HeV in ACTION

[Beyond Man]

Are there any videos or pictures of a helium escape valve in use? As long as I have been a WIS i have never actually seen what it looks like when a HEV is activated.

I feel as though this is the Big foot or nessie in the wis world.

Can anyone make a believer out of me?!

[ecsub44]

I don't think it actually "does" anything. At least insofar as moving, etc. You couldn't see it working, per se.

[tomee]

ive always wondered this aswell...

[Beyond Man]

Originally Posted by ecsub44

I don't think it actually "does" anything. At least insofar as moving, etc. You couldn't see it working, per se.

Yes, it "does" do something. It opens. But I have never seen a valve open or what it looks like when the helium actually escapes.

[sleddog]

Helium is the second smallest molecule found in nature...

Because of this, I doubt you would ever see any "Action" from the HEV valve (a one way valve)...
The HEV would not have to move much to allow a microscopic element to pass by.
It does however serve a crucial purpose and would not be a patent if it didn't actually work!
Without it, commercial divers at great depths would not be able to take these trusty companions to those depths and to then re-pressurize without exploding their watch from the inside out.

[ecsub44]

Originally Posted by Beyond Man

Yes, it "does" do something. It opens. But I have never seen a valve open or what it looks like when the helium actually escapes.

It doesn't open. At least not that you could ever see/film/photograph.

[Beyond Man]

Originally Posted by ecsub44

It doesn't open. At least not that you could ever see/film/photograph.

It technically opens. If it didn't open, there would be no point to having it. It is a valve, no matter how little it opens, it still opens.......

[ecsub44]

Originally Posted by Beyond Man

It technically opens. If it didn't open, there would be no point to having it. It is a valve, no matter how little it opens, it still opens.......

Of course it does something...otherwise it wouldn't be there. And of course it "opens"...otherwise it wouldn't serve it's purpose.

But it's not like it looks like it pops out 1/4 inch from the watch or something. It needs to "open" enough to let helium atoms out...which are small enough to infiltrate an otherwise sealed watch when pressurizing.

You won't see a picture of it "activated" because there is nothing to see. It moves the tiniest distance imaginable.

[rolexsweep]

oooo interesting thought... good point ecsub

[bkandj2000]

Yes, nothing a typical camera could very well discern...very slight movement when open:

[lortap]

Am I the only one expecting, any minute now, to see a picture that Jocke took with HRV "in action"

[Grumpy Badger]

I wonder whether the gas bubbles would be visible when it does 'open' or whether such tiny amounts would be released that they wouldn't form desernable bubbles...?

[Andad]

Hi Grumps,

This doesn't happen under water so there are no bubbles.

[Grumpy Badger]

Originally Posted by directioneng

Hi Grumps,

This doesn't happen under water so there are no bubbles.

Dohhh...! I haven't had enough coffee yet!

I was thinking decompression stops for 'normal' diving...

You're right, of course... For mixed gas I guess you'd be in hyperbaric chamber while they brought you back to surface preasure.

Maybe a commercial diver could put his in a glass of water in the chamber and we could look for bubbles?!?

[Andad]

Or in a glass of champers and watch the bubbles.

[Cru Jones]

Originally Posted by sleddog

Helium is the second smallest molecule found in nature...

Because of this, I doubt you would ever see any "Action" from the HEV valve (a one way valve)...
The HEV would not have to move much to allow a microscopic element to pass by.
It does however serve a crucial purpose and would not be a patent if it didn't actually work!
Without it, commercial divers at great depths would not be able to take these trusty companions to those depths and to then re-pressurize without exploding their watch from the inside out.

hmmmm.......i have no idea, but, just thinking out loud, with helium being the second smallest molecule, maybe the "valve" is more a fine membrane that lets helium pass through but keeps other molecules out (like H and O)?

it's just hard for me to imagine a valve "opening" at such a microscopic level.

[Andad]

Not really a great feat of engineering Cru.
It's just a small valve that opens at a very low pressure.

[Cru Jones]

Originally Posted by directioneng

Not really a great feat of engineering Cru.
It's just a small valve that opens at a very low pressure.

okay, okay....yes, i am no scientist.

for something so small as a helium atom, i was just surprised that a valve could/would be calibrated to open and close to address it....i was thinking a membrane would be a simpler solution.

but, what do i know?

[Andad]

At high pressure this tiny atom penetrates seals etc very easily and increases the pressure inside the case. The valve allows this pressure to escape rather than explode the watch. The valve design has nothing to do with the helium atom just the pressure that it causes. The valve starts to open at an internal pressure of around 25 psi but at depth it seals tighter as the outside pressure increases.

[Grumpy Badger]

I wonder of there's a 'hiss' when it opens?