심해저 광물자원 집광기 개발을 위한 수치해석 및 성능실험

Abstract

Continuous mining concept, which is based on surface ship, lifting pipe, buffer, flexible conduit and self-propelled seafloor miner, seems to be most prospective for the purpose of commercial production of ferromanganese nodules. A self-propelled seafloor miner is prerequisite for realization of continuous mining of ferromanganese nodules from 5,000m water depth. Reliable and precise operation of the seafloor miner from the sea surface is of particular importance. Such a remote operation of seafloor miner requires a total integrated control of the total mining system, because the entire components are closely linked and coupled in their dynamic behaviors. In view of economic sense and reduction of technological risks, modeling-and-simulation of the total mining system and each sub-system provides efficient solutions for decision making in technology development. Tractive performance of seafloor vehicle, efficiency of nodule pick-up device, transport of nodules through conduits, dynamic responses of lifting pipe and so on are to be modeled in preliminary design study phase. The key interest in technology development is focused on the development of self-propelled seafloor miner, which should be designed based on modeling-and-simulation and multidisciplinary design optimization(MDO) technique. The essential issue extends to the real-time operation system as well. MDO technique is applied to obtain an optimum design of a self-propelled test miner in 1/20 scale of commercial mining capacity, of which performance will be tested at near-shore site in near future.