Noise Levels in Navy Diving Chambers During Compression and Decompression
Abstract
The noise levels inside diving chambers and submarines has been suggested as possible contributors to the hearing losses of Navy divers and submariners. In this experiment, sound pressure levels of the noise in a diving chamber were measured during compression and decompression. Several men were situated in a diving chamber which was pressurized to depth equal to 100 feet of seawater. Two dives were made. In the first dive, measurements were taken with a piezoelectric microphone oriented so that it was approximately in a horizontal line with the divers' ears and facing away from the intake valve; during the ascent stage, the microphone was facing away from the vent. In the second dive, the microphone was at the same position in the chamber but hanging downward at the divers' ear level. The microphone was previously calibrated under pressure using the reciprocity calibration technique. Measurements were taken with an octave band noise analyzer located outside the chamber. The results indicate that the noise levels were higher during the descent stages of both dives. In addition, the octave band from 2400-4800 Hz showed the highest noise level within any single band. The results of this study are discussed in relationship to the damage risk criteria for Navy personnel.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 21, 1970
- Accession Number
- AD0722665
Entities
People
- Thomas Murry
Organizations
- Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory