R.O.N. pascr

SWS

Does anyone have experiences with the RON (Rebreather Ohne Name- www.ron-ger.de) ? What are the main differences between the "original" and the RON/EDO04/AH1/Tourill (except cost) ?

Thanks,

Sten

Steffen Balthasar

Hi Sten,

I dive RON for one year now and am still very happy about the decision to buy it. You asked for the main differences between RON and other pSCR.

I understood that the gas flow is a major difference. Most pSCR are copies of Reitzig/Buchaly´s concept (RB80, distributed by Halcyon) where the exhaled breathing gas flows (towards the bellows section) through a pipe assembled inside the scrubber part. The inhaled warm and humid gas then goes upwards through the scrubber which is located close to the rebreather´s body meaning that the lime is cooled by the encircling cold water (dependent on the water temperature). To avoid the lime getting wet due to perspiration, the scrubber part often is isolated by a neoprene tube to protect it against cold water.

RON´s gas flow is different to that described above. The exhaled gas flows around the scrubber section and serves as an isolator to keep the scrubber warm and dry. During inhalation, the gas also takes the way through the scrubber which is kept dry due to its assembly in the roll-axis of the rebreather. The water vapor in the breathing gas partly condensates at the inside of the unit´s body (where it has contact to the cold water outside) and is efficiently swept into the water trap by the exhaled gas flow.

Due to the unit´s dimensions the counterlung is located high enough to avoid too much breathing efforts. Thus it can be breathed very comfortably even supported by bellows which should be softer than those in other comparable units. But I clearly have to admit that I have absolutely no experience in diving these other units.

Cheers,
Steffen

EBT

Steffen,

Does that mean that the exhaled gas passes first through the scrubber and THEN into the counterlung/waterdump? Surely thats got an interesting impact on the units ability to flood recover?


/Zak

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Steffen Balthasar

Zak,

with both constructions, the gas passes the scrubber directly before inhalation. Thus both have in common that the scrubber is located in the inhalation side of the loop.

My point was that the flow of the exhaled gas is different. With RB80-style pSCRs it flows through the centre of the scrubber section (of course without contact to the lime...) through a tube and goes into the bellows. The inhaled gas flows then outside of this centered tube. Inhaled gas is exposed to a cold surface of the scrubber housing since it has contact to the water (the scrubber is located around the tube in the centre of the scrubber section).

With RON exhaled gas circulates round the scrubber into the unit with the scrubber being located in the centre of the rebreather´s body. Thus you inhale gas through the scrubber which is NOT exposed to cold water.

Thus, condensation takes place in the exhalation section (where the exhaled warm and humid gas is cooled by the unit´s body) and not potentially in the inhalation section. You do not need any neoprene isolation to avoid this effect and gain a construction-conditioned more efficient use of the breathing lime (since wet lime doesn´t absorb any carbon dioxide...).

Cheers,
Steffen

EBT

Aha..... i begin to see light at the end of the tunnel..

Just to clarify my understanding;

RB80 runs the exhaled gas through a solid core in the centre of the scrubber into the exhale lung, then pulls it back up through the scrubber when the diver inhales.

RON runs the gas down the outside of the scrubber can, then up through the scrubber can and into the counterlung.

Is my understanding right?

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TR300

not exactly, the exhale gas goes first in the bellows (counterlung) at the bottom of the scrubber, then (on inhaleing) the gas goes through the scrubber and then directlly in the inhale hose to the mouthpiece.

Holger

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EBT

Perfect, thanks

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