Undersea life support system

Claim 2

An undersea system for supplying life supporting means including oxygen and drinking water to a habitat beneath the sea which comprises in combination: means for continuously deriving a stream of sea water, an extracting tower including a boiler, means for introducing said stream of sea water into said tower for countercurrent exchange with steam rising in said tower from said boiler for stripping the dissolved gases from said seawater, a condenser connected to condense the said steam from said stripped gases, water separation means connected to receive the condensed water vapor and gas from said condenser for separating out and storing condensed water of potable grade from said stripped gases derived from the top of said tower, gas separation means connected to continuously receive a stream of air from said habitat including the stripped gases from said water separation means for separating out separate streams of Gas including a stream of high purity oxygen from said stripped gases, leaving a residue of waste gases, including carbon dioxide, and to deliver said stream of oxygen to said habitat, a final absorbing column connected to receive water from said boiler, and to receive said residue of waste gases including carbon dioxide from said gas separation means for reabsorbing said gas in said water, and means for returning said water including said absorbed gases to the sea.

Claim 3

The combination in accordance with claim 3 including heat exchanger means connected to warm said incoming stream of sea water ahead of said extraction tower, said means comprising three heat exchangers, the first and third of said heat exchangers being warmed by hot water returning from the boiler of said extraction tower, and the second said heat exchanger being warmed by vapor including steam from the top of said extraction tower.

Claim 4

The combination in accordance with claim 3 wherein said gas separation means comprises an air separation plant for separating out and delivering to said habitat a stream of high purity oxygen, and a carbon dioxide scrubber for removing impurities including carbon dioxide from a stream of air recirculated through said scrubber from said habitat.

Claim 5

The combination in accordance with claim 3 wherein said gas separation means comprises a single system for receiving recirculated air from said habitat including the stripped gases from said water separation means for separating out a plurality of separate streams including commercially pure oxygen delivered to said habitat, high purity nitrogen for storage, and waste gas including carbon dioxide.

Claim 8

A method in accordance with claim 8, the steps of warming up the sea water ahead of the stripping step by separate steps of heat exchange with hot water from the boiler of said extraction column, and hot vapor includIng steam from the top of said extraction column.

Claim 9

A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the said stripped gases and exhaust air derived from said habitat are separated in a first air separation step wherein a stream of commercially pure oxygen is directed into said habitat, leaving a residue stream of waste gases, and in a separate second step exhaust air from said habitat is continuously scrubbed in a carbon dioxide scrubber, directing a stream of purified air into said habitat and leaving a residue stream comprising essentially carbon dioxide, said residue streams of waste gas and carbon dioxide being combined for return to the sea in said final reabsorbtion step.

Claim 10

A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein said stripped gases and exhaust air from said habitat are separated in a single gas separation system from which a stream of commercially pure oxygen is directed into said habitat, a stream of high purity nitrogen is at least partially directed to storage, and a waste gas stream including carbon dioxide and the remainder of said nitrogen stream are combined for return for said final absorption step.