Seabed resource lifting / collecting facility

Abstract

To provide a seabed resource lifting / recovering facility capable of stably and temporary storing resources lifted and recovered from the seabed.SOLUTION: A seabed resource lifting / recovering facility comprises: a pair of submersible floating bodies extending in a front-back direction under a water surface, and provided so as to be spaced apart from each other in a width direction; multiple columns extending upward from each of the pair of submersible floating bodies; and a platform supported by the multiple columns and extending over the pair of submersible floating bodies in plan view. The platform comprises: a pair of storage tanks provided at a position where the pair of storage tanks are respectively overlapped with the pair of submersible floating bodies in plan view, and extending in a front-back direction; a separation device provided between the storage tanks and for separating resources from a mixture of seawater and the resources sucked up from the seabed; and a transportation part for transporting the resources from the separation device to the pair of storage tanks.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to seabed resource recovery equipment. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a mining facility for seafloor hydrothermal deposits that can continuously raise seafloor resources to the surface from a collector on the seafloor through a lifting pipe. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 60-199195 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, there is currently no example of commercializing the mining of solid resources on the seabed as described in Patent Document 1. However, development of equipment for commercialization has been underway for more than several decades. In such equipment, solid resources are lifted from the seabed to a floating body on the sea, and the lifted solid resources are transferred from the floating body to a shuttle ship or the like and transported to land. However, for example, depending on the ocean weather, it may not be possible to bring the shuttle ship close to the floating body. Therefore, it is necessary to be able to temporarily store the lifted solid resources in the floating body. However, since the weight of solid resources is very large, if solid resources are temporarily stored in a floating body, the center of gravity of the floating body will be high, and there is a possibility that the floating body will become unstable.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and provides a seabed resource recovery facility that can stably and temporarily store resources recovered from the seabed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the following configuration is adopted. According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a seabed resource recovery equipment comprises a pair of submersible floats extending in a fore-and-aft direction below the water surface and spaced apart in the width direction, a number of columns extending upward from each of the pair of submersible floats, and a platform supported by the number of columns and extending across the pair of submersible floats in a planar view, wherein the platform comprises a pair of storage tanks extending in a fore-and-aft direction and positioned respectively overlapping with the pair of submersible floats in a planar view, a separation device provided between the storage tanks for separating resources from a mixture of resources and seawater pumped up from the seabed, and a transport unit for transporting the resources from the separation device to the pair of storage tanks. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The seabed resource recovery equipment according to the present disclosure makes it possible to stably and temporarily store resources recovered from the seabed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ore lifting system equipped with seabed resource recovery equipment in an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a seabed resource recovery facility according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a view of the seabed resource recovery facility of FIG. 2 as seen from the direction of arrow III. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a view of the seabed resource recovery facility of FIG. 2 as seen from the direction of arrow IV. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the lower deck in this embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a path along which ore is stored in a storage tank by a conveying unit in an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 illustrates a route taken by a transport unit to transport ore to a shuttle ship in an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Next, a seabed resource recovery facility according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. <Ore lifting system> FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ore lifting system equipped with seabed resource recovery equipment in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the ore lifting system 100 of this embodiment includes an ore collector 10, an ore throwing device 20, an ore lifting pipe 30, and a seabed resource recovery facility 40.

[0010] The ore collector 10 collects ore (resources) Mr from the seabed Sf. The ore injection device 20 is suspended near the seabed Sf and is used to inject the ore Mr collected on the seabed Sf into the ore lifting pipe 30. The ore injection device 20 is capable of temporarily storing the ore Mr collected by the ore collector 10. The ore lifting pipe 30 connects the ore injection device 20 to the seabed resource recovery facility 40. The ore lifting pipe 30 includes an outward pipe 31 and a return pipe 32. For example, by operating a pump (not shown) provided in the seabed resource recovery facility 40, the ore Mr stored in the ore injection device 20 is transported together with seawater via the return pipe 32 to the seabed resource recovery facility 40. On the other hand, seawater transported together with the ore Mr to the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 is separated from the ore Mr and returned to the seabed Sf via the outward piping 31 and released. A flexible riser pipe can be used as the ore lift pipe 30. In this embodiment, examples of the seabed Sf from which the ore Mr is mined include hydrothermal deposits, cobalt-rich crust, manganese crust, and methane hydrate.

[0011] <Seafloor resource recovery equipment> Fig. 2 is a side view showing the seabed resource recovery equipment in the embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 3 is a view of the seabed resource recovery equipment in Fig. 2 as seen from the direction of an arrow III. Fig. 4 is a view of the seabed resource recovery equipment in Fig. 2 as seen from the direction of an arrow IV. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the lower deck in this embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the seabed resource recovery facility 40 of this embodiment is a semi-submersible floating structure, and includes a submersible float 41, a column 42, and a platform 43.

