JP6208401B2 - Pumping system and pumping method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a pumping system and a pumping method for mining and mining mineral resources such as valuable metals on the seabed.

  For example, in shallow water with a water depth of about 20m, a technology for sucking sand iron or tin contained in seabed sand with a pump and transporting it to the land has been established and has already been put to practical use in industry. . In addition, it is a widely used technique in the mining industry to pulverize and subdivide rocks containing ore on such shallow seabeds.

  However, in recent years, actual surveys have revealed that there are many submarine deposits in Japan's territorial waters and exclusive economic zone (EEZ). If iron, copper, zinc, gold, etc. contained in this ore deposit are mined and these metals can be transported to the sea, it is said to be scarce in nature, and Japan, which has relied exclusively on imports, can also obtain resources domestically. it can. This makes it possible to further revitalize the industry, particularly in Japan, and contribute to the world's resource supply.

  For example, there is already a technique of pulverizing deep seabed ore having a water depth of 1600 to 5000 m with a cutting machine. However, a technology for conveying ores crushed in the deep sea to the sea has not yet been established. As the transfer technology, pump transfer and mechanical (bucket type) transfer can be considered, but the mechanical type is extremely low in productivity, and the pump type is currently the mainstream of proposals. As such a pump type, there is a pumping apparatus described in Patent Document 1, for example.

  In the pumping device described in Patent Document 1, a U-shaped pipe, one of which is a downcomer and the other is a riser (corresponding to a pumping pipe), is vertically held from the deep sea floor to the sea surface. Seawater is transported to the upper end opening so that the seawater circulates and flows in the U-shaped pipe, and the mineral block mined in the deep sea bottom is sent to the bottom of the rising pipe so that the liquid level is maintained at the same opening at both ends. By utilizing the characteristics of the U-shaped pipe, the mineral block floats on the sea surface by placing the riser on the rising seawater.

JP 2003-269070 A

However, the conventional pumping equipment has the following problems.
That is, when a steel lifting pipe is lowered and equipped from the ore processing ship to the seabed at a depth of 1600 to 5000 m, for example, even if a certain degree of buoyancy acts on the lifting pipe itself, its substantial weight is: 50-150 tons. In order to support this heavy lifting pipe, a large ore processing ship that can sufficiently withstand its weight and has sufficient buoyancy is required.

  In addition, in a long uplift pipe that is connected to an ore processing ship and connected to a large number of structural unit pipes, the closer the sea surface is, the greater the load is applied to the connecting part. It has been a very difficult task to determine what structure is used to firmly connect the tube bodies.

  In addition, when an extremely long and heavy uplift pipe is lowered and operated on an ore processing ship or a support ship as described above, the following difficulties are expected. First, as the ore processing boats, etc., sway the sea surface due to waves, the uplift pipe moves relatively or shakes its head, which causes damage to the uplift pipe. It is highly likely to lead to destruction.

  In addition, during stormy weather such as typhoons, ore processing vessels etc. have to be temporarily evacuated, navigation may be hindered if the ore pipes are connected, so the uplift pipes may have to be disconnected. Is a point. In such a case, there are major problems such as how to separate the uplift pipe and how to recover the separated uplift pipe.

  Furthermore, the next problem after the uplift pipe is the development of a pump system that can transport seawater containing crushed ore from the deep sea floor to the ore processing ship on the sea. In other words, for example, the above-described transportation from the deep sea of 1600 to 6000 m inevitably deviates from the ability of one pump, so a pump system with a combination of multiple or many pumps is necessary. No measures have been taken.

  The present invention was devised in view of the above points, and includes a pump system that can transport seawater containing crushed ore from the deep sea floor to an ore processing ship on the sea, Make sure that it does not drop off from the connection part of the pipe by its own weight, and that the ore processing ship that supports it does not need to be enlarged more than necessary to secure buoyancy. When the sea is rough, the ore processing vessel etc. will not be damaged due to the waves shaking, and the lifting pipe will not be abandoned and it will not be necessary to evacuate An object is to provide a pumping system and a pumping method.

(1) In order to achieve the above-described object, the pumping system of the present invention sucks a solid-liquid mixture including a drilling unit for drilling minerals at the bottom of the sea or the bottom of the sea, and the mineral and seawater obtained by the drilling. A submarine work machine capable of moving operation having a pump for pumping, a power supply unit having a power cable for supplying electric power as a power source to the submarine work machine, having a required buoyancy, A main float floated in the sea, the main float and the pump of the submarine working machine are connected, and a solid-liquid mixture containing mineral and seawater sucked by the pump is transported to the main float side and has a required length. A pipe, an auxiliary float that is arranged at a required interval in the longitudinal direction of the uplift pipe, and imparts a required buoyancy to the uplift pipe, and a solid-liquid mixture conveyed to the main float side by the uplift pipe Sorting minerals from A Ageko system comprising a Mel mineral sorting unit.

The operation of the pumping system of the present invention will be described by taking as an example the case of performing a work of lifting valuable minerals to the sea in the deep sea.
In the pumping system, the submarine working machine is located on a predetermined deep sea floor where the deposit is located, and the main float is floating on the sea. Further, the mineral sorting unit or the power supply unit can be installed in a work ship such as a mother ship, for example, and the power cable constituting the power supply unit is connected to the power receiving unit of the submarine work machine. The traveling unit, excavation unit, and pump of the submarine work machine are driven by supplied electric power.

  In addition to the power cable, a signal cable for exchanging signals for excavation part control, traveling part control, pump control, etc. of the submarine work machine can be provided. .

  The pump and the main float of the submarine work machine are connected by a long uplift pipe suspended vertically from the main float, and the solid-liquid mixture transported by the uplift pipe is further equipped in a work ship etc. Sent to the mineral sorting department.

