The study of the deep sea, acquaintance with incredible living creatures living on the bottom of the oceans - all this until recently was unattainable for humanity. But since the invention of scuba diving apparatus and bathyscaphe, inaccessible depths have become available.
History
Man has been interested in the underwater world since ancient times. In Mesopotamia, Greece and other coastal countries, divers were used for hunting and military operations. There was no talk of any costumes; people could hold their breath as long as possible to stay longer under water. This went on for many centuries, until in 1747 a man appeared who invented the first suit for underwater walking. It was not possible to swim in it; it was very large and heavy. Such a breathing apparatus under water was invented by A. Klingert, a German by birth. It consisted of an iron cap for the head, which included two tubes designed for inhalation and exhalation. A waterproof fabric was attached to the cap, which lay on the shoulders. After testing, this underwater breathing device did not work. The man in the suit felt strong pressure on his chest.
After Klingerton modified and improved his costume, modifying it year after year. First there was a metal frame, which was worn on the head and body and attached to rubber pants. Later, a large cylinder filled with oxygen was added to it, which was immersed with a diver. From it, air flowed into the helmet of a man in a suit.
Diving suit
August Siebe took over the baton of creating diving equipment. It was he who coined the word "spacesuit". The metal helmet was connected to a waterproof suit, and air was supplied through the tubes using a pump on the ship from which the diver descended. There were also lead boots for quick diving and extra weight, which gave the person stability on the seabed.
In subsequent years, the spacesuit was finalized and modified, but the issue of air supply, not tied to land, remained relevant.
In 1878, Henry Fluss invented a breathing apparatus underwater with a closed oxygen supply system. In this case, a regulator is used, which was created and patented 12 years earlier by Benoit Rukeirol. Flux refines this invention and adds new cylinders to the suit that could withstand high pressure.
Scuba Invention
In 1943, Emil Gagnan and Jacques Yves Cousteau create a device that is outwardly familiar to every diver and diver. This invention is used to this day. This scuba gear is a device for breathing under water.
Cousteau took as the basis for the air supply valve a mechanism and a device for starting combustible gas into a car’s engine. After modernization and necessary improvements, the testing process began, which already at the first stage did not satisfy the inventor. At various positions of the human body under water, the air flowed unevenly, and in some cases it was completely absent.
After the experiments, Cousteau finalized the regulator of air supply from the cylinders so that breathing was possible at any depth and at different locations of the human body in the water. This allowed to dive to great depths and spend under water for a long time.
Regulator
Regulators are divided by type into one and two stages. They allow you to reduce the compression of the air that comes from the cylinders through the breathing tubes. In two-stage regulators, the reducer lowers the pressure to 6 atm., This is the first stage. Further, the pulmonary automaton brings the air to the state of the environment, this facilitates inhalation and does not harm health.
For deep-sea and long-term operations, it is recommended to use two-stage regulators.
Types of devices
Every year, breathing apparatus under water is modernized, and new ones are invented and developed for special operations. This is due to the fact that people are sinking deeper and deeper into the ocean floor and wanting to be there longer and longer.
AVM-15
This underwater breathing apparatus is intended for divers who are involved in rescue operations. It provides air for specialists during emergency and other works. The device is designed specifically for environments with low temperature and high pollution. It is used during operations during the spill of oil products. For this purpose, the corresponding components of this diving equipment have been specially developed . The device weighs no more than 22 kg.
AVM-5
This portable underwater breathing apparatus is designed for swimmers who descend to a depth of 60 meters. Weight AVM-5 with empty cylinders up to 22 kg. It is used by ordinary divers to study the seabed, as well as for various deep work.
AVM-12
This apparatus, like the two previous ones, provides the diver with breathing underwater during various rescue and emergency operations. The breathing system is open, that is, exhalation occurs in the water. The AVM-12 has a simple design and maintenance, it can be operated in a polluted environment and at low temperatures. Additional equipment is also provided.
Unique diver
Stig Severinsen has a unique ability: for a long time he developed and honed such a skill as holding his breath. He may not need to breathe underwater for 22 minutes. This is the record a young man set, having been without air for this period of time.
Long training and knowledge in the field of biology allowed him to experiment with his body and achieve such results. His achievement is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.
Shortly before this, Stig Severinsen already set a record of being under water without air for 20 minutes and 10 seconds. But this was not enough for him, so he decided on a new breakthrough. This process was constantly monitored by his medical brother. And the experiment itself took place in a pool, the water temperature in which was 30 degrees.
Bathyscaphe
In 1930, American inventors created the bathysphere - a steel ball that descended from the ship to the depths on ropes. Constantly carrying out improvements, scientists have made it possible for such a ball to fall more than 1000 meters. But he did not have the necessary maneuverability and independence. Therefore, work on the invention of underwater vehicles continued.
A bathyscaphe is a breathing apparatus under water that holds 1-2 people. Such a mini-ship was created by Auguste Picard, a Swiss scientist, to travel under water and explore the depths of the sea. The bathyscaphe consisted of a cabin in the form of a ball and a large tank. With the help of specially equipped engines, the ship could move under water, and the presence of an air supply allowed it to be independent of surface ships.
With the help of bathyscaphes, you can descend to depths that are not subject to ordinary divers, even with the most modern equipment. The diving depth of a small submarine exceeds 10,000 meters. It was at the bathyscaphe that the deepest hollow of the Earth, the Mariana, was studied.
Diving
In the modern world, diving to the depths and
scuba diving has become a popular sport. Experienced divers use various methods to stay at the seabed for as long as possible: holding their breath, breathing underwater using special devices, exploring the ocean world in the bathyscaphe.
For scuba diving, it is necessary to go through a special school, where they will teach you how to use the device, set all the necessary parameters on it, correctly calculate the loads. In addition, diving to great depths should be slow, as well as ascent. This is due to the fact that the lower the immersion in water, the higher the pressure, and the body must have time to adapt. Abrupt ascent to the surface can also lead to undesirable consequences.