Underwater manganese nodules harvesting equipment - uses conveyor with chambers alternating with float chambers, water filled on downwards travel

摘要

Equipment for harvesting manganese iron modules from the sea bed, uses a dredging type mechanism which is drawn along the sea bed. This discharges into an endless cylindrical section conveyor which then discharges into a vessel floating above. The conveyor has a grid or mesh cylindrical wall (6) divided up into lengths (7) each consisting of a float chamber (9) and a conveying chamber (8). These chambers are separated by a grid (11), and the float chamber contains a hermetic seal (10) with its open end attached to the grid. A remote operated unit fills the chambers with air to give buoyancy to the conveyor as it travels upwards. The seal operates so that the chambers fill with water during downward travel.