[0012] <Submersible float> As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the submersible float 41 is submerged below the water surface Ws and extends in the fore-and-aft direction Da. A plurality of the submersible floats 41 are provided spaced apart in the width direction Dw. In this embodiment, a pair of submersible floats 41 are provided, each having the same length in the fore-and-aft direction Da, the same length in the width direction Dw, and the same length in the up-and-down direction Dv. These submersible floats 41 are arranged parallel to each other, and the front end position 41f and the rear end position 41r in the fore-and-aft direction Da are in the same position. Buoyancy acts on each of the pair of submersible floats 41, and this buoyancy keeps the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 floating on the sea.

[0013] <Ballast> The submersible float 41 includes a fixed ballast 45 and a ballast tank 46. The fixed ballast 45 is fixed inside the submersible float 41 and cannot be detached. In this embodiment, the fixed ballast 45 is installed at the bottom inside the submersible float 41. The fixed ballast 45 is made of a material having a higher specific gravity than the seawater surrounding the submersible float 41. An example of a material for forming the fixed ballast 45 is concrete mixed with metal pieces. In addition, when the mass of the ore temporarily stored in the storage tank 51 described later is about 50,000 tons, the mass of the fixed ballast 45 can be about 40,000 tons.

[0014] The ballast tank 46 is capable of storing, as ballast water, seawater surrounding the floating submersible float 41. The amount of ballast water stored in the ballast tank 46 is adjustable in order to keep the draft of the sea-floor resource recovery equipment 40 constant. In this embodiment, the ballast tank 46 is located above the fixed ballast 45, and a case is illustrated in which a plurality of the ballast tanks 46 are arranged side by side in the width direction Dw.

[0015] <Column> The columns 42 extend upward from each of the pair of submersible floats 41. In this embodiment, a plurality of columns 42 extend from one submersible float 41. These columns 42 are arranged at intervals in the fore-aft direction Da. As described above, the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 of this embodiment includes a pair of submersible floats 41. Therefore, two rows of columns 42 are arranged in the fore-aft direction Da. A truss structure 47 (see FIG. 3) is provided between these two rows of columns 42 to reinforce the columns 42. The truss structure 47 is formed of aggregates 48 arranged in a truss shape that connects these two rows of columns 42 and also connects the platform 43 to the two rows of columns 42.

[0016] The column 42 of this embodiment is formed in a cylindrical shape with a rectangular outline in horizontal cross section. That is, the column 42 is surrounded by outer plates on all four sides. As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the outer plate 42o arranged on the outer side in the width direction Dw among the four outer plates of the column 42 is arranged flush with the outer surface 41o of the submersible float 41 in the width direction Dw. Moreover, the dimension of the column 42 in the width direction Dw of this embodiment is slightly smaller than the dimension of the submersible float 41 in the width direction Dw described above. Note that, in this embodiment, the case where four columns 42 extend from one submersible float 41 is illustrated as an example, but the number of columns 42 extending from one submersible float 41 is not limited to four. Furthermore, the column 42 is not limited to a square tube with a rectangular cross-sectional outline. In addition, in this embodiment, a case is illustrated in which the distance between adjacent columns 42 in the fore-and-aft direction Da is larger than the dimension of the columns 42 in the fore-and-aft direction Da, but the distance between the columns 42 in the fore-and-aft direction Da is not limited to this dimension.

[0017] <Platform> 2 to 4, the platform 43 is supported from below by a plurality of columns 42. The platform 43 extends across the pair of submersible floats 41 in a plan view (see FIG. 4). The platform 43 of this embodiment has a rectangular shape in a plan view. The platform 43 includes at least a storage tank 51, a deck 52, a separation device 53, and a transport section 54.

[0018] <Storage tank> The storage tanks 51 are capable of temporarily storing the ore Mr pumped up from the seabed Sf. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the storage tanks 51 are provided at positions overlapping with the submersible floats 41 when viewed from above. In this embodiment, a pair of submersible floats 41 are provided, and therefore a pair of storage tanks 51 are also provided. Each storage tank 51 extends in the fore-and-aft direction Da. The storage tank 51 is formed between the column 42 provided at the furthest one side Daf in the fore-and-aft direction Da and the column 42 provided at the furthest other side Dar in the fore-and-aft direction.

