TIG setup using 1500 gallon liquid argon tank

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Our facility has a 1500 gallon liquid argon tank and we are getting into Tig welding.  What is the best way to setup a Tig welding station and purge line off of the argon tank?  What type of regulators and flow meter regulators will we need?  The Tig welder is a Lincoln 225 precision Tig and the line pressure for the argon is 100psi.  Any help will be greatly appreciated.  Thanks
Reply:You need to distribute the 100 psi argon line to your workplace. Then you need to have a shut off valve at your work station. Then you need a low pressure regulator to bring down the pressure from 100 to 50 psi (depends on the flow meter which is the next step). All of this could be standard industrial stuff from the gas company. Perhaps you also need a check valve and a small gas "tank" before your low pressure regulator if the distribution line can fluctuate a lot in pressure. Your gas company or whoever designed your gas supply system should be able to help you. What you want really is just a stable 50 psi of argon regardless of whatever else is hooked up to the same 100 psi line.Then you attach a flow meter like one from Harris model 866 (it's metric, but Smith H2230 or a similar flow meter would be what you need). It should be calibrated for argon and it will have a pressure like 30 or 50 psi that it is calibrated to. That's the pressure you want. From there you connect your hose to the tig. Keep in mind that you need a bare flowmeter, not a flowmeter and regulator as you'd normally use on a tig or mig.If you need to remove the flow meter or move the tig machine you just turn of gas from distribution line and purge the gas through the tig machine. Or perhaps have a purge valve installed as well.Argon is an inert gas so it doesn't ignite or anything. The only danger is that a leak can be hard to detect as argon doesn't smell anything and in an air tight room you could actually pass out and suffocate as the argon replaces the oxygen in the room.Last edited by Pete.S.; 04-05-2013 at 01:03 AM.
Reply:Around here the gas suppliers can usually hook you up.  We needed a nitrogen purge (low moisture).  Local gas company set us up with tanks + mounts + regulator and pointed to a couple contractors that could run the lines and finish off the install.  I think we only ran 100psi into the lines (not sure) and then flow meters at the ends.  Lines were copper (like water lines) except they were brazed together.  Really clean install - this was for a lab so it had to be. Originally Posted by Pete.S.Argon is an inert gas so it doesn't ignite or anything. The only danger is that a leak can be hard to detect as argon doesn't smell anything and in an air tight room you could actually pass out and suffocate as the argon replaces the oxygen in the room.
Reply:Originally Posted by con_fuse9And since Argon (and Nitrogen) are heavier than air, when you pass out you fall into the thick of it and still can't get enough O2.   Worse, when your buddy comes in to see what is wrong, he too will pass out.  I know this happened with Nitrogen and NASA at Kennedy Space Center.  Nitrogen leak (from a liquid tank) filled up a fire/blast pit.  Two died when one went in and another came to 'rescue' him.With that much gas, be extra weary of pits and basements.
Reply:Originally Posted by con_fuse9Around here the gas suppliers can usually hook you up.  We needed a nitrogen purge (low moisture).  Local gas company set us up with tanks + mounts + regulator and pointed to a couple contractors that could run the lines and finish off the install.  I think we only ran 100psi into the lines (not sure) and then flow meters at the ends.  Lines were copper (like water lines) except they were brazed together.  Really clean install - this was for a lab so it had to be.And since Argon (and Nitrogen) are heavier than air, when you pass out you fall into the thick of it and still can't get enough O2.   Worse, when your buddy comes in to see what is wrong, he too will pass out.  I know this happened with Nitrogen and NASA at Kennedy Space Center.  Nitrogen leak (from a liquid tank) filled up a fire/blast pit.  Two died when one went in and another came to 'rescue' him.With that much gas, be extra weary of pits and basements.