Sampling method of seabed mineral resource such as methane hydrate

Abstract

To provide an efficient sampling method of seabed resources such as methane hydrate and rare metals as seabed resources.SOLUTION: An accumulating method and a device of seabed resources such as methane hydrate and rare metals comprises steps of filtering muddy mixed material in a filtering cylinder through decompression in the filtering cylinder in a state in which the filtration cylinder shrinks in a longitudinal direction by making a cylindrical boy carry out filtration of a solid-mixed liquid immersed due to sucking decompression in the filtering cylinder though immersion in liquid by filling a spring in the longitudinal direction in a cylindrical filter cloth, and separating solid material upon decompression of the cylinder by aggregation and concentration of the solid material on the filter cloth surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for efficiently and economically extracting a large amount of mineral resources such as methane hydrate, rare metals, and precious metals existing in the seabed of the Sea of Japan.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, since crude oil or natural gas existing in the seabed underground is fluid, the pressure in the pipe is reduced by injecting a pipe into the resources existing in the seabed underground, or a large amount of crude oil or natural gas is continuously and economically extracted from a single pipe by the pressure in the ground. In addition, regarding relatively soft minerals including methane hydrate, rare metals, and gold ore existing near the seabed mirror surface, a method of directly extracting minerals from the seabed is currently being explored.

Disclosure of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] Therefore, there were the following problems. (A) Methane hydrate deposited on the seabed exists alone and as a solid adhered to clay or soil. Even if an extraction pipe is injected into the methane hydrate layer and the pressure is reduced, and an attempt is made to extract it as methane gas into the pipe, since the methane hydrate layer has no fluidity in the individual layer or the clay layer, the pressure reduction effect can only be exerted on the part near the pipe, and it is necessary to re-drill and move the extraction pipe, and there was a problem that a large amount of methane gas could not be extracted economically. In addition, there was a problem that it was difficult to physically extract a large amount of the solid layer of the methane hydrate layer economically because it is the seabed and has no fluidity. (B) Rare metals and gold ore existing in the seabed also exist as soft solids, but since they have no fluidity, there was a problem that it was difficult to physically extract a large amount continuously by transfer such as a pipe.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] (a) Springs are sequentially filled in the length direction inside a cylindrical tubular filter cloth to form a cylindrical tubular filter element. This cylindrical tubular filter element is immersed in a solid-liquid mixture, and the inside of the cylindrical tubular filter element is subjected to the suction and decompression of a pump to perform the filtration action of the solid-liquid mixture. As a result, the inside of this filter cylinder is decompressed, and the cylindrical tubular filter element contracts longitudinally to filter the moisture of the solid-liquid mixture, and submarine resources such as methane hydrate and rare metals are accumulated and concentrated on the filtration surface of this cylindrical tubular filter element. (b) When the inside of the above-mentioned cylindrical tubular filter element is decompressed by a pump or the like and the moisture of the solid-liquid mixture substance is filtered, the inside of this filter cylinder is decompressed and contracts to the spring repulsion limit in the length direction. Therefore, by restricting the length with a tension such as a rope so as not to contract to less than a certain length, the muddy mixture substance is filtered while maintaining its length, and solids are aggregated and concentrated on the outer surface of the filter cloth. (c) The solids accumulated and fixed outside the above-mentioned filter cylinder are connected to a rope in a state where the inside of the filter cylinder is in a vacuum filtration state. The filter cylinder is pulled by hand along the rope to a position above the collection tank installed on the seabed. By releasing the decompression state inside the filter cylinder, the filter cylinder returns to the original length of the filter cylinder by the restoring force of the spring, and the solids aggregated and concentrated on the filter cloth surface peel off from the filter cloth surface and are opened and deposited in the upper part of the collection tank installed on the seabed and stored inside the collection tank. (d) The concentrated muddy mineral resources accumulated at the bottom of the collection tank installed on the seabed are sent by a pump to a ship on the sea, a concentration tank at a sea base, or a methane gas storage tank, and submarine resources such as methane hydrate and rare metals are transferred and recovered.