[0019] The storage tank 51 of this embodiment is formed continuously in the front-rear direction Da. Furthermore, the storage tank 51 illustrated in this embodiment has a shape in which the length in the width direction Dw is slightly larger than the length in the up-down direction Dv. As shown in FIG. 3, the storage tank 51 has an inlet 56 that opens upward. The inlet 56 extends in the front-rear direction Da. In this embodiment, two inlets 56 are formed side by side in the width direction Dw for one storage tank 51. The ore Mr is input from these inlets 56 and stored in the storage tank 51. A discharge device 57 (see FIG. 5) for discharging the temporarily stored ore Mr is provided in the storage tank 51. The discharge device 57 moves the ore Mr temporarily stored in the storage tank 51 to one side Daf in the front-rear direction Da, making it possible to be transported by the first discharge transport unit 63 of the transport unit 54 described later.

[0020] <Deck> The deck 52 is formed so as to span the storage tank 51. In this embodiment, the deck 52 includes an upper deck 52a and a lower deck 52b which form two levels vertically. The lower deck 52b is disposed in a position lower than the upper deck 52a and always higher than the water surface Ws.

[0021] <Separation device> The separation device 53 separates the ore Mr from the mixture of the ore Mr and seawater pumped up from the seabed Sf via the return piping 32 (see FIG. 1), and transfers the ore Mr to the transfer section 54. As shown in FIG. 4, the separation device 53 is provided between the pair of storage tanks 51. More specifically, the separation device 53 is disposed on the upper deck 52 between the pair of storage tanks 51. The separation device 53 exemplified in this embodiment is disposed on one side Daf of the center in the fore-aft direction Da of the platform 43.

[0022] Here, in addition to the above, the separation device 53 of this embodiment purifies the seawater separated from the ore Mr. The seawater purified by the separation device 53 is returned to the seabed Sf via the outward piping 31 and discharged into the sea. A plurality of chemical tanks 58 are provided on the upper deck 52a, and chemicals stored in these chemical tanks 58 are used to purify the seawater.

[0023] <Transportation section> The transport unit 54 transports the ore Mr. More specifically, the transport unit 54 transports the ore Mr separated by the separation device 53 to the storage tank 51, while transporting the ore Mr temporarily stored in the storage tank 51 to be transported to a ship such as a shuttle ship. As shown in Fig. 4, the transport unit 54 includes a first storage and transport unit 61 and a second storage and transport unit 62 for storing the ore Mr in the storage tank 51. The transport unit 54 further includes a first discharge and transport unit 63, a second discharge and transport unit 64, a third discharge and transport unit 65, and a boom 66 for transporting the ore Mr to the outside of the submersible float 41.

[0024] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a path along which the ore is stored in the storage tank by the transport unit in the embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6, the first storage and conveying section 61 is capable of distributing and conveying the ore Mr separated by the separator 53 in the width direction Dw. That is, the first storage and conveying section 61 is capable of conveying the ore Mr stored in each of the pair of storage tanks 51 to one side Dw1 and the other side Dw2 in the width direction Dw. The ends of the first storage and conveying section 61 on one side Dw1 and the other side Dw2 in the width direction Dw are disposed above the second storage and conveying section 62. The ore Mr conveyed by the first storage and conveying section 61 is transferred from the first storage and conveying section 61 to the second storage and conveying section 62 by dropping onto the second storage and conveying section 62 from the ends of the one side Dw1 and the other side Dw2 in the width direction Dw. The first storage and conveying section 61 in this embodiment is a so-called belt conveyor that conveys the ore Mr on an endless belt (hereinafter, the same applies to the second storage and conveying section 62, the second discharge conveying section 64, and the third discharge conveying section 65).

[0025] The second storage and conveying section 62 extends in the front-rear direction Da along the inlet 56 (see FIG. 3) of the storage tank 51. The second storage and conveying section 62 conveys the ore Mr conveyed in the width direction Dw by the first storage and conveying section 61 in the front-rear direction Da. The second storage and conveying section 62 is configured to be able to inject the ore Mr conveyed in the front-rear direction Da into the inlet 56 of the storage tank 51. In this embodiment, the second storage and conveying section 62 is configured to be able to distribute the inlet position of the ore Mr in the front-rear direction Da so that the amount of the ore Mr stored in the storage tank 51 is not biased in the front-rear direction Da. The storage tanks 51 illustrated in this embodiment each have two inlets 56 per storage tank 51. The second storage and conveying section 62 in this embodiment is disposed for each of these inlets 56. That is, two second storage and conveying sections 62 are provided on each of the sides Dw1 and Dw2 of the width direction Dw.

[0026] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a route along which the ore is transported to the shuttle ship by the transport unit in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 7, the first discharge conveying section 63 conveys the ore Mr stored in the storage tank 51 upward. More specifically, the ore Mr gathered to one side Daf in the front-rear direction Da by the discharge device 57 is conveyed upward. As a result, the ore Mr is conveyed to the outside of the storage tank 51. The ore Mr conveyed upward by the first discharge conveying section 63 falls onto the second discharge conveying section 64 from above, and is transferred from the first discharge conveying section 63 to the second discharge conveying section 64. The first discharge conveying section 63 in this embodiment is a so-called vertical conveyor. Note that the first discharge conveying section 63 is not limited to a vertical conveyor as long as it is capable of conveying the ore Mr stored in the storage tank 51 upward.

