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nitrogen is exactly as compressable as any other gas. At 15psi, co2 is a pretty stable substance. At "normal" tempratures co2 needs 800psi to maintain a liquid state. At fork pressures co2 will always be a gas. Compressed air is a pretty dangerous thing (I can give you examples if necessary) however liquid co2 has several of it's own safety features built in.
First of all, co2 is stored as a liquid, and because of this requires a LOT of energy to change to a gas. The whole phase change thing ;-) So if your bottle ruptures, or is ruptured, it looses pressure very quickly. Being a liquid also gives you a nice "first level" of regulation. As bottle pressure is regulated by bottle temprature, you regulator will only see an input range of 600-900psi, instead of 100-15. Or more realisticly 1800-15psi, or 3000-15psi. Regulators have something called a pressure ratio, and as you vary the input pressure, the output pressure varies as well. So with a typical pressure ratio of 25:1, you'd see your fork pressure go from 15psi to 19psi throughout the discharge of your 100psi storage tank. Not a good thing.. The regulator I pointed out is 50:1 or better. :-) Though I think the ratios fall apart outside the "working range" of a reg.
Being stored as a liquid also means you get much more gas for a given volume of storage. If you need an example, a 13ci tank full of nitrogen at 3000psi only holds about 1/4 the energy of a 13ci bottle of co2, at 800psi.
Co2 is the best option. Even a 12gm cartriage would be able to keep the forks topped up for a very long time.
First of all, co2 is stored as a liquid, and because of this requires a LOT of energy to change to a gas. The whole phase change thing ;-) So if your bottle ruptures, or is ruptured, it looses pressure very quickly. Being a liquid also gives you a nice "first level" of regulation. As bottle pressure is regulated by bottle temprature, you regulator will only see an input range of 600-900psi, instead of 100-15. Or more realisticly 1800-15psi, or 3000-15psi. Regulators have something called a pressure ratio, and as you vary the input pressure, the output pressure varies as well. So with a typical pressure ratio of 25:1, you'd see your fork pressure go from 15psi to 19psi throughout the discharge of your 100psi storage tank. Not a good thing.. The regulator I pointed out is 50:1 or better. :-) Though I think the ratios fall apart outside the "working range" of a reg.
Being stored as a liquid also means you get much more gas for a given volume of storage. If you need an example, a 13ci tank full of nitrogen at 3000psi only holds about 1/4 the energy of a 13ci bottle of co2, at 800psi.
Co2 is the best option. Even a 12gm cartriage would be able to keep the forks topped up for a very long time.
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