Advantages of the Invention

[0005] (a) Springs are filled in the length direction inside a cylindrical filterable tubular filter cloth, the inside of the cylindrical tube is immersed in a liquid, and the inside of the filter cylinder is immersed by the suction and decompression of a pump to perform the filtration action of the immersed liquid. Due to the filtration resistance, the inside of the filter cylinder is decompressed, and the filter cylinder contracts longitudinally to filter the muddy mixture substance, and solids are aggregated and concentrated on the filter cloth surface. (b) When the inside of the filtration cylinder is depressurized by a pump or the like and the water in the muddy mixture is filtered, if the filtration cylinder is depressurized and completely shrinks in the length direction, it is restricted by the tension of a rope or the like so that it does not shrink more than a certain length, thereby filtering the muddy mixture and concentrating the solids on the filter cloth surface. (c) The solids accumulated and fixed outside the filtration cylinder are connected to a rope with the inside of the filtration cylinder in a vacuum filtration state. The filtration cylinder is pulled by hand along the rope to a position above the collection tank installed on the seabed. By releasing the vacuum inside the filtration cylinder, the filtration cylinder returns to its original length by the restoring force of the spring, and the solids concentrated on the filter cloth surface peel off from the filter cloth surface and are released into the collection tank installed on the seabed and submerged in the tank. (d) The concentrated muddy mineral resources accumulated at the bottom of the collection tank installed on the seabed are sent by a pump to a concentration tank on a ship or a marine base at sea, and submarine resources such as methane hydrate and rare metals are transferred and purified.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0006] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. Since there is no length limit for the above-mentioned filtration cylinder and the filtration cylinder is lightweight, resources over the entire seabed plane of 100 m can be collected by moving it along the circumference with a rope at the tip of the filtration cylinder with a radius of 100 m. Also, the diameter of the filtration cylinder is preferably about 5 cm, and the diameter of the wire of the stainless steel spring housed in the filtration cylinder is preferably about 5 mm. The solid accumulation tank installed on the seabed can be suspended from the bottom of a salvage ship or the like and moved. Also, the solids of the submarine resource substance are pre-crushed and stirred so that they can exhibit fluidity underwater so that the filtration action of the above-mentioned filtration cylinder can be performed. A plurality of filtration cylinders are assembled in a state where they can be individually inserted and removed above the collection tank.

Claims

1. A cylindrical filter body is formed by sequentially filling springs in the length direction inside a cylindrical filter cloth. This cylindrical filter body is immersed in a solid-liquid mixture, and the inside of the cylindrical filter body is subjected to suction and decompression by a pump to perform the filtration of the solid-liquid mixture. As a result, the inside of this filter cylinder is decompressed, and the cylindrical filter body shrinks in the longitudinal direction to filter the moisture of the solid-liquid mixture. Methane hydrate, rare metals, and other undersea resources are accumulated and concentrated on the filtration surface of this cylindrical filter body. A method and apparatus for collecting undersea resources such as methane hydrate and rare metals are characterized by this.

2. When the inside of the above-mentioned cylindrical filter body is decompressed by a pump or the like and the moisture of the solid-liquid mixture is filtered, the inside of this filter cylinder is decompressed and shrinks in the length direction to the spring repulsion limit. Therefore, in order not to shrink to less than a certain length, the length is restricted by the tension of a rope or the like. While maintaining its length, this muddy mixture is filtered, and solids are concentrated on the outer surface of the filter cloth. A method and apparatus for collecting undersea resources such as methane hydrate and rare metals are characterized by this.

3. The solids accumulated and fixed outside the above-mentioned filter cylinder are connected to a rope in a vacuum filtration state inside the filter cylinder. The filter cylinder is pulled by hand along the rope to a position above the collecting tank installed on the seabed. By releasing the decompression state inside the filter cylinder, the filter cylinder returns to the original length of the filter cylinder by the restoring force of the spring, and the solids concentrated on the filter cloth surface peel off from the filter cloth surface and are opened and stored in the upper part of the collecting tank installed on the seabed. A method and apparatus for collecting undersea resources such as methane hydrate and rare metals are characterized by this.

4. The concentrated muddy mineral resources accumulated at the bottom of the collecting tank installed on the seabed are sent by a pump to a ship at sea, a concentrating tank at a sea base, or a methane gas storage tank. Methane hydrate, rare metals, and other undersea resources are transferred and recovered. A method and apparatus for collecting undersea resources such as methane hydrate and rare metals are characterized by this.