The Seabed Solution: After 150 years, is the time finally right for deep-ocean mining?

IEEE Spectrum ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-7
Author(s):  
Glenn Zorpette
Keyword(s):  
Deep Ocean ◽  
Ocean Mining

Heave Induced Internal Flow Fluctuations in Vertical Transport Systems for Deep Ocean Mining

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan D. A. Hannot ◽  
Jort M. van Wijk
Keyword(s):  
Transport System ◽  
Internal Flow ◽  
Deep Ocean ◽  
Vertical Transport ◽  
Transport Systems ◽  
Ship Motions ◽  
Centrifugal Pumps ◽  
Mining System ◽  
Pump System ◽  
Ocean Mining

Deep ocean mining systems will have to operate often in harsh weather conditions with heavy sea states. A typical mining system consists of a Mining Support Vessel (MSV) with a Vertical Transport System (VTS) attached to it. The transport system is a pump pipeline system using centrifugal pumps. The heave motions of the ship are transferred to the pump system due to the riser-ship coupling. Ship motions thus will have a significant influence on the internal flow in the VTS. In this paper, the influence of heave motions on the internal flow in the VTS for a typical mining system for Seafloor Massive Sulfide (SMS) deposits in Papua New Guinea is analyzed. Data on the wave climate in the PNG region is used to compute the ship motions of a coupled MSV-VTS. The ship motions then are translated into forces acting on the internal flow in order to compute fluctuations in the internal flow. In this way, the workability of the mining system with respect to the system’s production can be assessed. Based on a detailed analysis of the internal flow in relation to ship motions, the relevance of a coupled analysis for the design of VTS is made clear. This paper provides a method for performing such analyses.

Laboratory Experimentations for New Hydrothermal Monitoring Systems Using ADCPs

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kanae Komaki ◽  
Mitsuru Shimazu ◽  
Shunsuke Kondo ◽  
Yosuke Onishi ◽  
Satoshi Furuta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Deep Ocean ◽  
Monitoring Systems ◽  
Echo Intensity ◽  
In Situ Data ◽  
Environmental Impact Assessments ◽  
Suspended Matters ◽  
Water Tanks ◽  
Ocean Mining

Deep ocean mining in a hydrothermal area needs careful environmental impact assessments in terms of preservation and mitigation of biodiversity. The General Environmental Technos Co. Ltd., or KANSO TECHNOS, for short, has participated in environmental impact assessments in hydrothermal areas in the Izu-Ogasawara and the East China Sea areas (Ishida et al., 2011). Through the experience, we suggest a method of using acoustic systems such as acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) for monitoring of suspended matters and benthos in hydrothermal areas. Thus, we try to do in-situ observations, called Tow-yo (or Towing) observations with ADCPs (Komaki and Ura, 2009; Komaki et al., 2010). This system has a great advantage in enabling the measurement of great environmental factors, echo intensity and current velocity in a large range. To confirm exactly what the substances are and how large they are from the measured echo intensity data, we tried laboratory experiments in water tanks with echo sounders and turbidity sensors. These results will finally be integrated in a simulation model to predict substances from in-situ data in deep water for future monitoring systems.

Deep-Ocean Exploitation Technology

1971 ◽  
Vol 8 (02) ◽  
pp. 145-158
Author(s):  
Raymond Kaufman
Keyword(s):  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Deep Ocean ◽  
Abandoned Mine ◽  
Economic Potential ◽  
Mining Method ◽  
Mine Shaft ◽  
Sea Floor ◽  
Ocean Mining ◽  
Air Lift

The paper discusses the latest techniques proposed for mining minerals from the deep ocean. Deep ocean is defined as the sea beyond the continental shelf, particularly areas of the sea floor exceeding 1200 ft in depth. The three principal deep-ocean minerals having economic potential in the immediate future are identified. Four recently proposed advanced deep-ocean mining concepts are presented. Use of the air-lift pump as a viable mining method is discussed and a large-scale air-lift pump experiment conducted in an abandoned mine shaft at Galax, Virginia is described. The principal features of the conversion of a small C1-M-AV1 type cargo ship to a deep-ocean mining prototype vessel, RV Deepsea Miner, is outlined.