  For example, a large number of auxiliary floats are attached to the uplift pipe at required intervals at predetermined intervals, and a predetermined buoyancy is imparted to the uplift pipe. As a result, the mine pipe is floating so that it does not fall to the seabed. Note that the bottom end of the pumping pipe near the seabed and the pump of the submarine work machine will not interfere with the movement of the submarine work machine or even if the position of the pumping pipe floating in the sea fluctuates. It is preferable to connect with a flexible tube so that there is no problem.

  In the pumping system, buoyancy is given to the long pumping pipe by the main float and each auxiliary float so that the pumping pipe does not fall to the seabed. Since the auxiliary floats are arranged at a required interval in the longitudinal direction of the uplift pipe, the weight of the uplift pipe is shared and supported by these auxiliary floats.

  That is, when a large number of auxiliary floats are attached at a required interval in the longitudinal direction of the pumping pipe, each auxiliary float imparts buoyancy by the weight of the pumping pipe of the length between the auxiliary floats. By doing so, theoretically, it is possible to prevent the load of a long uplift pipe from acting on the top of the uplift pipe.

  Thus, if an appropriate buoyancy is provided by the auxiliary float, in the longitudinal direction of the pumping pipe, a large load in the gravitational direction is not partially applied in the longitudinal direction of the pumping pipe. It is also effective in the sense that an average load is applied at a required interval. In addition, this makes it possible to prevent the mine pipe from breaking halfway due to its own heavy load, or if the mine pipe is connected to a number of pipes, the pipe joints being destroyed. The pumping pipe will not fall to the seabed.

  The total buoyancy of the main float and each auxiliary float that floats the uplift pipe is set as appropriate, but it does not necessarily require the buoyancy to float the uppermost main float on the sea surface. It is preferable that the buoyancy is such that the lower end of the slab can be floated while maintaining a state where it does not fall to the seabed (a state where it floats in the sea without sinking).

Moreover, even if the lower end side of the uplift pipe touches the seabed, it is preferable that the buoyancy can maintain a state where at least the upper side is vertical and floating in the sea.
In addition, buoyancy is given to heavy lifting pipes by the main float and each auxiliary float, and a work ship such as a mother ship that controls the pumping system or a processing ship does not necessarily need to support the lifting pipe. There is no need to increase the size of the ship.

  Also, the substantial weight of the pumping pipe becomes heavier than when it is empty, due to the added weight of the solid-liquid mixture transported through the interior during system operation. Therefore, when setting the buoyancy by each of the floats, it is needless to say that this need not be set based on the weight of the empty pumping pipe.

  Then, while appropriately moving the seabed working machine by remote control, for example, excavation is performed on the bottom of the seabed or under the seabed with a deposit, thereby obtaining mineral particles pulverized to a required particle size. These mineral grains are sucked together with the surrounding sand and seawater by a pump, and are then transported to the main float side on the sea as a solid-liquid mixture through the uplift pipe. The solid-liquid mixture conveyed to the main float side is sent to the mineral sorting section, from which valuable minerals are collected.

  In addition, submarine work machines are not only valuable minerals such as precious metals and rare metals (rare metals) existing at the bottom of the sea or below the sea, for example, several thousand meters deep, but also methane hydrate (for example, surface type methane hydrate) that is a fossil fuel. It is used by placing it on the seabed in an area that contains a lot of useful resources such as rate. The pumping system can also be used as a system for lifting useful resources other than minerals from the deep sea floor to the sea.

(2) The present invention can be configured such that the pump of the submarine working machine is a slurry pump.
In this case, the solid-liquid mixture containing mineral and seawater can be transported (pressure fed) without damaging the movable part of the pump. Moreover, according to the slurry pump, even a solid-liquid mixture containing a relatively large amount of sand and mineral particles can be sent. According to this, even if the ratio of solids such as sand and mineral particles and seawater fluctuates during operation, it can be handled flexibly without difficulty and the operation can be continued. Furthermore, the slurry pump is structurally excellent in suction capability, and can transport the solid-liquid mixture efficiently.

  The type and structure of the slurry pump are not particularly limited as long as the solid-liquid mixture can be conveyed without damaging the movable part. For example, a gravel pump, a sand pump, or a hose pump can be used.

(3) The present invention may have a structure including an auxiliary pump that injects a liquid flow having a required pressure for assisting the conveyance of the solid-liquid mixture into a required portion of the uplift pipe.
In this case, for example, even if there is no pump that can transport the solid-liquid mixture from the deep sea floor of several thousand meters to the sea, a liquid flow of the required pressure is injected into the pumping pipe by an auxiliary pump. By assisting the transport, it is possible to transport a long distance of, for example, several thousand meters from the deep sea floor to the sea.

  For the purpose described above, the auxiliary pump does not need to inject the solid-liquid mixture into the pumping pipe, and only needs to inject surrounding seawater. Therefore, the auxiliary pump has a multistage swirl having a pump other than the slurry pump, for example, an impeller. Pumps such as pumps and diaphragm pumps can be employed.

  In addition, it is not difficult to imagine that it is extremely difficult to develop an ultra deep sea portion of 4000 to 6000 m, for example, because it is difficult to put a crushed ore transfer pump for deep seas of 1600 m or more into practical use. As a solution, it is effective to combine a plurality of existing pumps or a large number of them. When a pumping pipe becomes as long as several thousand meters, a single submersible pump (mixed flow, mixed flow) cannot transport a solid-liquid mixture containing pulverized ore to a work boat on the sea surface.

  However, if there is not enough energy to transport the solid-liquid mixture in the middle of the pumping pipe, this problem can be solved by pumping high-pressure seawater at a low flow rate into the pumping pipe. is there. The power (energy) transmitted to the fluid by the pump is determined by the product P × Q of the pressure P and the flow rate Q. Therefore, a pump with an extremely high pressure and an extremely small flow rate is suitable for increasing efficiency. Moreover, if the flow rate is small, the pump can be downsized.

(4) The present invention corrects the position so as to maintain the set position by comparing the GPS receiver, the position information received by the GPS receiver, and the set position of the predetermined pumping system. It can be set as the structure provided with a position correction apparatus.
In this case, it is possible to maintain a preset position of the pumping system using GPS (Global Positioning System). That is, position information indicating the position of the pumping system is acquired by a GPS receiver installed at a required location (for example, the main float) of the pumping system.

