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SAGAR KANYA – SK 332 CRUISE REPORT

RECIPROCATING SLURRY PUMP TESTING AT 200-250 m WATER DEPTH

(06 to 14 August 2016)

Deep Sea Technologies Group

National Institute of Ocean Technology

Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt. of India

Chennai - 600100

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

 

 

We express our sincere gratitude to Director, NCAOR and Sagar Kanya cell, NCAOR, Goa for

providing ORV Sagar Kanya ship at the required time for successful completion of cruise.

Our sincere thanks to Captain, Ship officers and crew of ORV Sagar Kanya for their valuable

cooperation throughout the cruise and for the help and support extended us to complete the

task.

   

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Table of Contents

 

Sl. No Description Page No

1 Objective of the Cruise 04

2 Cruise Team 13

3 Cruise Summary 14

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RECIPROCATING SLURRY PUMP TESTING

AT 200-250 m WATER DEPTH

1. Introduction

Development of Integrated Mining System (IMS) for collection and transport of

polymetallic nodules from a depth of 5000 – 6000 meter is presently being progressed

at NIOT. A suitable high pressure slurry pump is essential to achieve this vertical

transportation up a riser. A reciprocating solids pump has been identified to develop this

high flow, high pressure fluid system. Considering the application and the use without

past precedencies, studying the flow characteristics in a high pressure vertical system

using a reciprocating pump is most essential.

The final slurry pumping system to be developed is required to be robust, reliable and

truly matched to the intended flexible riser system

2. Objective of the Trials

a) Performance validations of a twin - piston reciprocating slurry pump under subsea

conditions.

b) Pulsatile flow characteristics estimation in a vertical flexible riser system on slurry

transport.

c) Mechanical response of a simply suspended system at sea during operation of the

high power reciprocating pump system.

d) Establishing riser – umbilical behavior with suspended load, due to surface

disturbance of the ship.

e) For generation of pump – riser system operating data to size the IMS.

3. Pump Test System and Ship Interface

This experiment is to validate the performance of positive displacement pump with

various flow rate of sea water and slurries and measurement of pressure drop along the

 

ri

p

M

a

re

co

fit

S

p

tr

to

u

–

R

ac

m

th

se

ser hose an

redetermine

Major compo

nd hose), um

equired for s

onsole. Slur

tted on winc

lurry pumpi

ower pack u

ransmit the

o convey the

nit in air is a

3.2 m, widt

Riser system

coustic ping

mm with 3.4

he fresh wat

ea surface a

nd dynamic

ed depths.

nents of slu

mbilical cabl

slurry pump

rry pumping

ch base was

ng unit con

unit, instrum

slurry from

e required c

approx. 10.5

th – 2.8 m a

consists of u

ers etc. Th

kg/m is we

ter and slurr

and inner dia

response of

rry pumping

e winch, ins

ping operatio

system wa

routed thro

nsists of po

mentation & c

pumping sy

rushed nodu

5 tons and w

nd height –

umbilical cab

e umbilical c

eight in seaw

ry from slurr

ameter of ho

5 

ship, riser

g trials are s

strumentatio

on is taken f

as attached

ough Ship’s L

sitive displa

control and e

ystem to ves

ule to the po

weight in sea

2.6 m.

ble, hose, cl

cable safe w

water. Riser

ry pumping u

ose is approx

system and

lurry pumpin

on & control

from ship sy

to the umb

LARS pulley

acement pum

electrical sys

ssel at surfa

ositive pump

water is 9.5

amp attachm

working load

hose is a la

unit at prede

x. 104 mm.

suspension

ng unit, rise

and electric

ystem throug

bilical cable

for pumping

mp, screw f

stem. Slurry

ce and scre

p. Weight of

tons. Dimen

ments, press

is 15 tons,

ay flat hose

etermined d

pumping u

r (umbilical

al system. P

gh NIOT’s p

end termin

g operation.

feeder, hyd

y pump is us

w feeder is

f the slurry p

nsions are le

sure transdu

diameter is

used for tra

depth to vess

nit in

cable

Power

power

nation

raulic

ed to

used

pump

ength

ucers,

38.5

ansfer

sel at

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Schematic of Slurry pumping unit

The main power required to drive the winch would be taken from the ship output.

