Technology and Operations
This forum is for discussing technological & operational matters pertaining to U-boats.
CO2 Filters
Posted by:
DS
()
Date: July 04, 2000 03:15AM
WIth regard to the oxygen supply question from Tom
CO2 scrubbers are commonly used to remove carbon dioxide from the air. They do not produce oxygen, and work as a result of direct chemical reactions between the cartrige material and CO2. After a certain time they are ineffective, and then finaly, useless. The same technique is used today in anaesthetic machines around the world. Its a 'closed circuit' system where the patients expired air is re-circulated via the CO scrubber and volatile anaesthetic vapouriser, back to the patient. In this manner, no (or at least very little) of the volatile component is lost to the environment.
Hypoxia or lack of oxygen obviously causes the eventual death of a submarine's crew, however, high CO2 levels are the most important hazards to human beings. Lack of oxygen comes second. Furthermore, animals always breath out more oxygen than they need, so if you can just remove the excess CO2 then you are still in business so to speak. The cartridge material needs to be replaced in proportion to how much you actually use it. I never measured the air on a WW2 german uboat so I can't be sure, but, I think you wouldn't get more than about 24 hours in a confined space without supplementary oxygen.
In this situation, high adrenalin levels amongst the crew (the were just depth charged remember) would also compound the situation. They are now breathing faster and more deeper than before, so their total air volume is increased. Also the sub may need to extract air from the cabin for machinery use, and thus the prognosis is not good. With low oxygen and more importantly high nitrogen levels, the potential for nitrogen narcosis is also increased. Nitrogen narcosis is exactly that, illogical behaviour as a direct result of excess nitrogen in the blood. Timpanic trauma (eardrum damage) was also known to occur when uboats drew air from the cabin to feed the engines I have heard.
I wonder if this helped you.
DS
CO2 scrubbers are commonly used to remove carbon dioxide from the air. They do not produce oxygen, and work as a result of direct chemical reactions between the cartrige material and CO2. After a certain time they are ineffective, and then finaly, useless. The same technique is used today in anaesthetic machines around the world. Its a 'closed circuit' system where the patients expired air is re-circulated via the CO scrubber and volatile anaesthetic vapouriser, back to the patient. In this manner, no (or at least very little) of the volatile component is lost to the environment.
Hypoxia or lack of oxygen obviously causes the eventual death of a submarine's crew, however, high CO2 levels are the most important hazards to human beings. Lack of oxygen comes second. Furthermore, animals always breath out more oxygen than they need, so if you can just remove the excess CO2 then you are still in business so to speak. The cartridge material needs to be replaced in proportion to how much you actually use it. I never measured the air on a WW2 german uboat so I can't be sure, but, I think you wouldn't get more than about 24 hours in a confined space without supplementary oxygen.
In this situation, high adrenalin levels amongst the crew (the were just depth charged remember) would also compound the situation. They are now breathing faster and more deeper than before, so their total air volume is increased. Also the sub may need to extract air from the cabin for machinery use, and thus the prognosis is not good. With low oxygen and more importantly high nitrogen levels, the potential for nitrogen narcosis is also increased. Nitrogen narcosis is exactly that, illogical behaviour as a direct result of excess nitrogen in the blood. Timpanic trauma (eardrum damage) was also known to occur when uboats drew air from the cabin to feed the engines I have heard.
I wonder if this helped you.
DS
