深海采矿技术与装备研究进展及系统方案综述

Review on the Technology and Equipment Progress and the System Scheme of Deep-sea Mining

深海底蕴藏着丰富的矿产资源,但因其赋存环境特殊,必须依赖专门的技术和装备才能开发利用。近年来新能源电池等对关键金属需求的迅猛增长,推动了深海采矿技术与装备的研究向商业化发展。回顾深海采矿技术和装备的研究进展,介绍近年来几次大型深海采矿系统海试的情况。从深海矿产资源商业开采的视角,梳理对深海采矿技术和装备的功能要求和性能指标。以深海多金属结核商业开采为对象,分析商业生产要求下可能选择的采矿系统基本技术方案,梳理采矿船需具备的基本功能并估计其排水量及主要尺度参数,推荐采矿车采集装置和行走装置的结构形式并测算其尺度规模,分析大产能指标下气力提升方式可能遇到的问题,提出水力提升系统的初步设计及主要零部件的选用方案。通过对深海采矿技术与装备研究进展和商业开采系统基本方案的综合分析指出,管道水力提升已成为当前深海采矿系统的主流方案,海底采矿车的行走及定位导航技术研究取得了很大进展,水下提升系统等可以借鉴海洋油气工程的相关技术和装备,深海采矿技术与装备研究已达到开展商业采矿系统装备开发的水平,而尽量减小采矿作业对海洋环境的扰动成为了又一个重要的方向。

The deep seabed is rich in minerals,which must be exploited by deep-sea mining technology and equipment.The rapid growth in demand for critical metals,such as new energy batteries,has promoted the commercialization of deep-sea mining technology and equipment research.The research progress of deep-sea mining technology and equipment and several large-scale deep-sea mining system sea trials in recent years are introduced.From the perspective of commercial exploitation of deep-sea minerals,the functional requirements and performance indicators of deep-sea mining technology and equipment are sorted out.As taking the commercial mining of deep-sea polymetallic nodules as the object,the primary technical scheme of the mining system that may be applicable under commercial production requirements is analyzed.The basic functions of the mining vessel are sorted out,and its displacement and main scale parameters are estimated.The structural form of the mining vehicle collection device and the traveling device are recommended,and the dimension scale is measured;besides,the problems encountered in the pneumatic lifting method under the large-capacity index are analyzed.Finally,the preliminary design of the hydraulic lifting system and the applicable scheme of the main components are proposed.It is indicated that pipeline hydraulic upgrading has become the mainstream scheme of the current deep-sea mining system through the comprehensive analysis of the research progress of deep-sea mining technology and equipment and the basic scheme of commercial mining system.The research on the walking and navigation technology of seabed mining vehicles has made great progress,and the underwater lifting system can learn from the relevant technology and equipment of offshore oil and gas engineering.Consequently,the research on deep-sea mining technology and equipment has reached the level of developing commercial mining system and equipment,and minimizing the disturbance of mining operations to the marine environment has become another important direction.