JP2003079267A - Underwater construction - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve various factors to destroy the global environment by reusing waste materials such as domestic wastes, domestic sewage and excrements to reduce the discharged amount of the waste and the generation of carbon dioxide. SOLUTION: Nutrient salts are produced from excrements as a raw material and a marine ecosystem is established at a distant water area with the nutrient salts. Aquatic resources produced by the circulation in the marine ecosystem is collected, the excrements produced by the consumption of the aquatic resource are recovered and the nutrient salts are produced from the excrement to recycle the aquatic resources. Especially, a structure 10 having a step-wise upper face is placed in the sea at a distant water area and a sea bottom forming a marine ecosystem is simulated by the structure 10.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technique for utilizing a pristine ocean that is almost untouched to realize the recycling of marine resources and further improving various factors deteriorating the global environment in the process.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The 20th century type of social structure, which was devastated in mass production and mass consumption, is now facing a turning point with great problems. It is no doubt that the factory that continues production 24 hours a day emits a huge amount of industrial waste and carbon dioxide, and that the increasing amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a major cause of global warming. Has become.

A large amount of domestic waste and carbon dioxide are emitted in the process of consumption from urban areas that consume the produced products. Domestic waste also emits carbon dioxide in the process of being incinerated. In addition, domestic wastewater and human excrement are discharged from urban areas and dumped into rivers and coastal waters through treatment facilities. These significantly contaminate the water quality of the water area even after being subjected to purification treatment. further,
The 20th century social structure creates gaps in living standards between developed and developing countries, and on the one hand, excessive food is discarded without being consumed, and on the other hand, hunger and poverty are widespread. It continues without being done.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the conventional one-way type social structure must be reformed to construct a recycling type social structure on a global scale. There is.

In order to solve such various problems, the present inventors sought the possibility in the ocean. The distant ocean here is located outside the continental shelf at the periphery of the land, and its water depth is deeper than that of the continental shelf, and typically refers to a sea area with a water depth of 200 m or more.

Needless to say, the earth has about 2 of its surface area.
The sea occupies / 3 of the sea, but the use of the pelagic ocean, which accounts for about 90% of the sea, has not been done at all.
As an example, the production of marine resources in the pelagic sea is only about 0.8% of the production obtained from the whole sea.

The reason why the production of marine resources is poor in the pelagic sea is closely related to the food chain and the water depth in the marine ecosystem. The food chain in the marine ecosystem begins with the primary production of phytoplankton by photosynthesis while taking in nitrogen, phosphorus, silicon, iron, vitamins, etc. as nutrient salts. The carnivorous zooplankton prey on the primary producer, and the carnivorous zooplankton prey on the zooplankton. Small carnivores prey on the carnivore plankton, and large carnivores prey on the small carnivores. And
When these carnivorous animals die, their bodies are broken down by tiny aquatic organisms, supplying phytoplankton with the nutrient salts that feed them.

The point here is that the phytoplankton requires the above-mentioned various nutrient salts and sunlight in the process of primary production. These nutrients are abundant in the seabed because they are supplied from the seabed soil and carcasses of large and small marine organisms. Also, it is said that the sun rays reach up to a depth of about 200 m, that is, near the edge of the continental shelf, depending on the transparency of the water. Therefore, primary production is actively carried out in the relatively shallow water near the continental shelf, and the marine ecosystem is maintained healthy.

However, in the pelagic ocean, which is deeper than the continental shelf, unlike the relatively shallow coastal ocean, the deep regions rich in nutrients and the surface regions exposed to sunlight are located far apart, so in any of them. However, almost no primary production is done. Therefore, the marine ecosystem as described above is not established and fisheries resources are depleted.

[0010]

The present invention has been made as one of such efforts, and makes effective use of almost untouched pelagic ocean to incinerate or dispose of living waste as it is. Things and domestic wastewater,
The purpose of the present invention is to recycle wastes such as excrement to reduce unilateral disposal of them and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to improve various factors that deteriorate the global environment.

