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Submarine 'safe to escape' studies in man
Summary
Royal Navy escape limits from distressed submarines (DISSUB) were tested. Escaping from 90 msw is safe at 1.6 bar(a) internal pressure, confirming previous advice but suggesting it may be too conservative.
Area of Science:
- Naval Medicine
- Hyperbaric Physiology
Background:
- Distressed submarines (DISSUB) pose risks of decompression sickness (DCS) due to flooding and increased ambient pressure.
- Safe escape depth limits are crucial for naval operations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the safe pressure and depth limits for escaping a DISSUB after saturation at elevated pressures.
- To validate existing safety guidelines for submarine escape.
Main Methods:
- Experiments conducted in the QinetiQ Submarine Escape Simulator.
- Simulated saturation exposures up to 1.6 bar(a) and escapes from depths down to 120 msw.
- Doppler ultrasound monitoring used to assess decompression stress.
Main Results:
- Confirmed that escaping from 90 msw is safe at an internal DISSUB pressure of 1.5 bar(a).
- Determined the upper safe saturation pressure limit for escape from 90 msw to be 1.6 bar(a), with two DCS cases observed.
- Suggests current safety advice may be overly conservative.
Conclusions:
- Escape from 90 msw is feasible at higher internal pressures than previously advised.
- The study provides updated data for DISSUB escape protocols, balancing safety and operational feasibility.