US3672079A - Method and apparatus for mining manganese nodules from the deep sea-bottom - Google Patents

Method and apparatus for mining manganese nodules from the deep sea-bottom Download PDF

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Publication number
US3672079A
US3672079A US28287A US3672079DA US3672079A US 3672079 A US3672079 A US 3672079A US 28287 A US28287 A US 28287A US 3672079D A US3672079D A US 3672079DA US 3672079 A US3672079 A US 3672079A
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Prior art keywords
sea
ship
rope
members
dredge
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Expired - Lifetime
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US28287A
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English (en)
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Yoshio Masuda
Toshikazu Murakami
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Priority claimed from JP897967A external-priority patent/JPS4623482B1/ja
Priority claimed from NL707005713A external-priority patent/NL142761B/xx
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority claimed from FR7015842A external-priority patent/FR2088942A5/fr
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Publication of US3672079A publication Critical patent/US3672079A/en
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    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21C—MINING OR QUARRYING
    • E21C50/00—Obtaining minerals from underwater, not otherwise provided for
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
    • E02F3/00—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines
    • E02F3/04—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven
    • E02F3/08—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven with digging elements on an endless chain
    • E02F3/081—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven with digging elements on an endless chain mounted on floating substructures

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A mechanism for mining manganese nodules from the deep sea bottom including a number of dredge nets tied to a long endless rope suspended from both sides of a ship, the rope falling from one side of the ship to the deep sea-bottom with apparatus being provided to pull the rope therefrom to another side of the ship, whereby manganese nodules are continuously collected by the dredge nets.
  • This invention relates to a mechanism for mining manganese nodules from the deep sea-bottom by use of improved dredge nets.
  • manganese nodules containing such elements as manganese, cobalt, nickel and copper have been found at the deep sea-bottom. These metals are originally contained in seawater and crystallized on and around fish bones, etc., and form manganese nodules. These manganese nodules lie scattered on the soft clay piled at the deep sea-bottom. Ac cording to the survey conducted by IGY, it has been found that approximately 10 percent of sea-bottom area of the Pacific is covered with manganese nodules. It has also been found that manganese nodules at the sea-bottom of the middle Pacific Ocean contain 31.7 percent manganese, 17.5 percent iron, 0.69 percent cobalt, 1.45 percent nickel and 1.09 percent copper.
  • nodules can be mined by ships on the surface of the sea by means of a long pipe using suction dredges, but it would be expensive and the venture marginal, considering the difiiculties of operations on the sea with long pipe and underwater pumping machine.
  • This invention does not use such an underwater pump, etc.
  • the present inventors noticed that Japanese fisherman had used a dredge net having combs to collect a large quantity of shells from the sea-bottom, and that such a dredge net would be use ful for collecting manganese nodules from the sea-bottom.
  • an object of the present invention to provide an improved dredge net capable of increasing the production speed of manganese nodules.
  • FIG. I is a side view of a mechanism for mining manganese nodules at the deep sea-bottom embodying the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a stern of a mining ship
  • FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing one mode of the mechanism tested in a water tank
  • FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a tangled rope
  • FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the movement of rope and dredge weight at the tank's bottom
  • FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the mining ship equipped with the mining mechanism according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the dredge net.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates the general arrangement of the mechanism and according to the present invention, in which a mining ship 1 has a front wheel 2 at a position close to the bow and a rear wheel 3 at a position close to the stern, guide wheels 4,5, 6, 7, 8, l and 11 on the deck.
  • Guide plates 12, 13 are respectively attached closely to said guide wheels and 7.
  • Guide rollers 14 is disposed between guide wheels 4 and 5 and guide rollers 15 between guide wheels 9 and 10.
  • endless rope 16 extending from the bow to the deep sea-bottom by way of the stern passes through the rear wheel 3, guide wheels 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and the front wheel 2, the length of the rope being 2.4 times as long as the depth of the sea.
  • a number of dredge nets 17 are tied or secured in any suitable manner to the long rope 16 at regular intervals.
  • Guide wheels 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, l0 and 11 have electrically driven motors incorporated therein. According y the long rope 16 travels from the bow to the stern by way of the sea-bottom.
  • the arrow 18 indicates the movement direction of the forward end of the rope and arrow 19 indicates that of the rear end of the rope.
  • the mining ship makes headway at a slow speed.
  • the arrow 20 indicates the direction of the ships movement.
  • each dredge net 17 passes through the wheels respectively, the long rope 16 is at the inner side of each wheel and the dredge net at the outer side of each wheel so as to pass around each wheel smoothly, as shown in FIG. 2.
  • the rope-line between wheels inclines and the dredge net 17 passes around the outer side of the wheel by the force of gravity at the rear wheel 3, guide wheels 4, 6, 8 and 9.
  • the guide rollers 14 and 15 have a number of rollers to move dredge nets 17 in a smooth manner, and guide the dredge nets 17 to the outer side of the guide wheel 5 and the rear portion of the guide wheel 9.
  • Guide plates 12 and 13 support the dredge nets as they overturn and manganese nodules in said dredge nets are dropped onto the ship by the force of gravity. Collected manganese nodules 24 and 25 are transported to other places in the ship.
  • the inventors have tested the above mentioned mechanism using a small model in a water tank having a depth of 6.2 m.
  • a small model ship 26 has a front wheel 27, a rear wheel 28 and roller 29 provided with a small motor 30.
  • a long endless rope 31 extends from the front wheel 27 to water tank bottom 33 by way of the rear wheel 28 and the roller 29.
  • the rope 31 has a diameter of 1.2 mm, a length of 15 m and small lead weights 32 tied thereto at a regular interval of 11 cm.
  • the distance between the front wheel 27 and the rear wheel 28 is only 14 cm, and the ratio of the distance to the depth of the water tank was 1 44.
  • two different ropes i.e., a plaited rope and a three-strand rope were used and the plaited rope proved a success, but the test using the latter failed because of a rope tangle which occurred, as shown in FIG. 4. Since the plaited rope is torsionally balanced, it is capable of preventing rope tangle between two ropes.
  • the model ship 26 is manually moved in the direction shown by the arrow 33 in FIG. 3, the long rope 31 moves ahead from the front wheel 27 but is pulled toward the rear wheel 28 at the same speed as the ships movement by the force of the small motor 30.
  • the rope is vertically suspended at the fall portion 31-A, but it is suspended at the rise portion 3l-B by forming a suspension curve.
  • the floor portion 31-C extends on the floor.
  • Small lead weights 32 are drawn at the tank bottom with each locus shown by dotted line in FIG. 5, leaving the drawn space 34 on the tank bottom 33.
  • the rise portion 31-B To prevent ropes from tangling each other, the rise portion 31-B must be pulled to a predetermined position against the fall portion 3l-A.
  • Guide wheels, guide rollers and guide plates are all installed on the mining boat 1 and operated by the force of ship engines.
  • Manganese nodules lie scattered on the soft clay at the deep sea-bottom, so that the dredge nets must collect them with good efficiency.
  • the shape of dredge nets may be varied depending on the conditions of manganese nodules, and the dredge nets may be provided with combs in the vicinity of their mouths.
  • the dredge net 17 has a cylindrical shape and is covered with a wire netting and connected to the long rope 16 at a regular interval and collects manganese nodules by being drawn on the clay layer.
  • An advantage of the cylindrical shape lies in facilitating the handling of the dredge net.
  • dredge nets 17 each having a diameter of 0.8 m, a length of 1.4 m and weight of 100 kg and being capable of collecting 800 kg of manganese nodules in air by one dredging are employed by being tied to the long rope at the interval of 100 m, the production speed of manganese nodules will be 500 tons per day.
  • Apparatus for deep-sea mining of manganese nodules from the bottom of the sea comprising:
  • emptying means for emptying the nodule collecting members containing collected nodules.
  • nodule collecting members are dredge nets.
  • said emptying means includes a plurality of rollers, said endless loop rope being trained to travel over the circulated peripheries of said rollers, and at least one of said rollers being elevated with respect to other of said rollers, said nodule collecting members being conveyed by said endless loop line over the surface of the elevated roller to an inverted condition, whereby the nodules collected therein are emptied.
  • a method for deep-sea mining of manganese nodules from the bottom of the sea comprising the steps of:

