An Assessment of Candidate Technologies for DISSUB CO ₂ Removal Systems in Royal Navy Submarines

A shortcoming has been identified in the Royal Navy's existing system of CO₂ removal within a DIStressed SUBmarine (DISSUB). This shortcoming means that the surviving crew would be forced to attempt an escape due to high CO₂ levels well in advance of the 7 days specified in Def-Stan 07-260 ^{[Reference 1]}. A project run by the MESH IPT (explanation) has identified a number of systems that potentially offer 7 days endurance to the crew, without significantly increasing the total volume occupied by the system. These systems also offer the capability to operate under extremes of pressure and temperature and independent of submarine services.