You know when you go for an interview and your asked, "Can you tell us about one of your failures". I've got a new answer!!!! So far I've spent about $1500 on trying to keep my old butt cool while fully dressed in the PPE that is supposed to protect me. I started out buying an 18 CFM ambient air pump. Theory was to remove small tube from cooling vest and replace with 3/4" and larger vent holes. Run air through 3/4 garden hose to home made heat exchanger and another 50' to the vest. The little bit of HOT air that comes out way down the other end is to little and way to hot. I figured that because the pressure was only about 3 psi that it wouldn't get real hot, wrong on that as well. I tried the ice chest with tube running though 50 lbs of ice and got cool very clamy, wet air, NOT.
Bought the 2500 BTU Vortex cooling tube. Tried it in the garage on the little 5 hp Craftsman low and behold it worked great for 15 or 20 seconds until the tank went down. So I'm sure it works as you have said. Have access to IR 185's at the yard. They are for running jack hammers and moles so water in the system is normal and acceptable, So I go to my over priced friends at Graingers and buy a $120 water separator that appeared to do nothing. Hooked the Vortex cooler up the IR and ran for 15 to 20 seconds before it iced up!!!
So, I have learned that hot wet saturated air will not give one the feeling of coolness. One needs cool dry air to obtain coolness.
SOOO, now I'm down to two options A TrailBlazer Airpak (approx $12000) with what they call a dryer and filter that they proclaim take 70% of the moister out of the air and the Vortex cooler or a Kaeser KCA 50 air dryer. The Kaeser is an refrigerated air dryer that puts out 40 degree air. It eliminates the heating cycle of a typical air dryer. My best choice would be the Airpak so as to have an independent air source. The Kaeser would require me to use the contractor supplied IR. You know how that would go, just when I need it the most one wouldn't be available.
Looking for any constructive advise AND at this time it all has to fit in my Tub rig. Thanks- Ted