JP2022134890A - Collection system of undersea resources, and collection method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide: a collection system of undersea resources capable of efficiently collecting undersea resources contained in submerged soil; and a collection method.SOLUTION: A suction-collection pipe 2 is installed extending toward an underwater ground B from above a water, and at least a bottom part of an insertion tube 3 connected to a bottom of the suction-collection pipe 2 is inserted into the underwater ground B. Then, while a liquid L is supplied into the insertion tube 3, a rotary shaft 4 extending in a tube axial direction inside the suction-collection pipe 2 and the insertion tube 3 is rotated, in a state that axis runout suppressing means 9 placed inside the insertion tube 3 suppresses axis runout of the rotary shaft 4, stirring blades 6 attached to a bottom of the rotary shaft 4 are rotated inside the insertion tube 3, to excavate and dissolve mud S inside the insertion tube 3. Then, the mud S dissolved into a slurry is raised to a top of the insertion tube 3, and the raised slurry-like mud S is lifted to above the water through the suction-collection pipe 2 by lifting means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bottom-water resource extraction system and method, and more particularly to a bottom-water resource extraction system and method capable of efficiently extracting bottom-water resources contained in the mud of the bottom ground.

In the development of marine resources, we use pump lifts, air lifts, and other means of lifting and collecting mud from the bottom of the sea, which contains bottom-of-water resources such as rare earths that exist in the deep sea, along with liquids such as water, to lift-and-recover ships on the water. are being harvested. The larger the mud mass, the more liquid volume is required to lift and collect it. As the amount of liquid that is lifted up and collected together with the mud increases, the number of man-hours required for the lifting and collection work and the work to separate the mud and the liquid increases, and the cost required for extracting bottom water resources also increases. Therefore, in order to efficiently extract the water bottom resources contained in the mud of the water bottom ground, it is important to finely thaw the mud of the water bottom ground and lift it up with a smaller amount of liquid.

Conventionally, various systems have been proposed for excavating and lifting up mud from the bottom of water (see Patent Document 1). In the marine resource lifting device of Patent Literature 1, a recovery hopper provided at the lower portion of the lifting pipe portion faces the ground surface of the underwater ground. Next, the rotated bit penetrates the bottom of the sea, and an emulsion (oil mixed with a surfactant) with a specific gravity lighter than that of seawater is sprayed from the nozzle at the bottom of the bit to clear the mud of the bottom of the sea. excavate. Mud and emulsion that have risen from the bottom of the water to the upper part of the collection hopper are lifted onto the water via the lifting pipe. In this method, most of the mud in the waterbed ground excavated by the bit spreads in the waterbed ground, so the mud cannot be finely thawed. Therefore, in this marine resource lifting apparatus, an emulsion having a specific gravity lighter than that of seawater is injected into the seabed ground in order to raise the mud. However, since it is necessary to inject a large amount of emulsion into the waterbed ground and lift it up, the number of man-hours for separating the lifted mud and the emulsion increases, and the cost required for collecting waterbed resources increases. There is also a concern that the emulsion that flows out into the water will harm the aquatic environment.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-11568

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a bottom water resource collection system and a bottom water collection method capable of efficiently collecting water bottom resources contained in the mud of the bottom ground.

In order to achieve the above object, the bottom-of-water resource extraction system of the present invention is a bottom-of-water resource extraction system for excavating mud in the bottom-of-water ground containing bottom-of-water resources and pumping up the mud from the bottom of the water to the bottom-of-water ground. an insertion tube connected to a lower portion of the lifting and storing tube; a rotary shaft extending in the axial direction of the lifting and storing tube and the insertion tube; A stirring blade attached to the lower part of the rotating shaft and arranged inside the insertion tube, a liquid supply mechanism for supplying liquid to the inside of the insertion tube, and a rotation apparatus arranged inside the insertion tube Shaft-shake suppression means for suppressing shaft shake during rotation of the shaft, wherein the liquid is supplied to the inside of the insertion pipe by the liquid supply mechanism in a state in which at least a lower portion of the insertion pipe is inserted into the underwater ground. At the same time, the mud inside the insertion pipe is excavated by the stirring impeller rotating with the rotation of the rotating shaft in a state in which the rotating shaft is prevented from wobbling by the shaft wobbling suppressing means. The slurry is demulsified, and the mud that has become slurry rises to the upper part of the insertion pipe, and the slurry-like mud that has risen is lifted onto the water through the lifting pipe by the lifting means. It is characterized by having a configuration that

The bottom water resource extraction method of the present invention is a bottom water resource extraction method for excavating mud in the bottom water ground containing the bottom water resource and lifting it up to the surface of the water. A liquid is supplied to the inside of the insertion pipe in a state where at least the lower part of the insertion pipe connected to the lower part of the lifting and receiving pipe is inserted into the sea bed ground, and the lifting and receiving pipe and the insertion pipe While rotating the rotating shaft extending in the direction of the tube axis inside the insertion tube, it is attached to the lower part of the rotating shaft in a state in which the shaft blurring of the rotating shaft is suppressed by the shaft blurring suppressing means arranged inside the insertion tube. By rotating the stirring blade inside the insertion pipe, the mud inside the insertion pipe is excavated and demulsified, and the mud made into a slurry by the dissolution is transferred to the upper part of the insertion pipe. It is characterized in that the raised slurry-like mud is lifted onto the water through the lifting pipe by a lifting means.

