JPS5813890A - Manganese nodule collecting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

(57)【要約】本公報は電子出願前の出願データであるた
め要約のデータは記録されません。(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

【発明の詳細な説明】 この発明は、曳航され又は自走して海底面上な一移動し
なから海底面に賦存するマンガン団塊を集鉱するマンガ
ン団塊集鉱装置に関する。DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a manganese nodule collecting device that is towed or self-propelled and collects manganese nodules existing on the seabed while moving over the seabed.

マンガン、ニッケル、銅、コバルトなどの有用金属の無
尽蔵な資源として着目されているマンガン団塊は、一般
にジャガイモ大の□粒状をなし、海底の軟泥の表面に半
ば埋れた状態で上部を露出し、玉砂利を□敷きつめたよ
うに平・面的に賦存□している。Manganese nodules, which are attracting attention as an inexhaustible resource of useful metals such as manganese, nickel, copper, and cobalt, generally have the shape of potato-sized □ granules, and are half-buried in the surface of soft mud on the ocean floor, with the upper part exposed and forming gravel. □It is present□ on a flat and surface level, as if it were spread all over the place.

したがって、その集鉱はグラブバ′ケット等”で一度に
大量を掴み上げるような訳には行かず、これに適する方
法が種々試みられている。Therefore, it is not possible to collect a large amount of ore at once using a grab bucket or the like, and various methods suitable for this purpose have been attempted.

従来知られている可能性のあるマンガン団塊集鉱装置を
大別すれば、電気掃除機の如く揚鉱管の途中に設けたポ
ンプ等で管内に上昇流を起し、管の下端に設けた移動方
向に対して横方向に広がった集鉱口よりマンガン団塊を
水と共に吸い取る「水流式上と、集鉱装置又はエンドレ
スロープに設けられたパケットの取入口にスクレーパを
設ケ海底面を機械的に薄（掘り起しな、がら、掘り起さ
れたマンガン団塊をコンベヤで又は直接貯溜部又は揚鉱
部に入れる「機械式」とに分類される２両者は一長一短
があるが、保守点検の容易さ、効率、所要動力の点で水
流式の方が機械式より優れていると云われている。Manganese nodule collectors that may have been known in the past can be roughly divided into two types: a pump or the like installed in the middle of the ore lifting pipe, like a vacuum cleaner, to create an upward flow in the pipe; A scraper is installed at the top of the water flow system that sucks up manganese nodules along with water from the ore collection port that spreads laterally to the direction of movement, and at the intake port of the packet provided on the ore collection device or endless rope. It is classified as a ``mechanical type'' in which the excavated manganese nodules are conveyed or directly into the storage section or lifting section.2 Both methods have advantages and disadvantages, but they are easy to maintain and inspect The water flow type is said to be superior to the mechanical type in terms of speed, efficiency, and power requirements.

しかし、従来知られて水流式の集鉱装置は、移動方向に
対して横方向に広がった吸込口からマンガン団塊を大量
の水や海底堆積物（軟泥）とともに吸込むため、吸込濃
度（マンガン団塊の全吸込量に対する比率）が低く、シ
たがって一定量のマンガン団塊を揚げるのに必要な消費
動力が大きくなり装置が大型化する欠点があった。また
マンガン団塊の賦存する海底面は軟泥質であるため、集
鉱装置をソリに塔載し、海上より船舶により曳航索や揚
鉱管を介して曳航した場合はソリの下面と海底面とが吸
着し摩擦力によりスティックされて停止し曳航索、揚鉱
管の張力が増加すると急激に前進し、停止、前進を繰返
すいわゆるサージングが発生する。サージングにより集
鉱装置が停止すると、従来の水流式集鉱装置では海底堆
積物と海水ばかり吸込み、又急激に前進するとマンガン
団塊の取残しが発生し、集鉱効率が低下する欠点があっ
た。However, conventionally known water flow type ore collectors suck manganese nodules together with a large amount of water and seafloor sediment (soft mud) from a suction port that spreads laterally with respect to the direction of movement. The ratio to the total suction amount) is low, and therefore the power consumption required to fry a certain amount of manganese nodules is large, leading to an increase in the size of the device. In addition, since the seabed surface where manganese nodules exist is soft mud, if the ore collector is mounted on a sled and towed from the sea by a ship via a towing cable or ore lifting pipe, the bottom surface of the sled and the seabed surface will be separated. When the tow line and the ore lifting pipe are attracted to each other and stuck and stopped, the tension in the towing cable and the ore lifting pipe increases, causing the so-called surging, which occurs when the tow line and ore lifting pipe suddenly move forward, then stop and move forward repeatedly. When the ore collector stops due to surging, conventional water flow type ore collectors suck in only seabed sediments and seawater, and when they move forward rapidly, manganese nodules are left behind, which reduces ore collection efficiency.

