Deco Chamber

[james croft]

As a member of a state law enforcement dive team I often obtained free equipment from the military on the DRMO LESO program. When screening surplus I sometimes came across fly-away recompression chambers. Unfortunately all the ones I saw had been "demilled". Holes had been drilled in the chamber, high pressure cylinders, viewing ports broken, and lines severed as to make them virtually worthless. It was sickening to think of the waste of life saving equipment that could be used in areas lacking chambers. I am sure that they could have been repaired, but it would have been extremely expensive. I do not understand why they were "demilled" and not put to better use by properly trained personnel.

 

[stiggy]

Hi,

I saw Tahiti mentioned,

My suggestion is try and push for a chamber for the recreational market Private companys will go for it if there is no established competition allready, Then offer to staff and manage the pot. with your commercial team.

Hopefully this will help with the pearl divers I saw mentioned.

My own experience of chamber networks in private market is when there is a dollar to be earned and the chance to boast about helping local industry,its a win win the local goverments often make things easier to.

I have assisted and seen this symbiotic relationship work in more remote areas many times and this may help you out.

best of luck

Gary

 

[KrisB]

As a member of a state law enforcement dive team I often obtained free equipment from the military on the DRMO LESO program. When screening surplus I sometimes came across fly-away recompression chambers. Unfortunately all the ones I saw had been "demilled". Holes had been drilled in the chamber, high pressure cylinders, viewing ports broken, and lines severed as to make them virtually worthless. It was sickening to think of the waste of life saving equipment that could be used in areas lacking chambers. I am sure that they could have been repaired, but it would have been extremely expensive. I do not understand why they were "demilled" and not put to better use by properly trained personnel.

They would have been "de-milled" because they failed another sort of less-obvious inspection.

It's akin to a tank failing hydro -- it needs to be drilled so that there is no chance of it being filled again.

 

[james croft]

That would be like crushing a car that had a bad tire. Cost of these units were over $200,000.00 US. Still does not make sense to me.

 

[KrisB]

That would be like crushing a car that had a bad tire. Cost of these units were over $200,000.00 US. Still does not make sense to me.

only if the fault was reparable.

Think more of it as crushing a car because the structure had rusted through. While the car still has its shape, and likely drives OK, if it were ever in an accident, it would be catastrophic.

Again, I'm just theorizing, but it would make sense... otherwise they would actually sell the product as used (or simply mothball it), I would think.

edit: oh, and it's not just the steel tube that's worth $200k. Most of that has to do with the other controls and such. So, if you can get those for cheap, you could easily have the steel part fabricated. At least that's what I've read on this thread.

 

[tekdive007]

Thanks everybody for the reply including those with sacarsm But specially thanks to 'cacun Mark and rmediver2002'!You all had helping me a lot with the information provided.


Concerning about the accident in S.Africa,I think fill the chamber with straight O2 is the main course.
Most of the butane tank pressure was between 17-30bar,and we don't send it for annual checking but seldom heard that it explode by itself.So for me to build a chamber which can withstand 7-8bar of pressure is not a main problem.The main problem for me is the equipment needed.
If because of what had happen in S.Africa,one shouldn't built a chamber by himself.Then I think we should totally ban of using Alu tanks since there is so many alu tanks exploded cases!But we don't judge one thing in one side,that is why even there are so many Alu tanks explode ,we're still using it.Because we knew that it is 6351 alu and maybe some don't go for annual checking and etc.....

You will find chambers that can be pressurized with both air and oxygen. both of which have thier pro's and cons. Generally you will not find multiplace (more than one lock) chambers that pressurize with oxygen. this is for several reasons. one having that much pressuized oxygen presents a very large potential catalist for fire. two the cost is prohibitive, three much stricter fire precautions must be taken.

many monoplace chambers are pressurized with 100% oxygen without incident. Monoplace chambers thend to be easier to operate and require less support and smaller volumes of gas. when pressurizing a chamber with 100% oxygen you msut be very concious of the materials that go into the chamber, have the chamber and patient properly grounded, take other anti static proceedures etc. these chambers are generally used in clinical situations rather than as recompression chambers but are used in many instances to treat divers in a hospital of clinical setting.

