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FIRE SAFETY => Portable Firefighting Equipment => Topic started by: SeaBass on February 14, 2011, 02:22:13 PM

Title: CO2 recovery/re-use
Post by: SeaBass on February 14, 2011, 02:22:13 PM
     
        
     
     
     

     
        
     
     
     

     
        
     
     
         
        
     
     
     

     
        
     
     
     

     
        
     
     
     

     
        
     
   
Does anyone know of any fire extinguisher companies that:
A) reclaim and reuse the CO2 from extinguishers when carrying out discharge tests and/ or disposal
B) recover CO2 from the atmosphere rather than distilling the gas afresh for charging and recharging extinguishers.

Thanks



     
        
     
     
     

Title: Re: CO2 recovery/re-use
Post by: AnthonyB on February 14, 2011, 04:33:55 PM
In a word no! (It doesn't mean there aren't)

Equipment for this hasn't generally been financially viable/available for the portables industry although lartge scale equipment is used in the brewing industry to capture the CO2 from fermentation.

It has been a bug bear for years as a lot of CO2 gets wasted, however, with the gas being so cheap (works out at roughly 80p a kilo) it's not been an issue, whereas with BCF and Powder recovery and reuse systems have been around for decades (although in the UK powder recovery for reuse is frowned upon, despite being commonplace over the pond, a Powder extinguisher being hydro tested usually has it's original powder put back in it & it is used for refills)

The two UK specialist extinguisher recycling plants may have this but their blurb doesn't make it clear.
Title: Re: CO2 recovery/re-use
Post by: fireftrm on February 15, 2011, 07:40:20 PM
A small, yet possibly significant, emission of CO2 into the atmosphere? Reducing emissions is the current and future direction for other industries...........
Title: Re: CO2 recovery/re-use
Post by: kurnal on February 15, 2011, 07:56:00 PM
Yes fair enough. Every little helps but to keep it in context a diesel mondeo emits 1kg of CO2 every 4 miles so dont go out of your way to the recycling station!
Title: Re: CO2 recovery/re-use
Post by: wee brian on February 17, 2011, 01:44:56 PM
Releasing CO2 into the atmosphere that was recently taken out of the atmsophere isnt a big issue.

Releasing CO2 that was taken out several million years ago (ie fossil fuels) is the big problem.

Title: Re: CO2 recovery/re-use
Post by: fireftrm on March 05, 2011, 06:25:43 PM
Storing CO2 in extinguishers is therefore a really good idea..........................
Title: Re: CO2 recovery/re-use
Post by: Psuedonym on March 30, 2011, 01:48:04 PM
Releasing CO2 into the atmosphere that was recently taken out of the atmsophere isnt a big issue.

Releasing CO2 that was taken out several million years ago (ie fossil fuels) is the big problem.



Isn't it the same stuff? Isn't the fossil fuel CO2 merely an element of the products' processing rather than a actual stored element of its own ?

Surely removing anything from the atmosphere to potentially re release it back is not a balanced action. The processing would "cost" more than any (CO2) savings. Or am I being a bit niave. Oh bugger can't spell it. Nurse........
Title: Re: CO2 recovery/re-use
Post by: Tom Sutton on March 30, 2011, 07:45:35 PM

Surely removing anything from the atmosphere to potentially re release it back is not a balanced action. The processing would "cost" more than any (CO2) savings.

Not if you use wind/water power for the processing.
Title: Re: CO2 recovery/re-use
Post by: Psuedonym on March 31, 2011, 12:07:04 PM
Oh, of course, silly me! Do you know I forgot all about the wind farms and water turbine systems that suddenly appear from nowhere and don't produce CO2 during the manufacture/design/supply/build stages are valid for 10 years before requiring replacing (Wind turbines) and have a continual external power supply ??! All for a few 2Kg and 5KG Co2s ????

Recycle electrons !! Its the only way to save this doomed planet !! 
Title: Re: CO2 recovery/re-use
Post by: Tom Sutton on March 31, 2011, 02:14:44 PM

Touché ! Its no good were all doomed!