The power required to drive the pump system and for Data Acquisition systems would

be drawn from the ship output through the NIOT’s transformer and the umbilical cable.

4. Ship data required

(a) Weather forecasting

Weather forecast required for the sea trials at prescribed location with wind speed, wave

height and direction, swell height and direction, etc.,

(b) Motion reference unit (MRU)

Ship motion data like heading, roll, pitch and yaw with the DP system has to be

separately logged/live data to be made available at control console

(c) Acoustic positioning system

HiPAP 500 screen to be made available at the control console to monitor the position of

the slurry pumping system with respect to the ship and the riser with respect to current.

(d) Echo sounder

Seawater depth to be made available for the trial team to decide on the launch plan.

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(e) LARS pulley load data

Riser weight during launching, operation and retrieval to be monitored and live

continuous data should be available in the control room.

5. Ship board assistance

(a) Operational assistance of LARS, Atlas and crane other onboard handling equipment to

be provided by Ship staff/team during sea trials and during handling equipment’s in

port.

(b) Ship data like weather forecast, MRU, APOS, echo sounder, LARS pulley load data and

NIOT’s ADCP to be provided by M/s Norinco/Ship team during sea trials.

6. Ship load assistance required

Sl.no Equipment’s required Remarks

1. LARS operation 1. Assisting in Loading and unloading

of equipment.

2. Launching and retrieval of Dummy

and Slurry pumping frame.

2. HiPAP 500 operation

1. Opening the gate valve.

2. Lowering the Transducer.

3. Configuring the transponders B

channel

4. VGA extension to the Control

console

3. Atlas Cranes

1. Material Loading and Unloading as

and required.

2. Measuring the weight of the nodules

collected.

3. Holding the mess hopper if required.

4. DP Operations 1. Position Holding trials

2. Holding in position after reaching

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site and during operation.

5. Eco-sounder 1. Depth of water column in the test

site

Load testing of LARS latch cone system and Winch base.

Sl.no. Description Remarks

1 LARS latch cone was load testing with 12 tons

dummy load (on 26th Jul 2016)

Found satisfactory

2 Winch corner base tested for tons (on 26th Jul

2016)

Found satisfactory

3 Load cell functionality check for 1 tons during

LARS pulley load testing (on 26th Jul 2016)

Error reading observed

during load testing

4 LARS pulley load testing (on 03rd Aug 2016) Found satisfactory

5 Load cell functionality check for 8 tons during

LARS pulley load testing (on 03rd Aug 2016)

Error reading observed

during load testing

7. Preparatory work on deck

(a) LARS Refurbishment work

Launching and retrieval system was refurbished for handling equipment’s onboard

vessel, deployment of dummy load to prove the operability of LARS and Umbilical winch

system, launching, operation and retrieval of slurry pumping system at prescribed depth.

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LARS Refurbishment work

(b) LARS pulley guard fabrication and fitment

New LARS pulley guard was fabricated and fitted to the existing pulley to prevent the sliding or loosening of umbilical cable or hose from the pulley sheave.

Pulley guard fabrication and fitment

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(c) Foldable launching platform refurbishment work

Foldable launching Platform for operations of the riser clamping consisting of the cable with hose attachment standalone pressure transducers, acoustic pingers, etc., was refurbished and fitted.

Launching platform refurbishment work

(d) Deep sea winch base strengthening work

Existing deep sea winch base was strengthened and augmented for mounting of Umbilical cable deep sea winch for launch and retrieval operation and would maintain to original condition during trials.

Winch base strengthening

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(e) Welding and removal of winch base before and after sea trials

Winch shoe base and additional stiffeners were welded to the winch strengthened area before sea trials and the same was removed after sea trials.

(f) Container shoe fitment and removal work

Existing container positioning available at starboard side was used for Instrumentation and control console fitment. Additional container base frame was fabricated and fitted along the center line of vessel near to Aft grating area for power console and the same was removed after sea trials

(g) Load testing carried out onboard ORV Sagar Kanya

LARS latch cone and deep sea umbilical cable and winch was load tested for 12 tones successfully.

