An Israeli Inventor has developed a breathing apparatus that will allow breathing underwater without the assistance of oxygen tanks. This new invention will use the relatively small amounts of air that already exist in water to supply oxygen to both scuba divers and submarines. The invention has already captured the interest of most major diving manufacturers as well as the Israeli Navy.
The idea of breathing underwater without cumbersome oxygen tanks has been the dream of science fiction writers for many years. In George Lucas’ movie "The Phantom Menace", Obi-Wan whips out a little Jedi underwater breathing apparatus and dives in. As things tend to happen in our world, yesterday’s science fiction has turned into today's science fact due to one Israeli inventor with a dream.
There are a number of limitations to the existing oxygen tank underwater breathing method. The first is the amount of time a diver can stay underwater, which is the result of the oxygen tank capacity. Another limitation is the dependence on oxygen refueling facilities near the diving site which are costly to operate and are used to compress the gas into the tanks which might be dangerous if not handled properly. The final problem has to do with the actual use of oxygen tanks underwater. When these tanks are in use they empty out and change the balance of the diver in the water.
Engineers have tried to overcome these limitations for many years now. Nuclear submarines and the international space station use systems that generate Oxygen from water by performing 'Electrolysis', which is chemical separation of Oxygen from Hydrogen. These systems require very large amounts of energy to operate. For this reason, smaller, diesel fueled submarines cannot use these systems and are required to resurface to re-supply their oxygen tanks every so often. Divers can't even consider carrying such large machines not to mention supplying them with energy. To overcome this limitation an Israeli inventor, Alon Bodner, turned to fish.
Fish do not perform chemical separation of oxygen from water; instead they use the dissolved air that exists in the water in order to breathe. In the ocean the wind, waves and underwater currents help spread small amounts of air inside the water. Studies have shown that in a depth of 200m below the sea there is still about 1.5% of dissolved air. This might not sound like much but it is enough to allow both small and large fish to breathe comfortably underwater. Bodner’s idea was to create an artificial system that will mimic the way fish use the air in the water thus allowing both smaller submarines and divers to get rid of the large, cumbersome oxygen tanks.
The system developed by Bodner uses a well known physical law called the "Henry Law" which describes gas absorption in liquids. This law states that the amount of gas that can be dissolved in a liquid body is proportional to the pressure on the liquid body. The law works in both directions – lowering the pressure will release more gas out of the liquid. This is done by a centrifuge which rotates rapidly thus creating under pressure inside a small sealed chamber containing sea water. The system will be powered by rechargeable batteries. Calculations showed that a one kilo Lithium battery can provide a diver with about one hour of diving time.
Bodner has already built and tested a laboratory model and he is on the path to building a full-scale prototype. Patents for the invention have already been granted in Europe and a similar one is currently pending examination in the U.S. Meetings have already been held with most major diving manufacturers as well as with the Israeli Navy. Initial financial support for the project has been given by Israel Ministry of Industry and Commerce and Bodner is currently looking for private investors to help complete his project.
If everything goes according to plan, in a few years the new tankless breathing system will be operational and will be attached to a diver in the form of a vest that will enable him to stay underwater for a period of many hours.
I suspect the thread title would be more accurately labelled "Want to breathe like a fish?" For obvious reasons the title had me thinking of slapping on some type of technological mermaid outfit...
Anyhow, on topic, yes very cool concept. I wonder if the system could incorperate a way for the diver's own energy expneditures to help fuel the energy requirements for the system...
Reminds me of the rebreather in Thunderball that caught the interest of one Royal Marine officer who approached MGM to ask if the design could be used. It was annoying to find it was just a prop. But this would make SCUBA gear far better. Subs already get oxygen via electorlysis, but this may help smaller craft.
At last, a reason to renew my diving license
This sounds amazing,
who knows? maybe theyll think up some kind of eye filter as well, so i can go diving without being half blind.
If they do that then im officially moving into the Aquacave
Photography Genius is always allowed some leeway, once the hammer has been pried from its hands and the blood has been cleaned up.