[0011]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present inventors have already made the following proposals in order to improve various factors of environmental pollution based on the knowledge of such pelagic conditions. The proposal is to produce nutrient salts using the discharged materials as raw materials, to establish a marine ecosystem in the pelagic ocean based on the nutrient salts, and to harvest marine resources produced in the process of circulation of the marine ecosystem. This is to collect the effluent produced after consuming the marine resources and to produce nutrient salts again using the effluent as a raw material. What is important in this system for recycling marine resources is
As mentioned above, it is an undersea structure that should be installed in the pelagic ocean that is not in an environment suitable for habitation of aquatic life. That is, the undersea structure according to claim 1 of the present invention is provided with a structure having stepped portions in the ocean in the pelagic sea area, and the structure has a seabed that becomes a place of a marine ecosystem. Characterized by simulating.

The undersea structure according to claim 2 is the undersea structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the structure has a colosseum shape in which a surface inclined toward the center is formed in a step shape. To do.

The undersea structure according to claim 3 is the undersea structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the structure is installed at a depth to which sunlight reaches.

In the present invention, by providing an undersea structure imitating the seabed in the pelagic sea, a pseudo near sea similar to the continental shelf is reproduced in the sea area. By supplying nutrient salts derived from emissions to this area and releasing phytoplankton, which is the primary producer of the food chain in the marine ecosystem, if necessary, the marine ecosystem will be established. It will be. Further, by forming the upper surface of the structure in a stepped shape, a state close to the original seabed can be reproduced, and the surface area can be increased to obtain more sunlight.

The undersea structure according to claim 4 is the undersea structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the structure is formed with a recess simulating a cavern.

On the seabed, not only changes in undulations but also caves and environments exist. Therefore, in the present invention, by forming a recess simulating a cave on the side surface of the structure, it is possible to attract aquatic organisms that prefer the cave and serve as a place of fixation,
It enables the production of various marine resources.

The undersea structure according to claim 5 is the undersea structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the structure is fixed by a leg that stands on the original seabed. .

Ocean currents caused by trade winds and the like are generated in the pelagic ocean, and naturally floating floating underwater structures are affected by this influence and are drifted to change their positions. When the undersea structure moves, the environment may change due to changes in water temperature, which may adversely affect the growth of marine resources. In addition, if the position of the undersea structure shifts, it becomes difficult to manage it. Therefore, in the present invention, by fixing the structure in place by the leg that stands on the original seabed, fisheries resources are actively grown without changing the environment, and the management of undersea structures can be performed smoothly. Like

The undersea structure according to claim 6 is the undersea structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a reticulated floating body located above the structure and serving as a place for aquatic plants to settle. It is characterized by being provided.

In the present invention, an aquatic plant is settled in the floating body to form an environment suitable for inhabiting aquatic organisms. In addition, since the floating body is reticulated, sunlight reaches the upper surface of the structure through the reticulation and does not affect the formation of an environment suitable for inhabiting aquatic organisms.

The undersea structure according to claim 7 is the undersea structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a plurality of the structures are combined.

In the present invention, a large-scale offshore structure can be constructed by combining a plurality of structures.

[0023]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. To realize the above-mentioned recycling of marine resources, as shown in Fig. 1,
A nutrient salt production plant (nutrient salt production facility) 1 for producing nutrient salts from raw materials discharged from consumption areas such as urban areas on land has been constructed, and undersea structures that imitate the natural seabed in the pelagic ocean 2 Build a production base for marine resources centered on. Then, the transportation ships 4 and 5 operate as transportation equipment for nutrient salts and marine resources between the two.

In the nutrient salt production plant, various kinds of emissions are accumulated from consumption areas such as urban areas. There are two types of emissions here, one is raw garbage, fresh products that have lost value in the process of distribution, agricultural and forestry and fisheries products that have not gained value as products, domestic wastewater, human excrement, etc. The ones that contain a lot of organic substances like the ones, and the other ones are the surplus substances (silicon, iron, etc.) emitted from the production sites of mining and manufacturing.

In the nutrient salt production plant 1, atomic levels of nutrient salts such as nitrogen, phosphorus, silicon, iron and vitamins are produced using these emissions as raw materials. In addition, since some by-products are obtained in the process of nutrient salt production, useful ones (for example, methane gas) are used as power sources and other energy sources in the plant.

The produced nutrient salt is processed into a liquid, gel or slurry form, or packed in a capsule so that it can be easily transported. The nutrient salt is loaded on a transport ship and transported to a production base in the ocean. To be done. In addition, the fact that the nutrient salt is packed in the capsule also includes the meaning of controlling the way of diffusion after being seeded.

