Test and Evaluation of Two Prototype Model Underwater Decompression Monitors

Abstract

The Navy Experimental Diving Unit (NEDU) performed unmanned testing and human factors evaluations on two prototype Underwater Decompression Monitors (UDMs) which were programmed with an NEDU developed decompression algorithm. Testing was designed to evaluate UDM hardware, and to recommend suitability of the UDMs tested for Approval for Navy Use (ANU) status. The approved UDM models could then be programmed with any suitable decompression algorithm. The six U.S. Navy prototype ORCA UDMs tested at NEDU suffered from reliability problems as a result of water leakage into the case and failures of the pressure transducer. Several important U.S. Navy specifications were not provided on these units. As a result of these discrepancies, these units were not submitted to the full test cycle. The DIVETRONIC UDMs provided acceptable depth and profile tracking accuracy in a wide temperature spectrum, and are recommended for ANU with display modifications. Keywords: Computer algorithm; Constant partial pressure; Multi-level diving; No-decompression dive; Decompression dive; Repetitive dive; Warning status.