この発明は、従来の水流式マンガン団塊集鉱装置の上述
の欠点を除去した、集鉱効率が高く、サージングが起っ
た場合にもそれが低下することのない集鉱装置を提供す
ることを目的とする。The present invention aims to provide an ore collector that eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional water flow type manganese nodule collector, has high ore collection efficiency, and does not deteriorate even when surging occurs. purpose.

以下、本発明をその実施例を示す図面にもとすいて詳細
に説明する。Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to drawings showing embodiments thereof.

第１図及び第２図に示す本発明の実施例では、集鉱装置
は左右に設けられた１対のそり１に塔載されており、揚
鉱管及びこれに接続されたフレキシブルホース２を介し
て海上の船舶により図中に矢印Ａで示す方向に曳航され
、そり１は海底の表層６０表面を滑走する。In the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ore collecting device is mounted on a pair of sleds 1 provided on the left and right, and the ore collecting device is mounted on a pair of sleds 1 provided on the left and right, and a ore lifting pipe and a flexible hose 2 connected thereto are mounted on the ore collecting device. The sled 1 is towed by a ship on the sea in the direction indicated by an arrow A in the figure, and the sled 1 slides on the surface layer 60 of the seabed.

装置の前部には、平面図において前方に「八」の字形に
開き、海底面にはｇ直角にかつ下部が若干海底面下に入
った状態で１対の掻寄せ板４が設けられ、これらの間に
集鉱部５が形成されている。At the front of the device, a pair of scraping plates 4 are provided, which open forward in the shape of an "eight" in a plan view, and are perpendicular to g on the seabed surface, with the lower portions slightly below the seabed surface. An ore collecting section 5 is formed between these.

本実施例の装置では、曳航方向Ｑ中心線の両側に対称に
夫々１つの集鉱部５が設けられている。集鉱部５の前部
の開口部には前記掻寄板５とはｙ同じ程度海底面下に入
った鉛直方向の棒を横方向に櫛の歯状に並べて形成され
た１次粒度選別装置６が設けられている。この１次粒度
選別装置の選別点は、この集鉱装置で集鉱し揚鉱すべき
あらかじめ設定されたマンガン団塊の粒度範囲の上限に
合せて設定されている。In the apparatus of this embodiment, one ore collecting section 5 is provided symmetrically on both sides of the center line in the towing direction Q. At the front opening of the ore collecting section 5, there is a primary particle size sorting device formed by horizontally arranging vertical rods in a comb-like shape that go under the seabed to the same extent as the scraping plate 5. 6 is provided. The sorting point of this primary particle size sorting device is set in accordance with the upper limit of the preset particle size range of manganese nodules to be collected and lifted by this ore collector.

集鉱部５の後部の幅の狭い開口部と、後述する中継部７
との間には移送管８が設けられており、該移送管の集鉱
部５側聞口８ａと適当な距離なへだて＆噴射口が対向す
るよう忙、ポンプ９により加圧された水をジェット水流
として噴射する水ジ・エツト噴射装置１ｏが集鉱部５に
一般けられている。A narrow opening at the rear of the ore collecting section 5 and a relay section 7 to be described later.
A transfer pipe 8 is provided between the transfer pipe and the ore collection part 5 side port 8a of the transfer pipe, and the water pressurized by the pump 9 is pumped so that the injection port faces the opening 8a on the side of the ore collection part 5 at an appropriate distance. A water jet injection device 1o which injects water as a jet stream is generally installed in the ore collecting section 5.

中継部７は本集鉱装置の後部に設けられ、前記移送管８
のもう一方の管口８ｂが開口し、これに対向する壁面は
網状の２次粒度選別装置１１となっている。他の部分は
垂直壁で囲まれ底部はホッパー状をなし、左右の移送管
８の開口８ｂから受入れたマンガン団塊を中心線の方に
搬送するスクリューコンベア１２がホッパーの底部に設
けられている。このコンベア１２により両側より搬送さ
れたマンガン団塊が集積される中心線上にはフレキシブ
ルホース２を介して揚鉱管に接続される導入管１３が開
口している。上記の２次粒度選別装置の選別点は上述の
あらかじめ設定されたマンガン団塊の粒度範囲の下限に
合せて設定されている。The relay section 7 is provided at the rear of the present ore collector, and is connected to the transfer pipe 8.
The other pipe port 8b is open, and the wall surface facing this is a mesh-like secondary particle size sorting device 11. The other part is surrounded by vertical walls, and the bottom part is shaped like a hopper, and a screw conveyor 12 is provided at the bottom of the hopper to transport the manganese nodules received from the openings 8b of the left and right transfer pipes 8 toward the center line. An introduction pipe 13 connected to an ore lifting pipe via a flexible hose 2 opens on the center line where the manganese nodules conveyed from both sides by the conveyor 12 are accumulated. The sorting point of the secondary particle size sorting device is set in accordance with the lower limit of the preset particle size range of the manganese nodules.

