Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~` ` BACKGP~OUND OF THE INV~NTION `
~ld o~ ~he I~ ntio~: ..
~. '~
D ~er heati~ d ~ork e~erg~ app~ra~u~" .
D~scrip~lo~ o~ th~ Prior Art:
~ , . .
Prese~tlr a comDon method Or heatl~g ~ dives wh~le
~lub~erg~ and a~nbulator~ lnvol~s the heati~g of ~at~r at ~
di,r~r-remote ~it~ and the pu~pl~g ~ uch hot da'cer ~o the .`
diver ~or circul~e~o~ thro~gh c~u~ ln hl~ di~
This ~ ddit~ni ~ tra~smitklng po~er e~erg~ to hl~ for 1:
op~ra~ing ~ tool8 wh~ required. Tra~ ion o~ ~u~h
hot ~ater ~ th~ diver oectl~s by ~ray of a ~lexibl~ hose ~hat ¦ ;
.
i~ ~ub~ d ~t it~ ~xker~r to the lo~ rature ~i~n~
~ater which tands ~o pr~voke ~on~id~rabl~ ~hermal ~ 330 Tho J
u~e o~ therlDal i~qsulat~on arouad ths ~at ho~0 t~d0 to ¦
er the hose bulky and fi~cult t~ 2~an~pulat~
Pr~ inary ~Dvellty ~earch in the U.S. Patent ~nd
Trademar~ O~i~e ha~ ~nc0v~red several Bs~bn~: that discl~e
the p~rer-ga~eratl~n u~e o~ seawater to a limite~ 2xten'c and
~or ~ ~hor~ dllratl~ o~ an eD~rge~cy basi~ b~ flo~ ~ro~ ~h~
e~*erior t~ ~ iaterioi e~mber 1~ a æub~srg~d ~essel: :
'
.. . .
, ~, .. . . . .. . ... . . . .... . . . . . .
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,
: - :
,. ' i ,
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~l~'7~3~
3,504 Krisdt; 3,41~?~1g Vi~c~t et al; 3,163t9~5 Bou~ou-
co~; and 3,003,~,4~ Gay Jr. One~, 3,1~3~195 ~60 C~usteau ~ al,
discl~es u8e o~ bottled-gas driveP. ~eawater pu~p5 i~r ves~el
propulsion, and anolt~ r, 1,466~315 ~o Thors~n, ~perates an
d.~ ull ~crubber d~vlce ~hat u~es ~he d~Gk ;~
~rater conduit ~n ~h~ ~hip b~ing ~3erubbl~dO
A Ru~ab~r of paten~ discl~e apparatu~ Por ge~er~
tion OI hsat from ~l~w Or h~drauli¢ ~luid i~ a cl~ loop
through a ~;~.0~ mean~; 39~13,036 to Lutz ~ ~ re~ldent~al :~;
heating 3y ~em; 3,333,771 t~ Graham for a b~ t vulcan~
izer; 2~764,1~7 t~ ner for ar~ aircraf~ hydr~ulie ~gste
.
heater; and 29107,933 to Cr~cket~ et al or a ~y~tem for ::
heating building~, ~ehicle~, ~ompar~n~, ekc.
O~e pater~t " 3, ~15, $73 bo M~rcu~, di$clb~es a eom-
pressed-ga~-vperated ~ex-tub0 type h~at ge~era~r i!0r
hea~i~g a diver'~ ~ult by cir~u~Za~ion o~ hot l~quld ~hr~ugh :~
~ g~to-liquld heat exch~ager~ The ga~ u~ed 1~ the b0~tl~d
bre~thillg ~a~ carried by the di~r, or fur~ h~d a~ bre~thi~g
air via line fr~m 'Ghe ~ur~ace.
Tho pre~en~ in~nt~on, i~ tran~mltting rel~ ely
l-w tomperat~re ~eaw~ter to ~he ~ or Conver#iQ~ l~t~
heatl rather ~han high temperature h~t water, ~reatly re-
duce~ ~he poten~ial thermal l~s8 via the h~at suppl~ ho~
a~d ~b~ia~e~ ~eed f~r ~umber~ome thermal insula~lon o~ ~h~
he3~. T~0~us~of 0s~atsr, or o~h~r a~bi~nt wate~, a~ the
e~s~ ~a~ be, ~r tra~mis~on to ~h~ di~e~ i3 expe~7!.~n~
i~asm~h ~ is r~dil~ a~allable and l~all~ exhau~tible
withou~ polluting.
