Assessment of Different Technologies for Vertical Hydraulic Transport in Deep Sea Mining Applications

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanislav Verichev ◽  
Valery Drobadenko ◽  
Nikolay Malukhin ◽  
Alexandr Vilmis ◽  
Pieter Lucieer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transport System ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Transportation Systems ◽  
Vertical Transport ◽  
Hydraulic Transport ◽  
Mining System ◽  
Positive Displacement ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
The Right ◽  
Offshore Mining

Successful mining of deep sea deposits strongly depends on the proper choice of the right equipment. The most probable concept for a deep sea mining system would consist of the three major sub-components: Seafloor Mining Tool, Vertical Transport System and Mining Support Vessel. In this paper, emphasis is placed on the Vertical Transport System. We analyse the pros and cons of the different concepts such as hydraulic transport using centrifugal or positive-displacement slurry pumps, conventional and unconventional airlift systems, vertical offshore mining systems and vortex slurry transportation systems. All these systems are considered for their applicability at different water depths (from the relatively shallow to the relatively deep) for the different types of materials (from the relatively fine to the relatively coarse) and various production rates in terms of the efficiency, reliability and state of the art of technology.

Influence of irregular waves on the dynamic response of a vertical transport system for deep sea mining

2021 ◽  
Vol 229 ◽  
pp. 108443
Author(s):  
Qi Wu ◽  
Jianmin Yang ◽  
Xiaoxian Guo ◽  
Lei Liu
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Response ◽  
Transport System ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Vertical Transport ◽  
Irregular Waves

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.

An Integral Design Approach for Deep Sea Mining Systems Using Dredging Technology

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. Vercruijsse ◽  
R. Lotman
Keyword(s):  
Transport System ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Mining Operation ◽  
Integral Solution ◽  
Mechanical Interaction ◽  
Pumping Power ◽  
Mining System ◽  
Mining Tool ◽  
Transport Flow ◽  
Slurry Transport

Experience in the area of wet mining and the dredging industry learns that the excavation system cannot be seen separate from the slurry transportation system. These two key systems in a deep sea mining operation interrelate to such extend that they must be developed towards an integral solution. The nominal production, peak production and variability of these figures must match for all sub-systems in the overall mining system to optimize for mining efficiency; we call this the ‘game of capacities’. Also the configuration of the excavation and transport system has great consequences. For instance an important question is whether to place the first pump and its drive of the slurry transport system on the seafloor mining tool or in the riser system. The choices made impact amongst others on; the mining tool’s reach (and thus efficiency), the seafloor mining tool’s propulsion system and its geo-mechanical interaction, the slurry transport flow and pumping power requirements. This paper will discuss the several dependencies of the (producing) subsystems and important choices for configuration and their consequences regarding technology, capex, opex, reliability and maintainability.

scholarly journals A buoyancy vertical transport system of deep-sea mining

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 294-295
Author(s):  
Shijun Liao
Keyword(s):  
Transport System ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Vertical Transport

Dynamics of the Vertical Hydraulic Transport System for Deep Sea Mining

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanislav Verichev ◽  
Andrei Metrikine ◽  
Robert Plat ◽  
Hayo Hendrikse
Keyword(s):  
Transport System ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Hydraulic Transport ◽  
Slurry Flow ◽  
Commercial Scale ◽  
Sea Current ◽  
Copper Zinc ◽  
Excitation Mechanisms ◽  
Vessel Motion ◽  
Dynamic Excitations

Extractable deposits of silver, gold, copper, zinc, lead, gas hydrates and other valuable materials can be found at the ocean floor. The most valuable minerals are found at large depths, starting from 1000 m and deeper. Therefore, the leading offshore companies are currently designing systems and tools for deep sea mining. The mining at the desired depth of a few kilometers is a great challenge though as it has never been attempted before at the commercial scale. One of the fundamental design challenges lays in the understanding of and preventing from the problems associated with the dynamics of a subsea Vertical Transport System (VTS). The function of the VTS is to transport slurry (a thin mixture of water and finely divided minerals) from the seafloor to the mining support vessel. The VTS consists of a vertically hanging submerged pipe through which the slurry is transported upwards and a number of booster stations which maintain the pressure in the pipe that enables the desired slurry flow. The VTS system is subject to a number of the dynamic excitations such as the vessel motion, the slurry flow in the pipe, the sea current and a propulsion device that is envisaged to control the position of the lower end of the pipe at the desired location. To design a reliable VTS system the effect of all the above-mentioned excitation mechanisms has to be accounted for.

