Submarine's Oxygen System During Dive Mode, People Rarely Know

KRI Nanggala-402 (Source: Antara)

YOGYAKARTA - On a submarine, there is an oxygen system that is used as a source of breathing for the crew during a sinking position. The oxygen is released through compression tanks, oxygen generators that work automatically in the ship's cabin, quoting How Stuff Works.

The working system is that oxygen is released periodically during a submarine. The discharge operates at certain time intervals. On submarines, there is also a computer system that can detect decreased oxygen levels in the ship's cabin area.

Oxygen in a submarine can be produced by entering seawater through an electrolysis process. Submarines usually have several large oxygen tanks.

These include those used to rapidly increase oxygen levels in the event of a system failure.

In the oxygen system that operates in the submarine cabin, there is also a system that regulates to reduce the carbon dioxide in the cabin.

The human process of breathing also has a two-way system, namely inhaling oxygen and expelling air in the form of carbon dioxide. If in a free space we don't have to worry about that, then what about closed conditions?

Exhaled carbon dioxide underwater can pose a serious threat to humans. Therefore in addition to supplying oxygen, it is important to remove carbon dioxide that the crew constantly releases.

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Because in addition to supplying oxygen, it is also important to remove carbon dioxide which is constantly being emitted by the breath of the crew. The carbon dioxide is treated with the help of soda lime (Akrosorb) in a device called a 'scrubber'. Lime soda is a versatile CO2 absorber to remove carbon dioxide and acidic contaminants in the room.

However, the diesel-electric submarine on the KRI Nanggala ship belonging to the Indonesian Air Force has a time limit of several days. The ship must run the engine and get air when fully submerged. The ship must come to the surface to recharge the battery and exchange fresh air using the snorkel mast located on the boat.