Life Support Equipment Test Facility

Life Support Equipment Test Facility with Ø600mm Vessel    -    to see a picture of the Ø1000mm vessel click here.

Description

The ANSTI Life Support Equipment Test Facility is a fully integrated, laboratory system specifically designed to test and measure the breathing performance of a wide range of life support equipment. The tests are conducted accurately and efficiently at the surface and /or immersed in water to a maximum simulated depth of 100 msw. The test vessel (nominal internal dimensions Ø1000 x 1300 deep) offered with this system is sufficient to accommodate twin cylinder SCUBA diving equipment, diving helmets / band masks with bailout cylinder and modern rebreathers (maximum dimensions 850 x 500 mm) in both swim and head upright positions. Additionally, the system will also allow the breathing performance of a wide range of surface equipment e.g. filter masks and fire fighting BA etc to be measured. To facilitate the above, the system is also supplied with a specially modified Sheffield (anatomically correct) head with adapters to connect other types of life support equipment.

The test vessel lid incorporates a new quick release mechanism, which improves efficiency and minimises operator effort. The test vessel is also fitted with a depth controller which when set, allows automatic venting of air to accurately maintain the desired depth. This controller is capable of discharging in excess of 25,000 litre / min of air safely to atmosphere and therefore acts as an emergency relief valve and fails safe in the event of any or all of the following, loss of electrical power, LP air supply and high pressure seal failure.

The Stainless Steel Breathing Simulator is fitted with a pure sine wave drive linkage. It has variable tidal volume and push button control of breathing rate. The breathing system is fitted with a heating and humidification system and, with the chiller system to cool the water in the test vessel to 2ºC, allows the equipment to be tested to both BS EN 250: 2000 and NEDU cold water requirements.

The rebreather scrubber test system is based around a mass flow controller, injecting a calibrated flow of carbon dioxide into the breathing circuit and monitoring scrubber breakthrough via a high quality carbon dioxide analyser. The output from the analyser is displayed in real time on the computer in the form of a Y-Time Graph. The output is archived for general records and is then accessible for post test analysis / printing.

The system is simple and logical to use and, when combined with the computerised data system, allows the operator to complete a 50 m test in less than 3 minutes. The computer is programmed to be a virtual instrument with key operator information, such as depth, cylinder pressure, exhaled gas temperature etc. displayed on the screen. The operator can view equipment performance via a range of multiple real-time displays. The acquired data can then be analysed, reviewed, archived and / or printed in the form of Test Certificates.