Blockage of the Deep-Sea Mining Pump Transporting Large Particles with Different Sphericity

The present study aims to plumb blockage of the deep-sea mining pump transporting large particles with different shapes. A numerical work was performed through combining the computational fluid dynamics(CFD) technique and the discrete element method(DEM). Six particle shapes with sphericity ranging from 0.67 to 1.0 were selected. A velocity triangle is built with the absolute, relative, and circumferential velocities of particles. Velocity triangles with absolute velocity angles ranging from 90° to 180° prevail in the first-stage impeller. With declining sphericity, more particles follow the velocity triangle with absolute velocity angles ranging from 0° to 90°, which weakens the ability of particles to pass through the flow passage. Furthermore, the forces acting on the particles traveling in the impeller passage are analyzed. Large particles, especially non-spherical ones, suffer from high centrifugal force and therefore move along the suction surface of the impeller blades. Non-spherical particles undergo great drag force as a result of large surface area. The distribution of drag force angles is featured by two peaks, and one vanishes due to blockage.As particle sphericity declines, both magnitude and angle of the pressure gradient force decrease. Variation of the drag force and the pressure gradient force causes clockwise deflection of the centripetal force, resulting in deflection and elongation of particle trajectory, which increases the possibility of blockage.

Theoretical analysis of effect of solid phase on cavitation performance of deep-sea mining pump

In view of the present situation of low cavitation performance of deep-sea mining slurry pump, the effect of solid phase on the cavitation performance of deep-sea mining pump is analyzed theoretically. The relationship between gas and liquid phases are established by cavitation nucleon theory and mass energy equation as well as solid phase and liquid phase, and then we explored the relationship between gas phase and solid phase. The results show that the critical bubble radius and solid-phase concentration flow rate during the cavitation can be related to the liquid pressure. Eq.(19) show that the larger the solid particle concentration and the solid phase flow, the earlier the cavitation will occur, and pump anti-cavitation performance will decline.

Experimental investigation of the inhibition of deep-sea mining sediment plumes by polyaluminum chloride

Deep-sea sediment disturbance may occur when collecting polymetallic nodules,resulting in the creation of plumes that could have a negative impact on the ecological environment.This study aims to investigate the potential solution of using polyaluminum chloride(PAC)in the water jet.The effects of PAC are examined through a self-designed simulation system for deep-sea polymetallic nodule collection and sediment samples from a potential deep-sea mining area.The experimental results showed that the optimal PAC dose was found to be 0.75 g/L.Compared with the test conditions without the addition of PAC,the presence of PAC leads to a reduction in volume,lower characteristic turbidity,smaller diffusion velocity,and shorter settling time of the plume.This indicates that PAC inhibits the entire development process of the plume.The addition of PAC leads to the flocculation of mm-sized particles,resulting in the formation of cm-sized flocs.The flocculation of particles decreases the rate of erosion on the seabed by around 30%.This reduction in erosion helps to decrease the formation of plumes.Additionally,when the size of suspended particles increases,it reduces the scale at which they diffuse.Furthermore,the settling velocity of flocs(around 10^(-2) m/s)is much higher that of compared to sediment particles(around 10^(-5) m/s),which effectively reduces the amount of time the plume remains in suspension.

Integrated biomarker response to assess toxic impacts of iron and manganese on deep-sea mussel Gigantidas platifrons under a deep-sea mining activity scenario

Deep-sea mining activities can potentially release metals,which pose a toxicological threat to deep-sea ecosystems.Nevertheless,due to the remoteness and inaccessibility of the deep-sea biosphere,there is insufficient knowledge about the impact of metal exposure on its inhabitants.In this study,deep-sea mussel Gigantidas platifrons,a commonly used deep-sea toxicology model organism,was exposed to manganese(100,1000μg/L)or iron(500,5000μg/L)for 7 d,respectively.Manganese and iron were chosen for their high levels of occurrence within deep-sea deposits.Metal accumulation and a battery of biochemical biomarkers related to antioxidative stress in superoxide dismutase(SOD),catalase(CAT),malondialdehyde(MDA);immune function in alkaline phosphatase(AKP),acid phosphatase(ACP);and energy metabolism in pyruvate kinase(PK)and hexokinase(HK)were assessed in mussel gills.Results showed that deep-sea mussel G.platifrons exhibited a high capacity to accumulate Mn/Fe.In addition,most tested biochemical parameters were altered by metal exposure,demonstrating that metals could induce oxidative stress,suppress the immune system,and affect energy metabolism of deep-sea mussels.The integrated biomarker response(IBR)approach indicated that the exposure to Mn/Fe had a negative impact on deep-sea mussels,and Mn demonstrated a more harmful impact on deep-sea mussels than Fe.Additionally,SOD and CAT biomarkers had the greatest impact on IBR values in Mn treatments,while ACP and HK were most influential for the low-and high-dose Fe groups,respectively.This study represents the first application of the IBR approach to evaluate the toxicity of metals on deep-sea fauna and serves as a crucial framework for risk assessment of deep-sea mining-associated metal exposure.

