Deep in the ocean, it is hard to breathe. There are gases of the sort we like breathing, but intransigiently tangled in the water. If you want to reside at the bottom of the ocean, you must either pipe it down or bring it in tanks.

I propose that by depressurizing water one could produce bubbles of dissolved gases, a considerable fraction of which would be sweet O2. This could then be inhaled. The gas could be collected before returning the water to its free state.

Energy to do this could be from 1. Tanks 2. Wires 3. Collecting clathrates and gently tapping them to make them explode, driving a piston which drives another piston in the low pressure chamber. 4. Tap heat from deep sea vent to turn piston.
-- bungston, Aug 20 2014

There is very little oxygen to be had in this manner, especially at particular depths. It is much easier to just electrolyse the water.
-- mitxela, Aug 20 2014


There is oxygen near the sear floor, at least in some locations, but it is not a rapidly renewing resource. As Mixtela said, if you've got the power to pull a vacuum, just use it to split the water for 02.
-- MechE, Aug 20 2014


"There is water...at the bottom of the ocean."
-- normzone, Aug 20 2014


This idea makes me wonder if deep water pressure can be used to desalinate using the appropriate membrane.
-- rcarty, Aug 20 2014


//desalinate

I did ponder the "very long tube on a cliff, filled with water" idea for gravity induced RO filtration...but that mostly for urea extraction.
-- not_morrison_rm, Aug 21 2014


Taking the piss, were you?
-- normzone, Aug 21 2014



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