Here is the T1,
The T1 started of as the designed for an all purpose rebreather
but then as the project started to take too long it was dived as
an O2 rebreather with over the shoulder CL's. It was something
that I built in 2-3 years after having taken a Dräger
Dolphin course. After the course I thought, this whole
rebreather thingie is nothing but just a bunch of plumbing, and
I could not have been more wrong. After this doing research on
therebreathersite.nl and
rebreatherworld.com i built my rebreather. The longest part
to accomplish was the counter lungs. The hardest part of the
project was probably to keep it simple. After everything I read
I always wanted to add something more to it. And the rebreather
did not enter the water until after I said this has gone on long
enough and I have to get some water time so I'll just dive it as
is in pure O2 form.
SCRUBBER:
The T1 uses as a scrubber a standard water filter that takes 0.6
Kg of CO2 absorbent. WOB is not perfect but for the dives I did
with it i did not have any problems. I have used it for 45
minutes but that i think is the very maximum you can use it. The
water filter form factor is standard so i can replace it with a
2 or 3 kg version as well if needed. This part is not too clear
in the images, but it is the blue thing with the transparent
housing attached to it. I guesstimate that the rebreather would
have acceptable work of breathing (for me, down to 30m) if it
were not for the scrubber.
CL's:
The CL's are neoprene that contain about 2.5L of volume each.
The neoprene is coated with camouflage fabric on one side and is
naked on the other. The plastic attachment parts are kept in
place by compression using the plastic nut. Then a stainless
steel T piece is fitted on. A piece of hose is used to bring up
the diameter of the T piece ends on some places. The inhale
counter lung has a Sitech valve attached to it where the O2 is
injected. This would have been the diluent injection port and O2
would be injected from a kiss type valve assembled from parts
from McMaster-Carr. The CL's are clipped to the back of the
plate with clips, and to the waist where normally the Y crotch
strap would attach.
Hoses:
The hoses of the T1 are actually bellows to protect some sort of
piston from dirt. These are standard industrial parts. They are
very flexible but the grooves in the corrugations could be a
little too deep if one were to have a flood with it. But the T1
has never had a flood :) The blueish hoses (that are normally
used for dirty water in bathrooms) in the picture while diving
were replaced later by the black bellow type hoses.
DSV:
The DSV is a PVC ball valve that has been drilled with a 1.5cm
screw. And an extension epoxied to it where a mouthpiece is
fitted. The check valves were cut off a medical O2 mask, and are
rather tiny. These were later replaced with check valves from an
3M dirt mask. The PVC valve had to be machined on a lathe for
this.
Reg and Tank:
The regulator is a poseidon X-stream Deco (the white pure O2
version). The second stage is hung around the neck as a bailout
regulator. The tank should normally be attached to the backplate
but in this case it was inside a rucksack attached to the waist
strap of the harness.
I also have a prototyped 2 oxygen measuring systems. One in the
form of a PIC micro controller that is also able to drive a
solenoid and one using DPM's. But these will probably never
leave the workbench and enter the water. I also have a CMF
orifice for the rebreather made by Dave Sutton that I now use
with other rebreathers.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any further
questions.
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