“この装置は以上の如く構成されているので、マンガン
団塊が賦存する海底に本装置を降し、海上の船舶により
揚降管を介して矢印λの方向に移動させると、海底の表
層堆積物（軟泥）３中に半ば埋もれ、上部を海底面上に
露出した状態で平面的に散ばっているマンガン団塊の集
鉱部５の前面幅の範囲内のものは、１次選別装置６で所
定の粒度範囲より大きなものが除外されて集鉱部５に入
り、掻寄板４により左右より掻寄せられ、集鉱部５の後
端付近では盛上った状態に堆積する。かく堆積したマン
ガン団塊と海底堆積物は水ジエツト噴射装置１０より噴
射されるジェット水流に連行されて移送管８内を搬送さ
れ、中継部、７に相当の速度で排出される。排出された
マンガン団塊、海底堆積物を含む水流は２次選別装置１
１に衝突し、その網目より小さい粒度のマンガン団塊及
び海底堆積物は海中に放出され、′所定の粒度範囲内の
マンガン団塊のみがホッパ一部に落下し、スクリューコ
ンベア１２により中心線に向って搬送され中心線部に集
積される。この部分には揚鉱管にフレキシブルホース２
を介して接続された導入管１３が開口しているので、揚
鉱管の途中に設けられたポンプ等による上昇水流に誘引
されて、マンガン団塊は周囲海水と共に導入管１３、フ
レキシブルホース２、揚鉱管を経て海上の船舶に揚げら
れる。“Since this device is configured as described above, when this device is lowered onto the seabed where manganese nodules exist and moved by a vessel on the sea in the direction of the arrow λ via a lift pipe, the surface layer of the seabed will be deposited. The manganese nodules that are half-buried in the material (soft mud) 3 and scattered flat with the upper part exposed on the seabed within the front width of the ore collecting section 5 are sorted by the primary sorting device 6. Particles larger than a predetermined particle size range are excluded and enter the ore collecting section 5, where they are scraped from the left and right by the scraping plate 4, and deposited in a heaped state near the rear end of the ore collecting section 5. The manganese nodules and seabed sediments are carried through the transfer pipe 8 by a jet stream ejected from the water jet injection device 10, and are discharged at a considerable speed to the relay section 7.The discharged manganese nodules and seabed The water flow containing sediment is passed through secondary sorting device 1.
1, the manganese nodules and seabed sediments with a particle size smaller than the mesh are discharged into the sea, and only the manganese nodules within a predetermined particle size range fall into a part of the hopper and are carried toward the center line by the screw conveyor 12. It is transported and accumulated at the center line. In this part, there is a flexible hose 2 on the ore lifting pipe.
Since the inlet pipe 13 connected through the ore lifting pipe is open, the manganese nodules are attracted by the rising water flow by a pump etc. installed in the middle of the ore lifting pipe, and the manganese nodules flow into the inlet pipe 13, the flexible hose 2, and the lifting pipe together with the surrounding seawater. It goes through a mine pipe and is unloaded onto a ship at sea.

本発明の集鉱装置では上述の如く、集鉱部５の正面幅の
範囲にあるマンガン団塊は掻寄せ板４により盛り上げら
れた上ジェット水流で移送管８に送られ、中継部で粒度
選別された上連続的に揚鉱管に吸引されて揚鉱されるの
で、海底掃引幅一杯に吸込口を設けた従来の水流式集鉱
装置に比して吸込濃度が高くなり、集鉱揚鉱のためのポ
ンプやパイプの容量を小さくすることが出来、所要動力
も軽減される。In the ore collecting device of the present invention, as described above, the manganese nodules within the front width range of the ore collecting section 5 are sent to the transfer pipe 8 by the upper jet water flow raised by the raking plate 4, and are sorted by particle size at the relay section. In addition, since the ore is continuously sucked into the ore lifting pipe and lifted, the suction concentration is higher than that of conventional water flow type ore collectors, which have a suction port that spans the entire width of the seabed sweep. The capacity of pumps and pipes for this purpose can be reduced, and the required power is also reduced.

