METHOD FOR STARTING AND OPERATING OF OFFSHORE AIRLIFT AND SYSTEM FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION Russian patent published in 2009 - IPC E21C50/00 E21C45/00 F04F1/20 

FIELD: mining.

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to mechanical engineering and can be used directly in development of subsea mineral deposits, where mineral components are pumped out by airlift. Method for starting and operating of offshore airlift includes pumping out of components from subsea mineral deposits as a part of hydromixture, supply of compressed air into mixer of lifting pipe, creation of multicomponent mixture after the compressed air is injected into hydromixture flow, and transporting of multicomponent mixture flow in lifting pipe of offshore airlift. In this method pressure value of air-water mixture is pre-defined in operating mixer of lifting pipe, where compressed air is supplied from compressor during airlift operation at its operating performance rate. Then compressed air is supplied from compressor into lifting pipe mixer, which is located above operating mixer, the air localised in accumulator is additionally compressed up to the pressure in operating mixer by supplying sea water into said accumulator under its static pressure. Then this additionally compressed air is supplied into operating mixer, pressure of sea water in operating mixer is monitored during the process of compressed air supply into it, measured pressure value is compared with pre-defined target value and as soon as they become equal supply of compressed air into said mixer is stopped, as well as supply of sea water into accumulator, while compressed air from compressor is supplied simultaneously into operating mixer through accumulator. After that, during offshore airlift operation, accumulator is charged with compressed air from compressor by means of parallel supply of sea water from said accumulator into operating mixer, when a difference is established between supply of compressed air from compressor to accumulator and supply of compressed air from accumulator to operating mixer.

EFFECT: improvement of method for starting and operating of offshore airlift, as well as system for its implementation.

3 cl, 4 dwg