• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.70-78
• /
• 2020

Nitrox diving was introduced by the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) to increase the oxygen content and lower the nitrogen content in respiratory gases. The commercial diving sector specializing in underwater operations has recently introduced regulations on the use of Nitrox. Because the respiratory gas for Nitrox diving has a lower nitrogen content than the normal air, the amount of nitrogen dissolved in the body is small, which not only significantly reduces the decompression time compared to air diving, but also reduces the chance of exposure to decompression sickness. In this study, we applied the VPM (Varying Permeability Model) algorithm to virtual diving with air and Nitrox as a respiratory gas, respectively, to study the optimal Nitrox diving for the safety at the underwater works. The results showed that Nitrox diving had a longer NDL (No-Decompression Limit), a much shorter depression time. In other words, Nitrox diving in underwater works is safer from decompression sickness than commonly used air diving.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.103-110
• /
• 2019

Underwater works are indispensable in the coastal and ocean engineering fields, and the reliance on manpower is higher than land works. Divers who work for a long time in a high-pressure underwater environment are always exposed to the risks of diving-related diseases. To prevent them, proper planning, operation, and management of diving by a supervisor with professional diving knowledge are required. This study provides the basic data for supervisors to plan, operate, and manage air diving for safe and efficient work in underwater construction sites. It is well-known that air diving simulations using the varying permeability model (VPM) require a longer decompression time as the water depth and the residence time in water increase. Therefore, it is crucial to have a proper surface interval through repetitive diving rather than single diving to improve the safety of the divers and the efficiency of underwater work. Furthermore, coastal and ocean engineers who manage and supervise underwater construction work must acquire expert knowledge on diving before they can plan, operate, and manage diving.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.47-56
• /
• 2020

This study analyzed the recreational scuba diving regulations in Korea and other foreign countries and it proposes five changes to improve the Act On The Safety, Promotion, Etc. Of Underwater Leisure Activities in Korea. First, "recreational underwater activity participant" should be modified to refer to 'an individual or group of individuals entering into a contract with a recreational underwater activity businessperson for their own use'. Second, the person setting up the recreational underwater activity zone should be expanded to 'recreational underwater activity businessperson and/or recreational underwater activity participant'. Third, since recreational technical diving uses nitrox or mixed gas, a clause should be added that a sticker or band clearly indicating the type of gas should be attached. Fourth, a Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) should be added to the diving equipment, and the daily management and maintenance of cylinders should be specified in detail. Fifth, it is necessary to specify in the Act that recreational underwater activity participants are encouraged to purchase diving insurance for their own use. In addition, for the safety of underwater activity participants, the Act must specifically state the emergency procedures and diving guidelines of a recreational underwater activity businessperson.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.21 no.7
• /
• pp.176-183
• /
• 2020

A ship has three types of diving systems (Diver Stage Diving, Wet Bell Diving and Scuba Diving) to carry out a search-and-rescue operation. To reduce the possibility of decompression sickness, any diving systems shall comply with the decompression procedure according to the decompression table corresponding to the diving depth and diving time. The decompression procedure is largely divided into two methods: underwater decompression and underwater-onboard decompression. In particular, the surface interval shall not exceed 5 minutes, which is the phase from underwater decompression to underwater-onboard decompression, in accordance with the U.S Navy Diving Manual. However, the surface interval is greater than 5 minutes as a result of using Wet Bell Diving. This paper describes the result of cause analysis and measurement with improved Wet Bell Diving. Using improved Wet Bell Diving reduced the surface interval to less than 5 minutes. The result of the research can be used for operation and improving the performance of diving systems.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.259-266
• /
• 2012

In these days, researches about underwater robots have been actively in progress for the purposes of ocean detection and resource exploration. Unlike general underwater robots such as ROV(Remotely Operated Vehicle) and AUV(Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) which have propellers, an articulated underwater robot which is called Crabster has been being developed in KORDI(Korea Ocean Research & Development Institute) with many cooperation organizations since 2010. The robot is expected to be able to walk and swim under the sea with its legs. Among many researching fields of this project, we are focusing on a swimming section. In order to find effective swimming locomotion for the robot, we approached this subject in terms of Biomimetics. As a model of optimized swimming organism in nature, diving beetles were chosen. In the paper, swimming motions of diving beetles were analyzed in viewpoint of robotics for applying them into the swimming motion of the robot. After modeling the kinematics of diving beetle through robotics engineering technique, we obtained swimming patterns of the one of living diving beetles, and then compared them with calculated optimal swimming patterns of a robot leg. As the first trial to compare the locomotion data of legs of the diving beetle with a robot leg, we have sorted two representative swimming patterns such as forwarding and turning. Experimental environment has been set up to get the motion data of diving beetles. The experimental equipment consists of a transparent aquarium and a high speed camera. Various swimming motions of diving beetles were recorded with the camera. After classifying swimming patterns of the diving beetle, we can get angular data of each joint on hind legs by image processing software, Image J. The data were applied to an optimized algorithm for swimming of a robot leg which was designed by robotics engineering technique. Through this procedure, simulated results which show trajectories of a robot leg were compared with trajectories of a leg of a diving beetle in desired directions. As a result, we confirmed considerable similarity in the result of trajectory and joint angles comparison.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
• /
• v.19 no.9
• /
• pp.782-790
• /
• 2013