Effects of heave motion on the dynamic performance of vertical transport system for deep sea mining

2020 ◽  
Vol 101 ◽  
pp. 102188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Wu ◽  
Jianmin Yang ◽  
Haining Lu ◽  
Wenyue Lu ◽  
Lei Liu
Keyword(s):  
Transport System ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Dynamic Performance ◽  
Vertical Transport ◽  
Heave Motion

Features of system for water recirculation in thermal power plant ‘Morava’ on the right bank of River Velika Morava

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 342-349
Author(s):  
L. Andjelic ◽  
M. Pavlovic ◽  
B. Babovic
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Thermal Power Plant ◽  
Thermal Power ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Water Quantity ◽  
Hydraulic Transport ◽  
Productive Force ◽  
Recirculation System ◽  
Water Recirculation ◽  
The Right

The thermal power plant ‘Morava’, with a productive force of 125 MW, is located on the right bank of the River Velika Morava, near the city of Svilajnac, Serbia. This power plant uses coal for production. Ash and slag from the coal are burned and go to a landfill by hydraulic transport. The ratio of the liquid/solid mixture is 10:1. Towards the reduction of water quantity taken from the Velika Morava river for hydraulic transport, it's provided to build a water recirculation system for overflow and drainage water from landfill to power plant. In this paper, the results of the hydraulic study of water balance in landfill is shown. The goal of this study is to assess the water quantity in landfill, which can then be reused for hydraulic transport. For dimensioning of drainage system and overflow building on landfill, it was necessary to perform detailed analysis of rainfall and filtration throw landfill. With results of water quantity in drainage system, and overflow water, all parts of the recirculation system of water, from landfill to power plant, was performed. Also, in this paper are the data of hydraulic transport of mixture of water and ash/slag.

Concept Design of Mining System of Seafloor Hydrothermal Deposit

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shinichi Takagawa
Keyword(s):  
Economic Evaluation ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Hydrothermal Vents ◽  
Environmental Effect ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Concept Design ◽  
Hydrothermal Deposit ◽  
Mining System ◽  
Positive Balance ◽  
Rough Sea

Japan Deep Sea Technology Association had carried out concept design of the mining system for seafloor hydro-thermal deposit from 2008 through 2009. Through this concept design, the economic evaluation of the system with parameter of annual production of the ore was discussed, and it was clarified that more than 500 thousand tons annually would enable us to get positive balance. The environmental effect by mining was also discussed and was concluded that the active hydrothermal vents are not the targets of mining, instead, the dead vents are the targets. Then, the technological feasibility of each subsystem was discussed which constitutes the mining system, from the digger to the surface transporter. Finally, it was concluded that the mining system for hydrothermal deposits is feasible using the state-of-the-art technology even in rough sea around Japan.

Analysis of Deep Sea Umbilical in Steep Wave Configuration

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akash A. Nair ◽  
Gnanaraj A. Anbu ◽  
Panneer Selvam Rajamanickam ◽  
Gopakumar Kuttikrishnan ◽  
Ramadass Gidugu Ananda
Keyword(s):  
Deep Sea ◽  
Mining Machine ◽  
Optimum Number ◽  
Suitable Material ◽  
Static And Dynamic Analysis ◽  
Positive Displacement ◽  
Displacement Pump ◽  
Umbilical Cable ◽  
Steep Wave ◽  
Mother Ship

Deep sea mining is mineral retrieval process that takes place on the ocean floor wherein global industries are actively exploring and experimenting of different techniques in this relatively new concept of mining for extracting it economically from depths of 5000–5500 m below the ocean’s surface. National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), India has been working on a mining concept for ∼6000 m water depth where a crawler based mining machine collects, crushes and pumps nodules to the mother ship using a positive displacement pump through a flexible riser (umbilical) system. The umbilical also serve as the weight supporting member for the miner and pump. In this paper, static and dynamic analysis of the umbilical system in steep wave configuration and the miner is carried out using ORCAFLEX for launching and touchdown conditions. Three different materials are considered and the best suitable material for umbilical is selected as the first step based on the tension. Then umbilical with Single Miner System is analyzed for the launching and touchdown conditions. Based on the analysis the optimum number and spacing of buoyancy tanks that will keep the stresses within the allowable limits in the umbilical cable are recommended.

US court gives original owners the right to deep-sea treasure

Nature ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 362 (6420) ◽  
pp. 488-488
Author(s):  
Jenna Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Deep Sea ◽  
The Right
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