the majority of the incidents concerining monoplace chambers especially with regards to fire tend to revolve around the impropper screeining of items entering the chamber. many of the catastrauphic fires in monoplace chambers are a result of handwarmers (both chemical and gas), cigarettes and cigarett lighters/matches, and childrens toys.

it is important to note that the survivability rate in a monoplace chamber compressed with 100% oxygen fire is 0%. you will also find that the NFPA does not publish any guidelines on fire extingushment or escape for class b 100% chambers as they recognise that these fires are not survivable.

This makes the prevention of fire of utmost importance. not just in monoplace 100% oxygen chambers but in all chambers. the majority of fires are preventable when all standards are adhered to. chamber fires and not a nice thing to deal with so stick to the standards,

if you are looking at procuring a chamber get some training, and buy a chamber from a competant manufacture as this will take a large majority of the work and liability off of yourself.

 

[Wayan]

Leave it to the professionals, you can but and own one but do not operate it with out the appropriate accrediated training. Operating one is relatively simple once you have had the training and understand and quickly and efficiently recognise poteintial problems and act accordingly. But then you really need to have a qualified attend as well to go with the patient inside the hyperbaric unit (this is why monoplaces are not used for diver treatments). as well have acess to a underwater medice hyperbaric qualified Dr.

So yes anyone can build one but I emphatically agree that it is just a bomb (accident waiting to happen (Note even the professionals who have operated Hyperbaric units for years have accidents.....rememebr the hyperbaric unit that exploded in Milan a number of years ago killing all inside....)

 

[Seabear70]

I am a professionaly trained Chamber tech with hundreds of hours operating and repairing deco chambers.

I have just one thing to add. Even professional training is not enough. I have seen other professionals screw up and nearly kill people.

I've seen routine surface deco turn into emergency table treatment because someone got tired.

I've seen a profesional diver take an O2 hit and start coughing up blood.

Proper use of a Chamber is a team effort.

 

[amascuba]

Holy two year old thread resurrection batman!

 

[Thalassamania]

Sure its two years old but what the hey:

You will find chambers that can be pressurized with both air and oxygen. both of which have thier pro's and cons. Generally you will not find multiplace (more than one lock) chambers that pressurize with oxygen. this is for several reasons. one having that much pressuized oxygen presents a very large potential catalist for fire. two the cost is prohibitive, three much stricter fire precautions must be taken.

many monoplace chambers are pressurized with 100% oxygen without incident. Monoplace chambers thend to be easier to operate and require less support and smaller volumes of gas. when pressurizing a chamber with 100% oxygen you msut be very concious of the materials that go into the chamber, have the chamber and patient properly grounded, take other anti static proceedures etc. these chambers are generally used in clinical situations rather than as recompression chambers but are used in many instances to treat divers in a hospital of clinical setting.

the majority of the incidents concerining monoplace chambers especially with regards to fire tend to revolve around the impropper screeining of items entering the chamber. many of the catastrauphic fires in monoplace chambers are a result of handwarmers (both chemical and gas), cigarettes and cigarett lighters/matches, and childrens toys.

it is important to note that the survivability rate in a monoplace chamber compressed with 100% oxygen fire is 0%. you will also find that the NFPA does not publish any guidelines on fire extingushment or escape for class b 100% chambers as they recognise that these fires are not survivable.

This makes the prevention of fire of utmost importance. not just in monoplace 100% oxygen chambers but in all chambers. the majority of fires are preventable when all standards are adhered to. chamber fires and not a nice thing to deal with so stick to the standards,

if you are looking at procuring a chamber get some training, and buy a chamber from a competant manufacture as this will take a large majority of the work and liability off of yourself.

Pure oxygen is often used in multiplace changers, but not as a presurization gas, it is delivered to a mask or hood and then exhaled or vented "overboard" (that is to say outside of the chamber). The classic for this is known as BIBS (Built-In Breathing System).