Development of Mining Technology and Equipment for Seafloor Massive Sulfide Deposits

Seafloor massive sulfide（SMS） deposits which consist of Au, Ag, Cu, and other metal elements, have been a target of commercial mining in recent decades. The demand for established and reliable commercial mining system for SMS deposits is increasing within the marine mining industry. The current status and progress of mining technology and equipment for SMS deposits are introduced. First, the mining technology and other recent developments of SMS deposits are comprehensively explained and analyzed. The seafloor production tools manufactured by Nautilus Minerals and similar mining tools from Japan for SMS deposits are compared and discussed in turn. Second, SMS deposit mining technology research being conducted in China is described, and a new SMS deposits mining tool is designed according to the environmental requirement. Finally, some new trends of mining technology of SMS deposits are summarized and analyzed. All of these conclusions and results have reference value and guiding significance for the research of SMS deposit mining in China.

Theoretical design and dynamic simulation of new mining paths of tracked miner on deep seafloor

With comprehensive considerations of the operational safety and collection efficiency for the tracked miner collecting the seafloor poly-metallic nodules, two new improved mining paths for the miner on the deep seafloor were proposed. Compared to the conventional mining path, the design principles and superiorities of the two new paths are that the miner turning with relative long radius should avoid large sinkage and high slip, so as to ensure its operational safety, while the space between its straight-line trajectories before and after the turning is optimum, which is designed as the total width of the miner, and collect nodules as more as possible, so as to ensure its collection efficiency. To realize the new mining paths, theoretical designs and quantitative calculations were carried out to determine the exact positions for the speed controls of the miner during its whole operation process. With the new dynamic model of the miner, and through regulations of the speeds of the left and right tracks of the miner on the exact motion positions according to the theoretical calculations, the two new improved mining paths for the miner on the seafloor were successfully simulated, thus the turning radius of the miner in the simulation is about 21.8 m, while the distance between the straight-line trajectories before and after the turning is about 5.2 m. The dynamic simulation results preliminarily prove the feasibility of these two new mining paths, and further can provide important theoretical guidance and useful technical reference for the practical tracked miner operation and control on the seafloor.

Design and implementation of model test installation of heave compensation system of deepsea mining

In order to validate the simulation model and develop heave compensation control strategy,heave compensation model tests were performed.The model test installation includes themining ship motion simulator,the heave compensation system,the lifting pipe simulator,the buffer simulator and the water pool.The tests ofmining ship motion simulator show that it is able to perform under the predetermined attitude path smoothly and can meet the requirements of themining ship motions.The heave compensation effect is more than 60% under random wave and the goal is set to be 50%.The model test results indicate that this heave compensation system is effective and feasible.

On electro-acoustic characteristics of a marine broadband sparker for seismic exploration

The construction of major marine infrastructure projects and the exploration and development of deep-sea mineral resources require fine imaging of seabed strata and structures.The highresolution marine seismic exploration based on a high broadband sparker source is an important approach to reveal seabed stratum and reservoir structure,and identify geohazard.To optimize the performance of sparker seismic source,we investigated the electro-acoustic characteristics of spark discharge under conditions of different charging voltages and electrode numbers.Results show that the sound source level increased with the increase of the charging voltage,whereas the main frequency decreased when the charging voltage increases.In addition,it was found that the charging capacitance had more obvious influence on the main frequency than the sound source level did.Although the load energy decreased with increasing electrode number,the sound source level still increased but the main frequency decreased.Meanwhile,the primary to bubble(P/B)ratio increased with the increase of the electrode number.To gain a deeper insight into the electro-acoustic characteristics,we investigate the relationship between sound source level and power peak,from which a good correlation was observed.A more practical statistical analysis on the rise rate of current was processed,and a perfect logarithmic function was derived.Furthermore,we found that the main frequency was most possibly subjected to the electrical energy,especially the charging energy per electrode.The results indicate that the charging energy per electrode less than 10 J could increase the main frequency to above 300 Hz.At last,the main frequency could be reduced to 20 Hz when the charging energy of a single-electrode discharge was enhanced to over 4 kJ.This study shall be helpful in developing a sparker seismic source and improving the performance for marine engineering exploration and geohazard assessment.