又、サージングが起った場合、装置の前進、停止に応じ
て集鉱部５内のマンガン団塊と海底堆積物の盛り上りが
高くなったり低くなったりするが、常にジェット水流に
より移送管にマンガン団塊が送り込まれ、文集　鉄部前
面幅の範囲内の所定粒度範囲のマンガン団塊は必らず集
鉱部に取り込まれるので、取り残しがなく、集鉱効率が
向上する。In addition, when surging occurs, the manganese nodules and seabed sediment in the ore collecting section 5 will rise or fall as the equipment moves forward or stops, but the jet stream will always keep the manganese flowing into the transfer pipe. Manganese nodules within a predetermined particle size range within the front width of the iron section are always taken into the ore collection section, so there are no leftovers, and ore collection efficiency is improved.

又、本発明の装置は集鉱部に堆積されたマンガン団塊等
をジェット水流により移送管に押し込む方式となってい
るため１．吸込方式において起り勝ちな、移送物により
パイプの詰りか発生し始めた場合、後から吸込まれる物
質により詰りか促進される現象がなく、逆に詰りか生じ
始めた場合、噴射される水流と物質がこれを除去するよ
うに働くので管の閉塞の危険性が減少する。なお導入管
１３には所定の粒度範囲以上又は以下のマンガン団塊及
び海底堆積物が入ることはないので詰りの発生する可能
性は少い。In addition, since the apparatus of the present invention is of a type in which manganese nodules etc. deposited in the ore collecting section are pushed into the transfer pipe by a jet water stream, 1. If the pipe begins to become clogged due to the transferred material, which is likely to occur with the suction method, there is no phenomenon in which the clogging is accelerated by the material that is sucked in later, and conversely, if the clogging begins to occur, the injected water flow The risk of blockage of the tube is reduced as the substance acts to remove this. It should be noted that since manganese nodules and seafloor sediments having a particle size above or below a predetermined particle size range do not enter the introduction pipe 13, there is little possibility that clogging will occur.

以上の如く、本発明によれば従、来の水流式の集鉱装置
に比して集鉱効率が向上し、サージングが起った場合の
集鉱効率の低下が少く、装置の小型化、所要動力の軽減
にも効果が得られる。なお上記実施例では集鉱装置は揚
鉱管を介して海上の船舶に曳航されるものとしたが、曳
航索により曳航されるものや自走するものにも本発明カ
ー適用されることは言う迄もない。As described above, according to the present invention, the ore collection efficiency is improved compared to the conventional water flow type ore collection device, the ore collection efficiency is less reduced when surging occurs, the device is made smaller, It is also effective in reducing the required power. In the above embodiment, the ore collecting device is towed by a ship on the sea via an ore lifting pipe, but it should be noted that the present invention can also be applied to a device towed by a towing cable or a self-propelled device. Not until now.

【図面の簡単な説明】[Brief explanation of the drawing]

第１図は本発明の実施例の集鉱装置の縦断面図、第２図
はその平面図である。 ６・・・海底表層　　　　　４・・・掻寄せ板５・・、
集鉱部　　　　　　６・・−１次粒度選別装置７・・・
中継部　　　　　　８・・・移送管１０・・・水ジエツ
ト噴射装置 １１・・・２次粒度選別装置 １２・・・スクリューコンヘア １５・・・揚鉱管への導入管 −４７ヒFIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an ore collector according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof. 6... Seabed surface layer 4... Scraping board 5...
Ore collecting section 6...-Primary particle size sorting device 7...
Relay part 8...Transfer pipe 10...Water jet injection device 11...Secondary particle size sorting device 12...Screw conhair 15...Introduction pipe to the ore lifting pipe-47

Claims (1)

【特許請求の範囲】[Claims] 海底面上を移動しながら海底面に賦存するマンガン団塊
を集鉱し、これを揚鉱管に供給するマンガン団塊集鉱装
置において、移動方向にみて前方が開いたへの字形に海
底面にはｙ直角にかつ下部が若干海底面下に入る如く設
けられた一対の掻寄せ板と、これら一対の掻寄せ板の間
に形成される集鉱部の出口と揚鉱管とを接続する管路の
途中に設けた粒度選別装置と、前記管路の前記集鉱部側
開口と適当な距離をおいて噴射口が対向する如く設けら
れた水ジエツト噴射装置とを有することを特徴とするマ
ンガン団塊集鉱装置。In a manganese nodule collecting device that collects manganese nodules existing on the seabed while moving on the seabed and supplies them to the ore lifting pipe, the manganese nodules are placed on the seabed in an open-front shape when viewed from the direction of movement. is a pair of scraping plates installed perpendicular to y so that the lower part is slightly below the seabed surface, and a pipe connecting the outlet of the ore collecting section formed between the pair of scraping plates and the ore lifting pipe. A manganese nodule aggregate characterized by having a particle size sorting device provided in the middle, and a water jet injection device provided so that the injection port faces the opening on the ore collecting section side of the pipeline at an appropriate distance. mining equipment.