High Pressure Diving Air Compressors

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Individuals engaged in scuba diving span the spectrum from the professional that is diving and using equipment on a daily basis to the recreational that only uses equipment once a year while on holiday. Whether professional or recreational, the quality and purity of the air that is provided by the cylinder are still as important. This in turn is dependent on the quality of the compressor package that is used to charge the cylinders.

High Pressure Diving Air Compressors

Scuba diving cylinders are high pressure containers that can hold air at pressures in the range of ~ 150 to ~ 300 bar. To charge cylinders at this pressure requires special high pressure multi-stage reciprocating compressors which can come with fixed or variable speed operation. They offer a defined high pressure output with a certain volumetric flow that can rapidly charge scuba diving cylinders. A schematic for a Reavell air compressor block that is typically used in the MAKO product range is shown below. This reciprocating four-stage cylinder compressor is in a “V” configuration and cooled by a large variable pitch fan.

Breathing Air Compressors

EconoAir

A breathing air compressor built to fit your budget. The EconoAir includes the Mako compressor and purification system ensuring quality at reasonable prices.

AirCharge

AirCharge machines are compact and fully integrated compressors. They are designed specifically for the 5000 psi user. The AirCharge is highly reliable, and offers a long service life.

Breathing Air Module

Built to be installed up against a wall, the Breathing Air Module provides unsurpassed value and peace of mind. Five hinged maintenance inspection doors provide superior access to all components.

Modular Breathing Air Center

The new Modular Breathing Air System from MAKO delivers where lesser systems fail. The MBAC provides you with a flexible synergy of a Breathing Air Module and a Containment Fill Station.

Watercooled High Performance Compressors

Mako's watercooled high performance compressors provide simplified maintenance and quick remove/replace valves. Tested and certified to meet the US Navy’s stringent NAVSEA requirements.

Scuba Fill Stations & Containment Stations

Stationary Containment Fill Stations - SCBA and SCUBA

Mako offers our SSCFS2 and SSCFS3 containment fill stations. These two and three position containment fill stations are capable of housing the larger 120 cubic feet capacity SCUBA cylinders

SCBA Mobile Containment Fill Stations

The steel chamber of the Mako mobile containment fill stations are proven to provide protection against catastrophic cylinder rupture on new or retrofit mobile vehicle applications.

Filling Oxygen Cylinders and SCBAs | Containment Fill Station

MAKO carefully considered both operator safety and comfort when designing its Oxygen Containment Fill Station for filling oxygen cylinders and SCBA.

Breathing Air Accessories

Air Storage Cylinders and Racks

Air storage cylinders and racks are available in vertical and horizontal configurations for ASME and UN cylinders. Air Storage is essential in coping with unpredictable or peak filling requirements.

Carbon Monoxide and Moisture Monitor

The Carbon Monoxide and Moisture Monitor provides the peace of mind and confidence that your breathing air is free from dangerous levels of carbon monoxide (CO) and moisture.

Oil Water Separator

Mako Oil-Water Separator is a dependable method of treating lubricant contaminated compressor condensate.

Purification Filters

Mako designs and manufacturers our breathing air purification systems and purification filter cartridges in house, guaranteeing Grade E air quality that meets of exceeds current NFPA.

The Process

In operation, air enters via the intake filter situated at the top and passes to the first stage where it is compressed before passing through a heat exchanger to the second stage. On exit from the second stage, it flows around a cooling system positioned in the fan air stream and then into a separator for condensate removal. On entering the third stage the air is further compressed before passing through the second cooling coil and condensate removal separator. Final compression takes place in the fourth stage before passing through a finned final cooling system.

High pressure reciprocating compressors are typically provided with either an electrical or diesel engine drive set which both come with pros and potential cons. Electric motors offer the following potential advantages

Quiet operation - typically run much more quietly than diesel engine units
Low maintenance - require less servicing than engine counterparts

However electric motors can also come with a number of potential disadvantages that can include:

Limited portability – the units need to be connected to a power source and as such not as mobile as an engine unit
Potential size limitations – If you only have a single-phase electrical supply then you will typically be limited to units with 7.5kW (10HP) or less.

While for Diesel engines, the potential advantages can include

Easy portability - Require no electrical connection and as such can move to different locations
Greater availability - Depending on the location, diesel can be a more readily available and cost-effective option

The disadvantages of diesel engines can include:

Noise - Diesel engines are typically louder than electrical units
Weight

They tend to be heavier which can somewhat impact their portability.

Comparison of Scuba Diving Air standards in US and Europe

Potential contaminants	CGA Grade E	EN 12021:2014
	Allowable limits	Allowable limits
Carbon Dioxide (CO2), ppm	1000	500
Carbon Monoxide (CO), ppm	10	5
Odour	No significant odour or taste	No significant odour or taste
Oil condensed (mg/m3)	5	0.5
% Oxygen	20 -22	20 – 22
Water ppm v/v	None Present	None present

Importance of Air Quality

A high pressure diving air compressors deliver high-quality air at the desired pressure and volumetric flow. Reavell compressors are highly efficient and robust oil-lubricated compressors that when fitted into MAKO units come with purification filters that eliminate any potential contaminants.
There are strict standards around the quality of air delivered by air compressors in the Scuba Diving arena. The CGA (Compressed Gas Association) Pamphlet G-7 is typically used for testing activity based out of America while the European standard EN 12021:2014 is generally used for testing in Europe. The table below completes s comparison and the two areas one might expect are similar, however, there are slight differences with the European standard being more stringent on certain particulates.
It is important that in selecting a high pressure air compressor package for Scuba Diving applications not only the pressure and charging rate are considered but also the quality and purity of the air that is going into the cylinders.

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