Dear List
I've tried this and it works GREAT! I think this is the two cent answer to the Thousand Dollar question. What material will allow water to FREELY go through the OPV but block sofnolime chunks? Scotch Brite. It's that ugly green or blue stuff that you or your other half uses to wash your dishes.
What I did was cut a perfect circle of this material and sandwiched it in the OPV valve between it's body and interior cover. The material I used is about 1/2 inch thick. Make sure you singe the Scot Brite with a lighter so no little pieces of the material get between the diaphragm and the body. You have to buy a new (Apex cuff dry suit OPV valve) You need the back cover. Kevin's interior cover is cut a way to allow a CE approved venting issue, and the cover won't hold the Scot Brite material in place. When you get the cover, drill a bigger hole in the center so you won't have a problem with restrictions of water flow or air. Make sure you sand the edges of the drilled hole so you don't cut the interior of your counter lung. Put the PERFECT circular Scotch Brite filter into the OPV which has to come off of your counter lung. Then put a little RTV or silicone on the base of your OPV and threads and screw it back to the counter lung. I have pictures of every thing except the new interior cover. It's all ready installed on my counter lungs. I've tested this with sofnolime in the exhalation counter lung and NO sofnolime particles got between the diaphragm and the body. I've flooded the counter lungs and found no problems clearing the water. Be aware I'm not a engineer and there could be some bad points to this Mod.
BAD POINTS
1)Kevin's OPV has to vent a certain amount of air per minute if the lungs were to over pressurize
2) If you don't clean this filter with a garden hose it could get clogged over time. (unscrew the exterior cover and blast with garden hose)
3) I'm guessing but I doubt this would pass a CE test because your constricting the flow rate with the new filter and cover.
4) If you don't install the cover correctly and check it regularly it could come unscrewed causing a major flood and loop failure.
5) Your modifying the kit that a engineer spent thousands of man hours to design. Do at your own risk
GOOD POINTS
1) It works GREAT !!!
2) I'm not concerned with the CE venting issue. I feel this mod has more benefits then negatives. Remember what I posted I'm not a engineer. You should be a competent rebreather diver and be able to control loop volume of your kit.
3) When I figure out how to post pictures I'll send them to the forum
Please post good or bad points to this mod. I would like to here them all.
Cheers Frankie
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Frank Pellegrino
Ouroboros number: 50