China eyes world’s deepest dive in manned submersible

Chinese submersible Jiaolong sinks to new depths with 5000-meter dive

China surpassed current U.S. capabilities in a race to explore resources in the deepest parts of the world’s oceans and set its sights on beating world leader Japan next year.

A Chinese submersible conducted the country’s deepest manned dive Tuesday in the latest technical milestone for China, which theoretically puts most of the ocean floor’s vast resources within its reach.

China's Jiaolong emerges after carrying three people down 5,057 meters in the eastern Pacific

The Jiaolong — China’s first manned deep-sea submersible named after a mythical sea dragon — reached 5,057 metres (16,591 feet) below sea level in a test dive in international waters of the northeastern Pacific, the official Xinhua news agency said.

The three-person vessel — designed to reach a maximum depth of 7,000 metres — carried out various tests, including landing on the seabed several times, and took photographs of sea creatures during the operation, which lasted almost six hours and was the second of four planned dives, according to the statement.

The test’s success indicated that the submersible was capable of reaching more than 70 percent of the planet’s seabed, the SOA said, according to Xinhua.

The submersible Jiaolong in a workshop at the China Ship Scientific Research Centre

The SOA said the submersible would attempt a 7,000-metre dive in 2012, Xinhua reported.

Although many of the craft’s components were produced in China, some had to be imported from abroad, such as the underwater high-definition video-shooting and transmission equipment, according to Xinhua.

China has pushed hard in recent years to obtain oil, minerals and other natural resources needed to fuel its growth, and has said its submersible programme is aimed at scientific research and the peaceful exploration and use of natural resources.

Scientists say the ocean’s floors contain rich deposits of a range of potentially valuable minerals, but the extreme depths pose technical difficulties in harvesting them on a wide scale.

Though less than half as deep as a record 1960 dive by the US Navy, the achievement highlights a Chinese push to catch up with advanced nations in space, sea, and polar exploration, which has revealed fast-growing technical capabilities.

This campaign has been exemplified by a space programme that in 2003 made China just the third nation to conduct manned space flight.

The US Navy reached the bottom of the Mariana Trench — the deepest point in the world’s oceans at 11,000 metres — in 1960.

Japan’s Shinkai can go down to 6,500 meters, Russia’s Mir and France’s Nautile to 6,000 meters, and the U.S.’s Alvin to 4,500 meters, although an upgraded version of the Alvin, designed to reach 6,500 meters, is scheduled to be ready by 2015.

Japan’s Shinkai 6500 has the greatest depth range of any manned research vehicle in the world today – 21,325 feet (6,500 meters), a depth that enables travel to at least 98 percent of the world’s sea floor.

2011年7月26日 蛟龙潜海5057米 创造中国载人深潜新历史

5057米！ “蛟龙号”深海载人潜水器入海全纪录

我国首台自主设计、自主集成的载人潜水器“蛟龙”号在北京时间２６日６时１２分首次下潜至５０３８．５米，顺利完成本次５０００米级海试主要任务。

这个下潜深度意味着“蛟龙”号可以到达全球超过７０％的海底。

北京时间２６日３时３８分，“蛟龙”号安全布放。３时５７分正式开始下潜，下潜速度一度超过每分钟４０米。参加本次下潜的三位潜航员为叶聪、杨波和付文韬。

“蛟龙”号设计深度为世界第一的７０００米，预计２０１２年将进行７０００米级海试。

3名潜航员参加下潜任务

昨日3时38分，第二次下潜试验任务正式开始。参加下潜任务的潜航员为叶聪、杨波、付文韬。4时46 分，下潜深度达到2000米，5时40分达到4072米，6时07分成功突破5000米级水深大关，6时17分下潜至最大深度5057米。6时48分，潜 水器抛弃压载铁后开始上浮，于9时30分安全浮出水面。

10时许，“蛟龙”号成功回收至“向阳红09”船，整个过程各项仪器指标及通讯正常。经现场指挥部及海试领导小组最终核实确认，此次下潜试验完成了既定目标，最大下潜深度达到5057米，创造了中国载人深潜新的历史。

整个过程历时6个多小时，潜航员在5000米水深时对潜器水下各项功能进行了验证，多次进行坐底试验，同时拍摄到海底生物照片。此次下潜成功，为后续第三次下潜开展海底观测和取样等水下作业奠定了良好基础。

下潜原理与潜艇不同

深海载人潜水器是名副其实的“海底蛟龙”，那么，深海潜水器与潜艇有何区别？

深海潜水器可以分为带缆水下机器人、自主型水下机器人和载人潜水器等。深海潜水器、特别是深海载人潜水器，是海洋开发的前沿与制高点之一，其水平可以体现出一个国家结构、材料、控制、海洋学等领域的综合科技实力。

深海潜水器与潜艇的主要技术区别是深海潜水器不是完全自主运行的，必须依靠母船补充能量和空气。比如“蛟龙”号的母船是“向阳红09”。每次海试结束 后，“蛟龙”号都会被回收到母船上，而不是在海中独立行驶。深海潜水器体积较小，航程短，也没有潜艇那样的艇员生活设施。

深海潜水器和 潜艇的下潜方法相同，都是向空气舱中注入海水，但上浮的方法则不同。潜艇上浮时，会使用压缩空气把空气舱中的海水逼出去。而深海潜水器由于下潜深、环境压 力大，压缩空气不足以逼出空气舱中的海水。因此，深海潜水器采用抛弃压载铁的办法实现上浮。值得注意的是，深海潜水器一般是通过电磁铁控制压载铁，所以万 一深海潜水器失去动力，电磁铁失效，压载铁会在重力的作用下自动脱离潜水器，使潜水器上浮。

“蛟龙”号在安全方面的设计不仅包括扔掉所携带的压载铁，还包括抛弃蓄电池箱和采样篮等重物，如被海草缠住就可以“壮士断腕”抛弃机械手，报警系统还可以发射浮标到海面，寻求母船救援。

“蛟龙”号概况

长×宽×高：8.2米×3.0米×3.4米

载重：空重不超过22吨，最大荷载是240公斤

速度：最大速度每小时25海里，巡航时每小时1海里

作业深度：最大工作设计深度7000米，理论工作范围可覆盖全球99.8%海洋

解析“蛟龙”号

本领：可以对多金属结核资源进行勘查，通过摄像、照相对多金属结核覆盖率、丰度等进行评价；可执行水下设备定点布放、海底电缆和管道的检测等复杂作业。

意义：如此次冲击5000米成功，将标志着我国成为继美国、日本、法国和俄罗斯后，第五个掌握大深度载人深潜技术的国家。蛟龙号将可到达70%全球洋底，同时为明年7000米海试奠定基础。

日本的“深海”号（Shinkai）潜水器可以下潜至6,500米，俄罗斯的“和平”号（Mir）和法国的“鹦鹉螺”号（Nautile）可以下潜至6,000米，而美国的“阿尔文”号（Alvin）则可以下潜至4,500米。 “阿尔文”号计划在2015年之前完成升级，升级后的最大设计下潜深度可达6,500米。