SBIR/STTR Award attributes
The US Navy has determined that the ability to decompress distressed submarines (DISSUB) before crewmembers are rescued could improve the survival rate. For various reasons, its likely that a DISSUB that ends up on the bottom of the ocean will have an internal pressure above 1 atm. If decompression of the DISSUB can be achieved before the crewmembers are rescued, this can significantly decrease, decompression requirements and the risk of oxygen toxicity, nitrogen narcosis, and decompression sickness.To achieve this, Air Squared is proposing the development of a Seawater Flooded Scroll Compressor with a Tribrid Power system (SFSC-TP). The seawater flooded scroll compression system, will utilize sea water, to seal, lubricate and cool the compression process, in order to compress the DISSUB internal atmosphere and discharge it external to the DISSUB. The SFSC-TP will be autonomously powered independent of the shipboard electrical power through the use of three sources, this includes stored energy in the ships high-pressure air banks using a scroll air expander, seawater pressure using a scroll hydro turbine, and a self-contained battery. This will allow the SFSC-TP to deliver a comprehensive solution which can provide maximum decompression depending on available power sources, DISSUB depth, and decompression volume.