  Next, the reference position information set in advance and the position information acquired by the GPS receiver are compared by the position correction device. Based on the difference, the position of the pumping system (in this case, the position of the main float) is maintained by the position correction device so as to maintain the reference position (set position) or approach the reference position. Move (toward) to correct. This position correction may be performed constantly during the operation of the system, or may be performed at regular intervals.

  The position correction apparatus is disposed at a required position of the pumping system that is floating in the sea as a whole, and part or all of the system can be moved. The configuration of the position correction device is not particularly limited as long as the position information obtained by the GPS receiver and the reference position information determined in advance can be compared and the position can be corrected based on the difference.

  For example, a motor, a plurality of screws driven by the motor in different propulsion directions, a battery as a motor drive source, a comparison of the above positional information, and a control unit that selects and drives the motor and screw according to the result It is. Further, a plurality of position correction devices can be arranged in the system.

  In addition, the position correction device is more preferably provided in a position where a GPS receiver is installed, but this is not necessarily required and can be set as appropriate. For example, both the GPS receiver and the position correction device may be provided in the main float, or the GPS receiver is provided in the float when the power cable is supported by the float, and the position correction device is provided in the main float. Also good. Even in the latter case, as long as the distance between the float, which is the supporting portion of the power cable, and the main float is maintained constant or substantially constant, the position can be corrected substantially the same as the former.

(5) The present invention may be configured to include a water injection / drainage device that performs water injection to the inside of the main float and water discharge to the outside and adjusts the buoyancy of the float.
In this case, the buoyancy of the main float itself can be appropriately adjusted by taking seawater into the main float or discharging the internal seawater to the outside by the pouring / draining device. Thus, by adjusting the buoyancy of the main float, it is possible to make a part of the main float come out of the sea surface or to sink all below the sea surface. In addition, the height of the main float below the sea level when it sinks can be adjusted.

  When the main float is submerged below the sea level, the main float becomes less susceptible to waves (up and down movement of the sea surface). For example, if the main float floats on the sea surface during a typhoon or stormy weather when the typhoon approaches, it will repeatedly move up and down and roll under the influence of severe waves, and connected to the main float. There is a high possibility that the installation part of the existing ore pipe or its peripheral part will be deformed or damaged. In many cases, waves are generated on the sea surface from several meters to 10 meters below the sea level, and if the main float can be kept floating at a deeper depth, it should be hardly affected by waves in the typhoon. Can do.

  The structure of the drainage device is not particularly limited. For example, the main float has a structure including a waterproof lithium storage battery, a pump driven by the electric power, a water intake valve, and a drain valve. The amount of seawater can be adjusted by draining seawater in the space or by absorbing water from the outside.

(6) The present invention includes a work ship, and the work ship includes the power supply unit and the mineral sorting unit, and also constitutes a power cable and the mineral sorting unit that constitute the power supply unit, The feed pipe that receives the solid-liquid mixture from the pipe can be configured to be able to be disconnected while the system can be restored to operation.

  In this case, during operation of the system, the power cable and the supply pipe are connected and each function. And when the work ship has to leave the sea area, for example, during stormy weather due to the approach of a typhoon, or for any other reason, the power cable or the supply pipe must be Can be separated.

  At that time, the disconnected side was fixed or connected to some support part such as a float so that the power cable or the supply pipe would not sink into the sea or fall to the seabed even if it was disconnected. It is in a state.

  Also, when the reason for detaching the work ship is resolved, return the work ship to the work area, connect the power cable or supply pipe to the work ship side, and return the pumping system to its original state. , System operation can be resumed. In this way, the work ship can be detached from the system and returned to the system. For example, there is no need to abandon the main float or pumping pipe and evacuate, and the work ship can be moved flexibly. It is easy to operate the system.

(7) The present invention has a suspension device for supporting the uplift pipe at a portion where the uplift pipe is connected to the main float, and the uplift pipe in the vicinity of the suspension device includes the uplift pipe. It can be set as the structure which can be vibrated in the range of a required deflection within the space | gap to let pass.
In this case, in the main float through which the mine pipe is passed or connected, the mine pipe is supported by a suspension system, and the mine pipe in the vicinity of the suspension system has the required runout in the gap. Therefore, the portion of the ore pipe has a high degree of freedom of movement and is not fixed.

  According to this, especially when the main float is floating on the sea, even if the main float repeatedly moves up and down and rolls due to the influence of waves, the pumping pipe will not be deformed in the vicinity of the suspension system. Since it can move freely to some extent, such as moving back and forth in the longitudinal direction and vibrating or swinging in the diametrical direction, it is unlikely to be damaged or broken due to, for example, metal fatigue.

  The structure of the suspension device is not particularly limited. For example, the suspension device includes a coil spring that can support the uplift pipe or a link mechanism combined with an urging member. The suspension system can support the substantial weight of the uplift pipe to which buoyancy is imparted by the auxiliary float at the sea side, and has a structure having a buffering action when the uplift pipe moves back and forth in its longitudinal direction. ing.

(8) This invention can be set as the structure by which the required buoyancy is provided to the power cable by arrange | positioning an auxiliary | assistant float by the required space | interval in the longitudinal direction of the said power cable. In this case, the required buoyancy is imparted to the power cable by the buoyancy of the auxiliary float, as in the case of the above-described pumping pipe. Thereby, it can prevent that it breaks in the middle of the length direction by the weight of electric power cable itself.

(9) In the present invention, the mineral sorting unit may include a wastewater treatment device. In this case, the mineral sorting unit can sort and collect the minerals, and the waste water treatment device disposes the clear water after the waste liquid has been subjected to the necessary treatment by ocean input (also called ocean dumping). be able to.