[0027] The second discharge conveying section 64 is capable of distributing the ore Mr transported upward by the first discharge conveying section 63 in the width direction Dw (in other words, the left-right direction). Here, the shuttle ship 200 that transports the ore Mr to land or the like is brought alongside the platform 43 at one side Dw1 or the other side Dw2 of the width direction Dw with the bow-stern direction aligned with the fore-aft direction Da. The position at which the shuttle ship 200 comes alongside is determined to be one side Dw1 or the other side Dw2 of the width direction Dw depending on the sea weather. In other words, the second discharge conveying section 64 selectively transports the ore Mr transported upward by the first discharge conveying section 63 to one side Dw1 or the other side Dw2 of the width direction Dw where the shuttle ship 200 comes alongside. The ore Mr transported by the second outgoing conveying section 64 to one side Dw1 or the other side Dw2 in the width direction Dw falls from above into the third outgoing conveying section 65, and is transferred from the second outgoing conveying section 64 to the third outgoing conveying section 65. The orientation of the shuttle ship 200 coming alongside is not limited to the orientation shown in this embodiment.

[0028] The third discharge conveying section 65 conveys the ore Mr conveyed by the second discharge conveying section 64 in the forward / rearward direction Da. More specifically, the third discharge conveying section 65 conveys the ore Mr from one side Daf to the other side Dar in the forward / rearward direction Da. The third discharge conveying section 65 then supplies the ore Mr to the boom 66 from the end of the other side Dar in the forward / rearward direction Da. The third discharge conveying section 65 in this embodiment is gradually inclined upward from one side Daf to the other side Dar in the forward / rearward direction Da, and the end of the other side Dar in the forward / rearward direction Da is located above the boom 66. The ore Mr conveyed by the third discharge conveying section 65 falls from the end of the other side Dar in the forward / rearward direction Da and is transferred to the boom 66.

[0029] The boom 66 discharges the ore Mr transported by the third discharge conveying section 65 to the outside of the width direction Dw of the platform 43, in other words, to the left and right outside. The platform 43 illustrated in this embodiment is provided with two booms 66 on each of one side Dw1 and the other side Dw2 of the width direction Dw. The two booms 66 provided on one side Dw1 of the width direction Dw are arranged at an interval in the front-rear direction Da. Similarly, the two booms 66 provided on the other side Dw2 of the width direction Dw are also arranged at an interval in the front-rear direction Da. The above-mentioned third discharge conveying section 65 is provided one for each boom 66. In other words, the platform 43 of this embodiment is provided with four third discharge conveying sections 65. The length of each of these third discharge conveying sections 65 in the front-rear direction Da corresponds to the position of the boom 66.

[0030] 2 and 4, the boom 66 is configured to be swingable about an axis O1 (see FIG. 2) extending in the vertical direction Dv, and its length is variable. The boom 66 receives the ore Mr dropped from the third discharge conveyor section 65 at its base 66b, and conveys it toward its tip 66a. The tip 66a of the boom 66 is provided with a drop port (not shown) through which the ore Mr can be dropped downward.

[0031] On the other hand, the shuttle ship 200 has a plurality of cargo holds 201 formed in a row in the bow-stern direction. All of the plurality of cargo holds 201 open upward. By swinging the above-mentioned boom 66, the drop port (not shown) of the boom 66 can be positioned vertically above each of the plurality of cargo holds 201 of the shuttle ship 200. This allows the ore Mr to be discharged evenly to the plurality of cargo holds 201 of the shuttle ship 200. The number of booms 66 is not limited to two. As long as the ore Mr can be discharged evenly to each cargo hold 201 of the shuttle ship 200 that is moored alongside, one boom 66 may be provided on one side Dw1 and the other side Dw2 of the width direction Dw, or three or more booms 66 may be provided.

[0032] <Configuration of lifting device, etc.> As shown in Figures 2 and 4, in addition to the above-mentioned configuration, the platform 43 illustrated in this embodiment further includes a first moonpool 71, an ore collector storage section 72, a lifting device 73, a slide table 74, a second moonpool 81, a throwing device storage section 82, a derrick 83, a riser rack 84, and a generator 85.

[0033] The first moonpool 71 is formed so that the ore collector 10 that collects the ore Mr on the seabed Sf can be inserted in the vertical direction. As shown in Fig. 4, the first moonpool 71 vertically penetrates all of the multiple decks 52 that form layers. The first moonpool 71 is formed on the other side Dar of the center of the platform 43 in the fore-aft direction Da.