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.

Dynamic Analysis of the Seafloor Pilot Miner Based on Single-Body Vehicle Model and Discretized Track-Terrain Interaction Model

In order to achieve the complex dynamic analysis of the self-propelled seafloor pilot miner moving on the seafloor of extremely cohesive soft soil and further to make it possible to integrate the miner system with some subsystems to form the complete integrated deep ocean mining pilot system and perform dynamic analysis, a new method for the dynamic modeling and analysis of the miner is proposed and developed in this paper, resulting in a simplified 3D single-body vehicle model with three translational and three rotational degrees of freedom, while the track-terrain interaction model is built by partitioning the track-terrain interface into discrete elements with parameterized force dements built on the theory of terramechanics acting on each discrete dement. To evaluate and verify the correctness and effectiveness of this new modeling and analysis method, typical comparative studies with regard to computational efficiency and solution accuracy are carried out between the traditional modeling method of building the tracked vehicle as a multi-body model and the new modeling method. In full consideration of the particMar structure design of the pilot miner, the special characteristics of the seafioor soil and the hydrodynamic force of near-seafloor currnt, the dynamic simulation analysis of the miner is performed and discussed, which can provide useful guidance and reference for the practical miner system in design and operation. This new method can not only realize the rapid dynamic simulation analysis of the miner but also make possible the integration and rapid dynamic analysis of the complete integrated deep ocean mining pilot system in further researches.

Experimental investigation of clam water impact on flatted-bottom seafloor mining tool

A test rig for constant velocity water entry experiments was developed that drives a flatted-bottom section attached on six degree of freedom(6-DOF) platform to enter the water vertically at near constant velocity.The experiment system,which consists of drive and actuation system,water pool,model test sections,load cell,and control system,was presented.Water entry forces of different velocities were measured during impact process,and for each test case,three runs were performed with the same motion program to check the repeatability of the force readings.The experiment results are compared with two-dimensional(2D) CFD simulation methods for flatted-bottom rigid bodies with constant entry velocity.Experimental results indicate that the impact forces mainly depend on water entry velocities.It is concluded that the feasibility and accuracy of simulation methods has been validated.

Suspension principle of deep-ocean nodule collector

To make sure that the nodule collector can walk on the soft sediments of seafloor effectively, suspension principle of deep-ocean nodule collector is proposed. The supporting and driving mechanisms are separated to avoid collector sinking. The supporting mechanism is a streamlined body with large and smooth supporting area. The grounding pressure is reduced to 0.5- 1 N/cm2 to make sure that the sinkage is limited. The impellers serve as the driving mechanism to supply enough driving power. The position between the supporting mechanism and the driving mechanism can be adjusted according to the operating condition to decrease the walking resistance and to increase driving efficiency. The test results indicate that the collector can walk on the surface of the soft sediments with the limited sinkage. The traction forces were up to 800 kg and the sinkage of the impeller was under the limitation.

Deformation characteristics and constitutive model of seafloor massive sulfides

Deformation characteristics and constitutive model of seafloor massive sulfide(SMS)were selected as the research object.Uniaxial/triaxial compression test were carried out on the mineral samples,and the deformation characteristics of specimens under various conditions were studied.According to characteristics of the mineral,a new three stages constitutive equation was proposed.The conclusions are as follows:The axial strain,peak strain and maximum strength of seafloor massive sulfide increase with the confining pressure.The elastic modulus of the metal sulfide samples is decreased sharply with the increase of confining pressure.According to characteristics of seafloor massive sulfide,the constitutive equation is divided into three parts,the comparison between theoretical curves and experimental data shows that both of them are in good agreement,which also proves the correctness of the constitutive equation for uniaxial compression.

