Air-Lift Pumping System for Hybrid Mining of Rare-Earth Elements-Rich Mud and Polymetallic Nodules around Minamitorishima Island

REE-rich mud under the seabed at a 5500–5700 m water depth around Minamitorishima island and polymetallic nodules buried in the deep seabed are very promising and attractive to explore and develop. REEs are critical to develop due to the recent paradigm shift to renewable energies based on green tec...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of marine science and engineering 2024-09, Vol.12 (9), p.1470
Main Authors: Shimizu, Yoshiyuki, Sugihara, Masatoshi, Fujinaga, Koichiro, Nakamura, Kentaro, Kato, Yasuhiro
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
air-lift pumping system
Alternative energy sources
Consortia
Dimensional analysis
Empirical equations
Ferromanganese nodules
Green technology
Japan
Manganese nodules
Minamitorishima island
Mineral resources
Mines and mineral resources
Mining
Mud
Multiphase flow
Nodules
Numerical analysis
Ocean bottom
Ocean floor
Offshore
one-dimensional drift–flux model
Physical properties
polymetallic nodules
Pumping
R&D
Rare earth elements
Rare earth metals
REE-rich mud
Renewable energy
Research & development
Seawater
Simulation
Slurries
Two phase flow
Water depth
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Summary:REE-rich mud under the seabed at a 5500–5700 m water depth around Minamitorishima island and polymetallic nodules buried in the deep seabed are very promising and attractive to explore and develop. REEs are critical to develop due to the recent paradigm shift to renewable energies based on green technologies. Numerical analysis using a one-dimensional drift–flux model for gas–liquid–solid three-phase flow and gas–liquid two-phase flow was conducted to examine the characteristics of an air-lift pumping system for mining these mineral resources. Empirical equations of REE-rich mud and the physical properties of polymetallic nodules around Minamitorishima island were utilized in the analysis. As a result, the characteristics, i.e., the performance of the system, were clarified in three cases: REE-rich mud, polymetallic nodules, and both. The time transient, i.e., the unsteady characteristics of the system, was also shown, such as the start-up and feeding slurry with REE-rich mud and polymetallic nodules. The findings from the unsteady characteristics will be useful in considering the operation of a real project or a commercial system in the future.
ISSN:2077-1312
2077-1312
DOI:10.3390/jmse12091470