[0034] The ore collector storage section 72 stores the ore collectors 10. The ore collector storage section 72 is provided between a pair of storage tanks 51. In this embodiment, two ore collector storage sections 72 are provided so that two ore collectors 10, including a spare, can be stored. These two ore collector storage sections 72 are provided on one side Dw1 and the other side Dw2 in the width direction Dw, sandwiching the first moonpool 71 between them. The ore collector storage section 72 is disposed spaced apart from the separation device 53 in the front-rear direction Da.

[0035] The lifting device 73 is provided on the first moonpool 71. The lifting device 73 in this embodiment is a gate-shaped crane provided to span the first moonpool 71 in the front-rear direction Da. The lifting device 73 is capable of raising and lowering the ore collector 10 and hoisting the ore collector 10 above the first moonpool 71. In other words, the ore collector 10 is lowered to the seabed Sf by this lifting device 73 and is also lifted up from the seabed Sf.

[0036] The slide table 74 is configured to be able to carry the ore collector 10 and slide between the first moonpool 71 and the ore collector storage section 72. In this embodiment, the slide tables 74 are provided in the same number as the ore collector storage sections 72. The ore collectors 10 stored in the ore collector storage sections 72 are placed on the slide tables 74.

[0037] For example, when the ore collector 10 stored in the ore collector storage section 72 is lowered to the seabed Sf, the slide table 74 is first slid onto the first moon pool 71. Next, the ore collector 10 placed on the slide table 74 is lifted by the lifting device 73, and the slide table 74 is retracted to the ore collector storage section 72. Thereafter, the ore collector 10 suspended by the lifting device 73 is lowered to the seabed Sf through the first moon pool 71. On the other hand, when the ore collector 10 is raised from the seabed Sf, the ore collector 10 is raised by the lifting device 73 and lifted above the upper deck 52a through the first moon pool 71. Then, the slide table 74 of the ore collector storage section 72 is moved below the lifted ore collector 10, and the ore collector 10 is placed on the slide table 74. Then, the slide table 74 on which the ore collector 10 is placed is slid to the ore collector storage section 72. This causes the mine collector 10 to be stored in the mine collector storage section 72.

[0038] The second moonpool 81 is formed so that the ore dumping device 20 for lifting the ore Mr dumped on the seabed Sf can be inserted in the vertical direction. The second moonpool 81, like the first moonpool 71, vertically penetrates all of the multiple decks 52 that form layers. The second moonpool 81 is formed in the center of the platform 43 in the fore-aft direction Da.

[0039] The ore input device storage section 82 stores the ore input device 20. The input device storage section 82 in this embodiment is provided on the lower deck 52b. The input device storage section 82 is provided between a pair of storage tanks 51. Two input device storage sections 82 in this embodiment are provided so as to store two ore collectors 10. These two ore collector storage sections 72 are provided on one side Dw1 and the other side Dw2 of the width direction Dw, sandwiching the second moonpool 81 between them.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 2, the derrick 83 is provided on the second moonpool 81. The derrick 83 of this embodiment is provided to span the second moonpool 81 in the front-rear direction Da and the width direction Dw. The derrick 83 is capable of lifting the ore charging device 20 and raising and lowering it between the seabed Sf. In other words, the ore charging device 20 is lowered to the seabed Sf by the derrick 83 and raised from the seabed Sf.

[0041] 2 and 4, the riser rack 84 is capable of accommodating the lift pipe 30 when the ore charging device 20 is stored on the platform 43. The riser rack 84 of this embodiment is disposed on the upper deck 52a and between the first moonpool 71 and the second moonpool 81 in the fore-and-aft direction Da.

[0042] 5, the generator 85 generates electricity to be used in the seabed resource recovery equipment 40. In this embodiment, a plurality of the generators 85 are arranged on the lower deck 52b. The generator 85 illustrated in this embodiment is arranged on one side Daf in the fore-aft direction Da from the second moonpool 81.

[0043] 2 to 4, the platform 43 exemplified in this embodiment is provided with a superstructure 87 constituting a living area on the upper deck 52a. The superstructure 87 in this embodiment is disposed on the upper deck 52 between the pair of storage tanks 51 in the width direction Dw and on one side Daf in the fore-aft direction Da of the pair of storage tanks 51. The superstructure 87 in this embodiment extends upward from the upper deck 52 and has multiple floors inside.

[0044] <Positioning of seabed resource recovery equipment> As shown in FIG. 4, the above-mentioned mineral lifting system 100 includes an anchor 91, a mooring line 92, and a mooring and moving device 93 for positioning the seabed resource lifting equipment 40 floating on the sea.