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Drilling And Exploitation, And Mining Machines And Methods (AREA)
  • Pulleys (AREA)
US28287A 1967-02-14 1970-04-22 Method and apparatus for mining manganese nodules from the deep sea-bottom Expired - Lifetime US3672079A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP897967A JPS4623482B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1967-02-14 1967-02-14
GB1861970 1970-04-18
NL707005713A NL142761B (nl) 1967-02-14 1970-04-21 Werkwijze voor het continu naar boven brengen van een korrelvormig materiaal en schip voorzien van middelen voor het uitvoeren van de werkwijze.
FR7015842A FR2088942A5 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1967-02-14 1970-04-30

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US (1) US3672079A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1239178A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3766671A (en) * 1971-12-20 1973-10-23 R Guntert Method and apparatus for excavating with an endless bucket line
US3889403A (en) * 1972-05-25 1975-06-17 Centre Nat Exploit Oceans Method and apparatus for continuous underwater mining using plural ships
US3908291A (en) * 1973-01-23 1975-09-30 Yoshio Masuda Apparatus for preventing tangle of endless rope in mining or sea life gathering
US3943644A (en) * 1973-06-25 1976-03-16 Alfons Walz Mining dredge having endless bucket conveyor and flexible guide train
US3947980A (en) * 1975-02-10 1976-04-06 Hawaii Marine Research, Inc. Process and apparatus for deep-sea particle harvesting
US3955294A (en) * 1975-02-10 1976-05-11 Hawaii Marine Research, Inc. Elevator apparatus for towed deep-sea particle harvester
US3968579A (en) * 1975-02-24 1976-07-13 Rossfelder Andre M Apparatus for sediment dredging and ocean mineral gathering
US4055006A (en) * 1973-09-21 1977-10-25 Mitsubishi Kaihatsu Kabushiki Kaisha Deep-sea ore collecting and hoisting apparatus
DE2756241A1 (de) * 1976-12-17 1978-06-22 Centre Nat Exploit Oceans Vorrichtung fuer das entladen von schuerfkuebeln
US4226035A (en) * 1977-10-25 1980-10-07 Nakaji Saito Apparatus for continuously dredging submarine mineral deposit
US4802292A (en) * 1986-02-13 1989-02-07 Hideaki Fukada Continuous mining device for crust deposits, etc. and continuous line bucket method with turning movement
US20100071630A1 (en) * 2008-09-24 2010-03-25 Darden Restaurants, Inc. Mechanized collector of juvenile lobsters
US11632940B2 (en) * 2019-06-24 2023-04-25 Philip Ian Docker Oyster aquaculture method and apparatus

