Development and Utilization of the World’s and China’s Bulk Mineral Resources and their Supply and Demand Situation in the Next Twenty Years

Bulk mineral resources of iron ores, copper ores, bauxite, lead ores, zinc ores and potassium salt play a pivotal role on the world’s and China’s economic development. This study analyzed and predicted their resources base and potential, development and utilization and their world’s and China’s supply and demand situation in the future 20 years. The supply and demand of these six bulk mineral products are generally balanced, with a slight surplus, which will guarantee the stability of the international mineral commodity market supply. The six mineral resources(especially iron ores and copper ores) are abundant and have a great potential, and their development and utilization scale will gradually increase. Till the end of 2014, the reserveproduction ratio of iron, copper, bauxite, lead, zinc ores and potassium salt was 95 years, 42 years, 100 years, 17 years, 37 years and 170 years, respectively. Except lead ores, the other five types all have reserve-production ratio exceeding 20 years, indicative of a high resources guarantee degree. If the utilization of recycled metals is counted in, the supply of the world’s six mineral products will exceed the demand in the future twenty years. In 2015–2035, the supply of iron ores, refined copper, primary aluminum, refined lead, zinc and potassium salt will exceed their demand by 0.4–0.7 billion tons(Gt), 5.0–6.0 million tons(Mt), 1.1–8.9 Mt, 1.0–2.0 Mt, 1.2–2.0 Mt and 4.8–5.6 Mt, respectively. It is predicted that there is no problem with the supply side of bulk mineral products such as iron ores, but local or structural shortage may occur because of geopolitics, monopoly control, resources nationalism and trade friction. Affected by China’s compressed industrialized development model, the demand of iron ores(crude steel), potassium salt, refined lead, refined copper, bauxite(primary aluminum) and zinc will gradually reach their peak in advance. The demand peak of iron ores(crude steel) will reach around 2015, 2016 for potassium salt, 2020 for refined lead, 2021 for bauxite(primary aluminum), 2022 for refined copper and 2023 for zinc. China’s demand for iron ores(crude steel), bauxite(primary aluminum) and zinc in the future 20 years will decline among the world’s demand, while that for refined copper, refined lead and potassium salt will slightly increase. The demand for bulk mineral products still remains high. In 2015–2035, China’s accumulative demand for iron ores(crude steel) will be 20.313 Gt(13.429 Gt), 0.304 Gt for refined copper, 2.466 Gt(0.616 Gt) of bauxite(primary aluminum), 0.102 Gt of refined lead, 0.138 Gt of zinc and 0.157 Gt of potassium salt, and they account for the world’s YOY(YOY) accumulative demand of 35.17%, 51.09%, 48.47%, 46.62%, 43.95% and 21.84%, respectively. This proportion is 49.40%, 102.52%, 87.44%, 105.65%, 93.62% and 106.49% of that in 2014, respectively. From the supply side of China’s bulk mineral resources, it is forecasted that the accumulative supply of primary(mine) mineral products in 2015–2035 is 4.046 Gt of iron ores, 0.591 Gt of copper,1.129 Gt of bauxite, 63.661 Mt of(mine) lead, 0.109 Gt of(mine) zinc and 0.128 Gt of potassium salt, which accounts for 8.82%, 13.92%, 26.67%, 47.09%, 33.04% and 15.56% of the world’s predicted YOY production, respectively. With the rapid increase in the smelting capacity of iron and steel and alumina, the rate of capacity utilization for crude steel, refined copper, alumina, primary aluminum and refined lead in 2014 was 72.13%, 83.63%, 74.45%, 70.76% and 72.22%, respectively. During 2000–2014, the rate of capacity utilization for China’s crude steel and refined copper showed a generally fluctuating decrease, which leads to an insufficient supply of primary mineral products. It is forecasted that the supply insufficiency of iron ores in 2015–2035 is 17.44 Gt, 0.245 Gt of copper in copper concentrates, 1.337 Gt of bauxite, 38.44 Mt of lead in lead concentrates and 29.19 Mt of zinc in zinc concentrates. China has gradually raised the utilization of recycled metals, which has mitigated the insufficient supply of primary metal products to some extent. It is forecasted that in 2015–2035 the accumulative utilization amount of steel scrap(iron ores) is 3.27 Gt(5.08 Gt), 70.312 Mt of recycled copper, 0.2 Gt of recycled aluminum, 48 Mt of recycled lead and 7.7 Mt of recycled zinc. The analysis on the supply and demand situation of China’s bulk mineral resources in 2015–2035 suggests that the supply-demand contradiction for these six types of mineral products will decrease, indicative of a generally declining external dependency. If the use of recycled metal amount is counted in, the external dependency of China’s iron, copper, bauxite, lead, zinc and potassium salt will be 79%, 65%, 26%, 8%, 16% and 18% in 2014, respectively. It is predicted that this external dependency will decrease to 62%, 64%, 20%,-0.93%, 16% and 14% in 2020, respectively, showing an overall decreasing trend. We propose the following suggestions correspondingly.(1) The demand peak of China’s crude steel and potassium salt will reach during 2015–2023 in succession. Mining transformation should be planned and deployed in advance to deal with the arrival of this demand peak.(2) The supply-demand contradiction of China’s bulk mineral resources will mitigate in the future 20 years, and the external dependency will decrease accordingly. It is suggested to adjust the mineral resources management policies according to different minerals and regions, and regulate the exploration and development activities.(3) China should further establish and improve the forced mechanism of resolving the smelting overcapacity of steel, refined copper, primary aluminum, lead and zinc to really achieve the goal of "reducing excess production capacity".(4) In accordance with the national strategic deployment of "One Belt One Road", China should encourage the excess capacity of steel, copper, alumina and primary aluminum enterprises to transfer to those countries or areas with abundant resources, high energy matching degree and relatively excellent infrastructure. Based on the national conditions, mining condition and geopolitics of the resources countries, we will gradually build steel, copper, aluminum and lead-zinc smelting bases, and potash processing and production bases, which will promote the excess capacity to transfer to the overseas orderly.(5) It is proposed to strengthen the planning and management of renewable resources recycling and to construct industrial base of renewable metal recycling.(6) China should promote the comprehensive development and utilization of paragenetic and associated mineral species to further improve the comprehensive utilization of bulk mineral resources.     

