Mailing List Archive

Mailing List: techdiver

Message Display

Considering that there are now 10 to 20 thousand certified nitrox/mixed gas
divers world wide, it seems there may be sufficient market to support an
alternative mating between regulators and valves on tanks.

current examples of the introduction of new fittings to the marketplace are
the use of DIN fittings in the usa and the change in common DINs from 240 to
300 BAR. both of these change-overs have been widely accepted. 

while it may be tempting to point to the wide range of CGA fittings as a
model for what the diving industry could set loose upon the marketplace, it
is clear that tech divers would reject any system that was not flexible. ie,
there should not be a fitting for each gas mixture. each gas diver should
use gas analysis (O2 @ least) as life insurance.

what there might-should-be is one type of fitting that is used for all
non-air (or maybe-not-air) mixtures. this fitting must allow for easy fills
and easy regulator attachment. it should also be simple, and reliable (no
adapters for in-water use). further, there are the concerned, conservative,
individuals and agents at DOT, DIN, CGA, etc who would resist any non-proven
design.

i propose the following scheme that should address all concerns: simply
change the threads from right-hand to left-hand on the DIN 300 BAR mate for
all mixed-gas tanks/regs.

as a machinist, i assert that this would be trivial to impliment in
either CNC or manual enviornments (i cut 300 Bar right hand threads
routinely). all of the tooling that supports building conventional matings
would still be used--only the thread cut would be reversed.

because there is no difference in the mechanical integrity of lh and rh
thread, the regulators should have no basis for rejecting implimentation. 

Navigate by Author: [Previous] [Next] [Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject: [Previous] [Next] [Subject Search Index]

[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]

[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]