(10) The present invention may be configured such that the mineral sorting unit includes a magnetic deposition apparatus that magnetically deposits and sorts minerals. In this case, in response to the problem that the seabed mud that rises simultaneously with the pumping of water causes environmental damage, the metal or mineral contained in the pumping is collected by a magnetizing device such as an electric magnet installed on the ore processing ship. Thereafter, the seabed mud can be removed by a method similar to the method used in general sewage treatment such as a precipitation type. In other words, this can be dealt with by making the work ship an ore treatment ship equipped with a wastewater treatment device.

  Examples of magnetic minerals include iron, chromium, nickel, and cobalt. All of these minerals are valuable metals, and can be collected by efficiently selecting from the pumped water from the sea floor to the sea.

(11) The present invention can be configured such that the uplift pipe has a double pipe structure made of steel and light alloy, a structure in which the steel pipe is reinforced with carbon fiber, or a structure in which the peripheral wall is hollow. In this case, it is possible to reduce the weight of the uplift pipe. In the first place, the biggest challenge in the pumping system is how to reduce the weight of pumping pipes with a total length of several thousand meters. In order to reduce the weight of the uplift pipe, in addition to the method for reducing the substantial weight by giving buoyancy to the uplift pipe as described above, the weight of the uplift pipe itself as in the invention of this section. There are ways to alleviate this.

  As a method of reducing the weight of the pumping pipe itself, for example, there is a method of using a double pipe structure made of a light alloy or steel and using a pumping pipe having an airtight space between an inner pipe and an outer pipe. In addition, an airtight space can be provided on the peripheral wall, and the buoyancy can partially offset the weight of the uplift pipe, reducing the burden on other places due to the weight of the uplift pipe.

  Further, as another method for reducing the weight of the pumping pipe itself, for example, there is a method of making the outer pipe of the inner pipe made of steel and making the outer surface of the resin pipe reinforced with carbon fiber. . Moreover, the resin-made reinforcing tube contributes to the protection of the metal inner tube.

(12) The present invention is a pumping method in which a required buoyancy is provided by a float to a pumping pipe that sends a solid-liquid mixture containing minerals and seawater excavated and crushed on the seabed or under the seabed to the sea. According to this method, when the uplift pipe is supported using a main float that floats on the sea surface so as not to sink to the seabed, the required buoyancy can be imparted to the uplift pipe. By making the weight the same as the weight obtained by subtracting the buoyancy from the weight, it is possible to substantially prevent the weight from acting on the main float supporting the uplift pipe. In addition, the buoyancy due to the float can be made slightly smaller than the above so that the balance in which the uplift pipe is in the vertical direction can be maintained.

  In the present invention, the uplift pipe and the communication / power cable are supported by a float to reduce the gravity of the uplift pipe. In addition, the present invention includes a large metal float having a hollow inside floating on the sea surface, a pumping pipe supported by the float, a communication cable, and a power cable, in order to cope with the weight of the pumping pipe. Large floats with seawater discharge and seawater intake valves for buoyancy adjustment can also be included.

  In addition, the large float can be provided with a diving function by driving the waterproof storage battery and the pump mounted (equipped) on the large float and supplying and draining seawater to the hollow portion below the large float.

  Furthermore, in order to reduce the weight of the uplift pipe supported by the large float, a small float group equipped in the middle of the uplift pipe in the sea can be provided. It is also possible to provide a resin-made uplift pipe reinforced with carbon fibers to reduce weight and maintain strength.

  In order to reduce the weight, it is also possible to provide an uplift pipe with a cavity in the gap between the double pipes. In stormy weather or when the offshore ore processing ship leaves the field, a structure in which the uplift pipe supported by a large float and communication and power cables can be detached from the ore processing ship.

  An ore transporting pump can be mounted (equipped) on a submarine ore mining machine to provide a system in which the suction pipe is shortened. A pump system for injecting pressure water may be provided to supply fluid energy to the intermediate part of the pumping pipe.

  Furthermore, in order to extract ore from the seawater containing the pulverized ore (finely pulverized ore) sent to the ore processing ship on the sea by the uplift pipe, an electric or permanent magnet type magnet device may be provided. Moreover, the apparatus which performs the waste_water | drain processing after ore collection | collection on an ore processing ship can also be provided.

  The present invention is equipped with a pump system capable of transporting seawater containing crushed ore from the deep sea floor to an ore processing ship on the sea, and the pumped ore pipe lowered to the deep sea floor is its own weight from the connection part of the pipe body, etc. Make sure that the ore processing boats that support it do not fall out and do not need to be larger than necessary to secure buoyancy, and when the sea is rough due to typhoons, etc. To provide a pumping system and a pumping method in which a pumping pipe is prevented from being damaged due to the fact that it is swayed by a wave, and the pumping pipe is abandoned so that it is not necessary to evacuate. it can.

It is explanatory drawing which shows one Embodiment of the pumping system which concerns on this invention. It is sectional explanatory drawing which abbreviate | omitted one part which shows the suspension structure of the uplift pipe by a main float and an auxiliary | assistant float. It is sectional explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the main float and its vicinity. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the waste water treatment apparatus with which the work ship used for a pumping system is equipped. It is a section explanatory view showing the structure of the pipe which constitutes the pumping pipe used for the pumping system. It is a section explanatory view showing other structures of a pipe which constitutes a pumping pipe used for a pumping system. The other structure of an auxiliary | assistant float is shown, (a) is longitudinal cross-sectional explanatory drawing, (b) is sectional explanatory drawing corresponding to AA.

The embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS.
The pumping system S sorts valuable minerals from a mining unit 1 for mining minerals on the seabed, a pumping unit 2 for pumping mined minerals and seawater to the sea, and a solid-liquid mixture pumped by the pumping unit 2. It is comprised by the selection unit 3 which is a mineral selection part.

(Mining unit 1)
The mining unit 1 has a submarine work machine 13 that can be moved from outside. The submarine working machine 13 includes a crawler traveling machine 130, an excavator 131 mounted on the crawler traveling machine 130, and a slurry pump 132 that sucks and pumps a solid-liquid mixture containing mineral and seawater obtained by excavation. . The seabed working machine 13 has a structure capable of working under high pressure on the deep seabed, such as making each part highly watertight. The slurry pump 132 constitutes a pump system together with each pressure injection pump 24 described later.