The u~e ~ seawater *~ tran~ lon to ~he di~e~ -
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also is relatively practical~ as compared to the use of
compressed gas for such transmiss:Lon. The column of sea-
water in the downwardly extending supply hose develops
the same hydrostatic elevation pressure as that of the
surrounding sea, so that the liquid pumping means at the
surface need deliver only that work required to overcome
friction in the supply hose, plus any pressure head needed
for the intended work function at the diver site. Pumping
pressurized gas, on the other hand~ requires compression
of the gas ~ust to enable it to overcome the hydrostatic
head of the water column tending to be forced into the
lower end of the hose. At diver depths of many hundreds
of feet, such energy-demanding hydrostatic-head-overcoming ;
gas compression can be considerable. At the same time,
expansion of compressed gas for creation of heat or per-
forming work results in cooling of such gas to a relative-
ly low temperature at its exhaust. This~ coupled with a
low ambient water temperature can lead to complication of
the equipment in behalf of avoiding freeze-up.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
. _ _ _ .... . ... _ . _
Fig. 1 is an elevation view, partly in outline
and partly in section, of an illustrative embodiment of
the present invention as affiliated with several divers
at two different submerged sites as availed with sea- `;~
water under pressure from a support vessel at the sur-
face; ~ ;~
Figs. 2a to 2d are schematic showings of differ~
ent hydraulic circuit arrangements which may be embodied
in the apparatus of the present invention to produce heat
at the diver site by flow of seawater under pressure to
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~70;213
such site from a surface site;
Fig. 3 is a schematic showing of a reciprocating~
piston motor and pump arrangement suitable for embodiment
in such as the exemplified hydraulic circuits of Figso 2a -
to 2d; and
Fig. 4 is a cross section view o~ a rotary hy-
.~
draulic motor and pump construction suitable for use in
the present invention as an alternative to the reciprocat~
,
ing-piston motor-pump used in the Fig. 3 arrangement.
DESCRIPTION OF_THE PRRFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to Fig. 1 the diver support apparatus
of the present invention is shown affiliated with a sup~
port vessel 1 floating on a sea surface 2 above submerged
divers 3 and 4 at two dif~erent underwater sites; one be-
ing located within a submerged breathing chamber 5 and
the other being outside such chamber and furnished with
breathing gas from the chamber by way of push-pull breath- ,
ing gas lines 6 and 7, respectively. ~
According to the present invention, water from ~ -
the body of ambient water 8 in which the chamber 5 and
divers 3 and 4 are submerged is drawn into a precharge
pump 9 via a filter-inlet 10, thence to a supply pump 11 ~ ;
via a filter 12 for pressurizing and delivery to breathing
gas chamber 5 and to diver 4 via a pump outlet 13 and a
flexible pressurized water supply line 14 and branches
thereof.
At the breathing chamber 5, the pressurized
seawater arriving via supply line 14 wlll ~low through
a conversion means including a seawater-operated turbine ;
15, or other suitable hydraulic motor, to operate such
, ~:
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a~ an ele~ric gen~rat:or 76 to e~rg~z~ llghting mea~$ 17,
for exampls; a ga~ compre~or 17 for opera~irg p~eUIui~tiG
equlp~ont, f~r examp~; a h~aulic pump 1~ for oparating
hydraull~ equipDl~n'c, ~or ex~pl~ sa~ clrculati0n bl~w0r
19 ~or circula~s brea~hi~ hi-l ~h~ c~a3~b~r; a~d a
pu~p 20 ~or cirQ~l~ti~g liquid s0quentl~ thro~gh ~ w
restri ~ an~ 21 ~o craa~es heat ~hi~ 3uch liqu~LB and
the~a ~hrough ~ he~ ~xchR~g~r 22 to trazl~er ~uch heat ~
~he l~er~os e~ such ch~bes~. ~ ho~ l~quld ~Gorags ~h~m;; ~ .
b~r 23 eo~pl0tes the hea~in~ ltqui t lo~p ~fflugh the pump
~0. ;~, '
Th~ t~rior of the chamber 5 ia ava~led w~th
breathin~6~ gaa, such as a m~xtu~- o~ heliu~ ~nd oxyge~, .
~rom ~rage ~anks 25 meu~ted ~ut~id~s the chamber a~d
regulated automatically to maintain ~ de~ired OX~gQ~ le~- :
el by ga~ control mean~ 26 that incl~des a s~rubber me~3
f0r rs~o~al ot carbon dioxide fr~m ~he ch~ber g~c ~ ::
~iv~r, ~uch a~ ~hs dlver 3, di~p0~ed ~ithi~ ~h~ ahamb~
5 si~ ree ~o re~ove h~s hol~et, m~k, or hea~ge~r
a~d bre~h~ 'che ga~ wi'ch~n the chambsr, a~
i~ the ar~ a~d, ill ~ccord with the pre~ent i~v~ nl to
b0 a~ail¢d o~ he~t) l~ghting, p~eu~atic p~wer., h~rauli~
p~er, etc, produced by the flow of ~eawater under pre~-
~ure ~m the sur~ace site at V1~19el 1 tG ~he turb~}le 15.