冀中平原深部地下热水资源可更新特征与依据——以辛集馆陶组地下热水系统为例

针对冀中平原深部地下热水资源可更新性问题,以辛集馆陶组地下热水系统为例,采用相同开采强度下地下热水位降幅异常变化的识别方法,通过2000年以来该地下热水位年际及月际降幅与开采量和上游山区年降水量之间响应变化特征研究,结果表明:(1)冀中平原辛集地区馆陶组地下热水资源具有一定的可更新能力,与上游山区年降水量变化相关,还与地下水位埋深、当年开采引起的水位降幅大小和开采疏干层位砾粗砂岩及细砂岩占比状况有关;(2)辛集地区馆陶组地下热水大规模开采,是该地下水系统获得上游区侧向流入补给的必要条件,属于开采激发型补给,更新补给的资源数量有限;(3)从2000年以来该区地下热水水位动态变化趋势来看,目前该区地下热水资源已处于超采状态,需要压采或人工回灌增大补给,否则难以可持续开发利用。     

The effects of yawing motion with different frequencies on the hydrodynamic performance of floating vertical-axis tidal current turbines

Under real sea conditions, the hydrodynamic performance of floating vertical-axis tidal current turbines is affected by waves and currents. The wave circular frequency is a significant factor in determining the frequencies of the wave-induced motion responses of turbines. In this study, the ANSYS-CFX software (manufacturer: ANSYS Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States) is used to analyse the hydrodynamic performance of a vertical-axis turbine for different yawing frequencies and to study how the yawing frequencies affect the main hydrodynamic coefficients of the turbine, including the power coefficient, thrust coefficient, lateral force coefficient, and yawing moment coefficient. The time-varying curves obtained from the CFX software are fitted using the least-squares method; the damping and added mass coefficients are then calculated to analyse the influence of different yawing frequencies. The simulation results demonstrate that when analysing non-yawing turbines rotating under constant inflow, the main hydrodynamic coefficient time-varying curves of yawing turbines exhibit an additional fluctuation. Furthermore, the amplitude is positively correlated with the yawing frequency, and the oscillation amplitudes also increase with increasing yawing frequency; however, the average values of the hydrodynamic coefficients (except the power coefficient) are only weakly influenced by yawing motion. The power coefficient under yawing motion is lower than that under non-yawing motion, which means that yawing motion will cause the annual energy production of a turbine to decrease. The fitting results show that the damping term and the added mass term exert effects of the same level on the loads and moments of vertical-axis turbines under yawing motion. The results of this study can facilitate the study of the motion response of floating vertical-axis tidal current turbine systems in waves.     