[0045] A plurality of anchors 91 are installed on the seabed Sf around the seabed resource recovery equipment 40. A plurality of mooring ropes 92 are provided and connected to the plurality of anchors 91, respectively. The mooring and moving device 93 is provided on the platform 43. Note that, although the illustration shows a case in which the mooring and moving device 93 is provided on the upper deck 52a, the location of the mooring and moving device 93 is not limited to being on the upper deck 52a.

[0046] The mooring and moving device 93 is capable of adjusting the length of the mooring ropes 92. In other words, the mooring and moving device 93 is capable of winding and unwinding the mooring ropes 92 and adjusting the distance between the mooring and moving device 93 and the anchor 91. The mooring and moving device 93 of this embodiment is capable of lifting and dropping anchor, and is also capable of adjusting the position of the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 in accordance with the movement of the ore collector 10 on the seabed Sf. The position adjustment of the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 by the mooring and moving device 93 can be performed by controlling the operation of the mooring and moving device 93 based on positioning information acquired by a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Note that, although the mooring and moving device 93 of this embodiment is illustrated as being arranged in pairs at each of the four corners of the deck 52, the number is not limited to this.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 2, the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 is equipped with a plurality of jib cranes 95. Specifically, the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 of this embodiment is equipped with four jib cranes 95. These jib cranes 95 are arranged spaced apart from each other in the fore-and-aft direction Da and the width direction Dw. Note that the number of jib cranes 95 is just an example and is not limited to four.

[0048] <Action and effect> The seabed resource recovery equipment 40 of the above embodiment supports the platform 43 by a pair of submersible floats 41 extending in the fore-aft direction Da under the water surface Ws and arranged at a distance in the width direction Dw, and a plurality of columns 42 extending upward from the submersible floats 41. Therefore, the cross-sectional area in contact with the water line surface can be reduced, and as a result, the rocking of the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 can be reduced. Furthermore, a pair of storage tanks 51 extending in the fore-aft direction Da are arranged at a distance in the width direction Dw, and the ore Mr, which is a solid resource collected on the seabed Sf, is distributed to these storage tanks 51, so that the ore Mr can be temporarily stored stably. In addition, by arranging the storage tank 51 above the submersible float 41, the storage tank 51 storing the ore Mr, which has a large mass, can be supported from below by the submersible float 41 and the columns 42, so that the support strength of the storage tank 51 can be easily ensured.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the storage tank 51 further extends in the front-rear direction Da and includes an inlet 56 through which the ore Mr can be charged from above. The transport unit 54 includes a first storage transport unit 61 capable of distributing and transporting the ore Mr separated by the separation device 53 in the width direction Dw, and a second storage transport unit 62 extending in the front-rear direction Da along the inlet 56 of the storage tank 51 and capable of transporting the ore Mr transported by the first storage transport unit 61 in the front-rear direction Da and charging it into the inlet 56. This allows the ore Mr to be evenly stored in the pair of storage tanks 51. This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in the stability of the seabed resource recovery equipment 40.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the transport unit 54 further includes a first discharge transport unit 63 that transports the ore Mr stored in the storage tank 51 upward, a second discharge transport unit 64 that distributes the ore Mr transported upward by the first discharge transport unit 63 in the width direction Dw, a third discharge transport unit 65 that transports the ore Mr transported by the second discharge transport unit 64 in the front-rear direction Da, and a boom 66 that discharges the ore Mr transported by the third discharge transport unit 65 to the outside of the width direction Dw of the platform 43. This allows the ore Mr stored in the pair of storage tanks 51 to be loaded onto the shuttle ship 200 from either one side Dw1 or the other side Dw2 of the width direction Dw of the platform 43. This reduces the occurrence of problems in loading the ore Mr onto the shuttle ship 200 due to the influence of sea weather.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the submersible float 41 further includes fixed ballast 45 having a specific gravity greater than seawater. This allows the same mass of ballast to be obtained in a smaller volume than when only ballast water is used, so that the submersible float 41 can be prevented from becoming large even when the submersible float 41 includes a storage tank 51 that temporarily stores the ore Mr and thus becomes heavy.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the submersible float 41 further includes a ballast tank 46 capable of storing seawater, which allows fine adjustment of the ballast to be easily performed.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the system includes a plurality of anchors 91, a plurality of mooring lines 92 respectively connected to the plurality of anchors 91, and a mooring movement device 93 provided on the platform 43 and capable of adjusting the lengths of the plurality of mooring lines 92. This allows the position of the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 to be easily fine-tuned, and enables the positioning of the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 to be performed with less energy than when using thrusters or the like.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the platform 43 includes a first moon pool 71, an ore collector storage section 72, a lifting device 73, and a slide table 74. This makes it possible to easily store and lift the ore collector 10, which is heavy.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the mineral collector storage section 72 and the separation device 53 are disposed apart from each other in the front-rear direction Da. This makes it possible to achieve a good weight balance of the platform 43 in the front-rear direction Da.

