Oxygen options
 

Has anyone used a O2 concentrator Vs the bottles, saw a ad for them in the same issue of Kitplanes as Greg hales RV-10, looks like a great system.

any experince out there?


thanks

PRICE is a big factor for me. The concentrators are a LOT more expensive that I do not consider them at this time to be viable for ME. Maybe if I hit the LOTO. Oh, I have to buy a LOTO ticket to win?

I just saw this Oxygen Concentrator on the web:
http://www.airsep.com/medical/focus.html
1.75 pounds, 5 amps, pulse delivery, full capacity to 12,000 ft.
My O2 system cost less than $100, and is very good, but this is interesting, and probably in our future.

Website lists the POC as full capacity to 12,000 ft - but performance is going to fall off just where you need it most above that, and our RV's are quite capable of going above that. I think I'll stick with the bottled O2...

Cockpit atmosphere
 

As a concentrator it sends highly concentrated O2 to your inhalation device. What does it discharge...highly concentrated Nitrogen right? Is that a higher asphyxiation hazard if it fails? I know there are some leaks in the cockpit, but my thinking is like this:

You are on O2 because you are high and the air is thin, it fails, so now you are breathing REALLY thin air, even if your cockpit would "recharge" with exterior air in say a minute, one minute at 12,000 breathing air that feels like 25,000 might be a problem?

This discussion brings out the trade-offs.
Also some problems that require a work-around.
The concentrator will never run out of O2 while it is working, and operated within it's altitude. High altitudes still belong to high pressure bottles or rebreathers (space suits).
So fliers who stay below 12,000 ft. Maybe higher than 12K if the fall-off in output isn't too severe. Testing and a pulse oximeter are needed.
We are admonished to use oxygen above 5,000 ft when flying at night.
Older pilots and pilots with less altitude tolerance may find this beneficial.
At 1.75 pounds, the concentrator linked above is lighter than an empty bottle.
So it is lighter, never runs out, so no time spent refilling, etc.
How reliable? I bet medical O2 users expect it to be as reliable as a pilot would? Don't let lack of familiarity breed contempt.
The concentrator would require a clean and continuous supply of fresh air, and exhaust the nitrogen outside the passenger compartment (although the flow rate would be so low it probably isn't measurable?)
The unit depicted could be made lighter by removing the cover and maybe other parts not required for flight?

Agreed - it could be an option - but it would need to be researched by the pilot using it. I would want to know the actual volume output of gas it gives off as oxygen-enriched at its max usable altitude of 12,000', the data on the website says it is 90% oxygen but also notes that this is based on an inlet of sea level and 70F. It's entirely possible that this unit could provide enough additional oxygen for satisfactory use up to 15k or 16k, which is going to cover the large majority of RV flying - but I would certainly want to test it and keep a pulse-ox device on my finger for checking it during use. It would indeed keep the weight down, especially if you strip off the extraneous plastic pieces and remove the 120VAC power transformer section and pare it down to only the 12VDC drive motor.

Of course - it's considerably more expensive than a bottle, and only for ONE person, and you can't tell at a glance during preflight if it's available to work...

Hmmm
 

Maybe use it for night flights and/or down low and a bottle for longer/up high. But now you have a REALLY expensive composite system to maintain.

I agree.
This stuff bears watching, at some time it's going to be the way to go.
Right now, it's for the guy that wants to play with it, like the latest panel offerings.
Eventually the performance will be where we want it and the price will be less "breath taking" :rolleyes:

Here is one intended for pilots, and rated to 15,000 ft:
http://www.inogenaviator.com/products.html
Testimonial with picture of RVs in flight:
http://www.inogenaviator.com/testimonials.html
A pull:
- Pulse dose oxygen delivery system
- Nasal cannula
- 12 – 32VDC; Optional AC charger (either battery powered or powered by DC power system)
- Lightweight and small (7.25lbs with battery - Size 24.1 cm x 27.4 cm x10.1 cm)
- Meets FAA guidelines for supplemental Oxygen (1 person up to 15,000ft)
- Certified to FAA radiated emissions standards (OK to run in IFR)
- LCD user interface with continual self-diagnostics