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2235116A (en) * 1989-08-15 1991-02-27 Gemini Capital Group Inc Device and method for pursing a seine
RU2301338C1 (ru) * 2006-01-10 2007-06-20 Государственное образовательное учреждение высшего профессионального образования "Санкт-Петербургский государственный горный институт имени Г.В. Плеханова (технический университет)" Комплекс для разработки полезных ископаемых шельфовой зоны мирового океана

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NO80446A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) *
US653324A (en) * 1899-09-27 1900-07-10 Gustavus L Stuebner Bucket conveyer.
US708583A (en) * 1901-12-11 1902-09-09 George G Powell Dredging apparatus.
US978968A (en) * 1908-12-12 1910-12-20 Bivalve Company Mussel-dredge and separating apparatus.
FR1000273A (fr) * 1948-11-23 1952-02-11 Scottish Seaweed Res Ass Appareil à faucher, sous l'eau, des algues ou autres plantes
US2636288A (en) * 1947-01-31 1953-04-28 Thomas William Digging angle adjustment for endless belt excavators
US3146537A (en) * 1962-05-07 1964-09-01 Ellicott Machine Corp Floating dredge design
US3378130A (en) * 1966-10-12 1968-04-16 Wallace Systems Inc W J Unloading machine for tankers or the like

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NO80446A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) *
US653324A (en) * 1899-09-27 1900-07-10 Gustavus L Stuebner Bucket conveyer.
US708583A (en) * 1901-12-11 1902-09-09 George G Powell Dredging apparatus.
US978968A (en) * 1908-12-12 1910-12-20 Bivalve Company Mussel-dredge and separating apparatus.
US2636288A (en) * 1947-01-31 1953-04-28 Thomas William Digging angle adjustment for endless belt excavators
FR1000273A (fr) * 1948-11-23 1952-02-11 Scottish Seaweed Res Ass Appareil à faucher, sous l'eau, des algues ou autres plantes
US3146537A (en) * 1962-05-07 1964-09-01 Ellicott Machine Corp Floating dredge design
US3378130A (en) * 1966-10-12 1968-04-16 Wallace Systems Inc W J Unloading machine for tankers or the like

Cited By (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3766671A (en) * 1971-12-20 1973-10-23 R Guntert Method and apparatus for excavating with an endless bucket line
US3889403A (en) * 1972-05-25 1975-06-17 Centre Nat Exploit Oceans Method and apparatus for continuous underwater mining using plural ships
US3908291A (en) * 1973-01-23 1975-09-30 Yoshio Masuda Apparatus for preventing tangle of endless rope in mining or sea life gathering
US3943644A (en) * 1973-06-25 1976-03-16 Alfons Walz Mining dredge having endless bucket conveyor and flexible guide train
US4055006A (en) * 1973-09-21 1977-10-25 Mitsubishi Kaihatsu Kabushiki Kaisha Deep-sea ore collecting and hoisting apparatus
US3947980A (en) * 1975-02-10 1976-04-06 Hawaii Marine Research, Inc. Process and apparatus for deep-sea particle harvesting
US3955294A (en) * 1975-02-10 1976-05-11 Hawaii Marine Research, Inc. Elevator apparatus for towed deep-sea particle harvester
US3968579A (en) * 1975-02-24 1976-07-13 Rossfelder Andre M Apparatus for sediment dredging and ocean mineral gathering
DE2756241A1 (de) * 1976-12-17 1978-06-22 Centre Nat Exploit Oceans Vorrichtung fuer das entladen von schuerfkuebeln
US4184583A (en) * 1976-12-17 1980-01-22 Centre National Pour L'exploitation Des Oceans Device for use in the emptying of dredging buckets
US4226035A (en) * 1977-10-25 1980-10-07 Nakaji Saito Apparatus for continuously dredging submarine mineral deposit
US4802292A (en) * 1986-02-13 1989-02-07 Hideaki Fukada Continuous mining device for crust deposits, etc. and continuous line bucket method with turning movement
US20100071630A1 (en) * 2008-09-24 2010-03-25 Darden Restaurants, Inc. Mechanized collector of juvenile lobsters
US8230814B2 (en) * 2008-09-24 2012-07-31 Darden Restaurants, Inc. Mechanized collector of juvenile lobsters
US11632940B2 (en) * 2019-06-24 2023-04-25 Philip Ian Docker Oyster aquaculture method and apparatus

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