심해저 다금속 상업적 채광을 위한 기술 개발

Abstract

A self-propelled seafloor miner is prerequisite for realization of continuous mining of polymetallic nodules from 5,000m water depth. Continuous mining system consists of mining vessel, lifting pipe and pump, buffer station, flexible conduit and self-propelled seafloor miner. In order to sweep the mineral ores out of the deep seafloor, 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 mechanical and electric-electronic system. Reliable computer simulation software on the dynamic behavior of total mining system is necessary to check-out the feasibility of the mining concept and to plan the mining scenario. Remote control of seafloor miner is performed by means of Real-Time Operation System (RTOS) based on fiber optical telecommunication as default option. Seafloor miner conducts multidisciplinary operations: seafloor crawling drive, hybrid nodule pick-up, crushing of nodules, transportation of nodules through flexible conduit up to the intermediate buffer station, etc. Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) technique is applied to obtain an optimum design of a self-propelled test miner in 1/20~1/10 scale of commercial mining capacity, which crawls on soft seafloor by using two tracks. The test miner is operated by electro-hydraulic power, weighs 8.5tons and has contact pressure of about 6 kPa. Performance of the test miner will be tested at near-shore site in near future.