hacker's Guide, etc. My course (plus the ones I do with Bob
Decker) are material and practical application intensive. That approach
comes from where and by whom (Deans, Raimo, Hamilton, Butler, Galerne)I was
trained by.
The typical course we teach is about 8 hours for up to 4 student, 12 for up
to 8. We spend the first few hours discussing OXYGEN, Cleaning for Oxygen
Service, System Design and Practical handling of gases. The second part is
the Simplicity of Mixing Gases, (this ain't rocket science, though it helps
if you have clean hands). Students are introduced to mixing formulas,
tables, charts, tricks of the trade, etc.
Part 3 is preparing equipment. Students are shown and participate in
cleaning and inspecting (for oil residue and particulate) cylinders and
valves and other parts. (Note that this is not a cylinder inspection or an
equipment repair course.) Once the equipment is cleaned practically and
properly. We move on to Part 4.
Part 4 is the fun part. Mixing Gas.
When I conduct programs at facilities that have gas mixing systems we will
use their equipment, as well as my portable equipment. For facilities that
don't have gas mixing equipment but are sponsoring a program I bring it all
in. Mixing lines, manifolds, gauges, digital, analog, filtration packs,
cleaning tools and inspection equipment, a variety of oxygen analyzers, and
of course the well needed, racked AGT 15/30 Haskel gas booster (prepared
for oxygen service). All i need the facility to provide is air and a place
to work. Some facilities are really set up well for this kind of training
places like Olympus Diving Center in NC, North East Scuba, Dudas Diving in
PA, and the Wahoo Mixing Center in NY. Others usually will host a program
so we can train their people and help them choose a mixing system that is
right for their operation. Students will learn how to transfil gas, make
mixes, remix mixes, determine supply volumes needed, and learn how to boost
oxygen with confidence. Each will make a variety of mixes in a variety of
cylinder sizes, everything from little pony's to big doubles, high
pressure, low pressure, alum and steel. They do have fun and they learn. We
also encourage students to mix with a buddy for a while after the course so
that they can build confidence and competence in their mixing. Oh one more
thing, they do learn how to properly use an analyzer.
The key to all of this when it comes to choosing an instructor is to make
sure that the course you take is not just filled with some Xerox manuals,
and some black board math. The instructor should be mixing gas on a fairly
regular basis and have made the investment in some hardware, he should be
able to draw mixing systems and understand how and why they work. Its best
if they have used more than one type, they should also have a good working
knowledge of compressors and how they work, as well as understanding
filtration, and cleaning procedures. This does not come from taking a
simple "instructor training workshop" but only from years of practical
experience. There are probably a dozen quality gas mixing instructors in
the country that I have worked with on some level can teach this stuff
really well, and have stepped up to pet the pony, all of whom I continually
learn new things from. Billy Deans, Randy Bohrer, Wings Stocks, Ed Betts,
Bob Raimo, Jan Neal, Mark Nease, Steve Bielenda, Capt. Janet Bieser, Jim
Mimms, Bob Decker, and Glen Butler to name a few.
Mixing gas is not difficult to do when one understands the hazards and
safety procedures. And a mixing technician does not necessarily need to be
certified to use the mix they are making, they just need to know how to do
the job. Though a good technical diver should have a good understanding of
how gases are prepared especially if doing expedition diving and field
mixing, or project coordination.
The key to this all is practice, proper tools, and technique. I was
fortunate that when i ran the hyperbaric center in NY that we mixed all our
own therapy gas, and mixing 20,000 cuft of nitrox or 10,000 cuft of trimix
at a time was not uncommon, using rix compressors, corblin diaphragm gas
boosters, helium analyzers and a whole host of commercial gear to learn how
to make this stuff accurately. But I've also been lucky enough to learn how
to mix with just a hose and a $20 gauge. The concepts are all the same. The
challenging part is being able to reproduce your results consistently in a
variety of environments, cold, hot, wet, raining, on a rocky boat, and in a
pristine perfect world. So which course is better? Like all things, its
not the course, its the person delivering the course. Make some calls,
visit some shops if you can, watch other experienced technicians do it.
The only practice for mixing gas is ...... mixing gas.
Regards,
Joel Silverstein
http://www.trimixdiver.com
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