Ore-Collecting Characteristic Analysis of Deep-Sea Polymetallic Nodule Collection Device Based on Variable Cross-Section Flow Channel

WEI Jiakang; ZHANG Xiuzhan; LIU Xixi; LIU Jiancheng; LI Lei; CHEN Fengluo; ZHANG Tiedong; LI Hao

doi:10.11993/j.issn.2096-3920.2025-0044

Volume 33 Issue 3

Jun 2025

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Article Navigation > Journal of Unmanned Undersea Systems > 2025 > 33(3): 495-503

WEI Jiakang, ZHANG Xiuzhan, LIU Xixi, LIU Jiancheng, LI Lei, CHEN Fengluo, ZHANG Tiedong, LI Hao. Ore-Collecting Characteristic Analysis of Deep-Sea Polymetallic Nodule Collection Device Based on Variable Cross-Section Flow Channel[J]. Journal of Unmanned Undersea Systems, 2025, 33(3): 495-503. doi: 10.11993/j.issn.2096-3920.2025-0044

Citation:

WEI Jiakang, ZHANG Xiuzhan, LIU Xixi, LIU Jiancheng, LI Lei, CHEN Fengluo, ZHANG Tiedong, LI Hao. Ore-Collecting Characteristic Analysis of Deep-Sea Polymetallic Nodule Collection Device Based on Variable Cross-Section Flow Channel[J]. Journal of Unmanned Undersea Systems, 2025, 33(3): 495-503. doi: 10.11993/j.issn.2096-3920.2025-0044

Citation:

WEI Jiakang, ZHANG Xiuzhan, LIU Xixi, LIU Jiancheng, LI Lei, CHEN Fengluo, ZHANG Tiedong, LI Hao. Ore-Collecting Characteristic Analysis of Deep-Sea Polymetallic Nodule Collection Device Based on Variable Cross-Section Flow Channel[J]. Journal of Unmanned Undersea Systems, 2025, 33(3): 495-503. doi: 10.11993/j.issn.2096-3920.2025-0044

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Ore-Collecting Characteristic Analysis of Deep-Sea Polymetallic Nodule Collection Device Based on Variable Cross-Section Flow Channel

doi: 10.11993/j.issn.2096-3920.2025-0044

WEI Jiakang^{1, 2
,},
ZHANG Xiuzhan^{1, 2, 3
,
,},
LIU Xixi^4
,,
LIU Jiancheng^{1, 2
,},
LI Lei^{1, 2
,},
CHEN Fengluo^{1, 2
,},
ZHANG Tiedong^3
,,
LI Hao^{1, 2, 3
,}

1.
China Merchants Marine and Offshore Research Institute Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518067, China
2.
China Merchants Deepsea Research Institute (Sanya) Co., Ltd., Sanya 572000, China
3.
College of Marine Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
4.
College of Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China

Received Date: 2025-03-11
Accepted Date: 2025-04-24
Rev Recd Date: 2025-03-31

Available Online: 2025-05-27

Abstract

Abstract

With the rapid advancement of deep-sea mineral resource exploitation, there is an escalating demand for enhanced technological capabilities in equipment. The design flaws of the flow channel structure caused by the complex fluid-solid coupling effect of the polymetallic nodule hydraulic collection device have significantly reduced the nodule capture efficiency, seriously restricting the commercialization process of deep-sea mining. In this paper, for the widely used dual-row jet and wall-attached jet devices, based on the shear stress transfer k-ω turbulence model and the numerical analysis method of the discrete element method(DEM), the flow field distribution, particle movement law, and the compatibility of the collection head with the variable cross-section flow channel of the two hydraulic ore collection methods were explored. The findings reveal that both collection methods exhibit increasing transport rates with elevated jet velocities, and the collection efficiency demonstrates limited sensitivity to jet velocity variations within certain ranges. Flow channel configuration emerges as the dominant factor affecting collection efficiency. The dual-row jet configuration achieves only 80% collection efficiency due to vortex-induced flow field heterogeneity, particularly at the flow channel inlet region where efficient nodule collection is impeded. In contrast, the wall-attached jet configuration demonstrates superior nodule collection efficiency of 95%, attributable to its uniform flow field distribution. Comparative analysis under identical structural dimensions and hydraulic parameters confirms the wall-attached jet’s advantages in both ore collection capacity and flow channel compatibility. This study proposes that commercial applications of dual-row jets should prioritize vortex mitigation strategies in flow channel design. The presented findings provide references for optimizing structural configurations of efficient deep-sea polymetallic nodule collection devices.
- deep-sea mining,
- hydraulic collection,
- flow field analysis,
- ore-collecting capacity

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References(17)

References

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