Russia starts experimental development of liquid breathing technology for submarine crews

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Naval Forces News - Russia
 
 
 
Russia starts experimental development of liquid breathing technology for submarine crews
 
Russia’s Advanced Research Foundation (ARF) has started the experimental development of a liquid breathing technology for submariners, ATF Deputy Director General Vitaly Davydov told TASS in an interview.
     
Video (for illustration only): Submarine Escape Demonstration at the Royal Navy Submarine Escape Training Tank
     
"We are conducting full-scale tests. We started with tests on mice and other small animals. Now, we are executing the experimental development with the use of large animals, dogs," Davydov said.

The liquid breathing technology implies filling the lungs with liquid rich in oxygen that penetrates the blood stream. ARF’s scientific and technical board approved the program this spring. The work is being done by the Labor Medicine Research Institute. Plans provide for a special pressure suit that will come in handy to not only submariners, but pilots and cosmonauts as well.

According to Davydov, a special capsule was developed for the tests. It would be submerged in a high-pressure hydraulic chamber. Now, dogs can breathe at a depth of 500 m for over 30 min. without any health problems, the deputy director general said.

The development of the liquid breathing technology is intended to save the crews of submarines in distress from deep sea. Davydov noted that all countries with submarine fleets are faced with the problem. Filling the lungs with oxygen-rich liquid was proposed as a solution several decades ago but was not put into practice, Davydov said.

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