Atmosphere Control International

Atmosphere Control International (ACI) is the world’s leading supplier of air purification equipment for surface ships and submarines and the supplier of choice for many international navies.

ACI supplies integrated life support systems to keep breathable atmospheres on-board submarines. Our main solutions include oxygen generators, regenerative carbon dioxide systems and carbon monoxide eliminators. ACI is also the supplier of Texvent, the leading textile ventilation ducting technology for naval platforms.

Regenerative carbon dioxide removal system

Submarines are confined environments where CO2 and other atmosphere contaminants are accumulated, and may cause safety and life support issues if they are not eliminated by removal systems.

The regenerative carbon dioxide removal systems are energy efficient, compact and proven equipment in service on-board the most advanced submarine classes.

The CO/H2 low temperature burner is eliminating hydrogen and carbon monoxide by using a catalyst enhanced to withstand humid atmosphere encountered on-board submarines.

Texvent is a unique textile ducting technology installed on-board naval platforms for ventilation purpose. Texvent is 93% lighter than metal duct.

Texvent ducts are flexible; they can be bended or passed around or through obstacles without loss of functionality.

Texvent baffles are installed inside accommodation compartments to distribute air coming from the ventilation system. Texvent baffles provide significant noise reductions, and thus major crew comfort improvement compared to standard metal air diffusers.

Texvent ducts are installed by sliding the ducts into light aluminium mounting rails. These rails can be cut, reassembled and bent so that entire mounting systems can be made from a single type of rails.

The smoke removal unit (SRU) is a portable unit designed to remove smoke inside enclosed environments where no possibilities of venting to the external environment exist. SRU is a standalone, fast to deploy and reusable technology ideal for submarine applications. It is also a good alternative to RAM fans on surface ships.

For more than 40 years ACI has successfully supplied sea-proven regenerative CO2 removal systems (CO2 scrubbers) to various submarines programmes around the world.

The CO2 scrubber uses a regenerative liquid absorbent to remove carbon dioxide continuously from a submarine’s atmosphere. The main benefit of ACI’s CO2 scrubber is the massive space savings provided by a regenerative liquid absorbent: the same absorbent is always regenerated to be reused again. As a result no additional quantities of absorbent are required for extended diving periods unlike non-regenerative technologies, such as soda lime, that require increased stockpiling of absorption material for long service periods.

By using a liquid absorbent the CO2 scrubber is even simpler, more compact and more energy-efficient than other regenerative systems based on solid absorbents, making the ACI’s scrubber the best sea-proven CO2 removal technology for submarine applications.

Carbon monoxide and hydrogen removal systems

Carbon monoxide and hydrogen are harmful gases on-board submarines if they are allowed to reach their maximum permissible concentration in the atmosphere.

ACI is the leading supplier of sea-proven CO and H2 removal systems. ACI burners constantly convert CO and H2 into carbon dioxide and water vapour through catalysts specially-formulated to sustain submarines atmospheres that contain high humidity and contaminants. The ACI’s CO/H2 removal systems are simple, compact and energy efficient. They require low maintenance and are in service on-board various submarines around the world.

Texvent: total textile ventilation ducting technology systems

Texvent is a unique textile ventilation ducting technology for naval and landside military platforms. These ducts are constructed from high-quality porous textile instead of metal, which provides a more advanced ventilation system and many benefits such as:

• Weight savings: Texvent ducts are just cloth and air, making our systems 93% lighter than standard metal ducts
• Easy maintenance: Texvent ducts are only cleaned using domestic washing machines, eradicating fastidious duct cleaning made by expensive HVAC contractors
• Cost savings: by being lighter, flexible and easier to fit and unfit, Texvent is both cheaper to install and maintain
• Increasing ventilation efficiency: because it’s made from air-porous textiles, Texvent gives uniform ventilation along its entire length, therefore eliminating hot spot issues
• Energy savings: increasing ventilation efficiency means no need to put increasing quantity of air (and so energy) into ducting systems to reach ventilation requirements, providing users up to 25% energy savings
• Noise reduction: air is distributed across the entire duct surface at a very low speed generating no noise. Furthermore, as Texvent is a noise absorbent material no sound is conducted along the duct
• Flexibility: Texvent ducts compress, bend and wrap around without loss of functionality, unlike metal ducting
• Safer and cleaner: because Texvent is made from textiles there are no hard surfaces and so no risk of injury when shocks occur between ducts and personnel. Furthermore, by being made of porous textile Texvent ducts form a second filtration barrier trapping impurities contained in the distributed air

Texvent ducts have been successfully fire tested and approved against both military and commercial marine SOLAS standards and are a sea-proven product already in service on-board various ship classes such as mine hunters, aircraft carriers, submarines and frigates.

Oxygen generators – combined oxygen generation system

ACI is the world’s leading supplier of oxygen generators for submarine applications. ACI’s latest technology, the combined oxygen generation system (COGS) is the result of more than 40 years’ experience in the fields of electrolysis and gas management technologies. COGS is a unique integrated electrolysis technology that converts water into oxygen without any gaseous product rejected overboard. COGS is a sea-proven technology in service on-board the world’s most advanced submarines classes.

Smoke removal system

ACI is a developed the smoke removal unit, a portable rapid fire response device that will clear a 30m³ compartment of smoke particles, restoring visibility so that actions can be taken in the affected compartment. The system also removes toxic combustion products to prevent damage of electronic equipment. SRU is suitable for platforms such as submarines and surface ships where confined living or working spaces can be contaminated by smoke.