According to the present invention, the liquid is supplied to the inside of the insertion pipe inserted into the waterbed ground, and the stirring blade is rotated to excavate and disaggregate the mud of the waterbed ground inside the insertion pipe, thereby producing a relatively small amount of liquid. This allows the mud to be effectively comminuted into a slurry and lifted up to the top of the insertion tube. Moreover, by suppressing the axial deflection of the rotating shaft by the axial deflection suppressing means arranged inside the insertion tube, it is advantageous for stably pulverizing and lifting up the mud. Therefore, bottom water resources contained in the mud can be efficiently collected.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an outline of an embodiment of a bottom water resource extraction system of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an explanatory view illustrating the inside of the insertion tube of FIG. 1 in plan view; FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the inside of the insertion tube in the A arrow view of FIG. 2 ; FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the inside of the insertion tube in the B arrow view of FIG. 2 ; 1. It is explanatory drawing which illustrates the state which inserted the insertion pipe of FIG. 1 in the water bottom ground. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the stirring blades have penetrated to a predetermined depth in the submerged ground from the state of FIG. 5 ; 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the stirring blade is reciprocated in the tube axis direction inside the insertion tube from the state in FIG. 6. FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an outline of another embodiment of the bottom water resource extraction system of the present invention; FIG. 9 is an explanatory view illustrating the inside of the insertion tube of FIG. 8 in plan view;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the system and method for collecting bottom water resources of the present invention will be described based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. According to the present invention, the mud of the bottom of the water containing the bottom of the water resources (mineral resources) such as rare earths is excavated and collected on the water.

A bottom water resource extraction system 1 (hereinafter referred to as a bottom water resource extraction system 1) of the present invention illustrated in FIG. and a rotating shaft 4 extending inside the lift-and-storage tube 2 and the insertion tube 3 in the tube axial direction. The sampling system 1 further includes an agitating blade 6 attached to the lower portion of the rotating shaft 4, a liquid supply mechanism 8 that supplies the liquid L to the inside of the insertion tube 3, and a shaft shake suppressor arranged inside the insertion tube 3. means 9; This embodiment exemplifies the case where the lifting pipe 2 is connected to the lifting and receiving ship 20 on the water, but it is not limited to the lifting and receiving ship 20. For example, the lifting and receiving pipe 2 is provided on the water. It can also be configured to be connected to a facility or the like.

The lift-and-storage pipe 2 and the insertion pipe 3 are in communication. The inner diameter of the insertion tube 3 is set larger than the inner diameter of the lift-and-storage tube 2 . The inner peripheral surface of the connecting portion between the lifting tube 2 and the insertion tube 3 has a smoothly continuous curved shape. The inner diameter of the lift-and-storage tube 2 is set, for example, within a range of 0.2 m or more and 1.0 m or less, and the inner diameter of the insertion tube 3 is set, for example, within a range of 0.5 m or more and 5 m or less. A lifting means is connected to the lifting pipe 2 for lifting the mud S raised to the upper part of the insertion pipe 3 through the lifting pipe 2 to the surface of the water. The pumping means is composed of, for example, an air lift pump, a slurry pump, or the like.

When collecting the mud S of the waterbed ground B, the insertion pipe 3 is in a state in which at least the lower part thereof is inserted into the waterbed ground B, and the upper part of the insertion pipe 3 protrudes upward from the surface of the waterbed ground B. . For example, 50% or more of the total length of the insertion pipe 3 is inserted into the seabed ground B. The length of the insertion tube 3 in the tube axis direction is appropriately set according to the depth of the stratum in which the submerged resources are distributed. In this embodiment, an annular stopper 3a is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3 in plan view. With this stopper 3a as a boundary, the region of the insertion pipe 3 below the stopper 3a is inserted into the waterbed ground B, and the region of the insertion pipe 3 above the stopper 3a is below the surface of the waterbed ground B. will also protrude upwards.

The rotating shaft 4 is suspended from the hoisting/receiving vessel 20 through the hoisting/storage pipe 2 and the insertion pipe 3, and is rotated by a drive mechanism. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4, in this embodiment, a stirring blade 6 is attached to a head 5 that is detachably connected to the lower portion of a rotating shaft 4. As shown in FIG. An excavating edge 7 for excavating the mud S of the water bottom ground B is provided at the lower end of the head 5 . A group of agitating blades 6 composed of a plurality of agitating blades 6 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the head 5 located above the excavating blade 7 . Each stirring blade 6 extends toward the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3 . A plurality of stirring blades 6 constituting the same stirring blade group are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 4 .

