Development of in-situ measuring apparatus of geotechnical elements of sea floor (IMAGES)
The effort of the research and devolopment of manganese nodule mining system from deep ocean floor has been concentrated in several countries this decade. Among many subsystems of the mining system it is said that the development of the collector system which harvests manganese nodule on the sea floor involves most difficult problems. The engineering properties of deep sea floor is one of the most important factors to develop efficient and safe collector system. The authors designed and fabricated insitu measuring apparatus of geotechnical elements of sea-floor (IMAGES) which measured some engineering properties of deep sea floor automatically. It is lowered to sea floor from surface ship with wire rope. After reaching on sea floor it starts vane test, cone test, and bearing capacity test. The data measured are recorded on the magnetic tape contained in a pressure vessel. After laboratory and shallow water tests IMAGES was tested in south Central Pacific manganese nodule province. But some units driven by underwater motor did not work enough on the sea floor and very limited data were collected. Presently many experiments to clarify the cause of this unexpected results are being carried out. After getting the answers the authors rearrange the IMAGES and try to collect data of in-situ deep sea floor engineering properties in Pacific again.
- Research Organization:
- Natl. Research Inst. for Pollution and Resources
- OSTI ID:
- 6316455
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8405208-
- Journal Information:
- Proc., Annu. Offshore Technol. Conf.; (United States), Vol. 1; Conference: 16. annual offshore technology conference, Houston, TX, USA, 7 May 1984
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Problems of Developing Solid Mineral Deposits on the Sea and Ocean Floor
Final Scientific/Technical Report: Real Time Particle Size and Settling Velocity for In-Situ Monitoring of Deep-Sea Polymetallic Nodule Mining
Related Subjects
58 GEOSCIENCES
MANGANESE ORES
MARINE SURVEYS
MINING
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
PACIFIC OCEAN
SEA BED
DEPTH
DESIGN
EFFICIENCY
ENGINEERING
FABRICATION
HOISTING
MOTORS
PRESSURE VESSELS
SHIPS
TESTING
CONTAINERS
DIMENSIONS
MATERIALS HANDLING
ORES
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
SURVEYS
423000* - Engineering- Marine Engineering- (1980-)
580500 - Oceanography- (1980-1989)