Photo By Jacqui Barker | 150319-N-CD100-005 PANAMA CITY, Fla. (March 19, 2015) A prototype for a new life...... read more read more
PANAMA CITY, Fla. – Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) scientists and engineers are working to give military divers a faster, more effective way to rapidly respond to deep water recovery operations. This new prototype is being featured at the Department of Defense's Lab Day held in Washington May 14, 2015.
The Initial Response Diving project is a Navy Innovative Science and Engineering initiative to support faster recovery of objects in deep waters worldwide by human divers. The ultimate goal of Initial Response Diving is to provide military diver intervention to depths of 600 feet anywhere in the world. The goal would put diver’s hands on targets for recovery within 36 hours of deployment.
NSWC PCD Principal Investigator Dr. John Camperman said diver safety is critical and must be addressed for missions of national interest when human divers may be at risk but are necessary to accomplish the mission.
“The safety and reliability of free swimming divers at these depths should meet or exceed that of current U.S. Navy surface supplied diving.” said Camperman. “A diver has greater situational awareness, adaptability, agility, and dexterity than undersea machines, and will for decades to come.”
The implications of this project have international and humanitarian significance. The project could enhance disabled submarine assessment and escape, or rapidly recover sensitive debris from vessels, aircraft or spacecraft. The IRD project could also support life-saving rescues for survivors trapped in a capsized hull, or subsea infrastructure maintenance.
“The IRD effort maintains the DoD (Department of Defense) parity with allies and foes in response to subsea casualties of national interest,” he said. “A feasibility analysis is being performed, and science and technology proposals are being coordinated. Research and development of subsystems are being considered to close capability gaps.”
Working in conjunction with the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SEA00C), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), and operational commands, this project investigates improvements to transportability, command and control, life support systems, semi-autonomous vehicles, and other tools to overcome the challenges of environmental exposure, decompression obligations, and sea-keeping.
One of the first developments is a new semi-closed circuit surface supplied diver life support system that will accelerate the deployment of Navy mixed gas surface supplied divers, increase their safety, and conserve a valuable natural resource.
Today, U.S. Navy divers stationed at Mobile Diving and Salvage Units (MDSU) meet their requirement for manned diving operations with the Fly-Away Mixed Gas System (FMGS). The FMGS supports rapid response when the advantages of a diver are needed. The FMGS currently provides breathing gas through an umbilical to a demand regulated, open circuit, diver-worn helmet. In each breathing cycle all inhalation is from surface supplied gas and all exhalant vents to the sea. A large portion of oxygen and helium are wasted.
“When diving deeper than 190 feet, the nitrogen in air becomes narcotic and helium-oxygen breathing gas is necessary. But helium availability has been decreased by use in research and manufacturing. Congress passed the Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act in 2013. Cost already impacts Navy dive training and operations; conservation of helium is urgent,” said Camperman. “FMGS operational cost is driven by transportation, support vessel size, consumables (largely helium). Deck space requirements (largely helium) restrict support vessel size.”
Camperman said the new semi-closed system is just a small step toward the IRD goals but was conceived to drastically reduce FMGS helium requirements and incorporates proven technology where possible to speed transition to operators.
“The helmet is being evaluated separately as the next generation approved for military use, and the rebreather was previously developed and authorized for other U.S. Navy diving,” he said. “The new system repurposes the helmet and rebreather by modifying each of them. Prototype analysis and testing have shown that drastic reduction in helium consumption is possible. Testing of the new prototype system indicates that the full range of FMGS diving is supportable within Navy life support requirements, and that several life support characteristics are improved relative to the current system, including extended emergency come-home gas duration.”
NSWC PCD: Technical Center of Excellence for Littoral Warfare and Coastal Defense.
| Date Taken: | 05.12.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.13.2015 10:07 |
| Story ID: | 163130 |
| Location: | PANAMA CITY, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 329 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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