Each stirring blade 6 in this embodiment is formed in a flat plate shape and has a tapered shape that tapers from the root portion connected to the rotating shaft 4 (head 5) toward the tip. The front end portion of the stirring blade 6 in the rotation direction is sharply pointed. For example, the front end portion of the stirring blade 6 can be formed in a sawtooth shape with continuous peaks and valleys. The stirring impeller 6 is not limited to a flat plate shape, and can be curved like a screw blade, for example.

In this embodiment, a stirring blade group composed of two stirring blades 6 arranged at opposing positions is provided in three stages in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 4 . Each of the stirring blades 6 constituting the lowest stage stirring blade group is inclined downward in the direction of rotation. Each of the stirring blades 6 constituting the middle stirring blade group and the uppermost stirring blade group is inclined upward in the direction of rotation. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the angle θ (depression angle) between the axial direction of the rotating shaft 4 and the extending direction of the stirring blades 6 is, for example, 10 degrees or more and 80 degrees or less, preferably 20 degrees or more and 70 degrees or less. It is preferably set within the range of 25 degrees or more and 40 degrees or less.

The stirring blades 6 adjacent to each other in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 4 are arranged at positions shifted in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 4 in plan view. A gap (clearance) of about 50 mm to 500 mm is provided between the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3 and the tip of the stirring blade 6 . The rotation speed of the stirring blade 6 (rotating shaft 4) is, for example, 10 rpm to 200 rpm.

The number of stages of the stirring blade group provided in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 4 and the number of the stirring blades 6 constituting each stage of the stirring blade group are not limited to this embodiment, and may be configured differently. For example, it is also possible to adopt a structure in which a stirring blade group composed of three stirring blades 6 is provided in two stages in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 4 . The stirring blades 6 constituting each stirring blade group are preferably arranged so as to be point-symmetrical about the axis of the rotating shaft 4 in plan view. The direction of inclination of the stirring blades 6 constituting the stirring blade groups of each stage is not limited to this embodiment. A downward sloping configuration is also possible.

The liquid supply mechanism 8 supplies water (seawater or freshwater) as the liquid L, for example. It is convenient to use on-site water (sea water or fresh water) that is available on-site. In addition, as the liquid L, for example, a liquid obtained by adding an additive to water, or a liquid other than water may be supplied. The liquid supply mechanism 8 of this embodiment has a jet nozzle 8 a provided at the tip of the stirring blade 6 . Each injection nozzle 8 a injects the liquid L toward the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3 . A liquid supply device installed on the surface of the water (ship 20) supplies liquid L to each injection nozzle 8a through a main pipe extending inside the rotating shaft 4 and a plurality of pipes 8b branched from the lower part of the main pipe. is supplied.

The injection nozzle 8a and the pipe 8b are attached to the rear side of the stirring blade 6 with respect to the rotating direction of the stirring blade 6. As shown in FIG. For example, the jet nozzle 8a and the pipe 8b may be installed in the stirring blade 6 so that the liquid L is jetted from the tip of the stirring blade 6 . In this embodiment, all the stirring blades 6 are provided with the injection nozzles 8a, but some of the stirring blades 6 can be selectively provided with the injection nozzles 8a. That is, for example, the injection nozzle 8a can be provided only for each stirring blade 6 that constitutes the lowest stage stirring blade group.

Even when the injection nozzles 8a are selectively provided in some of the stirring blades 6, the injection nozzles 8a provided in each stage should be arranged so as to be point symmetrical about the axis of the rotating shaft 4 in plan view. is preferred. It should be noted that the liquid supply mechanism 8 may have any structure as long as it can supply the liquid L into the insertion tube 3, and is not limited to the structure of this embodiment. For example, as the liquid supply mechanism 8 , a discharge nozzle for discharging the liquid L can be provided in the lower portion (head 5 ) of the rotary shaft 4 arranged inside the insertion tube 3 .

The shaft vibration suppressing means 9 is arranged inside the insertion tube 3 and suppresses shaft vibration during rotation of the rotating shaft 4 . The axial vibration suppressing means 9 has a contact portion 10 capable of contacting the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3 . Even if the contact part 10 is designed to always contact the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3, it is designed to contact the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3 only when the rotating shaft 4 is bent beyond the allowable range. good too. In this embodiment, an elastic member extending from the tip portion of the stirring blade 6 to the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3 is provided as the contact portion 10 constituting the shaft vibration suppressing means 9 . The elastic member is composed of, for example, a plate-like member made of an elastic material such as rubber or resin. When the rotation shaft 4 is displaced from the center of the tube axis of the insertion tube 3 in a direction perpendicular to the tube axis direction beyond an allowable range, the distal end portion of at least one elastic member located in the direction in which the rotation shaft 4 is displaced. is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3 to be bent or compressed.

