How long does an air tank last ?

[sardine]

How do you calculate how long an air tank will last running a specific tool?

 

[daleyd]

How do you calculate how long an air tank will last running a specific tool?

I think you’d need to know start pressure, end pressure, volume of tank and the consumption of the tool. The end pressure would be important as it’s going to get to a point where there is still pressure in the tank but it won’t be enough to drive the tool?

There’s probably some maths to work out the volume x pressure difference - someone clever will be along soon to confirm or deny this …

 

[Barking Mat]

There supposed to be changed every 10 years if you follow the regs, I'm in France, ours is twenty years old and still going strong, honestly gets serviced every 3 to 5 years, doesn't get a huge amount of use.

It's a huge three phase one.

 

[gaz1]

not long depending on the tool your using

while a plsama cutter will last longer an air gun wont

 

[8ob]

How do you calculate how long an air tank will last running a specific tool?

Difficult to calculate because of the way compressor outputs are advertised.

Bob

 

[Anguz]

Also the tools are sometimes optimistic on usage

 

[brightspark]

are you thinking of buying or just using .a 14cfm will generaly get you away but will peter out after a few minutes a 28cfm wil run all day long using a 3,omm blast jet

 

[Burdekin]

Fill tank, turn off compressor, time how long said tool runs.

 

[daleyd]

Fill tank, turn off compressor, time how long said tool runs.

^^ this really - if you knew the relationship between volume and pressure you could calculate it with some degree of accuracy but nothing like trying it for real.

 

[brightspark]

Fill tank, turn off compressor, time how long said tool runs.

only if he had the tools allready then he would allready know that

 

[Barking Mat]

I totally misunderstood the question.

Yep, as above.

 

[addjunkie]

If your not charging the tank it wont last long at all. If you are the true info you want is how often will the compressor cut in and out.
To work it out you need to know the FAD of your compressor, not the inlet flow. Cut in and out pressures, tool usage. The rest is just maths, assuming the temperature in the tank is constant.

 

[addjunkie]

https://www.specialisedwelding.co.uk/manuals/Air_Compressor_Manuals/Air%20Tool%20Consumption%20Guide.pdf

 

[Barking Mat]

What tool, what compressor ?

Would be the question in my books.

Or are you looking to buy a compressor for a certain tool ?

 

[sardine]

Thinking about making an air tank from a 47 kilo gas bottle with a 12 v fridge compressor that will run off my solar panels, the only air I need is for a 30 amp plasma cutter which I don't use much, how long would the tank last i have no idea.

 

[mtt.tr]

Dependent on steel thickness and dryness of air and so on, I saw one in a factory dated 1976.

It was crazily thick and at some point was set to only take dryair. Apparently it had very little corrosion



I also heard from somone else assisting an insurance inspection that the 1000ltr tank was behaving like a 200ltr tank as it had 800ltrs of water. At this point he had loosened of the inspection hatch.



****
Completely misread the thread, depends on actual flow rate, tank size and pressure

 

[gaz1]

Thinking about making an air tank from a 47 kilo gas bottle with a 12 v fridge compressor that will run off my solar panels, the only air I need is for a 30 amp plasma cutter which I don't use much, how long would the tank last i have no idea.

forget it with a fridge compressor better to have a belt compressor or a 50 litre compressor

ive got the 40 litre one and it lasts around 30secs to 1.30 secs depending on what im cutting with it

rough sizing of that is 3mm x 1-2ft of cut before compressor restarts to refil

 

[hotponyshoes]

You must have a power supply to run the plasma cutter so why not just run a normal compressor from that?

If you want an accurate number then you need to find out:
Working pressure of the fridge compressor,
Water capacity of the gas tank
Consumption and operating pressure of the plasma cutter.

The gas tank capacity will be stamped into it somewhere, the other info should be in the manual for the plasma but you might have to find a service manual or something for the fridge.

 

[bricol]

I can't get very long running my small plasma from a small compressor on a 23l tank. Very irritating to find you haven't actually cut through.

 

[hotponyshoes]

I'd guess a 47kg gas tank at about 110l so maybe 4:30-5mins of run time?

You could do quite a bit of cutting in 4mins but if the plasma runs cooling air for 30 seconds each time you let off the trigger that could use half of it...