"Tailing Deposit Tool" in Patent Application Approval Process (USPTO 20160168992)
By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Politics & Government Week -- A patent application by the inventors VAN DOESBURG, Johannes Bartholomeus (DORDRECHT, NL); LUCIEER, Pieter Abraham (ROTTERDAM, NL), filed on July 10, 2014, was made available online on June 23, 2016, according to news reporting originating from Washington, D.C., by VerticalNews correspondents.
This patent application has not been assigned to a company or institution.
The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors: "The present invention relates to a deep sea mining method comprising, providing a deep sea mining system for mining matter from a bottom of a body of water.
"GB2495287 relates to a riser system for transporting a slurry from a position adjacent to the seabed to a position adjacent to the sea surface. In order to be flexible in production, GB2495287 teaches to provide first and second risers; a slurry pump system to transport slurry up one of the risers; and a waste water pump system to return waste water down one of the risers. The slurry pump system and the waste water pump system are selectively connectable to each of the risers to allow each riser to be either a slurry riser or a waste water riser.
"WO 2010/092145 A1 is another example having a riser conduit and a tailings stream. Tailings are just disposed via a disposal pipe, see FIG. 3. During operations, tailings will accumulate and may easily cause problems in that a site of interest is covered.
"US2012/234552 A1 relates to a system for harvesting natural gas from a clathrate deposit. A pipe or tube is suggested for distributing the water back into the ocean away from the harvesting location. In addition, it is also suggested to pump the debris through a particulate disposal system for returning the debris to the sea floor at a location that is removed from the clathrate deposit. Still over time, debris will accumulate and may easily cause problems.
"WO 2011/072963 A1 relates to a method of converting a methane containing hydrate deposit in the water bottom into a marketable product. FIG. 2 shows a tailing disposal pipe to a site. Again, over time, debris will accumulate and may easily cause problems.
"US2009/284068 A1 relates to a method of monitoring and adjusting a flow rate of a slurry in a riser system of a deep sea mining system. It is suggested to discharge waste water at the sea floor level.
"In conclusion, where the prior art disposes debris rather than water alone, it is disposed at a fixed location such that over time, debris will accumulate and may easily cause problems."
In addition to the background information obtained for this patent application, VerticalNews journalists also obtained the inventors' summary information for this patent application: "The invention aims to provide a more efficient deep sea mining method. Another object of the invention is to improve a known deep sea mining method in that a problem associated therewith is at least partly solved.
"Yet another object of the invention is to provide an alternative deep sea mining method.
"According to a first aspect of the invention this is realized with a deep sea mining method comprising providing a deep sea mining system for mining matter from a bottom of a body of water, the mining system comprising; a slurry line coupled with a pump system to transport said slurry from the bottom of the body of water, and a return line in fluid communication with the slurry line and distinguishable from the slurry line, for transporting a non valuable slurry part to the bottom of the body of water, the return line having a return line outlet proximate said bottom, the deep sea mining method further comprising spreading the non valuable slurry part over the bottom of the body of water in a controlled manner.
"The spreading of the non valuable slurry part over the bottom of the body of water in a controlled manner enables to perform the mining method more efficient in that non valuable slurry part is distributed in a controlled manner which includes that non valuable slurry part does not cover slurry still to be excavated from the bottom of a body of water. The controlled manner assures that non valuable slurry part is distributed over the bottom of a body of water in a predictable manner.
"In an embodiment of the mining method, the mining system comprises a unit for processing mined matter, wherein the return line is in fluid communication with the slurry line through the processing unit. Such a processing unit may take the form of a floating object like a vessel, a subsea platform, or a supported platform.
"In an embodiment of the mining method, the spreading of the non valuable slurry part over the bottom of the body of water comprises moving the return outlet over the bottom of the body of water, also seafloor, preferably in a desired pattern. The moving of the return outlet over the seafloor intends to distribute the non valuable slurry part over the bottom of a body of water. The moving of the return outlet over the seafloor is preferably predictable e.g. along a desired pattern, however it may involve intended movement caused by sea currents which has an unpredictable component. It will be clear that, in case of the movement caused by sea currents, despite the non predictable movement of the return outlet, over time the non valuable slurry part is distributed in an even manner.
"The matter may comprise gashydrates.
"According to a further aspect of the invention this is realized with a deep sea mining system for mining matter from a bottom of a body of water, wherein the system comprises, a slurry line coupled with a pump system to transport said slurry from the bottom of the body of water, a return line, in fluid communication with the slurry line and distinguishable from the slurry line, for transporting a non valuable slurry part to the bottom of the body of water and having a return line outlet proximate the seafloor, and a spreading device coupled with the return line outlet for spreading the non valuable slurry part over the bottom of the body of water in a controlled manner.
"The spreading device spreads the non valuable slurry part over the bottom of the body of water in a controlled manner and thus enables to mine more efficient in that non valuable slurry part is distributed in controlled manner which includes that non valuable slurry part does not cover slurry still to be excavated from the bottom of a body of water.
"In an embodiment, the mining system comprises a unit for processing mined matter, wherein the return line is in fluid communication with the slurry line through the processing unit. The processing unit may subject the slurry to any desired process like segregate the slurry into a desired part and a non valuable slurry part.
"In an embodiment of the deep sea mining system, the spreading device comprises a boom member and wherein the return line outlet is coupled with the spreading device through said boom member for moving the outlet relative to the bottom of the body of water.
"In an embodiment of the deep sea mining system, the spreading device comprises a vehicle for moving over the bottom of the body of water and coupled with the return line outlet for moving the return outlet over the bottom of the body of water in a desired pattern. The moving of the return outlet over the seafloor intends to distribute the non valuable slurry part over the bottom of a body of water. The moving of the return outlet over the seafloor is predictable.
"In an embodiment of the deep sea mining system, the vehicle is remotely controllable. The vehicle is therefore provided with control means to control the vehicle in a manner known per se.
"The various aspects discussed in this patent can be combined in order to provide additional advantageous advantages.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
"The invention will be further elucidated referring to preferred embodiments shown in the schematic drawings wherein shown in:
"FIG. 1 in side view a mining system according to the invention,
"FIG. 2 in side view a further mining system according to the invention;
"FIG. 3 in side view an even further mining system according to the invention, and
"FIG. 4 in side view of another mining system according to the invention."
URL and more information on this patent application, see: VAN DOESBURG, Johannes Bartholomeus; LUCIEER, Pieter Abraham. Tailing Deposit Tool. Filed July 10, 2014 and posted June 23, 2016. Patent URL: http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-adv.html&r=5454&p=110&f=G&l=50&d=PG01&S1=20160616.PD.&OS=PD/20160616&RS=PD/20160616
Keywords for this news article include: Patents.
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