In this embodiment, all the stirring blades 6 are provided with elastic members, but for example, some of the stirring blades 6 can be selectively provided with elastic members. Even if elastic members are selectively provided on some of the stirring blades 6, the elastic members provided on each stage are preferably arranged at positions that are point-symmetrical about the axis of the rotating shaft 4 in plan view. .

In this embodiment, the stirring blades 6 and the elastic members attached to the stirring blades 6 are inclined in the same direction. That is, the elastic members provided on the respective stirring blades 6 constituting the lowest stage stirring blade group are inclined downward in the direction of rotation. The elastic members provided on the respective stirring blades 6 constituting the middle and uppermost stirring blade groups are inclined upward in the direction of rotation.

Next, an example of the procedure of a method for collecting bottom water resources using this collection system 1 will be described below.

An insertion tube 3 is connected to the lower part of the lifting and receiving tube 2, and a head 5 is detachably fixed inside the upper part of the insertion tube 3. - 特許庁Then, as exemplified in FIG. 5, the lifting pipe 2 is extended from the surface of the water (lifting and collecting ship 20) toward the sea bottom ground B, and at least the lower part of the insertion pipe 3 connected to the lower part of the lifting pipe 2 is inserted into the waterbed ground B. At this time, the upper part of the insertion tube 3 containing the head 5 is not inserted into the waterbed ground B, and the head 5 is arranged above the surface of the waterbed ground B. - 特許庁At this stage, the inside of the lower part of the insertion pipe 3 inserted into the waterbed ground B is filled with the mud S of the waterbed ground B. As shown in FIG. The inside of the upper part of the insertion pipe 3, which is not inserted into the seabed ground B, is filled with the water W of the water area.

In this embodiment, when the insertion pipe 3 is inserted into the seabed ground B to a position where the stopper 3a provided on the outside of the insertion pipe 3 contacts the ground surface of the seabed ground B, the depth of the stratum where the waterbed resources are distributed is reached. The lower part of the insertion tube 3 is inserted. The upper part of the insertion tube 3 in which the head 5 is housed protrudes above the ground surface of the submerged ground B.

Next, the rotating shaft 4 is lowered from the surface of the water (the hoisting and recovering vessel 20) toward the seabed B while being inserted into the inside of the hoisting pipe 2 and the insertion pipe 3, and the head 5 is attached to the lower end of the rotating shaft 4. (Stirring blade 6) is connected. With the head 5 connected to the lower end of the rotary shaft 4 , the head 5 is removed from the insertion tube 3 when the rotary shaft 4 is further moved downward toward the submerged ground B. As a result, the head 5 (stirring blade 6) integrated with the rotating shaft 4 becomes movable in the direction of the tube axis.

Next, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the liquid supply mechanism 8 supplies the liquid L into the insertion tube 3 and rotates the rotary shaft 4 . By rotating the stirring blade 6 attached to the lower part (head 5) of the rotating shaft 4 inside the insertion pipe 3, the mud S inside the insertion pipe 3 is excavated and demulsified. At this time, the axial vibration of the rotating shaft 4 is suppressed by the shaft vibration suppressing means 9 arranged inside the insertion tube 3 . Then, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the mud S made into a slurry by the demulsification is raised to the upper part of the insertion pipe 3 by the stirring flow generated by the rotation of the stirring blade 6, and the raised slurry-like mud is raised. S is lifted onto the water (lifting ship 20) through the lifting pipe 2 by the lifting means.

More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 5 , in a state where the stirring blades 6 are arranged above the surface of the submerged ground B, injection of the liquid L by the injection nozzles 8a is started, and each stirring blade 6 is With the tip of the elastic member (contact portion 10) provided at the tip in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3, the rotating shaft 4 is rotationally driven to move the stirring blade 6 (elastic member). keep it rotated. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 6, while injecting the liquid L at high pressure from the injection nozzle 8a toward the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3, the rotating stirring blade 6 is moved from the surface of the submerged ground B to a predetermined depth. to excavate the mud S inside the insertion pipe 3. At this time, the mud S is excavated to a predetermined depth in the middle of the insertion pipe 3 without excavating to a position deeper than the lower end 3 b of the insertion pipe 3 .

