Simulation Of Coarse Particles Motions In Hydraulic Lifting Pipe Of Deep Seabed Mining System

Manganese nodules on deep seabed under 4000-6000m have huge exploitation value. The diameters of nodules most are 30-60mm in China exploitation section. People generally recognize the hydraulic lifting mining system for manganese nodules is the most practical system up to now. It consists of lifting pipe subsystem, surface vessel and collector. And the lifting pipe subsystem is important part of the deep seabed mining system. It influences transportation of nodules, mining efficiency and system security.On the base of nodules transportation in the deep seabed mining, this paper has been established a simulation software of coarse particles in lifting pipe. It simulates coarse particles motions status under constant flow and display the lifting process of coarse particles. By the software this paper studies on the rules of coarse particles motions in vertical pipe, swing pipe and bend pipe in order to consult for the deep seabed mining.According to the basic characteristics of coarse solid two-phase flow, the particle-motion-resolution trajectory model have been used in the simulation software, in which the motions of solid phase are obtained by calculating individual particle motions with Lagrange method while liquid flows are obtained by solving the Navier-Stokes equation of continuum with Euler method. Rules of coarse particles motions are good simulated by the numerical model.Studies on the rules of coarse particles motion and simulation have reference value for the deep seabed mining. It also can used in hydraulic excavate coal and other hydraulic lifting equipments.