Atmospheric diving suit
Acronym | ADS |
---|---|
Other names | Hard suit, JIM suit |
Uses | Deep diving |
Related items | Submersible |
An atmospheric diving suit (ADS) is a small one-person articulated submersible which resembles a suit of armour, with elaborate pressure joints to allow articulation while maintaining an internal pressure of one atmosphere. An ADS can enable diving at depths of up to 700 metres (2,300 ft) for many hours by eliminating the majority of significant physiological dangers associated with deep diving.[1] The occupant of an ADS does not need to decompress, and there is no need for special breathing gas mixtures, so there is little danger of decompression sickness or nitrogen narcosis when the ADS is functioning properly.[2] An ADS can permit less skilled swimmers to complete deep dives, albeit at the expense of dexterity.
Atmospheric diving suits in current use include the
Definition and classification
An atmospheric diving suit is a small one-person submersible with articulated limbs encasing the diver. Water- and pressure-tight joints allow articulation while maintaining an internal pressure of one atmosphere. Mobility may be through thrusters for mid-water operation, though this is not a requirement, and articulated legs may be provided for walking on the substrate.[3]
Thornton (2000) distinguishes an ADS from a submersible in that the ADS has human powered articulated limbs, as opposed to remotely operated articulated limbs.[3] It is not clear whether this would exclude servo-assisted limbs encasing those of the operator, as a powered exoskeleton, but it might be reasonable to include them as atmospheric diving suits.
An atmospheric diving suit may be classified as a manned submersible and a self-propelled, manned, one-atmosphere underwater intervention device, but has also been classified as an atmospheric diving system.[3]
Purpose and requirements
The underwater environment exerts major physiological stresses on the diver, which increase with depth, and appear to impose an absolute limit to diving depth at ambient pressure. An atmospheric diving suit is a small submersible with a pressure hull which accommodates a single occupant at an internal pressure of about one atmosphere. The provision of hollow arm spaces with pressure resistant joints to carry manually operated manipulators, and usually separate leg spaces, similarly articulated for locomotion, makes a suit resemble a bulky suit of plate armour, or an exoskeleton , with elaborate joint seals to allow articulation while maintaining internal pressure.[1]
An atmospheric diving suit is equipment intended primarily to isolate the occupant from the ambient pressure of the underwater environment, and provide any necessary life-support while the suit is in use. While using the suit, the diver will expect to perform useful work, and get to and from the place where the work is to be done. These functions require sufficient mobility, dexterity and sensory input to do the job, and this will vary depending on the details of the work. Consequently, the work possible in an atmospheric suit is limited by the suit construction.
Mobility at the surface and on deck can be managed by
The dexterity to perform useful work is limited by joint mobility and geometry, inertia, and friction, and has been one of the more difficult engineering challenges. Haptic perception through manipulators is a major limitation on finer control, as the friction of the joints and seals greatly reduces the sensitivity available.
Operator visual input is relatively easy to provide directly by using transparent
Design constraints
The main environmental factors affecting design are the ambient hydrostatic pressure of the maximum operating depth, and ergonomic considerations regarding the potential range of operators. The structure and mechanics of the suit must reliably withstand the external pressure, without collapsing or deforming sufficiently to cause seals to leak or joints to experience excessive friction, and the full range of movement must not change the internal or external displaced volume, as this would have consequences for the amount of force required to move the joints in addition to the friction of the joint seals. Insulation is relatively simple, and can be applied to the inside of the suit and in the form of clothing on the diver. Active heating and cooling are also possible using well established technology. Mass changes can be used to provide initial and emergency buoyancy conditions by way of fixed and ditchable ballast weights. [3]
Ergonomic considerations include the size and strength of the user. The interior dimensions must fit or be modifiable to fit a reasonable range of operators, and operating forces on joints must be reasonably practicable. The field of vision is constrained by the helmet design or viewport positioning, though closed circuit video can extend it considerably in any direction. General underwater conditions of visibility and water movement must be manageable for the range of conditions in which the suit is expected to be used. Marine thrusters may be mounted on the suit to help with maneuvering and positioning, and sonar and other scanning technologies may help provide an augmented external view.[3]
Hazards and failure modes
The primary structural failure modes of an ADS are buckling collapse in compression, leaks, and lockup of joints. Leaks and buckling in compression both cause a reduction in buoyancy. Joint leaks and locking of articulating joints may be reversible when pressure is reduced. Electrically ignited fire is also possible.
