Air Venturi Compressor

[aceflier]

Anyone going from shoebox to this give me a shout. I need an air source! Driving 60miles to pay $20 for 4000 psi is rediculous! Or I'll just keep saving my pennies for one of these. Darn enablers!

[Wayne52]

I'm very fortunate where I'm at, there's a spot to fill my tank that's only about 3 miles away.  It's only $5 to fill a 1 hr. SCBA tank.

[Buldawg76]

I have no where to fill a tank within 30 miles and the one scuba shop will not fill a scuba tank or SCBA without a divers certificate even if you sign a affidavit that its only for air gun use not breathing. So the Shoebox was my only option besides pumping which for the amount of PCP guns I have was not a viable option. I have COPD and Emphysema so I get short winded very easy.

It will be a while before I have funds to buy the Air venturi compressor so that the Shoebox will be up for sale. plus I want to see if it holds up better than the other brands that are similar to it in design and construction.

I will post the Shoebox on the classifieds when it is for sale. It has never needed service and I only run it for 20 minutes on with 10 off to cool down in cycles as I am filling and clean and relube the shafts with Lithium grease every two hours of operation. Still fills at the same rate as it did when first bought.

Mike

[Sky]

Is there a rated duty cycle for commercial use? There it literally no place in my area that will fill, and it's about 250k people.

[bnowlin]

Is there a rated duty cycle for commercial use? There it literally no place in my area that will fill, and it's about 250k people.

Check with Air Venturi or IMO buy a Nardi or something like that PA also carries Nardi

[Sky]

Is there a rated duty cycle for commercial use? There it literally no place in my area that will fill, and it's about 250k people.

Check with Air Venturi or IMO buy a Nardi or something like that PA also carries Nardi

Yeah, I even rtfm. What is the power consumption?

[bnowlin]

Is there a rated duty cycle for commercial use? There it literally no place in my area that will fill, and it's about 250k people.

Check with Air Venturi or IMO buy a Nardi or something like that PA also carries Nardi

Yeah, I even rtfm. What is the power consumption?

Mine is hooked to 15 amp 110V Btw no rating for comm. came with it.
Bob

[Privateer]

I got $3000 in my PayPal account.
Trying to hold out for that Sun Optics Unit but your making that REALLY hard!
 

[bnowlin]

I got $3000 in my PayPal account.
Trying to hold out for that Sun Optics Unit but your making that REALLY hard!
 

Jeff,
I gotta better idea, pay mine off and you got enough to get one.  Problem solved
Bob

[betapotato]

Trying to hold out for that Sun Optics Unit but your making that REALLY hard!

If you mean that little red box that they showed at SHOT show, I am waiting on that, too. I don't have a tank so a slow (but cheaper) compressor to fill my rifle directly is even better.

[Privateer]

I liked the 12 Volt option it says it has!
If I drop over a grand for a compressor I'll need to buy over a grand for tanks just to make it worth it.
I simple one like the Sun Optics would be perfect for me!

[betapotato]

the perfect setup for me is actually a compressor and a small tank. But I am nowhere near affording that because I just dropped 300 bucks on a Sidewinder (Still a killer deal, right?  )

[guykuo]

Once we get reports of a unit getting into the 15-24 hour run time level, we'll have a better idea of the machine's longer term endurance. Pretty easy to run fast, but tougher to make something that can run last and remain intact.

The milky appearance of the condensate is probably just some oil bypass. Some is normal for this type of compressor. That's why a molecular sieve drier followed by activated carbon is desirable. The molecular sieve gets the air dry enough for the activated carbon to do its job.

That filter pack really does NOT look like molecular sieve beads from the low res images we have seen. Also, molecular sieve material is so hydrophilic that it pretty much needs to be vacuum packed in a metallic foil vacuum pouch or can. Just a plain plastic wrapper would render it useless in before use.

Could you post a closeup of the filter cartridge material? That would help us figure out of what it is composed.

