frig compressor

Discussion about Compressors, hose, pipes, fittings, launchers, release mechanisms, and launch tubes.
RubberDucky
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frig compressor

Post by RubberDucky »

On you tube you can find guys makeing aircompressors out of refrigiator compressor. Has anyone used one for their water rocket? If so how did it work out?
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U.S. Water Rockets1
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Re: frig compressor

Post by U.S. Water Rockets1 »

RubberDucky wrote:On you tube you can find guys makeing aircompressors out of refrigiator compressor. Has anyone used one for their water rocket? If so how did it work out?
People used to discuss this quite a lot a few years ago, but it seems like few people do this anymore. It may be simply due to the newer energy efficient compressors in appliances being harder to modify than the ones they made years ago.
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RubberDucky
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Re: frig compressor

Post by RubberDucky »

Ya i read up more on it and it would not be the way to go. But i was thinking of using dry ice. Dry ice in one bottle with a hose running to the rocket. Just for the times i want to try my hand at a high pressure launch.
Azriel
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Re: frig compressor

Post by Azriel »

RubberDucky wrote:Ya i read up more on it and it would not be the way to go. But i was thinking of using dry ice. Dry ice in one bottle with a hose running to the rocket. Just for the times i want to try my hand at a high pressure launch.
Keep in mind the triple point of CO_2 is at around 5-6 bar, and liquid pressure at room temp is iirc 60 bar(over 800 psi). Plus, it wouldn't be competition legal due to the fact that carbon dioxide is much denser than standard air. You could use it in a type of diaphragm pump that would use equalizing pressures to pump air into the bottle, via bottling atmospheric air in some large container and using a movable diaphragm separating 2 compartments; one side being atmospheric the other housing the dry ice.

But, that kind of thing would be MUCH more expensive than a simple 2 stage pump would be.
RubberDucky
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Re: frig compressor

Post by RubberDucky »

Ya i just thought for a once in awhile thing till i can get a high pressure compressor or a different reg for
my c02 tank. My compressor will only go to 90 psi and i dont want to mod that one i use it for working on my cars. Also was thinking of a nozzel packed with dry ice. With a hole through the ice and the water only hits the ice when it launches. But two stage compressor is what i want to make or get. Thanks for the info though, this forum is full of it and i have read alot of it.
水火箭狂热者
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Re: frig compressor

Post by 水火箭狂热者 »

Compressors from fridges, air conditioners and heat pumps are able to handle high pressure, normally over 1.0 MPa.However, they need lubrication INSIDE their cylinders to work well. That's easy to achieve in refrigeration systems - Just add some lube in the freon and it works. But if they are used as air pumps, you'll have to choose among adding an external lubrication system, dipping pneumatic lubricant into the intake from time to time, or letting the comps wear themselves up and burn out. Also, fridge comps are not good at generating compressed air at a high flow, so multiple fridge comps are needed to build up an air compressor which could build up pressure as fast as market versions do. Compressors designed for A/C or heat pumps will produce a higher flow.