The Diving air compressor reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Diving air compressor

A Diving Air Compressor is a gas compressor, which can fill diving cylinders with high pressure air that is pure enough to be used as a breathing gas.

These are often three stage-reciprocating air compressors that have an attached "bank" of large, high-pressure cylinders to store gas, for use at peak times that is compressed at off-peak times.

Modern diving compressors use ceramic lined cylinders with ‘O’ rings, not piston rings, require no lubrication. Oil in the compressed air may cause the diver medical or respiration problems. Compressor operators must only use lubricants specified by the compressor's manufacturer. There is a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning if any oil in the compressor partially burns.

The compression process helps remove water from the gas making it dry, which is good for preventing rust in diving cylinders but causes dehydration, a factor in decompression illness, in divers.

In addition the compressed air output from the compressor must be filtered to make it fit for use as a breathing gas. The following filters remove:

• Water - Silica Gel, Activated Alumina or a Molecular Sieve
• Oil - Activated Carbon or a Molecular Sieve

Periodically the gas produced by a compressor must be tested to ensure it meets air purity standards. The following impurities are checked:

• Carbon dioxide
• Carbon monoxide
• Lubricating Oil vapour
• Nitrogen dioxide
• Odour and Taste
• Solid Particles
• Water Vapour

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