  The excavator 131 is capable of crushing and excavating minerals in the deposit by rotation or vibration of the drill at the tip. In addition, another structure can also be employ | adopted for an excavator. The slurry pump 132 can pump a mixture (solid-liquid mixture) of mineral and seawater that has been excavated and crushed, and can adopt, for example, a mixed flow type or a mixed flow type.

  The pumping capacity of the slurry pump 132 is not particularly limited, but at least the solid-liquid mixture of seawater and pulverized mineral is pumped to the sea in cooperation with the pressure injection pump 24 that is an auxiliary pump described later. It only has to have the ability to do so. In this case, for example, the transfer energy from the slurry pump 132 to the lower part of the uplift pipe 21 described later is supplied by the slurry pump 132, and the transfer energy in the uplift pipe 21 above it is provided in the middle of the uplift pipe 21. Further, it can be supplied by a pressure injection pump 24 which is a plurality of auxiliary pumps described later.

  The submarine working machine 13 is connected to a power receiving section (reference numeral omitted) for supplying power as a power source to the crawler traveling machine 130, the excavator 131, and the slurry pump 132. The end of the power cable 12 on the sea side is once connected to a float 11 that floats on the sea surface, whereby the weight of the power cable 12 is supported by the float 11. In addition, in order to reduce the weight of the power cable 12 concerning the float 11, the auxiliary | assistant float for providing a buoyancy similarly to the uplift pipe 21 mentioned later can also be attached.

  The power cable 12 connected to the float 11 is supplied with power through a power cable 120 from a generator (not shown) as a power supply unit mounted on the work ship 10 as a mother ship. In addition, the power cables 12 and 120 are attached to them to exchange signals for controlling the excavator 131 of the submarine work machine 13, the crawler traveling machine 130, the slurry pump 132, and the like. Is equipped with a signal cable (not shown) for performing communication with the control section of the work boat 10.

(Pumping unit 2)
The pumping unit 2 has a pumping pipe 21. The pumping pipe 21 is connected to a large number of pipes 210 having a required length, and has a length of 5000 m, for example, corresponding to the depth of the sea area to be pumped. The structure of the tube body 210 will be described in detail later. The long uplift pipe 21 is substantially connected so that the upper end side is hung on the main float 20 floating on the sea surface. Further, the uplift pipe 21 is substantially connected so as to hang on the auxiliary float 22 at every required interval in the longitudinal direction on the underwater side (for each tubular body 210 in the present embodiment).

First, with reference to FIG. 3, the structure of the main float 20 and the connection structure of the pumping pipe 21 with respect to the main float 20 are demonstrated.
The main float 20 has a watertight and hollow sealed case 200. The outer shape of the sealing case 200 is a so-called donut shape, and a space portion 201 is formed in the inside so as to draw a circle in plan view. Further, a circular through hole 202 that is separated from the space portion 201 by a wall portion is provided through the central portion of the sealing case 200.

  The space part 201 in the sealing case 200 is divided in a liquid-tight state vertically by a separating member 203 fixed over the entire circumference at a substantially intermediate position in the vertical direction. A pouring / draining pump 204 which is fixed to the separating member 203 and constitutes a pouring / draining device is disposed in the upper space 201a. Similarly, a battery 205 is fixedly disposed on the isolation member 203, and a waterproof lithium storage battery is adopted for the battery 205 in this embodiment, and power is supplied to the pouring / draining pump 204.

  The battery 205 is connected to the control panel 206, and the power cable 26 is connected to the control panel 206 from the outside. The power cable 26 is connected to a generator (not shown) which is a power supply unit mounted on the mineral processing ship 30 described later, and the battery 205 stores power supplied from the generator.

  The lower space portion 201b divided by the isolation member 203 in the sealed case 200 is a water storage tank, and the water amount (and the air amount if necessary) inside the lower space portion 201b can be adjusted by the pouring / drainage pump 204. It is. By adjusting the amount of water, the buoyancy of the main float 20 itself can be increased and floated on the sea surface, or the buoyancy can be reduced, as required, so that the water can be submerged. The diving may be performed only on the main float 20 or may be performed as a whole including the uplift pipe 21 and can be appropriately selected.

  A GPS receiver 207 that receives a signal from the GPS satellite 27 is installed on the upper surface of the sealed case 200. The GPS receiver 207 is also supplied with power via the power cable 26. In addition, a plurality of propulsion devices 208 constituting a position correction device are attached to the lower surface of the sealing case 200. The propulsion device 208 has a structure that obtains thrust by rotating a screw with a motor.

  The configuration of the position correction device compares the position information obtained by the GPS receiver with the predetermined reference position information, and corrects the position by operating each propulsion unit 208 based on the difference. The control panel 206, which is a control unit that can be used, is included. Electric power is supplied to each propulsion device 208 from the battery 205, and the main float 20 is moved in a required direction at sea by driving the propulsion devices 208 in appropriate combination by automatic control by GPS. Can be made.

  A pipe body 210 at the upper end of the uplift pipe 21 is passed through the through hole 202 of the sealing case 200. A large number of pipes 210 constituting the pumping pipe 21 have the structure shown in FIG. The tube body 210 has connection flanges 211 and 212 at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and the tube portion has a double tube structure including an inner tube 213 and an outer tube 214. Between the inner tube 213 and the outer tube 214, a so-called circular tube-shaped space portion 215 that creates buoyancy for weight reduction is formed.

  The outer diameter of the outer tube 214 of the tube body 210 is formed smaller than the inner diameter of the through hole 202 of the sealing case 200, and a gap 209 is provided between the tube body 210 and the through hole 202. . Further, the flange 211 of the uppermost tube body 210 (which is attached later after being inserted into the through hole 202) is on the upper side of the sealing case 200, and the upper side gradually increases between the upper surface of the sealing case 200 and the flange 211. A compression coil spring 28 having a small diameter is disposed.

