Experimental Research on Hydraulic Collecting Spherical Particles in Deep Sea Mining

Guocheng Zhao, Longfei Xiao, Tao Peng and Mingyuan Zhang
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Guocheng Zhao: State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Longfei Xiao: State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Tao Peng: State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Mingyuan Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 8, 1-19

Abstract: 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 ( C vs ) 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.

Keywords: deep sea mining; manganese nodules exploitation; hydraulic collecting; suction flow field; dimensional analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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