Abstract
The polymetallic nodules in the deep-sea multi-stage lifting motor pump will undergo repeated impeller blade impact and fragmentation, which will change the particle size, thereby affecting the number of ores that can be recovered on the surface and the design parameters of the processing equipment. A new calculation method of degradation rate is proposed. The degradation model of multiple impacts of particles is improved to quantitatively calculate the final particle size distribution (PSD) of polymetallic nodules transported from the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) to the ground through a series of multi-stage lifting electric pumps. The newly proposed calculation method is obtained by analyzing the degradation of experimental data of polymetallic nodules when they pass through the six-stage lifting motor pump experimental system many times. The improved model is used to predict the PSD of the nodules after running for 10 min in the experimental system, and compared with the experimental test results, the deviation is small. The new method can estimate the change in PSD of nodules due to degradation during transportation, reducing design costs for land processing equipment.
Highlights
Mineral resources are important resources for human survival and development
The polymetallic nodules are hydraulic transported from the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) at depths of around 5000 m to the sea surface required through several thousand meters of vertical pipelines and a series of multi-stage deep-sea lifting motor pumps
The friction of the pipe wall, the impact fragmentation of the impeller of the lifting motor pump, and the interaction between particles will all cause the reduction of particle size
Summary
With the rapid development of industrialization, land mineral resources cannot meet people’s huge demand for metal resources, and people are beginning to turn their attention to ocean exploration [1,2]. The polymetallic nodules found on the deep seabed of most ocean basins contain millions of tons of key metals such as nickel, copper, cobalt, and manganese, making them a target for energy needs in the future. In the deep-sea mining system, hydraulic lifting pipeline transportation is currently recognized as one of the most feasible process methods [4]. The polymetallic nodules are hydraulic transported from the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) at depths of around 5000 m to the sea surface required through several thousand meters of vertical pipelines and a series of multi-stage deep-sea lifting motor pumps. The friction of the pipe wall, the impact fragmentation of the impeller of the lifting motor pump, and the interaction between particles will all cause the reduction of particle size
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