Collection and electrolysis system for deep sea hydrothermal fluid metal sulfide

Abstract

The invention proposes a deep-sea hydrothermal metal sulfide collection and electrolysis system, which includes a ore collecting robot, a mining platform, a metal sulfide electrolytic cell and a thermoelectric generator. Several ore collecting robots are arranged on the metal sulfide deposit. The ore conveying channel is connected to the mining platform. The mining platform is connected to the ocean through the mining return water discharge pipeline. The metal sulfide electrolytic cell is set on the mining platform. The metal sulfide electrolytic cell is connected to the ocean through the electrolysis wastewater discharge pipeline. The hot end of the thermoelectric generator is placed on the metal At the hydrothermal vent of the sulfide deposit, the cold end of the thermoelectric generator is placed in the bottom seawater, and the thermoelectric generator is connected to the metal sulfide electrolytic cell through a cable. Beneficial effects of the invention: effectively reduce mining, smelting costs and transportation costs, and greatly reduce environmental risks.

Description

Technical field [0001] The invention relates to the technical field of deep-sea metal sulfide mining and smelting, in particular to a deep-sea hydrothermal metal sulfide collection and electrolysis system. Background technique [0002] The deep-sea hydrothermal metal sulfide deposits are strategically significant metal mineral resources, rich in iron, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, cobalt, gold, silver, platinum and other metal elements. They are located at a depth of several hundred meters to 4000 meters in the global ocean They are all distributed, mainly in mid-ocean ridges, back-arc basins and stratigraphic fault active zones. According to preliminary estimates, there are about 900 independent hydrothermal sulfide deposits in the ocean floor of the world. So far, more than 160 have been discovered. A preliminary estimate of several mid-ocean ridge deposits shows that their size is usually 100 Between 10,000 and 100 million tons, it shows that hydrothermal deposits have consider...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

1) High mining costs: Although the prices of gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead and other metals are generally on the rise, their prices are in a turbulent period in the short term; if the mining of seabed metal sulfides cannot reach a certain scale, the cost will inevitably be high Overland, and the transportation of ore, the recovery and smelting of silver, copper, zinc, lead and other metals are also relatively expensive

2) The technology is still immature: deep-sea polymetallic nodules, cobalt-rich crusts, and deep-sea oil and gas mining technologies and experiences can only provide limited reference for the mining of hydrothermal sulfides, and more reasonable and targeted designs are still needed. mining plan

3) Environmental risks: Once seabed mining enters the implementation stage, it will inevitably bring risks to the marine environment, including water pollution, submarine landslides, especially the possible destruction of the unique biological ecological communities in hydrothermal areas, causing ecological disasters

Images