Deep-sea rock mechanics and mining technology:State of the art and perspectives

The review covers the development and the state of the art in deep-sea mining rock mechanics,equipment and challenges.It begins by introducing the significance of deep-sea mining,the types and geographical distribution of deep-sea resources.Section 2 reviews the mechanical properties and fracture mechanism of seabed and related continental rocks,which contributes to the advancement of relevant technologies and theories.Deep-sea mining systems developed by coastal countries are presented in Section 3.Seabed mineral collection systems are critically assessed in Section 4.Subsea mining vehicle is reviewed by walking mechanism and controlling system in Section 5.In Section 6,the development of subsea lifting system is detailed by dividing it into hydraulic and pneumatic lifting modes,and some technical problems in the lifting system are described.An in-depth description of surface support systems is presented in Section 7,which includes the deep-sea mining ship,dynamic positioning system,heave compensation system,launch and retrieval system,mineral disposing system as well as the storage and transferring systems.Section 8 discusses the challenges in the deep-sea mining,in terms of natural occurrence conditions,international legal framework and cooperative mining,environmental protection and economic benefits,etc.Finally,a brief summary and some aspects of prospective research are presented in Section 9.

System Identification and Parameter Self-Tuning Controller on Deep-Sea Mining Vehicle

System identification is a quintessential measure for real-time analysis on kinematic characteristics for deep-sea mining vehicle, and thus to enhance the control performance and testing efficiency. In this study, the system identification algorithm, recursive least square method with instrumental variables(IV-RLS), is tailored to model ‘Pioneer I’, a deep-sea mining vehicle which recently completed a 1305-meter-deep sea trial in the Xisha area of the South China Sea in August, 2021. The algorithm operates on the sensor data collected from the trial to obtain the vehicle’s kinematic model and accordingly design the parameter self-tuning controller. The performances demonstrate the accuracy of the model, and prove its generalization capability. With this model, the optimal controller has been designed, the control parameters have been self-tuned, and the response time and robustness of the system have been optimized,which validates the high efficiency on digital modelling for precision control of deep-sea mining vehicles.

Influence on the Solid−Liquid Two-Phase Flow from Cross-Section Area of Slurry Pumps for Deep-Sea Mining

To explore the mechanism of solid-liquid two-phase flow in deep-sea mining pumps,this paper investigates the influences of the impeller cross-section area on the multi-phase flow in the slurry pump.Experimental and numerical results are presented for two-phase flow in four impellers with different cross-section areas.They show that the degree of vortex strength and the passing capacity of particles increase as the cross-section area of the impeller.In addition,the correlations between the two-phase flow and cross-section area have been revealed by a mathematical model taking the force of the flow field into account.The simulation results confirm the theoretical analysis,while the experimental pump performances validate the numerical calculation.The influence of the cross-section area on two-phase flow and pump performance could provide theoretical support for the design of high-performance deep-sea mining slurry pumps.

Failure mechanism of pump chambers and their optimized design in deep mining at Qishan Coal Mine

Pump chambers, normally used as dominant structures in mining engineering to insure the safety and production of un-derground coal mines, become generally deformed under conditions of deep mining. Given the geology and engineering condition of Qishan Coal Mine in Xuzhou, the failure characteristics of pump chambers at the –1000 m level show that the main cause can be attributed to the spatial effect induced by intersectional chambers, where one pump is constructed per well. We developed an opti-mized design of the pump room, in which the pump wells in the traditional design are integrated into one compounding well. We suggest that the new design can limit the spatial effect of intersectional chambers during construction given our relevant numerical simulation. The new design is able to simplify the structure of the pump chamber and reduce the amount of excavation required. Based on a bolt-mesh-anchor with a rigid gap coupling supporting technology, the stability of pump chamber can be improved greatly.

