How do Rebreathers work?
Rebreathers operate on the principal of recirculating the air that a diver breathes. Exhaled air contains Carbon Dioxide (C02), which is released by our bodies as a waste product. Early in the history of diving, it was determined that if there was a way to absorb this CO2, and replace the small a mount of Oxygen absorbed by the body, a diver could continue to RE-breathe the same air over and over. The exhaled air passes through an air-permeable container called a “scrubber” which contains a chemical compound that absorbs Carbon Dioxide. The air then passes across sensors that react to the presence of Oxygen by emitting voltage – in essence, they are like batteries – the more Oxygen present, the higher voltage they output. This voltage triggers a solenoid, which will inject a metered amount of Oxygen into the “loop.” Given the remarkably low Oxygen uptake of the average adult, this means that a rebreather diver can stay underwater for several hours on a small bottle of Nitrox or Oxygen,
