Deep Sea Systems

Deep Sea Systems
Life Support
The design of underwater life support systems such as underwater hyperbaric dive chambers presents a unique set of challenges requiring a detailed knowledge of pressure vessels, dive physiology, and thermodynamics. Among the more recent developments in underwater life-support systems is an ocean space habitat designed by Winslow Burleson and Michael Lombardi. [26] The prototype resembles an underwater tent and is said to satisfy full life-support functions for divers. [27]
Unmanned Underwater Vehicles
Marine engineers may design or make frequent use of unmanned underwater vehicles , which operate underwater without a human aboard. UUVs often perform work in locations which would be otherwise impossible or difficult to access by humans due to a number of environmental factors (e.g. depth, remoteness, and/or temperature). UUVs can be remotely operated by humans, semi-autonomous , or autonomous .
Sensors and instrumentation
The development of oceanographic sciences , subsea engineering and the ability to detect, track and destroy submarines ( anti-submarine warfare ) required the parallel development of a host of marine scientific instrumentation and sensors . Visible light is not transferred far underwater, so the medium for transmission of data is primarily acoustic . High-frequency sound is used to measure the depth of the ocean, determine the nature of the seafloor, and detect submerged objects. The higher the frequency, the higher the definition of the data that is returned. Sound Navigation and Ranging or SONAR was developed during the First World War to detect submarines , and has been greatly refined through to the present day. Submarines similarly use sonar equipment to detect and target other submarines and surface ships, and to detect submerged obstacles such as seamounts that pose a navigational obstacle. Simple echo-sounders point straight down and can give an accurate reading of ocean depth (or look up at the underside of sea-ice). More advanced echo sounders use a fan-shaped beam or sound, or multiple beams to derive highly detailed images of the ocean floor. High power systems can penetrate the soil and seabed rocks to give information about the geology of the seafloor, and are widely used in geophysics for the discovery of hydrocarbons , or for engineering survey. For close-range underwater communications, optical transmission is possible, mainly using blue lasers . These have a high bandwidth compared with acoustic systems, but the range is usually only a few tens of metres, and ideally at night. As well as acoustic communications and navigation, sensors have been developed to measure ocean parameters such as temperature, salinity , oxygen levels and other properties including nitrate levels, levels of trace chemicals and environmental DNA . The industry trend has been towards smaller, more accurate and more affordable systems so that they can be purchased and used by university departments and small companies as well as large corporations, research organisations and governments. The sensors and instruments are fitted to autonomous and remotely-operated systems as well as ships, and are enabling these systems to take on tasks that hitherto required an expensive human-crewed platform. Manufacture of marine sensors and instruments mainly takes place in Asia, Europe and North America. Products are advertised in specialist journals, and through Trade Shows such as Oceanology International and Ocean Business which help raise awareness of the products.

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