  With this structure, the pipe body 210 and many other pipe bodies 210 connected to the lower side of the pipe body 210 are buffered by the urging force of the compression coil spring 28 even if the pipe body 210 moves up and down, so that an impact and a large load applied to the main float 20 are applied. Can be reduced. Further, the tube 210 can be moved or swung within a certain range within the through hole 202 by the action of the gap 209. A flexible supply pipe 25 is connected to the upper end of the tube body 210 at the upper end, and the distal end side of the supply pipe 25 is introduced into the sorting unit 3 described later.

  As described above, the pumping pipe 21 is a watertight connection of a large number of pipes 210, and one end of a flexible relay pipe 23 having a required length is connected to the lower end of the lowermost pipe 210. Has been. The other end of the relay pipe 23 is connected to the discharge port (reference numeral omitted) of the slurry pump 132. Note that the suction port (reference numeral omitted) of the slurry pump 132 is arranged in the vicinity of the drill of the excavator 131 so that the excavated and crushed mineral can be sucked together with seawater.

  As described above, the long uplift pipe 21 is substantially connected so that the upper flange 211 is hung on the auxiliary float 22 for each tubular body 210 in the longitudinal direction on the sea side. Yes. The auxiliary float 22 has a watertight and hollow sealing case 220. The outer shape of the sealing case 220 is a so-called donut shape, and a space portion 221 is formed in the inside so as to draw a circle in plan view. Further, a circular through hole 222 that is separated from the space portion 221 by a wall portion is provided through the central portion of the sealing case 220.

  The outer diameter of the outer tube 214 of the tube body 210 is smaller than the inner diameter of the through hole 222 of the sealing case 220, and a gap 229 is provided between the tube body 210 and the through hole 222. In addition, although the specific structure is not shown, the auxiliary | assistant float 22 is a structure (known structure) which can be mounted | worn so that it may fit in the part of the pipe | tube of the pipe body 210 from a horizontal direction, and can be removed.

  With this structure, many auxiliary floats 22 can slide relative to each tube 210 even when each tube 210 moves up and down, and the auxiliary float 22 can be connected to a flange 211 of the tube 210 or to be described later. When the pressure injection pump 24 hits the injection pipe 241, the mutual slide stops. Since the auxiliary float 22 and each tubular body 210 are easy to escape from each other, it is difficult for an impact or a large load to act on them. Further, the tube body 210 can move or swing within a certain range within the through hole 202 by the action of the gap 229.

  Moreover, each auxiliary float 22 can give a required buoyancy to the uplift pipe 21. For example, the buoyancy may be set so as to be the same as the weight of the uplift pipe 21 so that the main float 20 does not bear the weight of the uplift pipe 21. Further, the buoyancy is set to be slightly smaller than the weight of the uplift pipe 21 so that the main float 20 is moderately loaded with the uplift pipe 21, and the uplift pipe 21 is made more stable in the sea. May be. The auxiliary float 22 in the deep sea may be provided with a rib structure for reinforcement in the same manner as the auxiliary float 22a described later so as to withstand high water pressure.

  And the pipe | tube part of the pipe | tube body 210 located in a required space | interval among the pipe | tube bodies 210 which comprise the uplift pipe 21 is each injection | pouring connected to the discharge port (code | symbol omission) of the pressure injection pump 24. A tube 241 is connected. Each pressure injection pump 24 sucks the surrounding seawater and injects the seawater into the pumping pipe 21, and assists in the conveyance (pumping) of the pumped water (solid-liquid mixture) passing through the pumping pipe 21.

  Each pressure injection pump 24 is configured to receive a buoyancy of a float 242 connected by a suspension wire 243 and maintain a required depth. Moreover, electric power is supplied to each pressure injection pump 24 via the power cable 240 connected to the generator of the mineral processing ship 30 which is a work ship. Further, a float may be attached to the power cable 240 in order to impart buoyancy.

  The power cable 120 connecting the work boat 10 and the float 11 has a structure that can be disconnected from the float 11. Further, the mineral processing ship 30 has a structure capable of separating the supply pipe 25 and the power cable 26 from the main float 20. According to this, for example, when the work ship 10 or the mineral processing ship 30 is called, it is possible to leave the work area in a state where it can be restored later.

(Sorting unit 3)
The sorting unit 3 is mounted on the mineral processing ship 30. The mineral processing ship 30 is equipped with a generator (not shown), which supplies power to the main float 20 and the pressure injection pumps 24. The sorting unit 3 sorts valuable minerals from the solid-liquid mixture of seawater and ground minerals pumped by the pumping unit 2.

Please refer to FIG. A method for treating a solid-liquid mixture including the crushed mineral 50 that has risen in the pumping pipe 21 and has reached the ore processing ship 30 on the sea through the supply pipe 25 will be described.
The sorting unit 3 includes a sorting tank 31, a sedimentation tank 32, a water storage tank 33, and an accumulation tank 34 in the order of processing. In addition, the sedimentation tank 32, the water storage tank 33, and the accumulation tank 34 comprise a waste water treatment apparatus.

  A solid-liquid mixture containing the pulverized mineral 50 is sent from the supply pipe 25 to the sorting tank 31. The pulverized mineral 50 that is a magnetic material is collected by being magnetized by an electromagnet (not shown) attached to the arm tip of the rotating body 311. In addition, minerals other than magnetic materials and other valuable minerals are collected by various known means such as using a sieve.

  Moreover, the seawater containing the sludge that has passed through the sorting tank 31 is sent to the sedimentation tank 32 through the screen 320, and the sludge is settled and separated on the bottom of the tank. Then, the seawater from which the sludge has been removed is sent to the water storage tank 33 through the screen 331, and is sent to the next accumulation tank 34 by the pump 330. In the accumulation tank 34, finer sludge is precipitated and removed by chemical treatment or the like, and the clear seawater after the treatment passes through the drain pipe 35 by the water wheel 340 and is discharged to the outside (the sea).

