Imagine a study is being conducted to determine the level of manganese dissolved in seawater (the results will aid in locating manganese nodule deposits). As there is no specific ‘manganese sensor’ available to conduct this study, vast volumes of water samples must be collected due to the very low concentrations of the mineral.

Alternatively, a deep-sea pump can be used to collect and filter the desired sample in situ. KUMOs Titanium Pump meets this need. It is a compact pump enclosed within a pressure-proof titanium housing that can operate to depths of up to 6,000 m.

The pump is composed of a centrifugal pump head and a ball bearing motor, components that are magnetically coupled together through the housing to avoid water penetration. This negates the need for additional sealing rings within the shaft.

Power comes from an external underwater SubConn-Micro connection. An internal electronic unit is also available for counting the revolutions of the pump, which will help to determine the exact volume that has been pumped through the filter. This, in turn, will allow for the precise calculation of the concentration of any given element in the seawater