Performance Test for the Manganese Nodule Crushing Equipment of the Deep Seabed Mining Robot 'MineRo'

Abstract

: This paper presents data from performance tests carried out to assess a manganese nodule crusher. Manganese nodules should be crushed into smaller pieces in order to assure the slurry flow of the lifting system. Both artificial nodules and real manganese nodules are used to evaluate nodule breaking ability of the crusher. The crushing performance of the crusher depends on the flow rate and pressure of the power transmission device. The size of the crushed manganese nodules also depends on the shape of the crushing drum. In this paper, several comparative tests are carried out to evaluate and improve the crushing performance and find the optimal design point of the crusher.

Effects of Migration and Diffusion of Suspended Sediments on the Seabed Environment during Exploitation of Deep-Sea Polymetallic Nodules

“…The high movement speed of the mining vehicle requires high collection efficiency, a good nodule-crushing effect [82] and a strong pipeline lifting capacity [83]. At the same time, the collection process will cause sediment disturbance, which means that an appropriate nodule-crushing mode, movement speed and collection speed will also be important factors affecting the environmental impact of mining [84,85].…”

Characterization of Fines Produced by Degradation of Polymetallic Nodules from the Clarion–Clipperton Zone

“…These two contrasting types of nodules were selected to examine nodules formed by different processes (diagenetic vs. hydrogenetic), although all CCZ nodules are strictly mixed types consisting of both diagenetic and hydrogenetic layers. For each type, about 3 kg of nodules were crushed to a size smaller than 2 cm in diameter before the experiment, as it is a common practice for miners to crush nodules before vertical transport in order to prevent clogging of the pipes [27,28]. Five samples each were randomly taken from a gently mixed pile of crushed nodules and were completely ground for the bulk analysis; the rest of the pile was used for the degradation experiment.…”