To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.
So besides lack of oxygen and preassure problems, are there any other problems that are encountered under water that could kill a person esspecially if this person is under water for a very long time, say two weeks or so?
I´m thinking under water vacation.
salm wrote:So besides lack of oxygen and preassure problems, are there any other problems that are encountered under water that could kill a person esspecially if this person is under water for a very long time, say two weeks or so?
I´m thinking under water vacation.
Well, the system described in the article works to extract the ordinary air dissolved in the water. Air is comprised of 78% nitrogen. Nitrogen gas bubbles in the blood cause decompression sickness. So you would still have to worry about getting the 'bends' if you went deep enough and came up too fast, and your underwater vacation would probably have to end with you sitting in a decompression chamber.
Otherwise, no problems. Though your skin will pretty much grow to hate you, since it wasn't evolved to be continually soaked in water like that.
Your sink can litteraly fall off your bones when you leave the watter if you stay underwater too long. I remember when sailors from a sunk cruiser were rescued something like a week later when they got pulled out of the water, skin pulled apart on their arms as the rescuers pulled them up.
"If the facts are on your side, pound on the facts. If the law is on your side, pound on the law. If neither is on your side, pound on the table."
"The captain claimed our people violated a 4,000 year old treaty forbidding us to develop hyperspace technology. Extermination of our planet was the consequence. The subject did not survive interrogation."
salm wrote:So besides lack of oxygen and preassure problems, are there any other problems that are encountered under water that could kill a person esspecially if this person is under water for a very long time, say two weeks or so?
I´m thinking under water vacation.
Well, the system described in the article works to extract the ordinary air dissolved in the water. Air is comprised of 78% nitrogen. Nitrogen gas bubbles in the blood cause decompression sickness. So you would still have to worry about getting the 'bends' if you went deep enough and came up too fast, and your underwater vacation would probably have to end with you sitting in a decompression chamber.
Otherwise, no problems. Though your skin will pretty much grow to hate you, since it wasn't evolved to be continually soaked in water like that.
Yeah, i knew about the decrompression thing but the water wouldn´t have to be that deep to get money from rich people who want to experience the unique adventure of my hotel filled with water.
I´ll also invent underwater sports like golf with torpedo propelled balls and have buffets with lobster in seawater which the guests will be able to hunt themselves for a small fee and i´ll make a fortune.
Alyeska wrote:Your sink can litteraly fall off your bones when you leave the watter if you stay underwater too long. I remember when sailors from a sunk cruiser were rescued something like a week later when they got pulled out of the water, skin pulled apart on their arms as the rescuers pulled them up.
Hm.... peeling for the women i guess.
That sucks. If i put my guests into waterproof rubber costumes the sensation of underwater vacation will only be half as good. On the other hand they still have the similar to zero gravity effect that water provides.
darthdavid wrote:Beyond that you'd need a metric fuckton of batteries to stay under that long.
The batteries are rechargable and there will be plenty of electric eels around to provide the energy.
Your skin needs to breathe as well. Even with this, some sort of dry suit will be necessary if you're going to be underwater for any decent length of time.
"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger." Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials
Predator wrote:Your skin needs to breathe as well. Even with this, some sort of dry suit will be necessary if you're going to be underwater for any decent length of time.
salm wrote:The batteries are rechargable and there will be plenty of electric eels around to provide the energy
Ironically, electric eels only exist in oxygen poor water, the likes of which even your fancy breathing apparatus wouldn't save you in. That's why they've developed a lung.
"If one needed proof that a guitar was more than wood and string, that a song was more than notes and words, and that a man could be more than a name and a few faded pictures, then Robert Johnson’s recordings were all one could ask for."
I wonder how it deals with air pressure\Nitrogen poisining and if you still have to work it out on the way down
(that’s the part I least like about diving, having to stop every five minutes to blow my nose underwater)
Photography Genius is always allowed some leeway, once the hammer has been pried from its hands and the blood has been cleaned up.
To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.