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Load testing of LARS

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8. List of Personal onboard

Sl

No

Name Date of

birth

Passport

No

Date of

Issue

Date of

Expiry

1 Kuttikrishnan Gopkumar 26.11.1971 L7219068 11.02.2014 10.02.2024

2 Narayanamurthy Ranganayahi

Ramesh

19.05.1970 L2263416 03.06.2013 02.06.2023

3 Sethuram Muthukrishna Babu 21.05.1966 G8571953 16.05.2008 15.05.2018

4 Panayan Muthuvel 27.07.1975 J 0854137 17.06.2010 16.06.2020

5 Siva Rajesh 03.02.1983 Z3381640 26.07.2016 25.07.2026

6 Anbu Aravind Gnanaraj 10.06.1982 Z3381592 26.07.2016 25.07.2026

7 Ravichandran Ramesh 11.07.1984 H9576478 30.04.2010 29.04.2020

8 Danapal Dinesh Kumar 21.05.1986 G4912237 13.09.2007 12.09.2017

9 Krishnan Sriram 27.04.1991 Z 3422639 26.11.2015 25.11.2025

10 Billavara Omayya Viswanath 22.07.1976 G9823675 12.08.2008 11.08.2018

11 Vasu Chandran 25.05.1975 H2539946 18.02.2009 17.02.2019

12 Veluchamy Sundaramoothi 15.03.1978 G8983799 20.06.2008 19.06.2018

13 Kandan Venkatesan 09.04.1977 H2538947 18.02.2009 17.02.2019

14 Thankappan Rethna Raj 28.04.1983 M1314116 22.08.2014 21.08.2024

15 Veerachamy Subramanian Suresh 21.05.1975 Z2963998 29.09.2014 28.09.2024

16 Kamalakannan Ashok Kumar 25.03.1979 H7567237 30.12.2009 29.12.2019

17 Nandakumar Sureshkumar 10.11.1975 H9109395 31.03.2010 30.03.2020

18 PK Vineeth 16.05.1988 K3073851 22.08.2012 21.08.2022

19 G Rajadhaya 26.06.1981 K8969212 13.12.2012 12.12.2022

20 T Magesh 24.09.1984 G4772428 29.08.2007 28.08.2017

21 Elulalai Ravichandran 13.04.1987 H4983397 26.11.2009 25.11.2019

22 Selvaraj Emayavaramban 10.06.1957 J7395360 19.08.2011 18.08.2021

23 Natesan Subramanian 11.12.1965 K8288541 21.032013 20.03.2023

24 Arumugam Yuvaraja 28.06.1988 H2141166 17.12.2008 16.12.2018

25 Udayakumar Karthik 04.11.1986 J3719017 16.12.2010 15.12.2020

26 Elangovan Chandru 19.05.1979 K2229098 04.04.2012 03.04.2022

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9. Summary of Trials Undertaken

Date Location Weather

condition

Start

time

Stop

time

Work / test carried out

11/08/2016 Lat 13.01

Long 80.76

(Off Chennai)

Sea

state 2-3

11:41 18:36 The pumping system was operated

at 250 m water depth and 140 m

12/08/2016 --do-- Sea

state 2-3

10:24 18:45 The pumping system with slurry

(crushed artificial nodules) was

operated at 120 m water depth.

13/08/2016 --do-- Sea

state 2-3

10:42 17:45 The pumping system with slurry

(crushed Manganese nodules) was

operated at 160 m water depth.

10. Weather / Ocean reports

Regular updates and Ocean data were received from INCOIS, Hyderabad through email.

11. Conclusion of Cruise

• Successful culmination of the tests carried out with reciprocating slurry pumping

combined with the flexible riser system at various depth from 80 ~ 250 m water depth

and generation of useful data for deep sea mining, which will eventually be used in

developing the final slurry pumping system for 6000m more reliable and robust.

• Utmost support and co-operation from NCAOR and the ship's crew in mobilization and

conduct of the onboard trials.