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> If memory serves, the hypoxic stuation occurs when there is air
> in the loop of the O2 rebreather. So if you assume the loop
> holds say 7 liters (I think that's the number from the CisLuner),
> then 5.5 liters of that is Nitrogen. If you add the nitrogen from the
> divers body, say 0.5 liters, that gives 14% O2. That's low enough
> to make a working diver pass out at the surface. If the loop
> holds less, then the effect will be worse.

But if you *start* with air in the loop, then there will be NO net
movement of N2 from the diver's blood to the loop (remember, the diver's
blood is saturated at 0.79 atm - unless the PN2 in the loop is less than
this, there will be no movement from the body to the loop - if the PN2 is
less than 0.79, then the PO2 is greater than 0.21....). 

The only way to get a rise in PN2 (drop in PO2) is to either 1) add N2 to 
the loop (from a source other than the body), or 2) decrease the total 
volume of the loop.

Aloha,
Rich

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