Oxygen Questions

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Question for you all, but let me set the stage a little. I'm in bush Alaska. No roads that lead anywhere from or to here. Only way in or out is via plane or boat, and the boat ride, experienced sailors would rather avoid. I'm an aircraft mechanic, I have an idea of what's happening when welding, done a bit myself, but outside of school, pretty much all I've done is weld a few nuts on to studs to remove the studs and that kind of thing. Lots of the story I'm leaving out, but it costs about $1k for ONE normal sized welding tank to get from Anchorage to here, with all the hazmat etc. The Public Works guys were hoping to cut some of their costs by using the O2 gen. that the Fire Dept. has here for medical use. (I'm on the FD.) We filled some of their bottles, but they have come back complaining about poor cuts. I'm getting this info 3rd hand right now. I am speculating that this is because the O2 gen only puts out 93% O2, vs a 98 or 99% grade that you would get from liquid O2. Is this correct? Is there anything that would help them out with better cuts, etc. with this lower concentration of O2, if this is indeed the problem? I have no idea how poor the cuts are, I'm just hearing this indirectly.Thanks.Last edited by bgdriveway; 10-05-2012 at 04:08 AM.
Reply:They might want to go with plasma vs OA. For plasma all they need is electricity and a clean dry air supply. Most guys run general shop air compressors with a dryer and filters, but grade E breathing air is about the best you can get with the low moisture content after running it thru the HP compressor. I used to regularly use HP breathing air to run my plasma.My other thought is that I doubt the slightly lower O2 percentage is making that big a deal ( but it might). Most issues I've come across with OA cut quality usually has to do with travel speed or torch/reg settings rather than equipment issues ( other than trying to cut with very dirty tips).No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Second the recommendation for plasma, it's going to be a lot cheaper than oxygen ever would be for you. Use a good moisture filter on your lines and drain compressor often and you will be happy with plasma. Plus you can cut more than just steel.
Reply:That low purity O2 will severely degrade cut quality.  97% and up only.  99.5 for best resultsExperience is something you get right after you need it
Reply:Originally Posted by Fred sThat low purity O2 will severely degrade cut quality.  97% and up only.  99.5 for best results