Experimental research on grouser traction of deep-sea mining machine

The traction characteristics of the grouser, cutting the simulative soil of deepsea sediment, with different tooth widths, tooth heights, and ground pressures are studied with traction characteristic test apparatus. A traction-displacement model is obtained by combining the analysis of the cutting mechanism. The results show that the tractiondisplacement curves of grousers with different tooth widths, tooth heights, and ground pressures have the same changing trend, which matches the Wong traction model. Their sensitivity coefficient and shear modulus are slightly fluctuated. Therefore, the average values can be used as the traction model parameters. The maximum traction of the grouser with a two-side edge and a 10 mm tooth width increment changing with the tooth height and ground pressure can be determined according to the grousers with different tooth widths. By combining the traction model parameters, the traction-displacement curve of the grouser with a certain group values of tooth width, tooth height, and ground pressure can be predicted. Therefore, the slip of the mining machine can be prevented to improve the mining efficiency.

Predicting the sinkage of a moving tracked mining vehicle using a new rheological formulation for soft deep-sea sediment

The sinkage of a moving tracked mining vehicle is greatly af fected by the combined compression-shear rheological properties of soft deep-sea sediments. For test purposes, the best sediment simulant is prepared based on soft deep-sea sediment from a C-C poly-metallic nodule mining area in the Pacific Ocean. Compressive creep tests and shear creep tests are combined to obtain compressive and shear rheological parameters to establish a combined compressive-shear rheological constitutive model and a compression-sinkage rheological constitutive model. The combined compression-shear rheological sinkage of the tracked mining vehicle at dif ferent speeds is calculated using the Recur Dyn software with a selfprogrammed subroutine to implement the combined compression-shear rheological constitutive model. The model results are compared with shear rheological sinkage and ordinary sinkage(without consideration of rheological properties). These results show that the combined compression-shear rheological constitutive model must be taken into account when calculating the sinkage of a tracked mining vehicle. The combined compression-shear rheological sinkage decrease with vehicle speed and is the largest among the three types of sinkage. The developed subroutine in the Recur Dyn software can be used to study the performance and structural optimization of moving tracked mining vehicles.

Review of Nodule Mineral Image Segmentation Algorithms for Deep-Sea Mineral Resource Assessment

A large number of nodule minerals exist in the deep sea.Based on the factors of difficulty in shooting,high economic cost and high accuracy of resource assessment,large-scale planned commercial mining has not yet been conducted.Only experimental mining has been carried out in areas with high mineral density and obvious benefits after mineral resource assessment.As an efficient method for deep-sea mineral resource assessment,the deep towing system is equipped with a visual system for mineral resource analysis using collected images and videos,which has become a key component of resource assessment.Therefore,high accuracy in deep-sea mineral image segmentation is the primary goal of the segmentation algorithm.In this paper,the existing deep-sea nodule mineral image segmentation algorithms are studied in depth and divided into traditional and deep learning-based segmentation methods,and the advantages and disadvantages of each are compared and summarized.The deep learning methods show great advantages in deep-sea mineral image segmentation,and there is a great improvement in segmentation accuracy and efficiency compared with the traditional methods.Then,the mineral image dataset and segmentation evaluation metrics are listed.Finally,possible future research topics and improvement measures are discussed for the reference of other researchers.

Pump-lockage ore transportation system for deep sea flexible mining system

Based on characteristics of deep sea flexible mining system,a new pump-lockage ore transportation system was designed.According to Bernoulli equation and two-phase hydrodynamics theory,parameters of the new system were obtained and four ore transportation systems were analyzed.The results indicate that the pump head of 1 000 m mining system is 100-150 m and that of 5 000 m mining system is 660-750 m.In addition,based on similarity theory,a model of the new transportation system was made,which can simulate more than 5 000 m actual ore transportation system.So both theory and experiment prove that the new pump-lockage ore transportation system is an ideal design for deep sea flexible mining system.

