How can submarine sailors survive for months in the sea?

Live in a metal tube hundreds of meters deep in the ocean, away from all the hustle and bustle of life on earth, nothing but water and a strange silence.

All of this sounds like the perfect recipe for an exciting and risky ride. In fact, that's just a brief description of life under the submarine.

A submarine, as you know, is a special ship designed to operate independently - that is, no need for assistance from outside - underwater until it emerges. The most remarkable thing when it comes to submarines is the ability to "reside" day by day in the water. So, how do we have enough drinking water for crew members? More importantly, how do they have enough oxygen to breathe, the most important needs to preserve human life?

Short answer : oxygen is supplied on the submarine through a pressurized tank or an oxygen generator, while drinking water is obtained by desalinating seawater.

When it comes to submarines is the ability to "reside" day by day in the water.

Life support systems on submarines

Submarines have become an indispensable part for naval forces of nations around the world because of their usefulness and diversity. One of the most effective applications of submarines is national maritime border monitoring and protection. Manned submarines are deployed along the coastal border to scout and guard any suspicious activity in the waters.

Usually, a submarine can carry about 50-100 people. So what is needed is a system that can take care of water needs, maintain comfortable temperatures on board, and most importantly, provide fresh air and uninterrupted for them.

How the crew on the submarine takes drinking water

It is completely unlike the way we access the city's water resources, so they have to find a way to access fresh water. The question is, how can they find fresh water in the middle of a vast ocean of saltwater?

The submarine has a distillation system, initially collecting a certain amount of seawater and heating it until it becomes steam.

Yes, very simply, all they need to do is somehow remove salt from the water.

And that's exactly what they do. The submarine has a distillation system , initially collecting a certain amount of seawater and heating it until it becomes steam. This process will desalinate seawater. After that, the steam is cooled and condensed into fresh water. Fresh water will be enough for the crew's drinking, personal hygiene and cooking needs.

Can you guess how much water is generated every day from this cycle? A huge number, from about 38,000 liters to 150,000 liters.

What about taking oxygen?

Oxygen on the submarine is taken from the compressed tank, oxygen generator, or in the form of electrolytic "oxygen box". Oxygen or periodically is distributed throughout the day at specific times or whenever the computer system detects hypoxia.

Need to destroy carbonic

Carbonic removal system.(Photo: ScienceABC).

Remember that breathing is a two-way process - you breathe in oxygen and exhale carbonic. In the open space, we don't need to worry about carbonic exhalation, but in an enclosed metal block under water, carbon dioxide exhaled can become a serious threat to survival if not removed. quit periodically. Therefore, in addition to providing oxygen, this process is equally important.

This is done with the help of caustic soda in devices called "filters". Sodium hydroxide is a mixture of two basic substances including sodium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide used to remove carbon dioxide from the air to prevent poisoning. It is often used in airtight environments such as ventilators, pneumatic chambers and submarines. This substance absorbs carbonic emissions generated by crew members and is removed from the air through chemical reactions.

Removing excess moisture is equally important

Excess moisture is very harmful to the interior of the submarine, because it can condense on walls and equipment. To solve this, the submarine will have a dehumidifier to prevent moisture buildup - the result of breath and sweat.

In short, the safety and comfort of passengers on a submarine are ensured thanks to the sophisticated machinery on board.