PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION OF A LARGE SCALE TEST FACILITY FOR FLOW ANALYSIS OF VERTICAL TRANSPORT OF WATER AND COARSE MATERIAL AS PART OF THE EUROPEAN RESEARCH PROJECT 'BLUE MINING'

摘要

Vertical material transport is one of the major challenges for the successful implementation of deep sea mining projects. The EU research project 凚lue Mining" is focusing on sustainable solutions for deep sea mining operations, with one major goal being the advancement of Vertical Transport Systems (VTS). To investigate flow effects under realistic conditions, especially clogging effects, a 136 m high test facility for flow analysis in vertical transport has been constructed using available mining infrastructure. Tests are run in a closed circuit, using a system of downfall and riser pipelines connected to a compact sediment injection- and separation unit as well as the centrifugal pump. The riser is equipped with pressure sensors, as well as temperature sensors, flow meter, concentration meter and high speed camera to allow comprehensive analyses of the flow regime and behavior of transported material within the flow. Additional mobile measurement devices allow wear and tear analyses of pipe material. This paper focuses on the determining factors of the tests leading to the design as well as the installation and trial of the test facility itself and explains the used components and work principles.