In this paper, we propose a better solution for swimming plans of an articulated underwater robot, Crabster, with a view point of biomimetics. As a biomimetic model of underwater organisms, we chose diving beetles structurally similar to Crabster. Various swimming locomotion of the diving beetle has been observed and sorted by robotics technology through experiments with a high-speed camera and image processing software Image J. Subsequently, coordinated patterns of rhythmic movements of the diving beetle are reproduced by simple control parameters in a parameter space which make it easy to control trajectories and velocities of legs. Furthermore, a simulation was implemented with an approximated model to predict the motion of the robot under development based on the classified forward and turning locomotion. Consequently, we confirmed the applicability of parameterized leg locomotion to the articulated underwater robot through the simulated results by the approximated model.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.34 no.5
• /
• pp.735-742
• /
• 2010

This paper reviewed the diving standards for underwater work in hostile environment and analyzed applied Navy diving technique, diving equipments and procedure for rescue operation of Navy ship Cheonan's missing crew occurred near Bak Ryung Do in March 2010. The operation was done beyond the international standards and safety practice, and by considering the nature of the mission, urgency and effectiveness as well as the detailed facts such as duration and depth of the dive, type of work to be performed, environmental conditions, time constraints of early rescue operation, it is analyzed that using air scuba diving system was adequate.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.40 no.7
• /
• pp.655-662
• /
• 2016

This study proposes that a diving supervisor, who can perform the role of both a field manager and a supervisor, be introduced in the national qualification system. The goal was achieved by surveying the general status of the commercial diving sector, including the statistics of an underwater construction company, commercial diving equipment operation condition, diver working hours, diver supply and demand status, and underwater construction market size. The national qualification and national competency standard (NCS) systems were also analyzed to deduce the role definition and work scope of the diving supervisor. Consequently, the following proposition is made: the diving supervisor should be an "on-site manager with the highest job skill in the commercial diving field, who can perform the on-site process management as well as guide, supervise, and educate project participants and serve as an intermediary between the contractor and the workers." The responsibilities of the diving supervisor are proposed to include "diving planning and operation of the diving team," "diving with surface-supplied air and mixed-gas diving system," "chamber operation," "underwater construction," and "ship salvage." The persistent issues in commercial diving sectors, such as diver career development, management, and worker supervision, are expected to be largely resolved with the introduction of this qualification.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
• /
• v.30 no.1 s.107
• /
• pp.29-34
• /
• 2006

This study aims to provide divers with improved sqfe diving practices by analyzing reports on scuba diving casualties that recently (from 1997-2003) occurred in Korea, Japan and USA The result of this study may contribute to reduce the diving accident. The data were collected through the diving accident reports of various sources, which include reports of the KUA (Korea Underwater Association) technical committee, the accident statistical data of Korea Coast Guard, articles of domestic and foreign scuba diving magazines, accident reports of various newspapers, annual reports on decompression illness and diving fatalities by DAN (Diver Alert Network), diving accident data reported to local and national seminars, and medical treatment data of diving accident. The analysis focused on the diving casualties and the result showed that the casualty rate in Korea was 2.8 and 2.2 times higher than those in Japan and USA, respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.125-129
• /
• 2005

This study aims to provide divers with improved safe diving practices by analyzing reports on scuba diving casualties that recently(from 1997-2003)occurred in Korea, Japan and USA. The result of this study can contribute toward preventing the diving accident. All the data were collected through the diving accident reports of various sourse, which include KUA(Korea Underwater Association) technical committee, the accident statistical data of National Maritime Police Agency, articles of domestic and foreign scuba diving magazine, accident reports of various newspaper, annual report on decompression illness and diving fatalities by DAN(Diver Alert Network), various type of data on diving accident from local as well as national seminars, and medical treatment data of diving accident.