Floatation device
AssigneeDeep Sea Recovery Ltd
InventorPhilip Anthony Pritchard
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Abstract
A floatation device is disclosed that comprises a container 10 containing a liquefied gas, a gas chamber (60, FIG. 2) and a remotely operable device 29. The remotely operable device is switchable between a closed state in which fluid communication between the container and the gas chamber is prevented, and an open state in which fluid communication between the container and the gas chamber is enabled and vaporization of the liquefied gas charges the gas chamber with gas. The liquefied gas may be liquid nitrogen and the container may be heat insulated with an insulating vacuum cavity. A buoyancy unit (40, FIG. 2) which comprises a rigid enclosure (42, FIG. 2) defining an interior volume and a flexible diaphragm (55, FIG. 2) that partitions the interior volume into first and second chambers is also disclosed.
Claims15
A floatation device comprising
- a container for containing a liquefied gas,
- a gas chamber and
- a remotely operable device, and
- a fluid conduit that connects the interiors of the conduit of the container and the gas chamber;
- wherein the remotely operable device is configured to be switchable between a closed state in which fluid communication between the container and the gas chamber is prevented, and an open state in which fluid communication between the container and the gas chamber is enabled and vaporization of the liquefied gas, in use, charges the gas chamber with gas;
- and
- wherein the fluid conduit is configured to allow liquefied gas flowing through the fluid conduit to be heated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.