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PIREP - Engine Saver / Dehydrator


FLYFST

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On 5/1/2020 at 1:37 PM, Danb said:

Hank the engine saver you referenced is the one I have it works as advertised 

I have one too.  I discovered after using it while recovering from shoulder rotator cuff surgery that the breather tube has a vent hole up inside the cowl where you can’t see it.  All that dry air may have leaked out that hole before it got into the engine.  Maybe that’s why my factory new engine didn’t make TBO (1818 TT):blink:

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On 5/20/2020 at 8:48 PM, amillet said:

I have one too.  I discovered after using it while recovering from shoulder rotator cuff surgery that the breather tube has a vent hole up inside the cowl where you can’t see it.  All that dry air may have leaked out that hole before it got into the engine.  Maybe that’s why my factory new engine didn’t make TBO (1818 TT):blink:

The vent hole in mine is only up about a couple of inches. My tube (to feed in dry air) plugs the tube up above the vent hole.

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On 5/20/2020 at 2:10 PM, tmo said:

I would be really interested to know the relative humidity (RH) of the air leaving the device when half the beads turn green.  I suspect at that time pumping the air is doing no good, or worse.

I base my suspicion on my measurements, where about 3 lbs of silica gel lasted only two weeks, and it weren't especially wet weeks.

I have a Raspberry Pi with two Bosch BME-280 sensors, one measuring air at the top of my "dehumidifier tower" and one measuring ambient air.  Initial RH of 0% lasted for a week, but after two weeks it was approaching 30% regardless of ambient air.  After three weeks it was around 50%, a 30% decrease from the 80% ambient air.  I suspect that at 50% it doesn't make sense to keep pumping new air in, better to leave what's in the engine there.  I have gotten similar results over two iterations (the 2nd one is at 25% RH after less than two weeks).

I am focusing on doing my first oil change, but once that is done and I'm back to flying, I was going to test a) a smaller pump, because how much air volume can there be inside an engine, and possibly b) having the RPI turn the pump on and off based on RH ratio.  Your idea with the timer is brilliant, and I'll do that together with the smaller pump.

well this is the humidity level as of yesterday. I dont know how long it will take for the beads to turn green. I've been using the thing for about 2 weeks and 2 cycles on the eng. I think MOST of the air in the eng. is being recycled otherwise the beads would be a lot greener. I say this because I have about a quarter cup of the beads sitting out and they are dark dark green 

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Great data, and bonus points for the control sample.  Thank you for providing those.

Your closed circuit obviously works very well.

I have the cowling off, so I'll make sure to measure an appropriate length of tubing to push up beyond the hole in the breather.  10% RH after two weeks is way better than my open circuit version.

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