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US 5,431,483 AGranted
Submarine solution mining containment and regulation cover and method
AssigneeUniversity of Hawaii
InventorKimo K. Zaiger
Life of this patent
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AssigneeUniversity of Hawaii
InventorKimo K. Zaiger
Estimating the term…
Oceanographic mining uses a flexible cover draped over a submarine ore-bearing stratum. The cover serves as a blanket-like structure for application of a leaching substance and isolation of the leachate and stratum from the surrounding water. The leachate infiltrates the stratum and becomes pregnant with intended materials. The leaching solution is subsequently pumped to the surface. The ores are separated from the pregnant leaching solution, enabling the solution to be used again. The cover supports and arranges anchor and sealing tubes and leachate and pregnant liquor tubes. Pumps are mounted on a platform connected to the cover. The cover is deployed by sinking parallel coils and filling peripheral tubes to uncoil and anchor the cover on a sea bed. One cover is spread by tube and is sunk in a controlled manner.
An undersea mining apparatus comprising:
A method of recovering minerals from underwater deposits comprising deploying a cover over a deposit, sealing peripheral edges of the cover, evacuating sea water from under the cover, flowing a leachate beneath the cover, dissolving and entraining minerals within the leachate beneath the cover, withdrawing a pregnant liquor containing the leachate and dissolved and entrained minerals, pumping the pregnant liquor toward a surface of water, separating minerals from the liquor, reclaiming the leachate from the liquor, recycling the leachate and flowing the leachate to the cover.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.