Systems failures may include loss of power, communications, or propulsion, or life-support systems failure, such as failure of scrubbing the carbon dioxide from the breathing air, or failure of internal temperature control. Recovery from most of these would be by aborting the dive and making an emergency ascent. Bailout to emergency breathing system and ditching of ballast to establish positive buoyancy may be necessary. If the ADS is tethered it can be lifted. The most dangerous consequence is catastrophic leakage, which is likely to be fatal.
There has been one fatal incident involving an ADS in the modern era. A WASP was dropped 25m in August 1999 due to a structural failure in a recently tested launch and recovery system, and the diver was killed by the impact with the launch platform. This is in the context of tens of thousands of operational man-hours by WASPs without serious incidents.[1]
Comparison with alternative technologies
Several advantages over ambient pressure diving are claimed, but dexterity is less. There are also advantages and disadvantages in comparison with ROVs:
- No decompression is required. Decompression from saturation takes approximately 1 day per 30 msw plus 1 day, during which time the divers are unproductive. This is particularly expensive when the total dive time is relatively short.[1]
- Consecutive dives can be made to any depths within the operating range. Saturation divers are very limited in safe excursion range from storage depth.[1]
- Thrusters, when provided, can provide moderate mid-water and current capability.[1]
- Manipulatory capacity and dexterity are better than ROVs. Less special tooling is required for most work. Depth perception of the diver is better than remote viewing via a ROV cameras.[1]
- Deep applications are possible compared with ambient pressure diving. The industry accepted maximum depth for routine saturation diving is 300 msw. ADS operations can go deeper.[1] However, ROVs and manned submersibles can go much deeper.
For some work the most effective method can be a combination of ADS and ROV, in other cases, ADS and ambient pressure diver.[1]
History
Early designs
In 1715, British inventor John Lethbridge constructed a "diving engine". Essentially a wooden barrel about 6 feet (1.8 m) in length with two holes for the diver's arms sealed with leather cuffs, and a 4-inch (100 mm) viewport of thick glass. It was reportedly used to dive as deep as 60 feet (18 m), and was used to salvage substantial quantities of silver from the wreck of the East Indiaman Vansittart, which sank in 1719 off the Cape Verde islands.[4] A similar design made of copper was used by Jacob Rowe on the same salvage contract.[5]
The first armored suit with real joints, designed as leather pieces with rings in the shape of a spring (also known as accordion joints), was designed by Englishman W. H. Taylor in 1838. The diver's hands and feet were covered with leather. Taylor also devised a ballast tank attached to the suit that could be filled with water to attain negative buoyancy. While it was patented, the suit was never actually produced. It is considered that its weight and bulk would have rendered it nearly immobile underwater.[4]
Lodner D. Phillips designed the first completely enclosed ADS in 1856. His design comprised a barrel-shaped upper torso with domed ends and included ball and socket joints in the articulated arms and legs. The arms had joints at shoulder and elbow, and the legs at knee and hip. The suit included a ballast tank, a viewing port, entrance through a manhole cover on top, a hand-cranked propeller, and rudimentary manipulators at the ends of the arms. Air was to be supplied from the surface via hose. There is no indication, however, that Phillips' suit was ever constructed.[4]
The first properly anthropomorphic design of ADS, built by the
Another design was patented in 1894 by inventors John Buchanan and Alexander Gordon from Melbourne, Australia. The construction was based on a frame of spiral wires covered with waterproof material. The design was improved by Alexander Gordon by attaching the suit to the helmet and other parts and incorporating jointed radius rods in the limbs. This resulted in a flexible suit which could withstand high pressure. The suit was manufactured by British firm Siebe Gorman and trialed in Scotland in 1898.
