Patent Application
20250100660
The disclosure relates to devices and methods for supplying breathing air under water.
Systems for supplying breathing air are used in a variety of situations in which the user's environment does not provide oxygen in a usable form.
These uses include diving in lakes, rivers and deep-sea diving off the coast, where two basic architectures are known: Open-circuit systems and closed-circuit systems.
Open-circuit systems are characterized by the fact that used breathing air is replaced by entrained breathing air and leaves the system.
Closed systems are characterized by the fact that used breathing air is treated and supplemented by entrained oxygen and other gases.
Utility model DE 20 2011 100 284 U1 describes an alternative breathing apparatus for divers. According to the invention there, the oxygen required for breathing is generated by electrolysis. The oxygen is separated from the surrounding water and is to be made usable after treatment. The gas exhaled by the diver is also to be recycled. The total amount of usable oxygen depends on the size of a calcium carbonate cartridge in the breathing apparatus and the capacity of the power source used.
The use of electrolysis for oxygen production is already known from its use in submarines, among other things.
The idea of using a membrane that is only permeable to oxygen and is therefore used for breathing underwater is also known. However, this is currently not technically feasible, as the amount of oxygen required for a person cannot be extracted from the water by a mask-sized device. There are also problems with durability and usability, for example in contaminated water.
Both open and closed systems have a limited supply of breathing air, oxygen or breathing gases and therefore a limited operating time.
The operating time can be extended by changing tanks; however, the operation of tank connections under water is prone to errors, especially at very low water temperatures. In addition, this change requires either a second person, a partial loosening of fastenings or an extended piping system, which, in addition to the weight of the additional pressure tanks, leads to an increased system weight.
If the diving process is to be carried out with minimal noise (e.g., for nature observations or military systems) and with as little weight as possible, as is possible in closed systems, then carrying tanks and operating mechanical closures is highly unsuitable.
One object of the disclosure is, therefore, to extend the operating time of a breathing air supply system without the need for additional tanks or tank connections. A further object of this disclosure is to reduce the system weight and volume.
Another object of this disclosure is to create a life support system that monitors relevant physiological values and displays warnings and information to the diver to prevent diving accidents.
The above object is solved, among other things, by generating the oxygen required for the breathing air from the surrounding water by electrolysis in a closed system and storing it in a first tank. The separated hydrogen is stored in a second tank and preferably added to the treated breathing air mixture in small quantities below the oxyhydrogen limit. The system also has the option of connecting a third tank to be filled with helium before the dive and thus feeding helium into the breathing air mixture as required.
Electrolysis is made possible by means of electrical energy carried along; this can be stored in one or more energy cells. At least one energy cell is advantageously arranged in the system, others can be carried on the body and replace diving weights if necessary.
Electrolysis is preferably carried out in separate chambers, whereby hydrogen and oxygen are separated from each other using a PEM membrane. This prevents oxyhydrogen gas from being produced in the system from the outset. PEM stands for “Proton Exchange Membrane” or also “Polymer Electrolyte Membrane”.
The required breathing air is adjusted in a mixing chamber according to the diving depth, stored as ready-mixed breathing air and made available to the diver from there.
The breathing air mixture is preferably adjusted using hydrogen and oxygen. The diving depth is determined via a depth sensor (pressure sensor) and the appropriate mixing ratio is always prepared in the mixing chamber based on this value.
Integrated sensors monitor each process to ensure that the mixing ratio always remains within the so-called rich mixture and that no oxyhydrogen gas is produced in the system.
By reusing the exhaled gases and recycling them, we increase the diving time and reduce the energy requirement.
Various physiological, technical and environment-related values or parameters such as diving depth, pulse, oxygen saturation of the blood, position (GPS), dive duration, battery charge status, warnings (such as surfacing too quickly) can be measured and displayed visually, for example via an associated helmet with integrated display or via a diving watch or other output device.
Monitoring the oxygen saturation and pulse values is highly desirable in order to supply the diver with sufficient oxygen, to counteract possible panic states and to alert the diver to remain calm.
Excess hydrogen can be drained or used as a lifting medium, e.g., for lifting loads. It can also be stored and used for other purposes after the dive.
The adaptation of the breathing air mixture to the requirements of the depth and water temperature is intended to prevent high-pressure nerve syndrome.
The device in
Description with reference to the drawing
Furthermore, the device includes compressors (11, 12) and a first tank (13), a second tank (14), a third tank (15) for an inert gas, a supply of ready-mixed breathing air (storage chamber), a mixing chamber (16) with controller (18) and the breathing air hoses (19, 20).
Oxygen and hydrogen are generated in the electrolyzer (3) and stored in tanks (13, 14) for hydrogen and oxygen via compressors (11, 12). Used breathing air is fed via a breathing air hose (20) into a mixing chamber (16), in which gases from one of the tanks (13, 14, 15) are mixed.
