Patent RU-95104635-A (RU)
Inventor: KOVTUN V S
IPC: E21C50/00
Filed: 1995-03-28
Abstract: FIELD: methods of means of mining of mineral deposits on sea and ocean bottoms. SUBSTANCE: the offered method of mineral underwater mining employs the technique of ferrohydrostatic separation. For this purpose, in the known method of underwater mineral mining, including loading of rocks together with sea water into closed volume, mixing of rocks and sea water, separation of mineral and sedimentation rocks, unloading of sedimentation rocks from the volume, unloading of mineral into transportation facilities for subsequent lifting to the surface, rocks together with sea water are loaded into closed volume filled with stable to dissolving and sedimentation ferromagnetic fluid based on sea water of the mining location, magnetized to saturation with simultaneous preservation of aggregate stability. Then, rocks are mixed with magnetized ferromagnetic fluid based on sea water. Minerals and sedimentary rocks are separated by application to the obtained mixture, by means of external magnetic field, of volume magnetic forces of different values whose direction coincides with directions towards the points of unloading of sedimentary rocks and minerals. Then, nonmagnetic bodies including sedimentary rocks and minerals will be pushed to the region of weak field. So, successive separation from other rocks and transportation to unloading point of sedimentary rocks are carried out whose density is lower than that on minerals, and then, separation of mineral and their transportation to unloading points are effected. At the unloading points the respective emulsion and mixture of the sedimentary rocks and minerals in ferromagnetic fluid based on sea water are exposed to the effect of external magnetic field whose intensity is determined in each case depending on the required working pressure inside magnetic fluid for unloading of sedimentary rocks and minerals. Upon completion of mineral unloading, remaining solid sedimentary rocks are unloaded under the action of gravity onto the worked-out ares of sea bottom. The plant for underwater mining of mineral deposits for embodiment of the offered method includes load-carrying frame, mounted on which are device for extraction of rocks with closed volume, device for mixing and cleaning of minerals, transportation of minerals and sedimentary rocks, and having propelling devices of transportation with transportation pipeline, devices for separation of mineral from sedimentary rocks and unloading of minerals and sedimentary rocks with propelling device for unloading. In this case, transportation pipelines of minerals and sedimentary rocks are connected with closed volume, which in its turn, through unloading valves, is connected with pipelines of unloading of mineral and sedimentary rocks. In addition, the plant contains the unit for forming the control action on ferromagnetic fluid based on sea water, formed by common body of devices for extraction of rocks, mixing, cleaning of minerals, separation of minerals from sedimentary rocks, transportation of minerals and sedimentary rocks and also pipelines of device for transportation of minerals and sedimentary rocks and filled with the fluid. The unit for forming of control actions on ferromagnetic fluid based on sea water of closed volume includes device for forming of control actions on ferromagnetic fluid based on sea water in common body of enumerated devices, and devices for forming control actions on ferromagnetic fluid based on sea water in pipelines for transportation of minerals and sedimentary rocks. Introduced additionally into plant are devices for collection of stabilized ferrophase in unloaded rock and device for loading of ferromagnetic fluid based on sea water into closed volume. In so doing, devices for forming control actions on ferromagnetic fluid based on sea water of pipeline for transportation of minerals and sedimentary rocks are installed on respective pipelines. Devices for collection of stabilized ferrophase from unloaded rocks is installed on pipeline of unloading of minerals and sedimentary rocks behind the respective unloading valves. As an example, embodiment of the offered method and plant is considered for mixing of underwater ferromagnese concretions. It is shown that the offered method and plant, as compared with the mechanical methods and means of mining of ferromagnese concretions, offer the following improved characteristics: reduced losses of ferromagnetic concretions; excluded crushing of ferromanganese concretions large in size; reduced abrasive wear of plant devices involved in rock working; reduced physical and chemical pollution of environment by the plant working devices. Besides, one of the paramount and decisive, from the point of view of industrial mining of ferromanganese concretions, ecological problem of utilization of possible pulps with laying of worked sedimentary rocks into bottom layer without making suspension cones. This is ensured by the process train in which separation is carried out in common closed volume of plant, and upon its completion concentrated substances of various density are located in definite parts of the volume. This makes it possible to perform additional compaction of concentrated sedimentary rocks prior to their laying into bottom layer. EFFECT: higher efficiency.