[0056] <Other embodiments> The present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and design modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the deck 52 is described as including an upper deck 52a and a lower deck 52b, but another deck 52 constituting a mezzanine may also be provided between the upper deck 52a and the lower deck 52b.

[0057] Furthermore, the arrangement of the above-mentioned first moonpool 71, second moonpool 81, the surrounding ore collector storage section 72, the throwing device storage section 82, the lifting device 73, the derrick 83, etc. is not limited to the above arrangement.

[0058] <Additional Notes> The seabed resource recovery equipment described in the embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0059] (1) According to the first aspect, the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 comprises a pair of submersible floats 41 extending in the fore-and-aft direction Da below the water surface Ws and spaced apart in the width direction Dw, a plurality of columns 42 extending upward from each of the pair of submersible floats 41, and a platform 43 supported by the plurality of columns 42 and extending across the pair of submersible floats 41 in a planar view. The platform 43 comprises a pair of storage tanks 51 extending in the fore-and-aft direction Da and positioned at positions overlapping with the pair of submersible floats 41 in a planar view, a separation device 53 disposed between the storage tanks 51 for separating the resources Mr from a mixture of the resources Mr and seawater pumped up from the seabed Sf, and a transport unit 54 for transporting the resources Mr from the separation device 53 to the pair of storage tanks 51. Examples of seafloor resources include hydrothermal deposits, cobalt-rich crusts, manganese crusts, and methane hydrates. Examples of resource Mr include ores.

[0060] Thus, by providing multiple columns 42, the cross-sectional area in contact with the waterline can be reduced, thereby reducing the rocking of the seabed resource recovery equipment 40. Furthermore, a pair of storage tanks 51 are arranged spaced apart in the width direction Dw, and resources Mr extracted from the seabed Sf are allocated to these storage tanks 51, allowing the resources Mr to be temporarily stored in a stable manner. In addition, the storage tank 51 storing resources Mr with a large mass can be supported from below by the submersible float 41 and columns 42, so the support strength of the storage tank 51 can be easily ensured. Therefore, the resources Mr recovered from the seabed Sf can be temporarily stored in a stable manner.

[0061] (2) According to a second aspect, the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 is the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 of (1), wherein the storage tank 51 extends in the fore-and-aft direction Da and has an inlet 56 through which the resources Mr can be loaded from above, and the transporting section 54 has a first storage and transporting section 61 which is capable of distributing and transporting the resources Mr separated by the separation device 53 in the width direction Dw, and a second storage and transporting section 62 which extends in the fore-and-aft direction Da along the inlet 56 of the storage tank 51 and transports the resources Mr transported by the first storage and transporting section 61 in the fore-and-aft direction Da and can load the resources Mr into the inlet 56. This allows the resources Mr to be evenly stored in the pair of storage tanks 51. Therefore, deterioration in the stability of the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 can be suppressed.

[0062] (3) According to a third aspect, the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 is the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 of (1) or (2), and the transport unit 54 includes a first outgoing transport unit 63 that transports the resources Mr stored in the storage tank 51 upward, a second outgoing transport unit 64 that distributes the resources Mr transported upward by the first outgoing transport unit 63 in the width direction Dw, a third outgoing transport unit 65 that transports the resources Mr transported by the second outgoing transport unit 64 in the forward / backward direction Da, and a boom 66 that dispenses the resources Mr transported by the third outgoing transport unit 65 to the left and right outer sides of the platform 43. This allows the resources Mr stored in the pair of storage tanks 51 to be loaded onto the shuttle ship 200 from either side Dw1 or Dw2 in the width direction Dw of the platform 43. This reduces the occurrence of problems with loading the resources Mr onto the shuttle ship 200 due to the influence of ocean weather.

[0063] (4) According to a fourth aspect, the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 is any one of the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 of (1) to (3), and the submersible float 41 is provided with fixed ballast 45 having a specific gravity greater than that of the seawater. This allows the same mass of ballast to be obtained in a smaller volume compared to when only ballast water is used, thereby preventing the submersible float 41 from becoming larger.

[0064] (5) According to a fifth aspect, the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 is any one of the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 of (1) to (4), and the submersible float 41 further includes a ballast tank 46 capable of storing the seawater. This allows for easy fine adjustment of the ballast.

[0065] (6) According to a sixth aspect, the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 is any one of the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 of (1) to (5), and comprises: anchors 91 which can be installed on the seabed Sf; a plurality of mooring lines 92 each connected to the plurality of anchors 91; and a mooring movement device 93 which is provided on the platform 43 and capable of adjusting the lengths of the plurality of mooring lines 92. This makes it possible to position the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 with less energy than when using thrusters or the like.

