Portable Air Contaminant Control System

In a DISabled SUBmarine (DISSUB) event, dangerous and potentially lethal atmospheric contaminants can be introduced from fire, battery malfunctions, leaks, and other sources. The concentration of these contaminants must be controlled to maintain a viable atmosphere for the DISSUB survivors while they await rescue. Currently, submarines have emergency systems for removing CO2 and providing oxygen in a DISSUB event, but the only method for surviving in high levels of hazardous contaminants is to place the crew on emergency air breathers (EABs), which has significant drawbacks, such as increasing the submarine’s pressure and limiting mobility. For this reason, the Navy has an urgent need for a stand-alone contaminant removel system that can passively scrub these toxic chemicals from the cabin and protect the sailors. TDA Research Inc. (TDA) proposes to develop a portable air contaminant removal system to efficiently remove the Submarine Escape Action Limit (SEAL) gases Carbon Monoxide (CO), Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN), Ammonia (NH3), Chlorine (Cl2), Hydrogen Chloride (HCl), Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) from the submarine atmosphere .  The system will use a combination of an ambient temperature oxidation catalyst (to remove CO) and a very high performance adsorbent to remove the concentration of all contaminants to below SEAL 2 levels. The battery-powered device can be operated in a low-flow mode to maintain SEAL levels and in a high-flow mode to rapidly remove high levels of contaminants. In Phase I, we will carry out catalyst/sorbent lifetime testing as well as develop a prototype that will be evaluated in an environmental chamber to demonstrate the technical feasibility of the portable air contaminant removal system.