The rotating impeller 6 excavates the mud S on the center side of the insertion tube 3, and the tip of the impeller 6 is pushed by the elastic member provided at the tip of the impeller 6 and the liquid L injected at high pressure from the injection nozzle 8a. and the inner peripheral surface of the insertion pipe 3 is excavated and demulsified. In this embodiment, each of the stirring blades 6 and elastic members that constitute the lowest stage stirring blade group is inclined downward in the direction of rotation. Therefore, the mud S that has been excavated and thawed by the stirring blades 6 and the elastic member that constitute the lowest stage stirring blade group moves upward, and the upwardly moved mud S moves from the middle stage stirring blade group and the uppermost stage stirring blade group. is further finely granulated by the stirring blades 6 constituting the

When the mud S is excavated and thawed, the tip of each elastic member is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3 and is bent or compressed. A state is created in which an urging force directed toward the center of the shaft is applied. The urging force applied by the elastic member keeps the rotation shaft 4 centered on the tube axis of the insertion tube 3, thereby suppressing the movement of the rotation shaft 4 in the direction perpendicular to the tube axis direction (shaft shake). As the eccentricity of the rotating shaft 4 is suppressed, the eccentricity of the rotating stirring blade 6 is also suppressed.

When extracting submarine resources, the rotating shaft 4 has a considerable length. When the lower end portion of the rotating shaft 4 is pressed against the submerged ground B, the rotating shaft 4 is bent and deformed, and the shaft center position is shifted to be eccentric. When the degree of eccentricity increases, normal stirring by the stirring blades 6 becomes impossible. Therefore, in order to stably ensure the performance of the sampling system 1, the axial vibration suppressing means 9 (contact portion 10) functions extremely effectively.

After that, as illustrated in FIG. 7, inside the insertion tube 3, while injecting the liquid L from the injection nozzle 8a, the rotating stirring blade 6 is reciprocated a plurality of times in the axial direction of the insertion tube. The mud S inside 3 is repeatedly disintegrated. As a result, the mud S inside the insertion pipe 3 is further finely granulated, and the finely granulated mud S inside the insertion pipe 3 is mixed with the liquid inside the insertion pipe 3 (the water W in the water area and the liquid supply mechanism 8). , the inside of the insertion tube 3 is filled with slurry-like mud S. By supplying the new liquid L to the inside of the insertion tube 3 by the liquid supply mechanism 8, replacement of the water W and the mud S inside the insertion tube 3 with the newly supplied liquid L is promoted. . Furthermore, the rotation of the stirring blades 6 generates a stirring flow inside the insertion tube 3 , so that the mud S finely granulated inside the insertion tube 3 easily rises to the upper part of the insertion tube 3 . The slurry-like mud S raised to the upper part of the insertion pipe 3 is successively lifted onto the surface of the water (lifting vessel 20) through the lifting pipe 2 by the lifting means.

As described above, in the present invention, the liquid L is supplied to the inside of the insertion pipe 3 inserted into the waterbed ground B, and the stirring blade 6 is rotated to excavate and dissolve the mud S of the waterbed ground B inside the insertion pipe 3. By sludging, it becomes possible to lift the mud S up to the upper part of the insertion tube 3 while effectively pulverizing the mud S with a relatively small amount of liquid. Moreover, by suppressing the axial deflection of the rotary shaft 4 by the axial deflection suppressing means 9 disposed inside the insertion tube 3, it is advantageous for stably pulverizing the mud S and lifting it up. Therefore, the bottom water resources contained in the mud S can be collected efficiently. In addition, by suppressing the shaft deflection of the rotating shaft 4 by the shaft deflection suppressing means 9, it is possible to more reliably prevent the stirring impeller 6 from coming into contact with the insertion tube 3 and being damaged.

In addition, the inner diameter of the lifting pipe 2 used in the deep sea is small, and the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the lifting pipe 2 and the rotating shaft 4 is relatively narrow, but the mud S inside the insertion pipe 3 has a small amount of soil mass. It flows into the pick-up tube 2 in a finely-granulated state. Since the rotating shaft 4 is maintained at the center of the pipe axes of the lifting and receiving pipe 2 and the insertion pipe 3 by the shaft blur suppression means 9, the mud S is less likely to clog the lifting and receiving pipe 2. - 特許庁Therefore, troubles are unlikely to occur in the lifting pipe 2, and the mud S of the water bottom ground B can be lifted up and collected very smoothly. Further, since the liquid L is supplied to the inside of the insertion tube 3 to excavate and disintegrate the mud S inside the insertion tube 3, the liquid L does not flow outside the insertion tube 3 even when a liquid other than water is supplied as the liquid L. It is difficult to flow out into the water.

Furthermore, by providing the shaft vibration suppressing means 9 inside the insertion tube 3, it is possible to reduce the amount of movement of the rotation shaft 4 in the direction perpendicular to the tube axis direction. This makes it possible to set the size of the gap (clearance) between the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3 and the tip of the stirring blade 6 to be relatively small. Since it is possible to extend the stirring blades 6 to a position closer to the inner peripheral surface of the insertion pipe 3 than in the case where the shaft blurring suppression means 9 is not provided, the mud S inside the insertion pipe 3 is moved by the stirring blades 6. It becomes possible to excavate and desludge more efficiently.

