Quote:
Originally Posted by HumblePie
We had an issue at a week 3 regional with our non-relieving regulator being deemed illegal by the LRI. Obviously, it was news to us as we had passed inspection at our week 1 regional. Also, I saw several other robots with the "illegal" type (evidenced by the yellow locking ring). Fortunately, we had a relieving style on our practice robot and we were able to change it out. I've found nothing in the rules that precludes a non-relieving regulator. Care to comment?
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The
Norgren R07-100-RNEA (all-black) and
Monnier 101-3002-1 (black and metallic with yellow ring) regulators that have been supplied in many past KOPs are relieving regulators. (But note that Monnier sells very similar models that are
not relieving.) While there was once a rule that specified the order of these regulators (to no useful effect), it has thankfully been eliminated.
And as you noted, the rules don't specify a relieving regulator this year. They do call for a regulator with "a maximum bypass pressure of no more than 60 psi". While I'm not familiar with that terminology in the context of a pneumatic system, by analogy to hydraulics,
1 if the atmosphere is the ambient-pressure reservoir, then a relieving regulator would be equivalent to a bypass regulator. (Note also that this would require this to be the maximum output pressure
rating, not the maximum pressure that could be bypassed—which would be a nonsensical feature.)
If the basis of the objection was that it was a yellow-ringed Monnier 101-3002-1 used as the primary regulator, the inspector would have been right in any of the past dozen or so years, but in a cruel twist of fate, would have been wrong this year.
If it was because it was a non-relieving regulator, consider asking the Q&A to clarify whether the 60 lb/in
2 "bypass" language implies a requirement for relieving regulators only. While that sounds sensible, this is a double-edged sword: while the R07-100-RNEA would be legal,
other identical-looking R07-series Norgren regulators can be adjusted up to 7 bar or 100 lb/in
2.
Definitely feel free to provide us with the model (and/or KOP source) of the part you're using, to clarify whether it meets all applicable rules.
1 In hydraulics, a bypass loop is used on regulators located after a pump, so as to limit the pressure on the input side of the regulator and avoid overtaxing the pump. Instead of overpressurizing the input, it bypasses the regulator and returns that excess fluid to the reservoir.