Dischar~e oP seawater ~r~m ~he ~2rbl~e 15 i8 ~ t~ OC:~
cur into ~Ghe ~a ~ via an ~ uab~ q
At another site the dlver ~ is availed o~ brea~h~
ing ga~ ~rom the intexi~ of ~he ch~mber 5 by way of ~he
~upply and retu~ lines 6 ~ad 7 , hi~ di~ing hel~et 30 and ~ ::
~u~table ~Ye ~sa~ ~not ~hown)~ acsord wil;h ~ature~
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of the present invention, supply and return pumps 31 and
32 for the breathing gas lines 6 and 7, respectively, are
driven by a hydraulic motor 33 operated by seawater under
pressure from a branch of the supply line 14. At the same
time, another branch of such pressurized seawater supply
line 14 extends to the dlver 4 at a site outside the cham- ;
ber 5 to a hydraulically operated conversion device 35.
Device 35 is designed to be compact~ lightweight, and ef-
ficient, for disposition on the diver, such as at his
waist~ as shown, or at any other suitable location at the
diver. Device 35 contalns a means for converting the
flow of pressurized seawaker from the line 14 into heat,
and for passing a liquid medium containing such heat
through passages 36 in the diverls suit 37 to maintain
comfort and warmth of the diver. The heated liquid med-
ium supplied to the heating ~assages 36 in the diver's
suit 37 may be the seawater or it may be a secondary liq~
uid. Different hydraulic circuits and pumping means suit-
able ~or use in the apparatus o~ the present invention are ~
20 shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. Some may be more suitable for ~`
use at the diver site within the breathing chamber 5, while
others may be more suitable for use at the external diver
site mounted on the diver.
For example, referring to Fig. 2a, the circuitdisclosed therein includes a hydraulic motor 40 operated
from .seawater from line 14 and driving a pump 41 that
forces seawater also from the line 14 through a heat-
producing flow restriction means 42 and a heat exchanger
43. Exhaust from the motor 40 and from the heat exchanger
30 may simply bleed into the sea 8. ~;
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:,
Referring to Fig. 2b, a hydraulic motor 40 -~
driven by seawater ~rom line 14 and exhausting into the
ambient water 8 drives a pump 41 that circulates a liq~
uid medium through a closed loop that includes a heat- : :
pro~ucing flow restricting means 42 and a heat exchanger ~:
means 43. :
Fig. 2c shows an arrangement where part of the ~ : .
discharge ~rom the hydraulic motor 40 serves as input to
the pump 41 which forces the seawater through the heat-
producing flow restriction means 42 and heat exchanger
means 43 Some discharge from the restriction means 43 ~ !
ie allowed to recirculate through the pump 41, however,
via a by-pass line 44.
Fig. 2d is similar to the circuit of Fig. 2c,
but includes an additional recirculation loop llne 45
around the heat exchanger 43. ~ :
It will be apparent that other variations may
be employed to advantage to suit particular component
characteristics or preferred operating parametsrs, such
as use of recovery heat exchangers, all within the spir-
it and scope of the present invention.
Several different types of motor-pump combina-
tions may be employed in the foregoing hydraulic circuits.
Fig. 3 depicts a reciprocating type in which a motor pis- : :
ton 47 is reciprocably driven by periodic supply of sea-
water pressure from supply line 14 alternately to its op-
posite faces under control of a four-way valve means 48, ~ :
and a pump piston 50 driven by motor piston 47. Pump
piston 50 discharges alternately from its opposite faces
30 to force the flow of liquid medium through the flow ~:
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restrlction means 42 and heat exchanger means 43 via a
system of check valves arranged like a full-wave bridge
rectifier in simple AC to DC electrical conversion cir-
cuitry. By compounding the number of motor and pump pis-
tons, a triplex orquadraflex arrangement can be obtained
~or smoother di~charge flow. The several pump pistons
can be made to operate in an out-of-phase relationship
to obtain the desired pulsation-reducing effect.
A ~otor-pump assemblage that appears to be
particularly suited ~or use in the device 35 at the
diver 4 is shown in Fig. 4. Here the assemblage em-
ploys motor and pump of the rotary type. A water tur~
bine rotor 52 driven,by seawater flow from the line 14
turns a high-loss pump rotor 53 that creates consider-
able heat-generating friction during its operation.
The assemblage includes a liquid heating medium inlet
54 and outlet 55 for the pump rotor 53, a shaft 56 ~oin~
ing the two rotors 52 and 53, and anti-friction rotary
bearing means 57 for the shaft 56. It has been calculated
that a rotor diameter of about one inch can be operated to
convert five kilowatts of hydraulic power into heat for a
working diver. This indicated that the size of the appar-
atus components can be small enough to be practical. An
inlet pressure to the supply hose of about 2500 p.s.i. and
a supply hose diameter of one half inch were used in the
calculations. It will be apparent that pump and motor -
rotors can be of the positive displacement type, if de~
sired or found to be more suitable ln a particu~ar system. ~-
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