Crowcon helps simulate atmosphere at high altitudes
An unusual application for Crowcon’s CellarSafe detection and control system for oxygen and carbon dioxide is being used in artificial mountains — enclosed endurance training chambers that simulate oxygen at high levels. Generators filter oxygen molecules out of the air feeding the chambers to achieve concentrations of 14%, or even less. The effect is to simulate altitudes up to 6000 m. The chambers are made by Höhenbalance of Germany.
Carbon dioxide exhaled by athletes training in the chamber could build up to dangerous concentrations if not monitored and controlled by the CellarSafe system. The chambers are also used by people preparing for climbing or trekking in mountain regions.
Christian Blauth, a sports scientist and member of the management team of Höhenbalance, explains, ‘Minor variations in oxygen concentration are not immediately dangerous for the athletes, but reliability and accuracy are nevertheless our main concerns to achieve optimal training conditions. Crowcon, which is well known as a leading supplier of gas-detection equipment, was therefore chosen to ensure the required safety levels.’