关闭/废弃矿井抽水蓄能开发利用现状与进展

探索清洁能源发展的创新途径是实现我国“双碳”目标的重要推动力。为解决大规模可再生能源电力供应不稳定的难题,新型电力系统的提出与加速成长促进了抽水蓄能电站的建设与发展,但生态保护与地形等因素制约了传统抽水蓄能电站发展。关闭/废弃矿井,由于具有丰富的地下空间及水资源,可创新性地开发抽水蓄能并延长矿区的经济寿命,降低对环境与经济的负面影响。为助力建立适合我国国情的废弃矿井抽水蓄能利用模式和管理体系,通过文献分析法综述了国内外废弃矿井抽水蓄能技术研究与应用进展。详细阐述了关闭/废弃矿井抽水蓄能技术原理、分类及其优缺点;总结了关闭/废弃矿井抽水蓄能电站利用模式,并在前人研究基础上对选址要素进行了修订;梳理了关闭/废弃矿井改建抽水蓄能电站的水-气两相流动特性、水泵水轮机工况特性、地下空间围岩稳定性及地下蓄水空间体积测算等的研究现状,明确了水泵-水轮机关键技术、地下空间稳定性控制关键技术等亟待解决的技术难题。此外,对关闭/废弃矿井抽水蓄能相关的生态与环境保护、市场需求与经济效益、政策与法规等研究成果进行了广泛的文献综述。发展关闭/废弃矿井地下空间抽水蓄能技术可为我国井下空间资源利用提供思路,为保障国家能源安全与经济社会高质量发展提供新途径。

全清洁能源下的高品质矿区能源系统配置优化方法

面向“30·60”双碳目标,矿区能源利用方式的绿色、经济、高效转型成为我国能源革命的迫切需求。西部矿区拥有丰富的可再生能源资源禀赋,但仍面临着可再生能源就地消纳困难,电力设备投资成本高、利用率低以及外送输电通道有限的困难。为提升矿区用能清洁化程度,提升矿区能源供给的稳定性与可靠性,增强矿区对外部电网的支撑能力,提出全清洁能源下的高品质矿区能源系统(High-quality Coal Mine Energy System,HCMES)及其配置优化方法。首先,考虑西部矿山综合能源系统的负荷特点与伴生能源利用,结合可再生能源发电与废弃矿井抽水蓄能,构建全清洁能源下的HCMES架构。其次,考虑到矿区生产全流程负荷的需求响应能力,考虑系统的能量平衡约束,提出全清洁能源下的高品质矿区能源系统优化配置模型。最后,以系统年平均综合成本最小化为目标,将原问题转化为混合整数线性规划模型,求解生成高品质矿区能源系统优化配置方案。以我国西部某年产煤量1200万t的矿区实际数据为实例,验证所提模型与方法的有效性,并分析可再生能源出力与生产负荷需求不确定性对系统优化配置结果的影响。算例仿真设置了4种矿区能源系统配置方式:不配置储能、配置抽水蓄能、配置电化学储能、配置抽水蓄能(不外购电能)。结果表明,所提出的HCMES相较于其他配置方式可减少电气一次设备投资11.11%,相较于方式3可降低年平均综合成本7.91%,且最多可减少矿区生产用能总二氧化碳排放量91.17%。

含废旧矿井抽蓄电站的源-荷-储协同控制调频研究

针对新能源在电网中渗透率不断提高导致系统调频容量和频率响应能力不足的问题,提出一种含废旧矿井抽蓄电站的源-荷-储协同控制调频方法。首先,建立了电解铝工业负荷、废旧矿井抽蓄电站和超级电容频率响应模型。然后,基于模型预测控制理论,以系统状态量和控制量的加权函数最小为目标,设计区域信息互动的分布式模型预测控制器,并提出含废旧矿井抽蓄电站的源-荷-储协同控制调频方法。最后,将分布式模型预测控制器应用在所提源-荷-储协同控制方法中,并在改进的IEEE标准两区域LFC模型中进行仿真。结果表明所提方法可以缩短频率恢复时间,减小最大频差值,改善系统调频动态性能。