American designer Macduffee constructed the first suit to use ball bearings to provide joint movement in 1914; it was tested in New York to a depth of 214 feet (65 m), but was not very successful. A year later, Harry L. Bowdoin of Bayonne, New Jersey, made an improved ADS with oil-filled rotary joints. The joints use a small duct to the interior of the joint to allow equalization of pressure. The suit was designed to have four joints in each arm and leg, and one joint in each thumb, for a total of eighteen. Four viewing ports and a chest-mounted lamp were intended to assist underwater vision. Unfortunately, there is no evidence that Bowdoin's suit was ever built, or that it would have worked if it had been.[4]
Atmospheric diving suits built by German firm
In 1924 the Reichsmarine tested the second generation of the Neufeldt and Kuhnke suit to 530 feet (160 m), but limb movement was very difficult and the joints were judged not to be fail-safe, in that if they were to fail, there was a possibility that the suit's integrity would be violated. However, these suits were used by the Germans as armored divers during World War II and were later taken by the Western Allies after the war.
From 1929 to 1931 two atmospheric pressure one-man submersible "suits" designed by Carl Wiley were used in the successful salvage of the steamship
In 1952,
The modern suit
Peress' Tritonia
Although various atmospheric suits had been developed during the Victorian era, none of these suits had been able to overcome the basic design problem of constructing a joint which would remain flexible and watertight at depth without seizing up under pressure.
Pioneering British diving engineer, Joseph Salim Peress, invented the first truly usable atmospheric diving suit, the Tritonia, in 1932 and was later involved in the construction of the famous JIM suit. Having a natural talent for engineering design, he challenged himself to construct an ADS that would keep divers dry and at atmospheric pressure, even at great depth. In 1918, Peress began working for WG Tarrant at Byfleet, United Kingdom, where he was given the space and tools to develop his ideas about constructing an ADS. His first attempt was an immensely complex prototype machined from solid stainless steel.
In 1923, Peress was asked to design a suit for salvage work on the wreck of SS Egypt which had sunk in the English Channel. He declined, on the grounds that his prototype suit was too heavy for a diver to handle easily, but was encouraged by the request to begin work on a new suit using lighter materials. By 1929 he believed he had solved the weight problem, by using cast magnesium instead of steel, and had also managed to improve the design of the suit's joints by using a trapped cushion of oil to keep the surfaces moving smoothly. The oil was virtually non-compressible and readily displaceable, which would allow the limb joints to move freely even under great pressure. Peress claimed the Tritonia suit could function at 200 fathoms (1,200 ft; 370 m), where the pressure was 520 psi (35 atm), although this was never proven.[12]
In 1930, Peress revealed the Tritonia suit.
