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Deep-sea diving could soon become a lot safer thanks to a new valve being
developed in Britain. The valve in divers’ mouthpieces often freezes open. This
can happen when a change in the airflow through the piping leads to a sudden
drop in pressure and temperature. Moisture freezes in the valve, jamming it open
and wasting air, leaving the diver little time to surface before running out of
air. British engineer Francis Kay is about to test a new valve, developed with a
grant from the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, that
should solve the problem. The tapered mouthpiece smoothes the airflow,
preventing the sharp changes in pressure that make the valve freeze.