Geochronological and geochemical constraints on the petrogenesis and geodynamic process of Hemler,Vlinder,and Il'ichev seamount lavas in NW Pacific

Oceanic intraplate volcanoes with linear age progressions are usually accepted to be derived from melting of an upwelling mantle plume.Several seamount groups in NW Pacific,however,show complex age-distance relationships that are difficult to explain using the classic“mantle plume hypothesis”,and thus their origins are controversial.In this study,we present ^(40)Ar-^(39)Ar age,geochemical,and Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopic data of lavas from Hemler,Vlinder,and Il’ichev seamounts in NW Pacific,to elucidate their petrogenesis and geodynamic process.The lavas from Hemler,Vlinder,and Il’ichev seamounts are classified as alkali basalt,basanite/nephelinite,and trachyte.Lavas with Mg O>8 wt.%exhibit high contents of CaO,FeO^(T),and TiO_(2),similar to the composition of melts formed from reaction between carbonated eclogite-derived melts and fertile peridotite.These lavas have elevated Zr/Hf ratios(40.6-45.2)and negative Zr and Hf anomalies,indicating the presence of a carbonate component in the mantle source.They are enriched in incompatible trace elements and have enriched mantle 1(EM1)-like SrNd-Pb-Hf isotopic compositions.The isotopic compositions of Vlinder,Il’ichev basanite,and Hemler lavas in this study are similar to the Rarotonga hotspot.Although occurring at the same seamount,the Il’ichev alkali basalts display more depleted SrNd-Hf isotopic compositions compared to Il’ichev basanite.According to plate tectonic reconstruction results,the ages of Hemler(100.1 Ma),Vlinder pre-(100.2 Ma)and post-shield(87.5 Ma),and Il’ichev(56.4 Ma)lavas clearly deviate from the Macdonald,Arago,Rarotonga,and Samoa hotspot tracks,indicating that they cannot directly originate from mantle plumes.We propose that in the mid-Cretaceous,when the Pacific plate passed over Rarotonga hotspot,melting of Rarotonga plume formed the Vlinder(main-shield stage),Pako,and Ioah seamounts.The Rarotonga(and possibly Samoa)plume materials would have been dispersed into the surrounding asthenosphere by mantle convection.These diffuse plume materials would undergo decompression melting beneath lithosphere fractures that are widely distributed in the Magellan area,generating non-hotspot related Hemler and pre-and post-shield Vlinder lavas.The Il’ichev alkali basalts and basanite probably result from lithospheric fracture-induced melting of heterogeneous enriched components randomly distributed in the asthenosphere.

An Integrated Dynamic Model of Ocean Mining System and Fast Simulation of Its Longitudinal Reciprocating Motion

An integrated dynamic model of China＇s deep ocean mining system is developed and the fast simulation analysis of its longitudinal reciprocating motion operation processes is achieved. The seafloor tracked miner is built as a three-dimensional single-body model with six-degree-of-freedom. The track-terrain interaction is modeled by partitioning the track-terrain interface into a certain number of mesh elements with three mutually perpendicular forces, including the normal force, the longitudinal shear force and the lateral shear force, acting on the center point of each mesh element. The hydrodynamic force of the miner is considered and applied. By considering the operational safety and collection efficiency, two new mining paths for the miner on the seafloor are proposed, which can be simulated with the established single-body dynamic model of the miner. The pipeline subsystem is built as a three-dimensional multi-body discrete element model, which is divided into rigid elements linked by flexible connectors. The flexible connector without mass is represented by six spring-damper elements. The external hydrodynamic forces of the ocean current from the longitudinal and lateral directions are both considered and modeled based on the Morison formula and applied to the mass center of each corresponding discrete rigid element. The mining ship is simplified and represented by a general kinematic point, whose heave motion induced by the ocean waves and the longitudinal and lateral towing motions are considered and applied. By integrating the single-body dynamic model of the miner and the multi-body discrete element dynamic model of the pipeline, and defining the kinematic equations of the mining ship, the integrated dynamic model of the total deep ocean mining system is formed. The longitudinal reciprocating motion operation modes of the total mining system, which combine the active straight-line and turning motions of the miner and the ship, and the passive towed motions of the pipeline, are proposed and simulated with the developed 3D dynamic model. Some critical simulation results are obtained and analyzed, such as the motion trajectories of key subsystems, the velocities of the buoyancy modules and the interaction forces between subsystems, which in a way can provide important theoretical basis and useful technical reference for the practical deep ocean mining system analysis, operation and control.