The development in atmospheric pressure suits stagnated in the 1940s through 1960s, as efforts were concentrated on solving the problems of deep diving by dealing with the physiological problems of ambient pressure diving instead of avoiding them by isolating the diver from the pressure. Although the advances in ambient pressure diving (in particular, with scuba gear) were significant, the limitations brought renewed interest to the development of the ADS in the late 1960s.[12]
The JIM suit
The Tritonia suit spent about 30 years in an engineering company's warehouse in Glasgow, where it was discovered, with Peress' help, by two partners in the British firm Underwater Marine Equipment, Mike Humphrey and Mike Borrow, in the mid-1960s.[12][14][15] UMEL would later classify Peress' suit as the "A.D.S Type I", a designation system that would be continued by the company for later models. In 1969, Peress was asked to become a consultant to the new company created to develop the JIM suit, named in honour of the diver Jim Jarret.[16]
The first JIM suit was completed in November 1971 and underwent trials aboard HMS Reclaim in early 1972. In 1976, the JIM suit set a record for the longest working dive below 490 feet (150 m), lasting five hours and 59 minutes at a depth of 905 feet (276 m). The first JIM suits were constructed from cast magnesium for its high strength-to-weight ratio and weighed approximately 1,100 pounds (500 kg) in air including the diver. They were 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) in height and had a maximum operating depth of 1,500 feet (460 m). The suit had a positive buoyancy of 15 to 50 pounds-force (67 to 222 N). Ballast was attached to the suit's front and could be jettisoned from within, allowing the operator to ascend to the surface at approximately 100 feet per minute (30 m/min).[17] The suit also incorporated a communication link and a jettisonable umbilical connection. The original JIM suit had eight annular oil-supported universal joints, one in each shoulder and lower arm, and one at each hip and knee. The JIM operator received air through an oral/nasal mask that attached to a lung-powered scrubber that had a life support duration of approximately 72 hours.[18] Operations in arctic conditions with water temperatures of −1.7 °C for over 5 hours were successfully carried out using woolen thermal protection and neoprene boots. In 30 °C water the suit was reported to be uncomfortably hot during heavy work.[19]
As technology improved and operational knowledge grew, Oceaneering upgraded their fleet of JIMs. The magnesium construction was replaced with
In addition to upgrades to the JIM design, other variations of the original suit were constructed. The first, named the SAM Suit (designated A.D.S III), was a completely aluminium model. A smaller and lighter suit, it was more anthropomorphic than the original JIMs and was depth-rated to 1,000 feet (300 m). Attempts were made to limit corrosion by the use of a chromic anodizing coating applied to the arm and leg joints, which gave them an unusual green color. The SAM suit stood at 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) in height, and had a life support duration of 20 hours. Only three SAM suits would be produced by UMEL before the design was shelved. The second, named the JAM suit (designated A.D.S IV), was constructed of
WASP
The WASP atmospheric diving system is part way between a one person submersible and an atmospheric diving suit, in that there are articulated arms which contain and are moved by the operator's arms, but the operator's legs are contained in a rigid housing. Mobility is provided by two vertical and two horizontal foot-switch controlled electrical marine thrusters. Operating depth was quoted as 2,300 feet (700 m)[2]
WASP is 84 inches (2.1 m) high, 42 inches (1.1 m) wide, and 34 inches (0.86 m) front to back. Ballasted weight in air approximately 2,200 pounds (1,000 kg), for neutral buoyancy in water, but buoyancy can be increased by up to 35 pounds (16 kg) during operation, and ballast can be jettisoned in an emergency. WASP is transported on a support frame.[2]
Current suits
In 1987, the "
A more recent design by Nuytten is the Exosuit, a relatively lightweight and low powered suit intended for marine research.[22] It was first used in 2014 at the Bluewater and Antikythera underwater research expeditions.[23]
The ADS 2000 was developed jointly with OceanWorks International and the US Navy in 1997,[24] as an evolution of the Hardsuit to meet US Navy requirements. The ADS2000 provides increased depth capability for the US Navy's Submarine Rescue Program. Manufactured from forged T6061 aluminum alloy it uses an advanced articulating joint design based on the Hardsuit joints. Capable of operating in up to 2,000 feet (610 m) of seawater for a normal mission of up to six hours it has a self-contained, automatic life support system.[25] Additionally, the integrated dual thruster system allows the pilot to navigate easily underwater. It became fully operational and certified by the US Navy off southern California on August 1, 2006, when Chief Navy Diver Daniel Jackson submerged to 2,000 feet (610 m).[26]
From the project's beginning until 2011, the US navy spent $113 million on the ADS.[27]
See also
- Diving suit – Garment or device designed to protect a diver from the underwater environment
- Human factors in diving equipment design – Influence of the interaction between the user and the equipment on design
- Space suit – Garment worn to keep a human alive in the harsh environment of outer space
- Submersible – Small watercraft able to navigate under water
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Thornton, Mike; Randall, Robert E.; Albaugh, E. Kurt (1 January 2001). "Subsea Technology: Atmospheric diving suits bridge gap between saturation diving and ROV units". Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ a b c "WASP Specifications" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
- ^ a b c d e Thornton, Michael Albert (December 2000). A Survey and Engineering Design of Atmospheric Diving Suits (PDF) (Report). Texas A&M University.
