We are back from an epic road trip through central Indonesia where we’ve been looking far and wide for rare fish and awesome corals. It is safe to say our journey was a success however, this really got us thinking about the heart of our expedition, our breathing/diving air compressor, and some of the unseen aspects of what it takes to collect fish and corals on remote coral reefs.
In the wildfish and corals are not always that easy to get to,但是他们以某种方式从这些遥远的地方,我们的LFS到了,如果我们很幸运地进入我们的家中。我们可以在浅珊瑚农场培养一些珊瑚, where a mask and snorkel is enough to get the job done. But when you are looking for something a little more special, you’re gonna have to have a boat and you’ll need a way to stay underwater.
在这次旅行中,我们将Bauer Poseidon PE100压缩机带来,我们能够将标准的18L铝潜水罐(一次一次)填充到200 bar或3000psi的压力,不到20分钟。我们使用的压缩机运行了四个冲程Subaru汽油发动机,并且PE100型号还可以使用三相交流电动机或单相AC电动机提供。
PE100压缩机的工作原理是将空气从surrounding environment through a primary intake filter into the compressor’s first stage. Before reaching the scuba cylinder the air passes through three compression stages, an air purification filter, and a condensate (oil/water) separator.
The condensate separator must be drained several times during the filling process to remove the oil/water mixture and prevent it from entering the cylinder. During the breathing air compressions process, water is also removed from the gas (air), which can cause corrosion inside the cylinder or cause a scuba regulator to freeze underwater.
当使用汽油驱动的压缩机时,将长软管或管子连接到进气滤器上尤其重要,该滤清器延伸到汽油排气烟雾。如果不让压缩机以这种方式设置,则可以导致圆柱体内的一氧化碳(一种无味的气体)的有毒堆积,这可能是深度致死的。
潜水压缩机分为两个一般类别:用于填充水肺潜水缸的压缩机,以及用于提供表面(水烟)潜水的圆柱体。拥有便携式空气压缩机来填充潜水缸是一种奢侈品,它使我们能够拥有远离任何商业潜水操作的清洁呼吸空气。不幸的是,压缩机很昂贵,沉重,很难维持,因为零件和知识渊博的技术人员在地球末端很难席卷。
偏远沿海社区中的渔夫和珊瑚收集器通常使用表面提供的压缩机,该压缩机的压缩机直接从压缩机到潜水员的嘴。水烟潜水可能是一件危险的事情,电动机上的油会泄漏到软管中,通常会在潜水员的口中留下油腻的味道,或者更糟的是,艰苦的电动机可以简单地关闭,让潜水员几乎没有时间游泳而无需握住他们的呼吸,因为这可能导致肺部受伤。
与获得认可的水肺相比,培训没有针对远程水烟收集者的法规/培训,潜水员通常很少收到有关减压疾病或与深度呼吸压缩空气相关的氮饱和水平的培训。水烟潜水员经常在水下停留几个小时,超过安全的减压水平,并且可以从肢体和其他减压疾病的迹象的潜水中浮出水面。
负责任的水族馆出口商确实尝试为员工提供培训on safe collection techniques for the health and safety of the diver as well as the wellbeing of the animals. Unfortunately this is not always possible with independents fish or coral collectors in remote locations where being on the water, fishing, diving and collecting is a way of life and a risk these fishermen take everyday.