World's First Artificial Gills Re-breather

[huwporter]

I am not going to say it CANNOT exist. I will say it is highly unlikely. We are surrounded by technology that could not exist, until it did. I don't see that the Triton violates any fundamental physics...but it sure violates what we know how to do today. I am all for innovation, but not by these three guys who are living a fantasy. They appear to be of the generation where anybody is entitled to do anything with the expectation they will succeed (and get a trophy)....you cannot fail is the mantra. They are about to experience reality.

No, they -are- deliberately misleading people.

There is a video on the page that is clearly intended to give the impression of being someone using a functioning device. The person 'using' it produces bubbles several times, which is clearly supposed to give the impression that he is 'breathing' - but if you watch closely, the entire video is short enough to be shot during an un-challenging breath hold, and each time he produces only a very small amount of bubbles compared to a full exhale... in other words he took a lungful of air before the video starts and is letting it out in short bursts, not breathing. This is clearly and deliberately misleading.

The page states several times that they have a working prototype. That can't be explained as living in a fantasy.

They aren't about to experience reality, the poor people who have given them cash without doing due diligence are. See also the numerous free energy scams on crowd funding sites - there are plenty of unscrupulous people out there looking for ways to make money from the unwary, crowd funding is just another route for them.

Huw

 

[graham_s]

I suspect this will be vapourware. I heard about this a while back and ran the numbers, there is no way it can possibly work.
An inconvenient fact is still a fact.

 

[John A Lewis]

They're based in Sweden, right? Wouldn't they have to go through EU certification for this thing in order to offer it?

That would entail submitting working models for testing by a third party.

Even setting all that aside, look at what they claim on their own fundraising pages:

________________________________

We are using a very powerful modified micro compressor, it compresses oxygen and stores the extracted oxygen in a storage tank. The micro compressor operates through a powerful modified lithium-ion battery.

Technical specifications
General

• Total length 29 Cm / 11.5 inches
• Total width 12 Cm / 4.5 inches

Core Functionality

• The artificial gills are made out of Microporous Hollow Fiber. This is the pioneering technology that keeps water molecules out, and lets oxygen in.
  
  
• Triton is powered by a modified lithium-ion battery that allows you to swim underwater for 45 minutes.
  
  
• Our modified micro compressor can extract enough oxygen for a human to comfortably breathe underwater.
  __________________________________

Now, can anyone, anywhere please tell us where or/and who makes this incredible "Microporous Hollow Fiber", the "modified lithium-ion battery" and especially where you can find any version of the "modified micro compressor" they claim to have, as well as the incredible storage tank for the gas as pictured?

I understand how folks don't want to be naysayers, but when their own descriptions defy all known extant work in the field, how can this be anything other than a scam and fraud?

 

[abstract]

That hoax was out like 4 years ago.

 

[Rhone Man]

They're based in Sweden, right? Wouldn't they have to go through EU certification for this thing in order to offer it?

The really short answer is "no".

The long answer is a combination of (i) they are not actually offering it, they are just offering up the chance to buy something in future once it is ready for marketing (when any applicable regs might kick in), and (ii) although EU regulation is a leviathan thicket, I am pretty sure that there are still no applicable EU regs relating to scuba safety equipment. Very few EU regs relate to product safety - that is mostly delegated to national legislation. There are plenty of workplace regulations, food regulations, trade regulations, but very little that I can think of about product safety standards.

 

[doctormike]

That hoax was out like 4 years ago.

Yeah, but that guy just posted the "working prototype" video last month, so it got a little viral kick again. So it became a Scubaboard thread...

Hey, if I could sit on the bottom of a pool with the guy for 20 minutes and watch him do it, I'm in. But that video doesn't prove anything...

 

[huwporter]

The really short answer is "no".

