Development and Evaluation of a Hyperbaric Toxic Gas Monitor (SubTox) for Disabled Submarines

Abstract

Current procedures for monitoring toxic gases on disabled submarines (DISSUBs) rely on chemical detector tubes to determine when submarine escape action levels (SEALs) of such gases are reached, so that specific steps can be taken to protect the survivors. However, detector tubes are known to have limited storage times; to degrade quickly under adverse storage conditions such as high temperatures; and to be inaccurate, costly, time consuming, and cumbersome to use. In addition, pressures aboard a DISSUB may become elevated and produce currently unknown effects on detector tube performance. Over an eight-year period (20042012), Navy Experimental Diving Unit (NEDU) helped ENMET Corp. to develop the first hyperbaric toxic gas analyzer (SubTox) to monitor, under pressure, the eight gases ammonia, carbon monoxide, chlorine, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide for which SEALs have been defined. With results from laboratory and field testing, and with positive feedback from many Fleet personnel including an endorsement by U.S. Navy Board of Inspection and Survey (for submarines; INSURV) and overwhelming enthusiasm among submariners who have seen SubTox during NEDU field testing, NEDU and Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) agree that SubTox is ready for a proposed 18-month transition plan that NEDU and ENMET have developed. This plan, if successful, would result in the Fleet procuring a limited number of first-production SubTox monitors. NEDU believes that SubTox, by replacing the detector tubes now used, should improve the Navys ability to monitor DISSUB atmospheres. To date, however, Navy support has not yet been obtained for the proposed transition plan.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 2013
Accession Number
AD1001767

Entities

People

  • James M. Caldwell
  • Richard S. Lillo

Organizations

  • United States Navy Experimental Diving Unit

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Sensors
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Analyzers
  • Barometric Pressure
  • Battery Chargers
  • Carbon Monoxide
  • Carbon Monoxide Indicators
  • Chemical Detectors
  • Circuit Boards
  • Detectors
  • Dielectric Gases
  • Hydrogen Sensors
  • Hyperbaric Chambers
  • Hyperbaric Conditions
  • Measurement
  • Navy
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Warning Systems

Readers

  • Electrochemical Engineering/ Fuel Cell Technologies
  • Marine Mammal Biology
  • Maritime and Naval Warfare Studies