[sirira]

Bob,

Are you using anything to dry the air from the output side of the compressor?  Pyramyd air on their website said "it wasn't necessary but couldn't hurt".  Just wondering if you think if their is enough moisture to warrant a high pressure air dryer like a Diablo or an Alpha.

Thanks,
Eric

[Wayne52]

I expect to see more and more shoe box's show up in the members classified with the new more inexpensive compressors coming out.  Who knows I might even acquire me another SCBA tank at a very reasonable price as well for that matter, then I could cascade them as well.  Even the guy at the dive shop told me when I was getting my tank filled that after December 2019 he couldn't refill my tank anymore even though it would more than likely be fairly safe to fill for a long time after.  The tank was made in 2004 so after 15 years they can't be hydrotested anymore.

[bnowlin]

Bob,

Are you using anything to dry the air from the output side of the compressor?  Pyramyd air on their website said "it wasn't necessary but couldn't hurt".  Just wondering if you think if their is enough moisture to warrant a high pressure air dryer like a Diablo or an Alpha.

Thanks,
Eric

Not yet really hadn't seen the need to.  The machine appears to have a pretty good one built in.  I'll just have to wait and see.  Supposed to be for 50 hours. Bob

[bnowlin]

Once we get reports of a unit getting into the 15-24 hour run time level, we'll have a better idea of the machine's longer term endurance. Pretty easy to run fast, but tougher to make something that can run last and remain intact.

The milky appearance of the condensate is probably just some oil bypass. Some is normal for this type of compressor. That's why a molecular sieve drier followed by activated carbon is desirable. The molecular sieve gets the air dry enough for the activated carbon to do its job.

That filter pack really does NOT look like molecular sieve beads from the low res images we have seen. Also, molecular sieve material is so hydrophilic that it pretty much needs to be vacuum packed in a metallic foil vacuum pouch or can. Just a plain plastic wrapper would render it useless in before use.

Could you post a closeup of the filter cartridge material? That would help us figure out of what it is composed.

I will get a picture soon.  The filter appears to be some kind of compressed white fiber and the water drops into the drain.  I am not sure if there is any oil coming out yet. I am using Royal Purple compressor oil and supposed to separate from water rapidly so it seem like the white is coming from the filter material.  Need a little more time.  BTW the Diablo filter ha Molecular sieve in it, Looks like retained on a #4 or larger screen.
Bob

[guykuo]

Ah. Didn't notice you had a Diablo connected after the compressor. Good on you for doing that. Without a high pressure dryer, the BEST a compressor's water separator can achieve is 100% humidity at a temperature higher than what will be in the tank. If untreated with a drying filter, that becomes >100% in the tank after cooling.

Personally, I'd aim for 30% RH or lower at full pressure to avoid excess moisture getting into my equipment. Still working on getting the visual moisture indicator properly integrated into my Bauer compressor fill whip.

Gotta have some means of measuring the humidity level. Otherwise, it is just a wild guess as to whether the output is dry enough.

The fibrous description sounds like it is being used to enhance coalescence of water in the separator.

BTW: to be more specific when talking about high pressure compressors....

Separator - uses physico mechanical means to separate water and oil from the air. This is by condensation of the super saturated water and sometimes centrifugal action. Screens or meshes can also be used to help promote full condensation. However, the best a separator can achieve is 100% RH (unless the separator is refrigerated)

Dryer (drying filter) - uses a water absorbant media to scavenge water content down to very low levels. The absorbent, most often molecular sieve, has limited capacity. Hence, the dryer is used AFTER the air stream has been "de-bulked" by a separator. Molecular sieve has higher capacity than silica at the lower RH range and is able to continue working despite the presence of some hydrocarbons. Silica becomes saturated sooner and looses function if exposed to hydrocarbon.

[EDIT debunked to de-bulked. Stupid, auto spell correct does it again]

For hydrocarbon removal, the dried air is passed through activated carbon. Because activated carbon can do its job only when dry, it follows the molecular sieve dryer.