The undersea structure 2 is constructed so as to form an artificial seabed in the surface area of the pelagic sea where sunlight can reach. Specifically, the structure 10 imitating the seabed is fixed in the sea by the leg portion 11 standing on the original seabed. The structure 10 is arranged at a depth where the sunlight can reach (water depth of about 100 to 200 m), has a huge circular colosseum shape, and a slope inclined toward the center is formed in a step shape.
The upper surface, which is formed in a staircase, is provided with depressions, sand fields, and rock fields. In addition, a depression 12 imitating a cave is formed on the outer surface of the structure 10 to simulate a seabed that is a place for establishing a marine ecosystem.

Above the structure 10, a net (floating body) 13, which is a place for aquatic plants to settle, is installed. Pods and planters (not shown) for promoting the establishment of aquatic plants are attached to various parts of the net 13.

Concrete piles or pipe materials are used for the leg portions 11. When pipe materials are used, holes 11a penetrating inward and outward are provided on the wall surface to eliminate the pressure difference. This hole 11a also serves as a hideout for seafood and a place for spawning.

Further, a research vessel 9 which is positioned as a "recycling system monitoring and marine science research center vessel" is arranged in the sea area within the production base. The research vessel 9 plays a role of managing the undersea structure 2 and other facilities to monitor the state of the marine ecosystem in the production base, and also provides a place for ocean science research on the ocean.

When the transport ship 4 arrives at the production base, nutrient salts are sprayed from the transport ship 4 into the sea. Before and after the application of nutrient salts, phytoplankton, which is the primary producer of the marine ecosystem, is released into the sea area within the production base as needed. In addition, dietary zooplankton which constitutes each stage of the marine ecosystem, various plankton of carnivorous zooplankton, and fry of large and small carnivores that prey on these are released as necessary.

In the sea area to which the nutrient salts have been sprayed, the growth of phytoplankton begins, and the food chain in the marine ecosystem is established in this sea area as a trigger. First, it begins with primary production that is performed by photosynthesis while taking in phytoplankton as a nutrient salt. At this time, phytoplankton, which is a primary producer, is actively photosynthesized by being supplied with nutrient salts, and absorbs carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere and dissolved in seawater to release oxygen.

The primary producers are preyed upon by the carnivorous zooplankton, and the carnivorous zooplankton are preyed on by the carnivorous zooplankton. Small carnivores prey on the carnivore plankton, and large carnivores prey on the small carnivores.

As described above, by establishing the food chain in the marine ecosystem, the sea area inside the production base is transformed into a rich environment rich in marine resources, which is reproduced by the undersea structure 2. A large number of seafood are flocked to the seabed of the pseudo inshore, and aquatic plants grow. The various marine resources produced in this way are harvested by an appropriate method at an appropriate time depending on the type, loaded on the transport ship 5, and transported to consumption areas such as urban areas. The consumption area is not limited to land, and includes all places where humans live, such as maritime cities and ships constructed offshore.

The landed fishery resources are appropriately processed and consumed along with the distribution of the market economy, and are also supplied to developing countries to contribute to the elimination of food shortages. It should be noted that fishery resources are not only landed as they are harvested, but may be appropriately processed during the transportation process.

Emissions such as raw garbage produced after consuming the marine resources are collected together with the above-mentioned other emissions, accumulated in the nutrient salt production plant 1 and used as a raw material of the nutrient salt. The produced nutrient salts are transported to the pelagic ocean as described above, and are reused in the marine ecosystem as food for primary producers.

By recycling the marine resources as described above, it is possible to effectively utilize the pelagic ocean that has been almost untouched up to now, and to incinerate or to dispose of it in the past. It is possible to reuse the wastes such as wastes, domestic wastewater, and excrement to reduce the unilateral disposal of them, and also to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide, which causes various factors that deteriorate the global environment. Can be improved. In addition, phytoplankton absorbs carbon dioxide and immobilizes carbon dioxide in a production base constructed in the pelagic sea, whereby carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which causes global warming, can be reduced.

By the way, in the above embodiment, the nutrient salt is produced in the nutrient salt production plant 1 constructed on land. For example, the nutrient salt production plant itself is provided on the ship, and the discharged matter is loaded to the ocean. You may make it produce a nutrient salt in the process toward.

