Pressure Regulation Tips
Have you ever wondered why your high pressure single stage regulator needs frequent adjustment to maintain a certain outlet pressure? The cause is “Supply Pressure Effect,” which is commonly between 0.5 and 1.0 PSI per 100 PSI of inlet pressure decay. Thus a single stage regulator on a 3000 PSI bottle, set at 30 PSI outlet, will show a rise in outlet pressure to 35 to 40 PSI by the time the bottle pressure drops to 2000 PSI.
Try using a two-stage regulator with a Supply Pressure Effect of only 0.05 to 0.1 PSI per 100 PSI of decay. We can recommend a specific product based on your application.
Another common issue is low flow instability. This can be caused by a number of things including a faulty MFC; but if you are using a high pressure bottle and trying to flow less than 100 sccm, replacing your single stage regulator with a two stage often solves this problem as well.
Last but not least is safety: if you are using a hazardous gas, specify a “tied-diaphragm” style regulator. The diaphragm is attached to the poppet, thus preventing a runaway flow in the event of a leak or blockage where the poppet is sealed.
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