Marine Diamond Mining: Ship Design for Enhanced Operability

Lecture Abstract

Drawing on the experience numerous new-build design, conversion and upgrade mining vessel projects over the past two decades, this presentation will investigate the technical challenges that are faced in the development of compliant and near optimal subsea mining vessel design solutions with respect to safety etc., operation and production performance criteria together with the management of environmental impacts.

The history of subsea mining will be outlined with respect to the minerals extracted, depths achieved, and technologies employed, before concentrating on the subsea mining of diamonds. The geological aspects and history will be briefly covered followed by current state-of-the-art extraction and process technologies employed for diamond mining offshore.

The impact of subsea mining technologies, both extraction and processing, on vessel design will be presented and examined with respect to the work of naval architects, marine and electrical engineers. The differing issues to be robustly appraised when deciding whether to: upgrade an existing mining vessel or fleet; undertake the conversion of existing tonnage; intercept and modify a vessel(s) during build; adapt and construct an existing design; or, procure a bespoke newbuild solution, shall also be considered and discussed. The design of the subsea mining vessel’s form, structure and marine / electrical systems etc. in order to produce balanced and robust design solution with the required high levels of operability will be explored. Specific elements that will be covered include hull forms, appendages, topology and layouts, mooring / station keeping, structural configurations, prime movers, fuel, electrical philosophy etc.

Hence, the question as to how many conflicting and diverse design and operational criteria are addressed coherently within the design process will be considered, together with the possible areas of operation and deployment for mining offshore.

Speaker:

Keith Hutchinson is a Senior Consultant in Whole Ship Design and Naval Architecture and Head of the Professional Technical and Engineering Services (PTES) sector of Safinah Group based on Tyneside in the United Kindgom, where he undertakes commercial and offshore marine consultancy for a range of clients globally.

Keith is a graduate in Naval Architecture and Shipbuilding from both the University of Sunderland and the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. He is a Chartered Engineer, Chartered Marine Engineer together with being a Fellow of, and very active in, the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA), the Institute Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST), the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) and the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers (NEIMME). Keith has published over 60 technical papers etc. and given numerous public presentations and lectures on aspects of ship and offshore vessel design and performance. He sits a member of many professional technical committees developing standards and guidance for the maritime industry.

Over a 35-year career as a ship designer and naval architect working on Tyneside in shipbuilding, repair, research and consultancy, Keith has constantly been at the forefront of the technical development of robust but flexible solutions for a multitude of extremely novel / complex / bespoke merchant ship and complex offshore vessel design problems – specifically, he has two decades of experience and hence significant expertise in the design, conversion, and upgrade of both moored and dynamically positioned vertical and horizontal mining vessels. He has consistently strived with clients to explore unknown multiple dimensional design spaces utilising both established and emerging technologies, and hence has significant expertise in designing ships for optimal operability.

18:00 - Introduction - In person talk and live stream starts

18:05 to 18:50 - Lecture Starts

18:50 to 19:30 - Q & A

19:30 - Event ends and end of live stream

For more information on NEIMME membership see: https://mininginstitute.org.uk/membership/

For information on IOM3 membership see: https://www.iom3.org/

Host or Publisher North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers