Design of a Facility for Marine Mining Systems Research
Authors: Cruickshank Michael J. , Collins Ian J. 
Published: October 2008

"Creative work in the laboratory supports creative work in the field. Time, money, even lives are often saved by careful simulation and model studies prior to full scale field efforts. Laboratory studies also yield results difficult or impossible to obtain through field work". 3/

The paper describes existing and proposed facilities for marine mining systems research at the Marine Minerals Technology Center of the U.S. Bureau of Mines at Tiburon, Ca.

Present facilities include a hydraulic laboratory and an environmental mechanics laboratory for study of the interrelationships between the mining process and marine mineral deposits. In the design stage is a simulator facility for the dynamic testing of marine mining systems components under controlled conditions in a real or simulated environment. The simulator will consist of a tank approximately 150 ft long by 15 ft wide by 10 ft deep, with viewing ports and a moving instrumented test carriage. Deposits will be simulated in removable containers, and other ancillary facilities will include a materials handling and analysis facility, a sea state generator, a directional current generator and a simulated beach with adjustable slope.

Proposed uses, and associated design problems are discussed.

The unique facility should make a significant contribution to the development of marine mining technology.

Marine mining systems involve methods for the exploitation of mineral products from the marine environment.

Minerals in the marine environment are found in dissolved, consolidated and unconsolidated deposits (Fig. 1). Exploitation of these deposits involves two major subsystems, that of the uncontrolled environment and that of the controlled, exploitative technology (Fig. 2). The Marine Mining Systems Research Component at the Bureau of Mines, Marine Minerals Technology Center at Tiburon, California is concerned with the study of these two subsystems, and their interactions.

In order to present a valid program of research, which would be of benefit to the embryo offshore mining industry it was necessary to adapt a systems approach in the analysis of the problems so that critical areas with their priorities might be defined (Cruickshank, et a 1 1968).

Facilities to carry out the research had then to be designed and installed.

Fig. 3 lists some of the planned areas of research and their priorities, and Fig. 4 the planned facilities. Laboratories for the study of multiphase transport phenomena, earth materials penetration, and environmental mechanics have been installed and a 30 foot vertical test tank designed for drilling research has been fabricated (Figs. 5,6 & 7). Design studies for a horizontal test tank have been completed, and form the major subject of this paper.

A Marine Mining Simulator Facility

The basic purpose of this facility is to permit dynamic testing of marine mining systems components under controlled conditions in a simulated environment. Because of the broad range of systems components which may be encountered in marine mining, it was mandatory that as much flexibility as possible be built into the facility (Fig. 8). Essential features of the design called for a large horizontal water filled tank equipped with a test carriage moving above the tank with controlled velocity, thrust and acceleration.