• 한국정밀공학회지
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.68-74
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• 1998

Performance and efficiency of deep seabed collector is a primary factor for feasibility of commercial deep ocean mining. The efficiency of manganese nodules collector depends on vehicle mobility relative to undulating seafloor and is attributed pickup head to keep altitude and elevation of it against seafloor. For this reason, motion control of pickup head relative to the changing deep-sea topography and other disturbances is of particular importance in design of pickup device. The concept of design axiom is applied to a pickup device of hybrid type in order to evaluate the concept design. Kinematic analysis conducted in absolute Cartesian coordinates gives position, velocity, and acceleration of the hydraulic cylinders which enable the pickup head to keep the preset optimal distance from seafloor. Inverse dynamic analysis provides the driving forces of hydraulic cylinders and the reaction forces at each joint. Design sensitivity analysis is performed in order to investigate the effects of possible design variables on the change of the maximum strokes of hydraulic cylinders. The direct differentiation method is used to obtain the design sensitivity coefficients.

• 한국정밀공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정밀공학회 1996년도 추계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.891-895
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• 1996

Performance and efficiency of hybrid (hydraulic-mechanical) pick-up device of deep sea manganese nodules collector are very sensitive to altitude and altitude of pick-up head relative to undulating seafloor. For this reason, motion control of pick-up head relative to the changing deep sea topography and other disturbances is of particular importance in design of pick-up device. The concept of design axiom is applied to a pick-up device of hybrid type. Kinematic analysis conducted in absolute Cartesian coordinates gives position, velocity, and acceleration of the hydraulic cylinders which enable the pick-up head to keep the preset optimal distance from seafloor. Inverse dynamic analysis provides the driving forces of hydraulic cylinders and the reaction forces at each joint. Design sensitivity analysis is performed in order to investigate the effects of possible design variables on the change of the maximum strokes of hydraulic cylinders. The direct differentiation method is used to obtain the design sensitivity coefficients.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• 제31권2호
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• pp.167-176
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• 2009

Cobalt-rich manganese crusts on seamounts have received an increasing amount of attention as future resources for Co, Ni, Cu, and Mn. A dearth of detailed information regarding the relevant distribution characteristics, mining technologies, and ore processing technologies, however, has precluded potential evaluations of the technical and economic advantages of these crusts. In the past 4 years, Korea has undertaken a survey of the cobalt-rich manganese crusts in and around the Magellan Seamount and Mid-Pacific Mountains. This paper introduces the preliminary feasibility study of the distribution features and R&D results centered around the development of the cobalt-rich manganese crusts. The evaluation model was developed by modifying the model for the manganese nodules. In addition to considering the geological and geophysical differences between the manganese nodules and the cobalt-rich manganese crusts, an ore dressing subsystem was installed in the model. The mining subsystem is composed of a self-propelled collector--a pipeline with submersible hydraulic pumps for crust lifting. The smelting and chlorine leach method was selected for metallurgical processing. The production scales were established at 2,500t/y of cobalt metal. The production of three metals--cobalt, nickel, and copper--was considered in terms of metallurgical processing. The economic feasibility analyses demonstrated that the payback period was 11.4 years, the NPV was 36M$, and the IRR was 9.6% with the economic factors in the case of a cobalt price of US$ 25/lb. It was also demonstrated in this study that the payback period was 8.6 years, the NPV was 154M$, and the IRR was 14.0% in the case of a cobalt price of US$ 30/lb. This indicates that the approach under consideration appears to offer greater potential given the predicted metal prices.

• 지구물리와물리탐사
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• 제10권3호
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• pp.173-182
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• 2007

북동태평양 클라리온-클리퍼톤 균열대 지역의 해저평원에는 여러 유용 금속을 함유한 망간단괴가 다량 분포하는 것으로 알려져 있다. 심해저카메라(DSC)를 이용하여 지형과 단괴 부존량과의 상관관계를 제시하는 연구 결과마다 단괴 생산 유망 지역의 단괴부존량과 지형과의 관계를 다르게 설명하고 있다. 또한, 수중에 위치하는 DSC 위치추정 방법론에 대한 정확한 근거가 명확하게 제시되지 않았다. 북동태평양 대한민국 심해연구(KODOS) 지역에서 현장탐사를 수행하여 지형에 따른 단괴 채광조건의 변화를 관찰하였다. 이 연구에서는 망간단괴 분포 경향 및 채광가능지역을 분석하고자 할 때, DSC를 이용한 근접 해저면 영상관찰 방법의 활용가능성을 제시하고자 하였다. 이를 위해 해저산이 없는 심해평원지역인 KODOS 지역의 남쪽구역($132^{\circ}10'W$, $9^{\circ}45'N$ 부근)에서 DSC 영상으로부터 단괴 부존량을 추출하고 다중빔음향측심기를 사용하여 해저면 수심 변화를 동시에 측정하였다. 또한, DSC 수중 위치추정의 정확성을 제고하고자, DSC 위치 계산 방식에 적절한 가정을 도입하였고, DSC 측선의 교차점에서 측정한 부존량을 이용하여 간접적으로 위치 추정의 정확도를 검증하였다. DSC 영상을 관찰하면 단괴 및 퇴적물뿐만 아니라 해저면의 함몰지역인 균열대를 다수 발견할 수 있다. 또한, DSC 영상을 통해 관찰된 해저 균열대의 발견시간 자료로 부터 채광 장애지역으로 예상되는 균열대의 위치 추정을 시도하였다. 분석 결과 채광장비가 주행할 수 없는 채광 장애지역은 해저사면과 해저구릉지역임을 확인할 수 있었다.