The long answer is a combination of (i) they are not actually offering it, they are just offering up the chance to buy something in future once it is ready for marketing (when any applicable regs might kick in), and (ii) although EU regulation is a leviathan thicket, I am pretty sure that there are still no applicable EU regs relating to scuba safety equipment. Very few EU regs relate to product safety - that is mostly delegated to national legislation. There are plenty of workplace regulations, food regulations, trade regulations, but very little that I can think of about product safety standards.

Point I - Yes, absolutely; Point II - there are CE certifications covering SCUBA gear, but I don't know how this would apply to something like this that would (if it was real) be a new product category.

But I strongly doubt that the people (whoever they are - possibly not the people whose pictures are on the page) behind this are based in 'Sweden', or indeed anywhere where they could be easily sued.

Note that the page also says, hidden away, that the project will receive all funds even if it doesn't hit it's goals...

Huw

 

[huwporter]

Just in case there is anyone out there that is still thinking 'well, maybe they have come up with some amazing groundbreaking technology that will prove all these naysayers wrong' - or even, that the principle is plausible and it just needs a technological breakthrough to work:

Their own web page states the device works by extracting dissolved gas from water, and provides "enough oxygen to allow a human to comfortably breathe underwater". They also state sea water use is OK.

There is very roughly 6ml of dissolved oxygen and 12ml of dissolved nitrogen per litre of sea water at 15 deg.C or 60 deg.F. (less at higher temperatures) [1] [2]

A normal human tidal volume is around 500ml. [3] So this thing needs to process 27 litres, or 7 gallons of seawater with perfect efficiency to extract enough oxygen and nitrogen gas to permit a normal adult to take one single breath, at the surface. Add 50% to that to take a breath at the 15 feet max depth stated.

Most divers have a relaxed SAC of somewhere in the region of 15l/min - to achieve this, the device would need to process over 800l or 28 cubic feet of seawater every single minute, at the surface. That is like the flow rate of 20 garden hoses or one fire hose constantly flowing through the thing, just to allow normal relaxed breathing, with no spare capacity to allow for an increase in breathing rate. Or warmer water. With perfect (i.e. unrealistic) efficiency.

A slight increase in breathing rate, in tropical water, at 15 feet depth, with a very generous 50% efficiency and we are very quickly at 100 garden hoses constant flow rate. 140 cubic feet of seawater every minute. The flow of five fire hoses. Using a battery and pump the size of your mobile phone. Yeah, just look out for those new fire trucks that fit in your pocket. And say goodbye to your teeth as the device takes off from the thrust.

It's a con folks. There is no working prototype. Don't get taken.

Huw

[1] - Oxygen Solubility in Fresh Water and Sea Water
[2] - Sea Water, Gases in - river, depth, oceans, temperature, percentage, important, salt, types, plants, source, effect, marine, oxygen, Pacific
[3] - Tidal volume - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[tech_diver]

I remember seeing this thing when it first hit the media and it was obvious then that this idea doesn't agree with the most basic physics. Just like the 'helmet rebreather' (counterlung in a helmet?) or a perpetual motion machine, it can't work. I'm blown away that a third of a million dollars has been invested and no one has stood up to say the emperor has no clothes.

The battery powered 'powerful modified micro compressor' could be a slight challenge since there's no such thing as a battery powered powerful modified micro compressor.

 

[fiduce]

Watching 3 people steal money from the shortest minded (500 000$ now) ...
Maybe someone will soon strongly ask for a substantiating test of the functional prototype (no sheeting with napolitan concrete shoes).
Thinking about a gangster's self defence against crooks to solve an ongoing robbery ? There must be something wrong with me or with the Internet.

There is currently a pending question in the comments : "Can I use the triton to stay under water for 45 minutes without going up to get fresh air?"
My answer is : No, the device is solely meant to feed you two flavors of maki sushis at deco stops, and you'll have to put your regulator in line.

Finally the answer came : Hi Dandan, yes of course Thank you for the support.

So the second question would be : Why don't you show us a 2 minutes dive with like 4 - 8 full lungs breaths ? and where did you get those fins ?