In order to efficiently disaggregate the mud S and generate an effective stirring flow, the rotational speed of the stirring blade 6 should be 20 rpm or more, more preferably 40 rpm or more. In particular, in order to generate a stirring flow that raises the mud S, the rotational speed of the stirring blades 6 must be increased accordingly. On the other hand, since there is a limit to how fast the stirring blades 6 can be rotated, the upper limit of the rotation speed is, for example, about 80 rpm or 60 rpm.

A configuration in which a liquid supply mechanism 8 is provided at the tip of at least one stirring blade 6, and the liquid supply mechanism 8 has an injection nozzle 8a for injecting the liquid L toward the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3. Then, the mud S between the tip of the stirring blade 6 and the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3, which the stirring blade 6 cannot reach, can be excavated and demulsified by the liquid L injected from the injection nozzle 8a. Therefore, the mud S inside the insertion pipe 3 can be comprehensively lifted up. Furthermore, by arranging the injection nozzle 8a at the tip of the stirring blade 6 near the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3, it is possible to cut the mud S between the tip of the stirring blade 6 and the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3. The injection pressure of the liquid L required for is relatively low. Therefore, the mud S between the tip of the stirring blade 6 and the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3 can be efficiently excavated and demulsified with a relatively small amount of liquid.

If the contact portion 10 is configured to include an elastic member extending from the tip portion of the stirring blade 6 to the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3, the configuration is very simple, and the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3 is not affected. Shaking of the rotating shaft 4 can be effectively suppressed by the biasing force of the elastic member in contact. In particular, by arranging the elastic members so as to be point-symmetrical about the axis of the rotating shaft 4 in a plan view, it is possible to more effectively suppress the vibration of the rotating shaft 4 . Furthermore, by interposing an elastic member between the tip of the stirring blade 6 and the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3, it is possible to more reliably prevent the stirring blade 6 from coming into contact with the insertion tube 3 and being damaged. .

Furthermore, since the mud S between the tip of the stirring blade 6 and the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3, which the stirring blade 6 cannot reach, can be excavated and demulsified by the elastic member, the mud S inside the insertion tube 3 can be exhaustively removed. Useful for picking up. Further, the contact portion 10 also functions as a scraper, and the amount of mud S remaining adhering to the inner peripheral surface of the insertion pipe 3 after the mud S inside the insertion pipe 3 has been lifted up is reduced. When the mud S is lifted up and collected several times by changing the insertion position of the insertion pipe 3, the insertion pipe 3 does not increase in resistance when inserting the insertion pipe 3 in a new position of the water bottom ground B, and the insertion pipe 3 can be smoothly moved. can be inserted into It is also possible to reduce the labor required for maintenance of the insertion tube 3 after finishing the pick-up work.

As in this embodiment, when the elastic member and the injection nozzle 8a are combined, the mud S between the tip of the stirring blade 6 and the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3 is injected from the elastic member and the injection nozzle 8a. With the liquid L, excavation and desludging can be performed more efficiently. Therefore, it is more advantageous to exhaustively lift up the mud S inside the insertion tube 3 .

When the respective stirring blades 6 constituting the lowest stage stirring blade group are configured to be inclined downward in the direction of rotation, excavation and desludging are performed by the stirring blades 6 constituting the lowest stage stirring blade group. The mud S is directed upward and further disintegrated by the stirring blades 6 constituting the stirring blade group in the upper stage. Therefore, the mud S can be finely granulated very efficiently. In addition, the mud S excavated and demulsified by the stirring blades 6 constituting the lowest stirring blade group and the liquid inside the insertion pipe 3 (the water W and the liquid L in the water area) are inserted from the lower opening of the insertion pipe 3. Since it becomes difficult to flow out to the outside of the pipe 3, it is advantageous for efficiently lifting up and collecting the mud S inside the insertion pipe 3. Furthermore, since the stirring blades 6 constituting the lowest stage stirring blade group generate a stirring flow in which the mud S easily rises inside the insertion pipe 3, the disintegrated mud S becomes difficult to settle, and the insertion pipe 3 becomes easier to rise toward the top of the

When each stirring blade 6 constituting the uppermost stirring blade group is configured to be inclined upward in the rotation direction, the mud S that collides with the stirring blade 6 constituting the uppermost stirring blade group moves downward. , and is further disintegrated by the stirring blades 6 in the lower stage. Therefore, it is advantageous for efficiently refining the mud S.

On the other hand, if each of the stirring blades 6 constituting the uppermost stirring blade group is configured to be inclined downward in the direction of rotation, the insertion tube 3 is moved by the stirring blades 6 constituting the uppermost stirring blade group. Inside, an agitation flow is generated in which the disintegrated mud S tends to rise. Therefore, the loosened mud S easily rises toward the upper portion of the insertion pipe 3 .

