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-   -   Beth bravo on oxycons (http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=250407)

Surrealle 2013-08-19 6:15am

Beth bravo on oxycons
 
I've purchased two M20 oxygen concentrators and I'm wondering what's the best way to hook them up if I don't use a foot pedal? Should I use y-connectors or hook one up for the outer flame and one for the inner? (I'm pretty new to all this and don't expect to use the outer flame very often, especially at first). Do I have to get a holding tank?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

kbinkster 2013-08-19 6:36am

My opinion is that any time you have a two stage torch and are running two concentrators, it is better to wye the concentrators together to feed the torch. This is because if you are running both fires, and are not using all 10 LPM of a machine on the centerfire, it can go to the outerfire to help feed those jets. If you are running a low flame on the centerfire only, you may be able to keep the outerfire oxygen closed - just make sure that both concentrators are able to put out some oxygen.

If you have on machine running the centerfire and one machine running the outerfire, then on your particular concentrators, you will have to crack open the outerfire to allow for some flow.

Opening the outfire oxygen while running the centerfire can help stabilize the centerfire flame, and can help make it a little more aggressive, but that isn't always something you want to do. It's nice to have the option to run it open or not.

As for a holding tank, you don't have to have one, but it does help when you want to run the torch more powerfully for short bursts (when you empty the tank, you will be back to 20 LPM).


Oh, and while you are new and just getting started using the centerfire, you can use just one machine. You don't have to use both.

Surrealle 2013-08-19 7:43am

Quote:

Originally Posted by kbinkster (Post 4386703)
If you are running a low flame on the centerfire only, you may be able to keep the outerfire oxygen closed - just make sure that both concentrators are able to put out some oxygen.

If you have on machine running the centerfire and one machine running the outerfire, then on your particular concentrators, you will have to crack open the outerfire to allow for some flow.

Okay, thanks! I'm confused about these two things though. Wouldn't I typically have the oxy/propane turned off for the outerfire if I wasn't using it? Why would I have the oxygen turned on, apart from what you were saying about it stabilizing the inner flame?

kbinkster 2013-08-19 9:11am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surrealle (Post 4386735)
Okay, thanks! I'm confused about these two things though. Wouldn't I typically have the oxy/propane turned off for the outerfire if I wasn't using it? Why would I have the oxygen turned on, apart from what you were saying about it stabilizing the inner flame?

When you run concentrators (except for the Integra10 and Regalia), you need to have a constant flow of oxygen as long as the machine is running. If the flow is stopped/blocked (by turning off the oxygen valve on the torch, for example), the concentrator will backpressure itself and alarm, possibly shutting itself off.

If you are running one machine on the innerfire and one on the outerfire, and go to shut off the outerfire, the machine running the outerfire will backpressure itself.

If you are running both fires with both machines, and then shut the outerfire off, the innerfire is still open, so the oxygen from both machines will have a place to go.

Surrealle 2013-08-19 9:16am

Aha, gotcha. Thanks so much!


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