Dynamic Model Development and Simulation Analysis of China’s Total Integrated Deep Ocean Mining Pilot System

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Dai ◽  
Shaojun Liu ◽  
Li Li ◽  
Yan Li ◽  
Gang Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Analysis ◽  
Deep Ocean ◽  
Pipeline System ◽  
Mining System ◽  
Fem Model ◽  
Body Model ◽  
Single Body ◽  
Operation Process ◽  
Ocean Mining ◽  
Dem Model

A typical and may be the most prospective deep ocean mining system is an integration of a mining ship system, a hoist pipeline system and a self-propelled seafloor miner system. According to this representative system configuration, China has designed and developed a deep ocean mining pilot system. In order to evaluate and improve the design of the pilot system, and further to provide technical references for the practical system operation, dynamic simulation models of the subsystems and the total integrated system are developed. For the seafloor miner, a multi-body model with the scale of 1:1 to the actual size of the pilot miner is built, which can be used effectively to perform detailed design, analysis and optimization of the miner system. Meanwhile, to make the integration of the total mining system possible, a simplified 3D single-body model with 6 DOF of the miner is also developed, which is capable of real-time simulation and can be easily integrated with other subsystems. For the pipeline system including the rigid lifting pipe, submerged pump, buffer storage and flexible hose, finite element method (FEM) and discrete element method (DEM) are all proposed and developed. With the FEM model, the towing mining operation process, as well as the launching and retrieval process, can be analyzed. Whereas, the DEM model is preferred to perform the dynamic analysis of the total integrated mining system due to its relative high computation efficiency compared with that of the FEM model. To realize the dynamic analysis of the total integrated mining system with relative high efficiency and accuracy, the single body model of the miner and the DEM model of the pipeline are chosen to be integrated to form the total system and perform dynamic analysis, which in a way can provide specific guidance and suggestions for the practical deep ocean mining system analysis, operation and control. For further researches, more attention will be focused on the analysis of the launching and retrieval operation process of the total mining system, including the water entry of the miner, the launching process of the pipeline system and the final seafloor-touchdown of the miner.

scholarly journals Research of Particle Motion in a Two-Stage Slurry Transport Pump for Deep-Ocean Mining by the CFD-DEM Method

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 6711
Author(s):  
Xianghui Su ◽  
Zhenji Tang ◽  
Yi Li ◽  
Zuchao Zhu ◽  
Kamila Mianowicz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Design Method ◽  
Deep Ocean ◽  
Velocity Variation ◽  
Coarse Particles ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
Impeller Blade ◽  
Rate Condition ◽  
Slurry Transport ◽  
Ocean Mining

The slurry transport pump is the key equipment of deep-ocean mining systems. The motion law of coarse particles in the pump is not clear enough. In this paper, a hydraulic model of a laboratory-scale two-stage slurry transport pump is constructed, and the motion characteristics of coarse particles in the pump are numerically studied by using the computational fluid dynamics–discrete element method (CFD-DEM) method. The performance curve of the pump is obtained by experimental measurement, and the reliability of the calculated results is verified. Due to the application of the amplification flow rate design method, the optimum efficiency point of the pump is shifted to the large flow rate condition. Differences in particle swarm within two stages are compared. The position distribution, velocity variation and trajectory of particles in the impeller and bowl diffuser are studied in detail. The velocity of particles leaving the impeller depends on whether they collide with the impeller blade. The motion of particles in the bowl diffuser is divided into three periods. Collision between particles and blades in the bowl diffuser not only leads to energy loss but also gradually transforms the circumferential velocity of particles into axial velocity in the second period. This work can provide a reference for the study of wear and blockage prevention of slurry transport pumps.

Deep ocean mining for manganese nodules

1979 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 236-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
J E Halkyard
Keyword(s):  
Deep Ocean ◽  
Manganese Nodules ◽  
Ocean Mining

Design Synthesis Studies for the Development of Deep Ocean Manganese Nodule Collecting Systems

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepak C. Raphael ◽  
Sivasailam Kumaraswamy ◽  
Medisetti M. Rao ◽  
Muthukamatchi Ravindran
Keyword(s):  
Manganese Nodule ◽  
Deep Ocean ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Design Synthesis ◽  
Cascading Effects ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Complex Design ◽  
Dynamic Forces ◽  
Function Sharing ◽  
Ocean Mining

Deep ocean mining of manganese nodules presents one of the major challenges in technology in areas pertaining to complex design of machinery for long duration operations at about five thousand metres depth on soft ocean floor. Design synthesis for such systems has to be done keeping in view device interactions, cascading effects of probable failures in hyperbaric subsea conditions apart from main functional requirements. In the present study, conventional design synthesis approaches have been enhanced with design fusion methodologies developed like structured mutual fusion, function sharing approaches for reinforcement, buoyancy and protection, mutual balancing of dynamic forces and reactions of devices. Bionic design methods with analogies to nature can be used effectively in design fusion for manganese nodule collection systems. Case studies of failure and its cascading effects experienced in deep seas have been studied and factors to be taken care in design synthesis mentioned. The paper describes in detail the methodologies developed and design synthesis approaches that can be used for designing deep ocean manganese nodule collector systems.

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