New SCUBA Technology: Breathe Like a Fish

No, it won’t give you gills, but a new breakthrough in SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) technology could allow divers to ditch heavy compressed air tanks and bulky breathing apparatus in favor of a lightweight, less-obtrusive setup inspired by Mother Nature. 

Fish “breathe” by using the dissolved oxygen in water, and until recently the best approximation that us land-lubbers could come up with was separating oxygen from water using electrolysis, which is extremely energy consumptive and not usable by all but the largest nuclear submarines and the International Space Station.  However, an Israeli inventor’s vision and application of “Henry’s Law” which governs the behaviors of dissolved gases in liquid, has captured the attention of major diving companies and the Israeli military.

[Henry’s 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.

This could be promising new technology to keep an eye on, for diving enthusiasts and science/technology enthusiasts alike.

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