Calcium carbide acetylene generator. Gas welding of Soviet times

From my childhood I remember that several village houses on our street were undergoing major repairs: they were flooded with concrete foundations, changed the floors and slate, brought the water supply from the water tower located nearby. Houses of the 50s still stand. The builders used the following acetylene generator for welding:

Our favorite pastime with friends was tossing leftover calcium carbide into the water or launching a rocket from a cork by adding it to a water bottle.

The device of the acetylene generator for welding is simple: water was poured into the container (it flows into several containers, hydraulic locks) and a basket with calcium carbide stones was lowered into the upper one. In the reaction, acetylene was released and lime was formed:

The pressure in the container is high. The combustion temperature of acetylene is 2350 g. In the field, this solution was common at the time. The characteristics of a 20 liter generator are as follows. Pressure - 0.15 MPa. Productivity: 1.25 m3 / hour. Operating time at one gas station - up to 0.8 hours.

Electric welding machines were then bulky, required high power and a 380 V mains voltage. It is difficult to weld pipes with high quality electric welding. Now you can buy an inexpensive welding inverter (4-5 thous. rubles), but it will be tied to the power grid. And in the field, even a 2 kW generator may not be enough.

Cost of gas generator ASP-10 and ASP-15:

The price of a new acetylene generator ASP-10: from 8,000 to 15,000 rubles. (depending on the volume of the container (20-50 l)). I don't know if they are being produced now or if they are stored from some warehouses, but in 2008. they were still in production.

Why such a high cost - I do not know. A used generator according to ads costs from 3000 rubles. I met ads with a cost of 650 rubles. But it needs to be checked. Calcium carbide has a cost of 300 rubles / kg. You also need an oxygen cylinder and a gas cutter (2500 rubles) Plus hoses.

How to fill, operate and flush the acetylene generator - shown in the video:

The channel also has detailed training in gas welding.

You can also read about safety precautions and working with the generator here: https://mir-svarki.ru/index.php? id = 707

Strict safety precautions must be followed with this acetylene generator:

Air suction into the generator through the burner is not allowed when acetylene is released. Do not open the generator during a chemical reaction or when the generator is still hot. After each change, the generator must be well flushed so that the valve does not get stuck and the channels do not clog.

Due to fine tuning and difficulties in control and operation, it was abandoned and many have already forgotten, and in gas welding they use acetylene cylinders. They are more secure. Who used the acetylene generator - write about your experience.

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