Further, in the above embodiment, the nutrient salt is produced in the nutrient salt production plant. However, the produced nutrient salt is used as a feed to artificially produce the phytoplankton, and the phytoplankton is produced in the ocean. May be released to. In this case, a phytoplankton production facility that produces phytoplankton by using the nutrients as raw material to produce phytoplankton is constructed on land, and phytoplankton is sprayed in addition to undersea structures in the pelagic ocean. Build a production base for fisheries resources centered on equipment. Between the two, a phytoplankton transport ship will be operated instead of the nutrient salt transport ship. In this case, too, the phytoplankton production facility itself may be provided on the ship, and phytoplankton may be produced in the process of loading the discharges and heading for the ocean.

Furthermore, if necessary, the undersea structure 2 is provided with equipment for surrounding fish by using bubbles or sound waves, maintenance of the undersea structure 2 and maintenance of its position in the sea. , Various equipment may be installed to ensure safety. In addition to this, the undersea structure 2 can be provided with a research facility that enables living in the sea and functions as a place for ocean observation and basic research in the sea.

In this embodiment, the foundation structure 1
Although 0 is set at a depth where sunlight can reach, it may be set at a deeper depth depending on the type of seafood that is fixed to this. It is also possible to construct a huge underwater structure 2 by combining a plurality of structures 10.

[0042]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By providing an undersea structure that imitates the seabed in the deep sea, a pseudo-near sea similar to the continental shelf is reproduced in that sea area, and a rich marine ecosystem is established in that sea area, so the far sea that was almost untouched Can be effectively utilized. In addition, by forming the upper surface of the structure in a staircase shape, the state close to the original seabed can be reproduced and the surface area can be increased to obtain more sunlight, thus improving the productivity of marine resources. You can

According to the present invention, by forming a recess simulating a cave on the side surface of the structure, it is possible to attract aquatic organisms that favor the cave and serve as a place for colonization, and produce a variety of marine resources. be able to.

According to the present invention, since the structure is fixed in place by the leg that originally stands on the seabed, the environment suitable for inhabiting aquatic organisms does not change, and the marine resources are actively grown. Therefore, the productivity of marine resources can be increased. In addition, the management of undersea structures can be performed smoothly.

According to the present invention, an aquatic plant is settled in a floating body, whereby an environment suitable for inhabiting aquatic organisms is formed. In addition, since the floating body is reticulated, sunlight reaches the upper surface of the structure through the reticulation and does not affect the formation of an environment suitable for inhabiting aquatic organisms. As a result, the productivity of marine resources can be increased.

According to the present invention, a large-scale offshore structure can be constructed by combining a plurality of structures.
This can increase the production of marine resources.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a fishery resource recycling system according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Nutrient production plant 2 Undersea structures 4,5 transport ship 10 structure 11 legs 12 depressions 13 Net (floating body)

Continued front page    (72) Inventor Shinsuke Murakami             3-5-1, 717-1, Fukahori-cho, Nagasaki-shi, Nagasaki             Hishi Heavy Industries Ltd. Nagasaki Research Center (72) Inventor Miho Sugimori             3-5-1, 717-1, Fukahori-cho, Nagasaki-shi, Nagasaki             Hishi Heavy Industries Ltd. Nagasaki Research Center (72) Inventor Koji Shida             3-5-1, 717-1, Fukahori-cho, Nagasaki-shi, Nagasaki             Hishi Heavy Industries Ltd. Nagasaki Research Center (72) Inventor Takeshi Nakahama             8-20 Asahi-cho, Nagasaki-shi, Nagasaki PAL Co., Ltd.             In the structure F term (reference) 2B003 AA01 BB01 BB02 BB03 BB04                       BB05 BB06 DD01 EE04                 2D018 AA00

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An undersea structure characterized in that a structure having stepwise portions is provided in the ocean in the pelagic sea, and the structure simulates the seabed, which is a place of a marine ecosystem. 2. The undersea structure according to claim 1, wherein the structure has a colosseum shape in which a surface inclined toward the center is formed in a step shape. 3. The undersea structure according to claim 1, wherein the structure is installed at a depth where sunlight can reach. 4. The undersea structure according to claim 1, wherein the structure is formed with a recess imitating a cave. 5. The undersea structure according to claim 1, wherein the structure is fixed by legs that stand on the original seabed. 6. The undersea structure according to claim 1, further comprising a reticulated floating body located above the structure and serving as a place for aquatic plants to settle. 7. The undersea structure according to claim 1, wherein the structure is formed by combining a plurality of the structures.