Experimental Research on Hydraulic Collecting Spherical Particles in Deep Sea Mining

Hydraulic collecting is the key technology in deep sea mining and dredging engineering. It determines economic benefits of the project and environmental issues. However, mechanistic studies of hydraulic collecting are rarely described. In this study, the mechanism of collecting spherical particles is researched by dimensional analysis and experimental study. The experimental system is established to carry out three kinds of tests including 253 different test cases. The empirical model of collecting performance prediction is established by the tests of vertical force characteristics and vertical incipient motion characteristics of particles in suction flow field. The results show that the vertical suction force coefficient (Cvs) decreases exponentially with the ratio of bottom clearance to diameter of the particle (h/d), increases linearly with the ratio of diameter of the suction pipe to diameter of the particle (D/d), and is nearly independent of Reynolds number (Re). The empirical formula of vertical force and criterion-formula of vertical incipient motion of particles are obtained with the maximum tolerance less than 15%. The phenomenon that the vortex could help strengthen the suction force was observed in the tests. In addition, the characteristics of suction flow field were obtained by flow visualization tests, and applied to explain the force characteristics of particles in the suction flow field. Record Type: Published Article Submitted To: LAPSE (Living Archive for Process Systems Engineering) Citation (overall record, always the latest version): LAPSE:2018.0461 Citation (this specific file, latest version): LAPSE:2018.0461-1 Citation (this specific file, this version): LAPSE:2018.0461-1v1 DOI of Published Version: https://doi.org/10.3390/en11081938 License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

[1]  G. Herrouin,et al.  A Manganese Nodule Industrial Venture Would Be Profitable: Summary of a 4-Year Study in France , 1989 .

[2]  E. Achenbach,et al.  Experiments on the flow past spheres at very high Reynolds numbers , 1972, Journal of Fluid Mechanics.

[4]  Kyle D. Squires,et al.  LES and DES Investigations of Turbulent Flow over a Sphere at Re = 10,000 , 2003 .

[5]  A. Koschinsky,et al.  Deep-ocean mineral deposits as a source of critical metals for high- and green-technology applications: Comparison with land-based resources , 2013 .

[6]  A. Koschinsky,et al.  Deep-Ocean Ferromanganese Crusts and Nodules , 2014 .

[7]  J. Mero.  The mineral resources of the sea , 1965 .

[8]  F. Simon,et al.  Manganese-Cycling Microbial Communities Inside Deep-Sea Manganese Nodules. , 2015, Environmental science & technology.

[9]  V. Baki,et al.  VISUALIZATION OF FLOW AROUND SPHERE FOR REYNOLDS NUMBERS BETWEEN 22 000 AND 400 000 , 2005 .

[10]  Jin-Ha Kim,et al.  Experimental Study On Hydraulic Performance of Hybrid Pick-up Device of Manganese Nodule Collector , 1999 .

[11]  M. Salcudean,et al.  Numerical modelling of deep sea air-lift , 2008 .

[12]  Takayuki Tsutsui,et al.  Flow around a sphere in a plane turbulent boundary layer , 2008 .

[13]  Jin S. Chung,et al.  Deep-Ocean Mining Technology III: Developments , 2009 .

[14]  U. Stackelberg.  Growth history of manganese nodules and crusts of the Peru Basin , 1997 .

[15]  J S Chung.  ADVANCES IN MANGANESE NODULE MINING TECHNOLOGY , 1985 .

[16]  V. C. Patel,et al.  Flow past a sphere up to a Reynolds number of 300 , 1999, Journal of Fluid Mechanics.

[18]  J. Bury.  Mining Mountains: Neoliberalism, Land Tenure, Livelihoods, and the New Peruvian Mining Industry in Cajamarca , 2005 .

[19]  A. Boetius,et al.  Mind the seafloor , 2018, Science.

[20]  Wei Fan,et al.  Experimental study on the performance of an air-lift pump for artificial upwelling , 2013 .

[21]  Jin S. Chung,et al.  Deep-ocean Mining Technology: Development II , 2005 .

[22]  G. Lodewijks,et al.  A New Procedure for Deep Sea Mining Tailings Disposal , 2017 .