Flow Characteristics of Ore Slurry Injection Process in the Intermediate Warehouse of Deep-sea Ore Hydraulic Transmission

This study proposes a new intermediate warehouse to prevent the problem that the ore in the vertical pipeline hydraulic lifting system blocks the nozzle during the process of being sucked into the lifting hard tube. A mathematical model and a finite element model of ore transport are established. Numerical simulation and experimental research are performed on the process of ore injection into the intermediate warehouse. Results show that the proposed intermediate warehouse has higher ore transmission efficiency, smaller pressure pulsation, and more stable transmission process compared with the traditional structure scheme. The larger the slurry conveying flow, the shorter the time required to convey the ore. In the process of slurry injection, the closer to the inlet, the more uneven the velocity distribution on the Z section, and the more concentrated the dynamic pressure. The closer to the lower end of the intermediate warehouse, the more dispersed the dynamic pressure, and the fluctuation of dynamic pressure in the intermediate warehouse is the main cause of unstable flow. The feed flow has a great influence on the stress state of the intermediate warehouse structure, the ore transfer time, and the stress decay period. The feed flow rate should be reasonably selected to meet the working requirements. 

Keywords:

Deep-sea mining , Intermediate warehouse , Ore transfer , Numerical simulation , Flow characteristics