- Name of Project: Concept Design of Floating Platform operating in iced water
- Scope of Work:
This concept design consist of 8 floaters that are equipped with a ballast system. Above the floaters there are installed 8 pillars of approximately 8 meter long approximately. On top of the pillars there is the work deck. This floating unit is designed under ABS or equivalent classification rules. The lifting gantry is situated above the work deck. The lifting gantry is used to lift and lower the crawler into and out of the water.
The following equipment, namely the umbilical winch, slurry hose spooler, power pack, power supply transformers and control cabin is also located on this deck. The barge float. The floaters will submerge by utilising the ballast system to below the maximum winter ice levels so that the vertical support pillars are the only points in contact with the ice and can be kept well free of the ice.
In the centre of the barge structure there is a so-called moon pool area (an opening of 10 x 20 meter). This isolated structure hangs in the water and can keep the water open and ice free so that launching of the crawler can be guaranteed throughout the year. For year round access to the barge, as well as to allow electrical cables and soil piping to be connected to the shore, a 3 meter wide covered walk bridge resting on various small ice resistant floaters will be designed. This walkway will also be used to transport consumables and spares for the mining system that would be required.
Advantages of Floating Platform:- The proposed system allows anchorage of the barge in centre of the cater pit, so in principle more central and also above the mining work.
- Shorter lengths of umbilical, slurry hose and hoist cable would be in the water whilst operating so fewer handling problems and less risk during mining.
- In all circumstances the crawler can be recovered without coming into contact with any obstacles.
- In a case of an emergency recovery there would be no external obstructions and in principle the crawler would always be in the correct pulling angle of main hoist wire system.
- The crawler handling system could also be used to remove large rocks and boulders out of the mining pit (and dump them in the bleu rare till zone). Due to the fact that the platform would be practically in the middle of the crater lake, and in summer the barge could be moved to any position.
- The entire system could be manufactured in prefabricated modules, transported and assembled on site.