(Function)
The operation of the pumping system S of the present invention will be described by taking as an example the case of performing a work of lifting valuable minerals to the sea in the deep sea.
In the pumping system S, as shown in FIG. 1, the seabed working machine 13 is disposed on a predetermined deep seabed 4 where the deposit 5 is located, and the main float 20 is floating on the sea.

  The submarine working machine 13 is operated using the power supplied via the power cable 120 in accordance with a signal from the control unit of the work boat 10, and excavation is performed by the excavator 131 while moving by the traveling machine 130. The mixture of the crushed mineral 50 (shown in FIG. 4) and seawater (solid-liquid mixture) is sucked by the slurry pump 132 in parallel with the excavation, and is pumped upward from the relay pipe 23 through the uplift pipe 21. . At this time, energy from the water flow is injected by a number of pressure injection pumps 24 in the vertical path of the ore pipe 21, and the solid-liquid mixture is pumped to the sorting unit 3 of the upper mineral processing ship 30 for processing and clarification. Only the treated water is dumped into the sea.

  A number of auxiliary floats 22 are connected to the uplift pipe 21, and a predetermined buoyancy is imparted to the uplift pipe 21. In the pumping system S, the main float 20 and the auxiliary floats 22 give buoyancy to the extent that the pumping pipe 21 does not fall on the seabed 4 with respect to the long pumping pipe 21 of several thousand meters. . Since the required number (many) of the auxiliary floats 22 is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the pumping pipe 21, the weight of the pumping pipe 21 is shared and supported by the pipes 210 by these auxiliary floats 22.

  That is, when a large number of auxiliary floats 22 are attached at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction of the uplift pipe 21, each auxiliary float 22 is a part of the weight of the uplift pipe 21 having a length between the auxiliary floats 22. If only buoyancy is applied, it is theoretically possible to prevent the load of the long pumping pipe 21 from acting on the upper part of the pumping pipe 21.

  Thus, if an appropriate buoyancy is applied by the auxiliary float 22, a large load in the gravitational direction does not act on a part of the longitudinal direction of the ore pipe 21. Therefore, the above configuration is also effective in the sense that an average load is applied at a required interval in the longitudinal direction of the uplift pipe 21. In addition, it is possible to prevent the uplift pipe 21 from being broken from the middle due to its own heavy load or the connection portion of the pipe body 210 being broken, and the uplift pipe 21 falls to the seabed. There is no inconvenience.

  The total buoyancy of the main float 20 and the auxiliary floats 22 that float the uplift pipe 21 is set as appropriate, but it does not necessarily require buoyancy to float the uppermost main float 20 on the sea surface. It is preferable that the buoyancy is such that at least the lower end portion of the uplift pipe 21 does not fall to the seabed, that is, the state where it floats in the sea without sinking and can float. Moreover, even if the lower end side of the uplift pipe 21 touches the seabed, it is preferable that the buoyancy can maintain a state where at least the upper side is vertical and floating in the sea.

  It is to be noted that the lifting pipe, which is heavy, is given buoyancy by the main float and each auxiliary float, and the work ship 10 or the ore processing ship 30 that controls the lifting system does not necessarily need to support the lifting pipe. There is no need to increase the size of the ship.

  Further, the substantial weight of the uplift pipe 21 becomes heavier during operation of the system due to the weight of the solid-liquid mixture conveyed through the inside. Therefore, when setting the buoyancy by each of the floats 2 and 22, it is necessary to take this into consideration, without setting based on the weight of the empty uplift pipe 21.

  Further, the main float 20 can adjust the buoyancy by adjusting the amount of water inside by the pouring / draining pump 204. Thereby, for example, a part of the main float 20 can be made to come out from the sea surface like a submarine, or the whole can be made to sink below the sea surface. In addition, the height (depth) of the main float 20 below the sea level when it sinks can be adjusted.

  When the main float 20 is submerged below the sea surface, the main float 20 becomes less susceptible to waves. For example, if the main float 20 floats on the surface of the sea during a typhoon or when the typhoon approaches, the main float 20 will repeatedly move and roll under the influence of severe waves. There is a high possibility that the connecting portion of the connected ore pipe 21 or its peripheral portion is deformed or damaged.

  In many cases, waves are generated on the sea surface from several meters to about 10 m below the sea surface, and the main float 20 is maintained so as to float together with the upper part of the ore pipe 21 by remote control, and thereafter If the main float 20 can be lifted, it can be hardly affected by waves in a typhoon.

  Moreover, the main float 20 is provided with the GPS receiver 207 and the propulsion apparatus 208, and can maintain the position of the preset ore system S using GPS. That is, the GPS receiver 207 installed in the main float 20 acquires position information indicating the position of the pumping system, and the position information that is set in advance and the position information acquired by the GPS receiver 207 Are compared by a position correction device.

  Then, based on the difference, each propulsion unit maintains the position (set position) serving as the reference by the position correction device, or approaches (becomes) the reference position by the position correction device. 208 is operated to correct the position. This position correction may be performed constantly during the operation of the ore system S, or may be performed at regular intervals (intermittently).

  The submarine working machine 13 is not only a valuable mineral such as a precious metal or a rare metal (rare metal) existing at the sea bottom 4 or under the sea bottom, for example, having a depth of several thousand meters, but also methane hydrate (for example, a surface layer type) that is a fossil fuel. It can be used by being placed on the seabed in an area that contains a lot of useful resources such as methane hydrate. The pumping system S can also be used as a system for lifting useful resources other than such minerals from the deep sea floor to the sea.

Please refer to FIG. In FIG. 6, the other structure of the pipe body which comprises a mine pipe used for a mine system is shown.
The tube body 210a has a double tube structure in which the outer tube 214a of the steel inner tube 213a is integrally formed with an acrylic resin reinforced with carbon fiber. This reduces the weight of the tube body 210a and increases the tensile strength. Further, flanges 211a and 212a are provided at both ends of the tube body 210a. By combining the steel inner tube 213a having sufficient strength and the light and tough outer tube 214a, it is possible to keep the weight equal to that of the tube body 210 while maintaining a predetermined strength.

  Please refer to FIG. The auxiliary float 22a shown in FIG. 7 includes a sealing case 220a having a cylindrical outer shape formed in a watertight manner. In the space portion 221a inside the sealing case 220a, reinforcing ribs 225 in which ribs are assembled vertically and horizontally are fixed to the inner surface of the sealing case 220a. The auxiliary float 22a is attached to the ore pumping pipe 21 via the connecting member 226. Thereby, predetermined buoyancy is given to the uplift pipe 21.

  In addition, the auxiliary float 22a can maintain a predetermined buoyancy by providing a reinforcing rib 225 in the interior thereof and securing a space portion without being crushed even under a high pressure in the deep sea.

  The terms and expressions used in the present specification and claims are for illustrative purposes only, and are not intended to be limiting in any way. The features described in the present specification and claims and their There is no intention of excluding some equivalent terms and expressions. It goes without saying that various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

S pumping system 1 mining unit, 10 work boat, 11 float,
12 power cable, 120 power cable,
13 submarine working machine, 130 crawler traveling machine,
131 excavator, 132 slurry pump,
2 pumping units, 20 main floats, 200 sealed cases,
201 space part, 201a upper space part, 201b lower space part,
202 through-hole, 203 isolation member, 204 drainage pump,
205 battery, 206 control panel,
207 GPS receiver, 208 propulsion device, 209 gap,
21 pumping pipe, 210 pipe, 211, 212 flange,
213 inner tube, 214 outer tube, 215 space,
210a tube, 211a, 212a flange, 213a inner tube,
214a outer tube,
22 auxiliary float, 220 sealing case, 221 space,
222 through holes,
22a auxiliary float, 220a sealing case, 221a space,
225 reinforcing ribs, 226 connecting members, 229 gaps,
23 relay pipe, 24 pressure injection pump, 240 power cable,
241 injection tube, 242 float, 243 suspension wire,
25 supply pipe, 26 power cable, 27 GPS satellite,
28 compression coil spring,
3 sorting unit, 30 mineral processing vessel, 31 sorting tank,
311 Rotating body,
32 sedimentation tanks, 320 screens, 33 water storage tanks,
330 pump, 331 screen, 34 accumulation tank, 340 water wheel,
35 Drainage pipes 5 Deposits, 50 Ground minerals

Claims (13)

A submarine working machine capable of moving operation having a drilling unit for drilling minerals on the seabed or under the seabed, and a pump for sucking and pumping a solid-liquid mixture containing the mineral and seawater obtained by drilling;
A power supply unit having a power cable for supplying power as a power source to the submarine work machine;
A main float that has the required buoyancy and floats at sea or in the sea;
Suspended by the main float, connects the main float to the pump of the submarine work machine, and transports a solid-liquid mixture containing mineral and seawater sucked by the pump to the main float side. A pumping pipe,
A large number of the suspended pits are arranged in the longitudinal direction at the required intervals, and the buoyancy that prevents the mine pipes from dropping or breaking due to their own weight. An auxiliary float to be given on the underwater side,
A pumping system comprising: a mineral sorting section that sorts and collects minerals from the solid-liquid mixture conveyed to the main float side by the pumping pipe. The pumping system which the submarine working machine has is a slurry pump. The pumping system according to claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary pump for injecting a liquid flow having a required pressure for assisting conveyance of the solid-liquid mixture into a required portion of the pumping pipe. A GPS receiver, and a position correction device that corrects the position so as to maintain the set position by comparing the position information received by the GPS receiver with a predetermined setting position of the pumping system. The pumping system of item 1. The pumping system according to claim 1, further comprising an injection / drainage device that performs water injection to the inside of the main float and drainage to the outside and adjusts the buoyancy of the main float. The work ship includes the power supply unit and the mineral sorting unit, and includes the power cable and the mineral sorting unit that constitute the power supply unit and receives the solid-liquid mixture from the pumping pipe. The pumping system according to claim 1, wherein the feed pipe can be disconnected in a state where the operation of the system can be restored. The main float has a suspension device for supporting the uplift pipe at a portion where the uplift pipe is connected, and the uplift pipe in the vicinity of the suspension device has a required runout in a gap passing through the uplift pipe. The pumping system according to claim 1, wherein the pumping system can vibrate within a range of The pumping system according to claim 1, wherein the mineral sorting unit includes a wastewater treatment device. The waste water treatment apparatus is equipped with a magnetizing apparatus for magnetizing and sorting minerals.
9. The pumping system of claim 8 . The pumping system according to claim 1, wherein the pumping pipe has a double pipe structure made of steel and a light alloy, a structure in which the steel pipe is reinforced with carbon fiber, or a structure in which a peripheral wall is hollow.   A large number of pipes are arranged at required intervals in the longitudinal direction, suspended in main floats that float on the sea or in the sea, and are transported to the sea by a solid-liquid mixture containing minerals and seawater that has been excavated and ground on the bottom or bottom of the sea. A pumping method for imparting buoyancy on the underwater side so that the pumping pipe does not fall off or break by its own weight due to the auxiliary float. The pumping system according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary float is slidable relative to the pipe body of the pumping pipe, and the sliding of the auxiliary float is stopped when it hits a flange of the pipe body from below. A submarine working machine capable of moving operation having a drilling unit for drilling minerals on the seabed or under the seabed, and a pump for sucking and pumping a solid-liquid mixture containing the mineral and seawater obtained by drilling;
A pumping pipe having a required length for sending a solid-liquid mixture containing mineral and seawater sucked by the pump of the submarine working machine to the sea;
A large number of the mine pipes are arranged at the required intervals in the longitudinal direction, and buoyancy is given to the mine pipes in the sea to prevent the mine pipes from dropping or breaking under their own weight. A pumping system with an auxiliary float.

Images