[0066] (7) According to a seventh aspect, the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 is any one of the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 of (1) to (6), and the platform 43 is provided with: a moonpool 71 provided between a pair of the storage tanks 51, into which the ore collector 10 for collecting the resources Mr on the seabed Sf can be inserted in the vertical direction Dv; a collector storage section 72 provided between the pair of storage tanks 51 for storing the ore collector 10; a lifting device 73 provided on the moonpool 71 for raising and lowering the ore collector 10 and for hoisting the ore collector 10 above the moonpool 71; and a slide table 74 capable of carrying the ore collector 10 and sliding between the moonpool 71 and the collector storage section 72. This makes it possible to easily store and lift the heavy ore collector 10.

[0067] (8) According to an eighth aspect, the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 is the seabed resource recovery equipment 40 of (7), in which the ore collector storage section and the separation device 53 are arranged at a distance from each other in the fore-and-aft direction Da. This allows the weight balance of the platform 43 in the front-rear direction Da to be favorable. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 10...Ore collector 20...Ore input device 30...Ore lifting pipe 31...Forward piping 32...Return piping 40...Seabed resource recovery equipment 41...Submersible float 42...Column 43...Platform 45...Fixed ballast 46...Ballast tank 47...Truss structure 51...Storage tank 52...Deck 53...Separation device 54...Transportation section 56...Inlet port 57...Discharge device 57a...Vertical conveyor 58...Chemical tank 61...First storage and transport section 62...Second storage and transport section 63...First discharge and transport section 64...Second discharge and transport section 65...Third discharge and transport section 66...Boom 66a...Tip 66b...Base 71...First moon pool (moon pool) 72...Ore collector storage section 73...Lifting device 74...Slide table 81...Second moon pool 82... Storage area for loading equipment 83... Derrick 84... Riser rack 85... Generator 87... Superstructure 91... Anchor 92... Mooring line 93... Mooring transfer device 95... Jib crane 100... Ore lifting system 200... Shuttle vessel Sf... Seabed Mr... Ore Ws... Water surface

Claims

1. A pair of submersible floats extending in the front-rear direction under the water surface and spaced apart in the width direction; a plurality of columns extending upward from each of the pair of submersible floats; a platform supported by the plurality of columns and extending across the pair of submersible floats in a plan view; Equipped with The platform includes: A pair of storage tanks extending in a front-rear direction and provided at positions overlapping the pair of submersible floats in a plan view; a separation device provided between the storage tanks for separating the resource from the mixture of the resource and seawater pumped up from the seabed; a transport unit that transports the resource from the separation device to a pair of the storage tanks; Seabed resource recovery equipment equipped with

2. The storage tank extends in the front-rear direction and includes an input port through which the resource can be input from above, The conveying unit is a first storage and transport unit capable of distributing and transporting the resources separated by the separation device in a width direction; a second storage and transport unit extending in the front-rear direction along the inlet of the storage tank, transporting the resources transported by the first storage and transport unit in the front-rear direction and capable of loading the resources into the inlet; Equipped The seabed resource recovery facility according to claim 1.

3. The conveying unit is a first discharge conveyance unit that conveys the resource stored in the storage tank upward; a second discharge conveyance unit that distributes the resources conveyed upward by the first discharge conveyance unit in the width direction; a third output conveyance unit that conveys the resource conveyed by the second output conveyance unit in the front-rear direction; a boom that delivers the resources transported by the third discharge transport unit to the left and right outer sides of the platform; The seabed resource recovery facility according to claim 1 .

4. The submersible float is provided with fixed ballast having a specific gravity greater than that of seawater. The seabed resource recovery facility according to claim 1.

5. The submersible float further includes a ballast tank capable of storing the seawater. The seabed resource recovery facility according to claim 4.

6. A plurality of anchors installed on the seabed; A plurality of mooring lines respectively connected to the plurality of anchors; a mooring movement device provided on the platform and capable of adjusting the lengths of the mooring lines; The seabed resource recovery facility according to claim 1 .

7. The platform includes: a moon pool provided between the pair of storage tanks and through which a collector for collecting the resources on the seabed can be inserted in the vertical direction; a collector storage section provided between the pair of storage tanks and storing the collector; a lifting device provided on the moonpool for lifting the ore collector and lifting the ore collector above the moonpool; A slide table on which the collector is placed and which can slide between the moon pool and the collector storage section; Equipped The seabed resource recovery facility according to claim 1.

8. The collector storage section and the separation device are disposed apart from each other in the front-rear direction. The seabed resource recovery facility according to claim 7.

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