A diablo filter acts as the dryer in the case of the Air Venturi. The compressor doesn't seem to have an actual drying filter, but only a separator. We'll verify that pretty soon with your picts.

[bnowlin]

Ah. Didn't notice you had a Diablo connected after the compressor. Good on you for doing that. Without a high pressure dryer, the BEST a compressor's water separator can achieve is 100% humidity at a temperature higher than what will be in the tank. If untreated with a drying filter, that becomes >100% in the tank after cooling.

Personally, I'd aim for 30% RH or lower at full pressure to avoid excess moisture getting into my equipment. Still working on getting the visual moisture indicator properly integrated into my Bauer compressor fill whip.

Gotta have some means of measuring the humidity level. Otherwise, it is just a wild guess as to whether the output is dry enough.

The fibrous description sounds like it is being used to enhance coalescence of water in the separator.

BTW: to be more specific when talking about high pressure compressors....

Separator - uses physico mechanical means to separate water and oil from the air. This is by condensation of the super saturated water and sometimes centrifugal action. Screens or meshes can also be used to help promote full condensation. However, the best a separator can achieve is 100% RH (unless the separator is refrigerated)

Dryer (drying filter) - uses a water absorbant media to scavenge water content down to very low levels. The absorbent, most often molecular sieve, has limited capacity. Hence, the dryer is used AFTER the air stream has been "debunked" by a separator. Molecular sieve has higher capacity than silica at the lower RH range and is able to continue working despite the presence of some hydrocarbons. Silica becomes saturated sooner and looses function if exposed to hydrocarbon.

For hydrocarbon removal, the dried air is passed through activated carbon. Because activated carbon can do its job only when dry, it follows the molecular sieve dryer.

A diablo filter acts as the dryer in the case of the Air Venturi. The compressor doesn't seem to have an actual drying filter, but only a separator. We'll verify that pretty soon with your picts.

No sir I don't have the Diablo on the Air Venturi it is on the Omega that I have.  I am thinking I will try it in a day or two.  And you are making my head hurt LOL.  BB Pelletier Has had this machine for several month and has 2 reviews on the PA site.  Also I trust PA and Tyler Patner not to pull my leg so to say.
Bob

[bnowlin]

Review #3
Well guys I finally got a chance to fill a 60 minute 88 cuft tank after all the rain, sickness, School playoffs etc.  I am pretty sure now that I have a winner.  I only makes a little more noise than the omega and much faster.  Ambient temp was 64*F when I started and really went nice very little water was purged about ever 15 minutes and a little at the end. I timed it in 500 psi increments.  The following is:
                            Temp in C*
500psi  3mins           27.2
1000    11mins          51.1
1500    18mins          68.4
2000    25mins          74.5                             
2500    32mins          77.5
3000    40mins          81.3
3500    47mins          82.4
4000    54mins          84.5
4500    62mins          84.9
And 22 minutes from 3000 to 450.
I don't know much about sizes and all but I think this is very good for the price.  I had way more than that in the Shoebox and even more in the Omega.  The Shoebox took 24 hours to fill this tank and you had to stop every so often.  The Omega took almost the same maybe 1/3 faster than Shoebox and had to rebuild both of them several times.  Don't know about this Venturi as it has not hiccupped yet. In fact seems to be a little faster than when I started.  Some one aske about the Thermo coupling.  It is mounted at the hottest part of the last cylinder and is digital Celsius.  Tyler at Air Venturi says it will shut down at 95*C.  Here are some pictures T filter which appears to be some sort of absorptive fiber long ways.  And a wad of wide stainless steel at the bottom.  Maybe Tyler will chime in and let us know what that is for.
I will put the picts on as soon as I can figure I can get photobucket to work.  Pretty neat the hot air goes in bottom of the filter and thru the filter and goes to the tan and water and what little oil I see is drained when you purge the filter housing.
Bob