安徽省关闭煤矿资源调查及其综合利用研究

【目的】在煤炭资源持续高强度开发与能源供给侧结构性改革的背景下,安徽省关闭了一批资源枯竭、产能落后的煤矿,而关闭煤矿仍赋存有地下空间、遗煤、瓦斯、矿井水、土地与基础设施设备等资源,开展关闭煤矿资源再利用具有现实的工程价值和经济效益。【方法】统计自2013年以来安徽省59座关闭煤矿基础信息和再利用现状,分析关闭煤矿分布特征、遗留资源与再利用潜力;构建安徽省关闭煤矿数据库与WebGIS云平台,实现关闭煤矿信息查询分析与可视化;以潘一矿与石台煤矿为例,分别介绍遗留瓦斯抽采与半地下抽水蓄能的关闭煤矿再利用方案。【结果和结论】结果表明:安徽省关闭煤矿主要集中分布在两淮矿区,部分关闭煤矿关闭时间较短、遗留资源丰富、产权隶属清晰,再利用潜力较大;潘一关闭煤矿综合使用封闭墙压管抽采、原抽采钻孔抽采和地面钻井抽采的立体化遗留瓦斯抽采技术,实施关闭煤矿采空区“排水-抽采-利用”的一体化工程,3年内累计抽采瓦斯量4 840万m^(3)、发电8 590万kW·h、直接经济效益5 120万元,同时保障了相邻矿井的安全生产;石台关闭煤矿拟建设半地下抽水蓄能电站,地下空间可提供有效库容30万m^(3)、装机容量35 MW。案例分析表明安徽省部分关闭煤矿资源再利用在技术经济上具有合理性,但仍需开展进一步深入研究。

“双碳”目标下云南省废弃矿山光伏-抽水蓄能发电站可行性分析

为助力“双碳”目标的实现以及对废弃、再生资源的循环利用,云南省利用矿山开采遗留下来的采空区建设清洁能源发电站符合现实需要。而在实际废弃矿山改造过程中,实现多元耦合开发利用模式,更有利于再生能源的渗透和维持电网的稳定运行。根据水光互补发电特性原理,结合云南省自然资源能源禀赋特征,从废弃矿山光伏-抽水蓄能电站工作原理及结构、关键技术、经济效益估算等几个方面论述云南省建设废弃矿山光伏-抽水蓄能发电站的可行性。分析结果表明,云南省已累计超过15亿m3的采空区及丰富的自然资源、能源为光伏-抽水蓄能电站建设提供了有利条件;且云南省近几年清洁电力的比重也在不断攀升,2022年,清洁电力的占比已达到87.7%;由废弃矿山光伏-抽水蓄能电站实例计算得出,该矿山每年可产生的电量收益达1.2亿元,按照设计年限20年计算,共计产出约24亿元的收益。综上所述,云南省废弃矿山光伏-抽水蓄能发电站建设优势较为显著。

利用退出煤矿建设抽水蓄能电站的施工组织探讨

抽水蓄能电站是目前最经济有效的电力储能及调节方式,对保障电力系统安全、促进风、光等新能源消纳利用有重大作用。煤炭开采造成巨大的地下空间,可作为抽水蓄能电站的储水水库加以利用,将产生良好的社会和环境效益。本文从施工角度出发,探讨了利用退出煤矿建设抽水蓄能电站的可行性。

废弃矿井水源热泵抽灌井布置及参数敏感度的研究

废弃矿井中储存着丰富的地热资源。文章以采空区矿井水为研究对象,为保证采暖季抽水温度的稳定,对废弃矿井水源热泵抽灌井布置及参数敏感度进行了研究。首先,基于达西定律及多孔介质传热理论,建立了废弃矿井水源热泵抽灌井的多物理场耦合的二维数值计算模型;其次,基于理论模型进行计算分析,模拟了14种不同抽灌井布置形式下的抽水温度变化,并根据“热贯通”发生程度,选取最为合理的抽灌井布置方案;最后,根据选取的抽灌井布置方案,研究了不同回灌温度、抽灌流量、井间距、水力坡度、含水层厚度、孔隙率等因素对抽水温度的影响。分析结果表明:三角4的布井方式在系统运行末期抽水温度仅下降了0.148 K,“热贯通”发生程度最小,布井方式最合理;含水层“热贯通”的现象对抽灌流量、井间距、水力坡度、含水层厚度等参数变化较为敏感,而对回灌温度及孔隙率的敏感度较小。