If the elastic member is configured to be inclined in the same direction as the attached stirring blade 6, the elastic member can easily rotate together with the stirring blade 6 in the mud S, and the mud S can be smoothly excavated and thawed. becomes advantageous. In addition, by using the elastic member, substantially the same effect as that obtained by inclining the stirring blade 6 in the direction of rotation can be obtained.

As in the sampling system 1 of another embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the axial vibration suppression means 9 can also be configured by, for example, a shaft vibration suppression unit 11 . Other configurations of the collection system 1 are the same as the previously illustrated embodiments. 9, the head 5, the stirring blade 6 and the injection nozzle 8a are omitted.

The shaft vibration suppression unit 11 includes an arm group composed of a bearing portion 12 externally fitted to the rotating shaft 4, a plurality of arms 13 connected to the bearing portion 12, and an arm group provided at the tip of each arm 13. and a contact portion 10 . The bearing portion 12 is rotatably supported by the rotary shaft 4 .

A plurality of arms 13 radially extend from the bearing portion 12 toward the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3 around the rotation shaft 4 in plan view. In this embodiment, the arm group has four arms 13, but the number of arms 13 is not particularly limited as long as it is two or more. , a configuration having five or more arms 13 is also possible. The contact portion 10 of this embodiment is composed of a roller 15 that contacts the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3 and rotates in the tube axial direction. The contact portion 10 may also include, for example, a sliding member that can slide in the axial direction while in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3, or a fixed member that is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3. You can also

The shaft vibration suppression unit 11 of this embodiment is arranged directly above the stirring blade 6 . The shaft vibration suppression unit 11 moves in the pipe axial direction inside the insertion tube 3 following the stirring blade 6 (head 5), thereby separating the shaft vibration suppression unit 11 and the stirring blade 6 in the pipe axial direction. It is designed to maintain a constant distance. That is, the shaft vibration suppressing unit 11 (bearing portion 12 ) is configured to move in the tube axial direction together with the rotating shaft 4 while being fitted onto the rotating shaft 4 .

The method of collecting bottom water resources using this collecting system 1 is generally the same as in the above-described embodiment. However, in this embodiment, when inserting the lower part of the insertion pipe 3 connected to the lower part of the lifting/receiving pipe 2 into the seabed ground B, the insertion pipe 3 housing the head 5 and the shaft vibration suppression unit 11 is The upper part is not inserted into the waterbed ground B, and the head 5 and the shaft vibration suppression unit 11 are arranged above the surface of the waterbed ground B. - 特許庁

Next, the rotating shaft 4 is lowered from the surface of the water (the hoisting and recovering ship 20) toward the seabed B while being inserted into the inside of the hoisting and recovering pipe 2 and the insertion pipe 3, and the rotating shaft 4 is moved to the shaft vibration suppression unit 11. , and the head 5 (stirring blade 6 ) is connected to the lower end of the rotating shaft 4 . With the head 5 connected to the lower end of the rotating shaft 4 , when the rotating shaft 4 is further moved downward toward the waterbed ground B, the head 5 and the shaft vibration suppression unit 11 are removed from the insertion tube 3 . As a result, the head 5 (stirring impeller 6) integrated with the rotary shaft 4 and the shaft blurring suppression unit 11 become movable in the tube axial direction. The subsequent work procedure is the same as in the previously illustrated embodiment.

As in this embodiment, when the shaft vibration suppression unit 11 is provided as the shaft vibration suppression means 9, the contact portion 10 abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3, thereby adjusting the axial center position of the rotating shaft 4. is regulated, and the rotating shaft 4 is maintained at the center of the pipe axis. Therefore, it is possible to effectively suppress shaft shake during rotation of the rotating shaft 4 . Furthermore, since the bearing portion 12 is rotatably supported by the rotating shaft 4, the rotation of the shaft vibration suppression unit 11 can be suppressed even when the rotating shaft 4 is rotating at high speed. Therefore, it is possible to avoid applying a large load to the arm 13 and the contact portion 10 .

It is preferable that the shaft vibration suppression unit 11 is arranged above the lowest stirring blade 6 , more preferably above the highest stirring blade 6 . By arranging the shaft vibration suppression unit 11 above the stirring blade 6, the resistance applied to the shaft vibration suppression unit 11 during excavation of the mud S can be reduced, and the water bottom ground B can be excavated more easily. In particular, if the shaft vibration suppression unit 11 is arranged above the stirring blade 6 and moves in the pipe axial direction together with the stirring blade 6, the shaft vibration suppression unit 11 is always in contact with the stirring blade 6. At a position close to , the rotation shaft 4 is suppressed from shaking. Therefore, it becomes difficult for the stirring blades 6 to move in the direction orthogonal to the pipe axis direction, and it is possible to more reliably prevent the stirring blades 6 from coming into contact with the insertion pipe 3 and being damaged.

