| 摘要 |
1464184 Air lift pumps COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE 3 July 1974 [18 July 1973] 29529/74 Heading F1R [Also in division El] A method and apparatus for collecting ore particles of a predetermined minimum size from sea beds involves a submersible station 1 that permits of a first stage raising of a nodules-water mixture by an air lift created by injecting pressurized gas into a pipe 4, 5 extending from the sea bed to a separator 15 in a compartment 14 in the station. The compartment is open at its bottom to the sea and is maintained at a pressure that limits entry of the sea through said bottom. The air, water and nodules of the mixture delivered to the separator can be isolated so that the air can be drawn off by a compressor 19 and, after compression, can be recirculated to the pipe 4, the water and undersized particles pass out through the bottom of the compartment into the sea, and the required size particles are collected by the separator for pumping by a second stage pumping system 23 from the submerged station to a particle - collecting station 3 at the surface of the sea. The control compartment and the power-generating room 7 of the submersible station, which may be self propelled, are kept at atmospheric pressure.
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