compressor is heating up to the point it blows hose
 

Last year our compressor ran nonstop during matches but we had no problems with blown hoses.
We just started having this problem after weeks of problem free pnematics on our practice bot.
Does anyone have an idea how to dissipate the heat?

Re: compressor is heating up to the point it blows hose
 

What do you mean by blown hoses? Did the hose physically fail, or did it disconnect from the compressor?

Re: compressor is heating up to the point it blows hose
 

I've seen this problem several times. Easiest fix is simply putting a fan on the compressor. The extra airflow does wonders.

Re: compressor is heating up to the point it blows hose
 

Do you have the plastic hose connected directly to the fitting on the compressor?

Re: compressor is heating up to the point it blows hose
 

Adding additional metal fittings between the compressor and the plastic tubing has been known to help cool the air as it exits the compressor.

Re: compressor is heating up to the point it blows hose
 

Are you running the VIAIR 90 C? We too had this issue, for the practice bot we switched the compressor to a Thomas 215 which is rated for 100% duty. We retained the 90C for the competition bot because it only needs to run in short bursts.

Re: compressor is heating up to the point it blows hose
 

Add more metal fittings between the compressor and the plastic tubing. You can also place one of the large fans from the kit of parts to blow on the compressor to help cool it.

Re: compressor is heating up to the point it blows hose
 

We use a different type of tube coming off the compressor that is rated for higher temperature operation. I believe the tube we use is rated for 200+ degrees Fahrenheit compared to the KOP tubing which is rated for 120ish degrees. We have also experimented with a metal sheathed tube coming off the compressor but higher rated tube seems to work just as well and be much lighter.

Last year in competition we ran our compressor at %100 duty and burnt out 2 compressors over the course of our 100 match season and replaced the tube from the compressor at every event. This year after three events the tubing we use with the higher temperature rating has no visible deformation anywhere on the tube(even in the fitting).

Re: compressor is heating up to the point it blows hose
 

Yes, we had this problem for Ultimate Ascent (our climber was primarily pneumatically powered). We had several hoses aneurism and rupture at the compressor output. By the time we got to the hose, the outrushing air had cooled the hose, so it took us several times (and changing hose batches) before we figured out that the heat was softening the tubing.

As hinted above, the key is dissipating that heat before reaching the first rubber tubing. In our case, we simply moved the pressure switch, stored pressure gauge, and vent plug onto an all-brass "christmas tree" leading away from the compressor, and put the first fitting to rubber tubing at the far end of all this brass. If this hadn't been enough, we probably would have heat-sinked this mass of metal to radiator fins or the robot chassis, and only then gone to a more active (fan) cooling mechanism.

Re: compressor is heating up to the point it blows hose
 

Basic Chemistry / Gas Laws

PV = nRT

It isn't the compressor. compressing air makes it hot, so you have a lot of hot air coming out. The Thomas had a large surface area on the compressor so it dissapated some heat.

put a metal heat exchange on the output of the compressor - put a length of metal tubing on the output of the compressor, then change over to plastic.

It would be nice if someone made an off the shelf radiator with about a foot length of copper tube with fins, with 1/8 NPT fittings.

Re: compressor is heating up to the point it blows hose
 

That sounds like overkill. Given that most teams can handle the issue with parts that are already in the system; a 3" fitting with fins should be more than enough to dissipate heat to acceptable levels for the tubing we are using.

Re: compressor is heating up to the point it blows hose
 

Not overkill for us. We keep most of our robots for years serving as showbots. Sometimes they run 8 or 9 hours a day, with small breaks.

We have two arial assist bots and they use a lot of compressed air, and we blow tubes all the time from heat fatigue. I'd pay money for a good heat exchanger.

Most teams don't need that much cooling but there are enough around that could probably use it.

if anyone see one, please post it.

Re: compressor is heating up to the point it blows hose
 

My team, in 2013, found the same problem with the Viair compressor (Yes, I know the compressor in the picture is the Thompson. Midseason, after burning out a compressor, that was what we had left.) , which we solved by using copper tubing off of the compressor. Might have been excessive overkill, but it solved the problem and worked throughout the season.

Re: compressor is heating up to the point it blows hose
 

I forgot to account for that scenario:o .

They do make them, but they are rather heavy duty for what we are doing, and are not an allowed part under R66, not that that matters for demonstration purposes.

Re: compressor is heating up to the point it blows hose
 

+1 put a fan on it. also the Tomas seems to be a better compressor. contrary to listed stats it put out more air in a given amount of time for us. but it is bigger.