FAQs

How did you come up with the idea for the project?

I (Jon) came up with this idea one night when I was thinking about how people breathe on submarines. I saw a picture of a submarine and I was just curious. I feel that people don't exactly think about where the oxygen comes from, they just assume it's there. After doing doing some research and finding out that the source for the oxygen on submarines is from compressed air, I thought that there had to be a better way to do that. I then thought about the electrolysis reaction, which was very briefly covered in chemistry II, and thought that this could be replicated on large scale to allow crew members to breathe. 

How can it be implemented in real life?

If the energy generation by the propellers can be implemented into the design and is efficient enough (which is key), this idea can be mass-produced for all full-sized submarines as well as small scale submarines. However, extensive testing for the effect on wildlife must be conducted to ensure that there is no damage. 

What is the practicality?

The practicality of this on submarines is that it can be safer than compressed air. The rate at which oxygen can be produced from  electrolysis can be easily controlled by how much electricity is released into the water. This is simply done and can be safer than having compressed air underwater. Compressed air is dangerous because there is a chance that they can explode. 

Does the electric current pose a threat to the environment?

Whether or not the electricity emitted into the area is harmful to the environment depends solely on how much energy is released. My thought is that if a set amount of electric current is emitted over a large area, it will not reach as far out as if the same amount was emitted on a small area. I am not too sure about this but if it is true, it will not make the submarine dangerous to the environment.

What do you plan on being measuring?

The volume of gas produced by the electrolysis reaction will be measured. This will be measured with two graduated cylinders attached to the two wires on the positive and negative ports of the battery. This will emit hydrogen and oxygen gas respectively. A simple reading will then tell us how much volume of gas was produced by the reaction.