A controller (18), which has sensors for oxygen, CO2 and pressure (not shown), monitors and regulates the admixture of gases and production in the electrolyzer (3).
Description with reference to the drawing
Furthermore, the device includes several (micro) compressors (9), a storage chamber (10) for ready-mixed and compressed breathing air (10), a mixing chamber (11) with associated controller (14) and the breathing air hoses (12, 13).
Oxygen and hydrogen are produced in the electrolyzer (3) and then stored in tanks for hydrogen (hydrogen storage tank 7) and oxygen (oxygen storage tank 8).
Used breathing air is fed via a breathing air hose (13) into a mixing chamber (11), in which gases from at least one of the tanks (7, 8) are mixed with the breathing air. A controller (14), which has sensors for oxygen, CO2, pulse and/or pressure (not shown), adjusts the mixing ratio.
Optionally, entrained helium from a helium reservoir (15) can be added to the breathing air in the mixing chamber (11).
In other words, the system can be characterized as follows:
The device (1) is used to supply a diver with breathing air during underwater dives.
In an electrolyzer (3) with at least two chambers separated by a proton exchange membrane (6), water from the environment is electrolytically decomposed into oxygen and hydrogen. The energy required for this is taken from an energy cell (3), which can be arranged at least partially in a separate diving belt and connected to the electrolyzer (3) via electrical connection lines.
The oxygen collected in one chamber is compressed by means of a compressor (9) and stored under pressure in an oxygen storage tank (8). Similarly, the hydrogen collected in the other chamber is compressed by means of a compressor (9) and stored under pressure in a hydrogen storage tank (7).
The oxygen storage tank (8) and the hydrogen storage tank (7) are each connected to the mixing chamber (11) via a connecting line, into each of which a controllable valve is connected. The respective valve therefore regulates the quantity of gas (oxygen, hydrogen and possibly helium) flowing into the mixing chamber (11) per unit of time.
In addition, a helium reservoir (15) with pressurized helium can be provided, which is also connected to the mixing chamber (11) via a connecting line into which a controllable valve is connected.
The mixing chamber (11) also has an inlet for used breathing air from the breathing air hose (13) leading away from the breathing mask.
Furthermore, the mixing chamber (11) has an outlet for ready-to-use mixed and processed (“fresh”) breathing air, which is connected to a storage chamber (10) for the fresh breathing air via an intermediate compressor (9). From there, the fresh breathing air is supplied to the diver via a breathing air hose (12) and the breathing mask.
Furthermore, a CO2 filter (not shown) is integrated into the breathing air circuit at a suitable point, in particular in the breathing air hose (13) or in its opening into the mixing chamber (11).
As a result, the breathing air is circulated back and forth from the mixing chamber (11) to the diver. Used oxygen is replaced by oxygen from the oxygen storage tank (8), whereby this oxygen was previously extracted electrolytically from the surrounding water.
In addition, hydrogen from the hydrogen storage tank (7) is added to the breathing air mixture in the mixing chamber (11), whereby this hydrogen was previously extracted electrolytically from the surrounding water.
Furthermore, helium can be added to the breathing air mixture in the mixing chamber (11) from a helium reservoir (15) filled before the dive.
The supply of oxygen, hydrogen and, if necessary, helium is regulated via the valves integrated in the connecting lines from the corresponding tanks (7, 8, 15) to the mixing chamber (11), which are controlled by the controller (14).
In particular, the controller (14) takes into account the diving depth and/or pressure conditions (in particular water pressure and/or breathing air pressure, etc.), which is recorded by a suitable sensor. Furthermore, physiological sensors, for example for oxygen saturation in the bloodstream and/or heart rate (pulse), can provide input values for the controller (14). Furthermore, various sensors for oxygen, hydrogen, CO2 and/or helium content or concentration can be integrated into the breathing air circuit, the measured values of which can also be taken into account by the controller (14) or regulation.
An important control objective is to ensure that the hydrogen content in the breathing air circuit does not exceed the oxyhydrogen limit at any point, i.e., that there is no explosive gas mixture even if pressure surges occur.
Furthermore, a panic state of the diver can be detected by physiological sensors, in particular by measuring oxygen saturation and/or pulse. In this case, the oxygen supply from the oxygen storage tank (8) can be increased by the controller (14) and/or the oxygen output of the electrolyzer (3) can be increased by activating a power reserve.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202022000061.8 | Jan 2022 | DE | national |
This application is a national al phase of International Application No. PCT/DE2023/200009, filed Jan. 11, 2023, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/DE2023/200009 | 1/11/2023 | WO |
