ABSTRACT

Mining machines play a pivotal role in deep-sea mineral exploration. This study aims to shed light on the hydrodynamics of a mining machine, exploring parameters such as drag, added mass, and their coefficients that significantly influence the dynamic behavior of submerged structures. Lowering mining equipment to abyssal depths involves navigating through a complex underwater environment, where hydrodynamic forces impact stability and control during descent. The research utilizes computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and experimental analyses to unravel the intricate interactions between the mining machine and seawater. The investigation delves into the influence of added mass and drag forces, providing insights into the challenges posed by unique deep-sea mining conditions. The article describes the chosen solver, appropriate numerical setup procedures, and validates the methodology against benchmark cases, demonstrating consistency with previous work. Numerical results are compared with real experimental values, revealing instances where added mass surpasses actual mass during sudden accelerations caused by external forces. The findings contribute to advancing deep-sea mining technology, offering a nuanced understanding of hydrodynamic and engineering intricacies in lowering mining machines. These insights inform the design of robust and efficient systems for deploying mining equipment, facilitating responsible and sustainable mineral extraction from the ocean floor's depths.

INTRODUCTION

Seabed is a potentially promising source of critical minerals that are in heavy demand for clean energy technologies. Deep sea mining is an emerging industry that aims to extract minerals from the ocean's surface. When a subsea system is launched or retrieved, it generates varying levels of acceleration in the surrounding fluid. This can result in unsteady flow and hydrodynamic interactions between the vehicle's surfaces and its surroundings. Consequently, the underwater vehicle may require additional speed or experience turbulence as a result of the disturbances created during the process (Janarthanan et al. 2022). Nonlinear behavior in 3-D with biaxial bending and torsion is not able to handle deep-ocean 4000-5000-long pipe or string (Chung and Cheng 1996). The added mass is an important hydrodynamic quantity for all bodies undergoing a motion in a fluid. It is an especially important design consideration for bodies moving in or under a liquid (Sahin et al. 1993).

This content is only available via PDF.
You can access this article if you purchase or spend a download.