Could a person use a device that splits water like for hydrogen fuel cell car but keep oxygen for scuba diving?
category: Hydrogen Cars
I heard that this canadian invented a device that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. Companies use this device to store hydrogen in tanks until it can be used for a hydrogen fuel cell car(like they do in iceland). My question is can you store the Oxygen instead to go on the ultimate scuba adventure? My dads a scientist, but we’re not talking right now so I thought I would ask here.
With the exception that divers cannot use pure oxygen, the idea has merit.
PS – Re: your father – patch things up ASAP!
A friend of mine had a major and very hurtful argument with his father, stopped speaking to him, ran off and joined the Marines at age 18. A year later his father suddenly died and to this day, thirty years later, that guy still regrets leaving the flap unresolved. It’s definitely convincing to see a big old Marine fight back the tears when he related that story to me.
Anything is possible.
Here are the hurdles as I see them.
1. The process requires electrolysis to split the water. Combining an intake system without allowing electricity to escape into the water could be a problem.
2. A large copper coil is traditionally utilized for the electrolysis. Salt water would corrode the copper coil and the electronic connections.
3. The electronic output might disorient or attract sealife…including dangerous ones (sharks)
4. Oxygen is heavier than Hydrogen. It would be more difficult to extract the oxygen than the hydrogen.
5. The amount of air a diver needs changes as the depth of the water changes (compression). You’d need to ensure that the whole process would be protected much like an air tank.
Now, creating light, watertight, untraceable, made-as-required air devices would have great benefits to a number of markets. Commercially, recreationally, militarily, it would make a fantastic device. But it would have to be properly designed,easily fixed or replaced, and durable, and contaminate.
Still a worthy endeavor.