- ^ a b c d Thornton, Mike; Randall, Robert; Albaugh, Kurt (March–April 2001). "Then and Now: Atmospheric Diving Suits". UnderWater magazine. Archived from the original on December 9, 2008. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
- ^ Ratcliffe, John E. (Spring 2011). "Bells, Barrels and Bullion: Diving and Salvage in the Atlantic World, 1500 to 1800". Nautical Research Journal. 56 (1): 35–56.
- ^ "The Carmagnolle Brothers Armoured Dress". Historical Diving Times (37). Autumn 2005.
- ^ "Historique" (in French). Association Les Pieds Lourds. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- ISBN 0792274725.
- ISBN 0-486-26487-4.
- ^ "Buried Treasure". Popular Mehanics. October 1931. pp. 536–539 – via www.therebreathersite.nl.
- ^ Burke, Edmund H (1966). The Diver's World: An Introduction. Van Nostrand. p. 112.
- ^ ISSN 0262-4079.
Enthusiasm for these pressure-resisted suits waned with the evolution of free-diving during and immediately after the Second World War. ... [T]he major innovative impetus was reserved almost exclusively for scuba gear
- OCLC 16986801. Archived from the original on 5 September 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2015.)
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link - ^ Taylor, Colin (October 1997). "Jim, but not as we know it". Diver. Archived from the original on 2014-12-26.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link). The article was reprinted, without the author's name and slightly abbreviated as: "The Joseph Peress Diving Suit". The Scribe, Journal of Babylonian Jewry (71): 24. April 1999. - ^ "Jim, but not as we know it". Retrieved 6 April 2015.. This article seems to be mostly based on the article in The Scribe (1999)
- ^ Carter, RC Jr. (1976). "Evaluation of JIM: A One-Atmosphere Diving Suit". US Navy Experimental Diving Unit Technical Report. NEDU-05-76. Archived from the original on December 9, 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Kesling, Douglas E (2011). Pollock, NW (ed.). "Atmospheric Diving Suits – New Technology May Provide ADS Systems that are Practical and Cost-Effective Tools for Conducting Safe Scientific Diving, Exploration, and Undersea Research". Diving for Science 2011. Proceedings of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences 30th Symposium. Dauphin Island, AL. Archived from the original on April 15, 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Carter, RC Jr. (1976). "Evaluation of JIM: A One-Atmosphere Diving Suit". US Navy Experimental Diving Unit Technical Report. NEDU-05-76. Archived from the original on 9 December 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ PMID 7135632. Archived from the original on January 13, 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2015.)
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link - PMID 11876198.
- ^ Kesling, Doug E (2011). Pollock, NW (ed.). "Atmospheric Diving Suits – New Technology May Provide ADS Systems that are Practical and Cost-Effective Tools for Conducting Safe Scientific Diving, Exploration, and Undersea Research". Diving for Science 2011. Proceedings of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences 30th Symposium. Dauphin Island, AL. Archived from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "The Exosuit: What Tony Stark Would Wear Underwater". Gizmodo. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- ^ "New technology: The Exosuit". Return to Antikythera. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
- ^ "Military ADS". OceanWorks International. 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- ^ Logico, Mark (3 August 2006). "Navy Chief Submerges 2,000 Feet, Sets Record". U.S. Navy. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
- ^ Logico, Mark G. (7 August 2006). "Navy Diver Sets Record with 2,000 foot Dive". Navy News. Archived from the original on 30 August 2006.
- ^ Department of the Navy Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Estimates (PDF) (Report). US Department of the Navy. 31 Jan 2011. p. 164.
Further reading
- Harris, Gary L (1995). Ironsuit: The History of the Atmospheric Diving Suit. Best Pub. Co. ISBN 0-941332-25-X.