As in this embodiment, if the contact portion 10 provided at the tip of the arm 13 is configured by a roller 15 that contacts the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3 and rotates in the direction of the tube axis, axial vibration can be suppressed together with the rotating shaft 4. This facilitates smooth movement of the unit 11 in the tube axial direction with respect to the insertion tube 3 . For example, when the contact portion 10 is composed of a sliding member with low friction with the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3, and the sliding member contacts the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube 3 and slides in the tube axial direction. can produce substantially the same effect.

Note that the shaft blurring suppression means 9 is limited to the elastic member and the shaft blurring suppression unit 11 illustrated above as long as it is disposed inside the insertion tube 3 and suppresses shaft blurring when the rotating shaft 4 rotates. not, and many other configurations are possible. For example, the axial vibration suppression unit 11 can be configured to move in the axial direction inside the insertion tube 3 independently of the stirring blades 6 . Further, for example, the shaft vibration suppression unit 11 (contact portion 10) is fixed at a predetermined position inside the insertion tube 3, and the rotating shaft 4 is arranged in the tube axial direction with respect to the shaft vibration suppression unit 11 (bearing portion 12). can also be configured to be relatively movable. Further, for example, a configuration in which the elastic member and the shaft vibration suppression unit 11 are combined as the shaft vibration suppression means 9 may be employed.

1 Underwater Resource Extraction System 2 Elevating and Collecting Pipe 3 Insertion Pipe 3a Stopper 3b Lower End 4 Rotating Shaft 5 Head 6 Stirring Blade 7 Excavation Blade 8 Liquid Supply Mechanism 8a Injection Nozzle 8b Piping 9 Shaft Suppressing Means 10 Abutting Part 11 Shaft Suppressing Unit 12 Bearing 13 Arm 20 Recovery vessel B Waterbed ground S Mud L Liquid W Water

Claims (6)

In a bottom-of-water resource extraction system that excavates mud in the bottom ground containing bottom-of-water resources and lifts it up to the surface of the water,
an insertion pipe connected to a lower part of the lifting/storage pipe extending from the surface of the water toward the seabed ground; a rotating shaft attached to the bottom of the rotating shaft and arranged inside the insertion tube; a liquid supply mechanism for supplying liquid to the inside of the insertion tube; A shaft blur suppression means arranged to suppress shaft blurring during rotation of the rotating shaft,
In a state where at least the lower part of the insertion tube is inserted into the underwater ground, the liquid is supplied to the inside of the insertion tube by the liquid supply mechanism, and the shaft shake of the rotating shaft is prevented by the shaft shake suppressing means. The mud inside the insertion pipe is excavated and demulsified by the agitating blade that rotates with the rotation of the rotating shaft, and the mud that has become slurry due to the dissolution is A system for extracting bottom-of-water resources, characterized in that it rises to the top of the insertion pipe, and the slurry-like mud that has risen is lifted and collected above the water through the lift-and-storage pipe by a lifting means. 2. The bottom water resource extraction system according to claim 1, wherein the axial vibration suppressing means has a contact portion that contacts the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube. 3. The bottom water resource collection system according to claim 2, wherein the abutting portion comprises an elastic member extending from the tip of the stirring blade to the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube. As the shaft shake suppressing means, a bearing portion rotatably supported by the rotating shaft and a plurality of arms radially extending from the bearing portion toward the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube in a plan view are provided. 4. The bottom water resource extraction system according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising an axial vibration suppressing unit having a group of arms each having a plurality of arms and the contact portions provided at the tip portions of the respective arms. 5. The bottom of the water according to claim 4, wherein the shaft vibration suppression unit is arranged above the stirring blade, and the shaft vibration suppression unit moves along with the stirring blade in the pipe axial direction with respect to the insertion pipe. Resource gathering system. In a method for extracting a bottom-of-water resource by excavating the mud of the bottom-of-water ground containing the bottom-of-water resource and pumping it up to the surface of the water,
A lifting pipe is extended from the water surface toward the waterbed ground, and a liquid is introduced into the insertion pipe in a state in which at least the lower part of the insertion pipe connected to the bottom of the lifting and storage pipe is inserted into the waterbed ground. While supplying, while rotating the rotating shaft extending in the tube axial direction inside the lifting and receiving tube and the insertion tube, the shaft deflection of the rotating shaft is suppressed by the shaft deflection suppressing means arranged inside the insertion tube. By rotating the stirring blade attached to the lower part of the rotating shaft inside the insertion pipe while suppressing the A method for extracting bottom water resources, characterized in that the slurry-like mud is lifted to the upper part of the insertion pipe, and the slurry-like mud thus raised is lifted onto the water surface through the lift-and-storage pipe by a lifting means. .

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