长江河口北槽河道悬沙絮团特性及其影响因素研究

利用多种先进室内外测量仪器进行河口现场观测和室内电镜扫描获得相关资料,对长江河口北槽河道细颗粒泥沙絮凝的水沙环境、絮团的微观形态结构、絮团的粒径组成及其主要影响因素进行了综合分析和讨论。结果表明,北槽河道具有非常适宜细颗粒泥沙絮凝的潮流、盐度、含沙量和悬沙颗粒粒径等基本环境条件。北槽河道悬沙絮团形态多样,主要包括松散状絮团、蜂窝状絮团和密实状絮团。絮团主要由细粉砂和黏土类细颗粒泥沙组成,表面多粗糙不平,结构或密或疏。絮团粒径变化与潮周期动力过程密切相关,具有周期性变化特征。涨、落憩时絮团粒径较大,涨、落急时絮团粒径较小。絮团粒径涨憩大于落憩,小潮大于大潮。垂向上,絮团粒径由表层至底层逐渐增大。周期性潮流流速对北槽河道悬沙絮团粒径变化起到了控制作用。北槽细颗粒泥沙絮凝作用,是导致疏浚航道发生回淤的主要原因之一。     

Ocean currents determine functional connectivity in an Antarctic deep‐sea shrimp

The coherency among larval stages of marine taxa, ocean currents and population connectivity is still subject to discussion. A common view is that organisms with pelagic larval stages have higher dispersal abilities and therefore show a relatively homogeneous population genetic structure. Contrary to this, local genetic differentiation is assumed for many benthic direct developers. Specific larval or adult migratory behavior and hydrographic effects may significantly influence distribution patterns, rather than passive drifting abilities alone. The Southern Ocean is an ideal environment to test for the effects of ocean currents on population connectivity as it is characterized by several well‐defined and strong isolating current systems. In this study we studied the genetic structure of the decapod deep‐sea shrimp Nematocarcinus lanceopes, which has planktotrophic larval stages. We analysed 194 individuals from different sample localities around the Antarctic continent using nine microsatellite markers. Consistent with a previous study based on mitochondrial DNA markers, primarily weak genetic patterns among N. lanceopes populations around the continent were found. Using ocean resistance modeling approaches we were able to show that subtle genetic differences among populations are more likely explained by ocean currents rather than by geographic distance for the Atlantic Sector of the Southern Ocean.     

强潮流作用下桥墩不对称“双肾型”冲刷地貌特征与机理

本文在海图地形资料分析桥轴线附近的海床自然冲刷的基础上,利用多波束测深技术研究大桥主墩附近局部冲刷地形。结果表明,该大桥桥位附近地形冲刷较显著,且大桥主墩位置有持续冲刷的趋势;主墩上、下游群桩最大冲刷深度呈上游最深、中部淤积、下游渐深的不对称形态,最大局部冲刷深度为4 m;桥墩整体冲刷坑形态呈南北“双肾型”;潮流流向与桥墩迎流面存在偏南的入射角,使得各桥墩南侧的最大冲深和冲刷范围均大于北侧。     

基于长期观测的辽东湾口东部海域水动力特征研究

辽东湾口东部海域是辽东湾与渤海中部进行物质和能量交换的主要通道之一。本文利用坐底式海床基平台获取的近8个月的水动力连续观测资料,通过谱分析和调和分析方法对该海域的潮汐、潮流特征进行分析,并讨论了余流及底层温度的季节变化规律。研究结果表明:该海域潮汐属于不规则半日潮,平均潮差为0.95 m,最大可能潮差为2.27 m。潮流属于不规则半日潮流,M₂分潮流为其优势分潮流。主要分潮流运动形式为往复流,最大流速方向为西南-东北向。余流的季节性特征较为明显:秋季,余流流速在中层达到最大,流向以西南向为主;冬季,余流流速垂向变化较小,并呈西南偏西向流动;春季,流速随深度增加而减小,流向从表层至底层呈现逆时针旋转的特征。受底层潮流、水平温度梯度及海面温度日变化的影响,底层温度表现出短期的高频变化特征:秋季,短期振荡以半日周期信号为主;冬季,全日周期信号较为显著;春季,短期振荡的现象较弱。     

琼州海峡潮流能资源的数值模拟评估

近年来,我国能源消耗量不断的增长使我们更加重视可再生能源的开发利用,而我国近海拥有复杂的海岸线和广阔的大陆架,其中许多海域蕴藏着丰富的潮流能资源。潮流能资源评估则是其电站站址选择、发电量预测等工程设计的首要工作。结合两个站位的潮流实测数据,本文利用FVCOM海洋环流数值模式较好的模拟了琼州海峡潮波传播状况,分析了该海域潮流能资源水平分布规律和时间变化特征,初步估算了该水道的潮流能的理论蕴藏量,并采用FLUX方法对该水道的技术可开发量进行了评估。结果表明,琼州海峡中心海域功率密度高,两岸资源低;可能最大流速、大潮年平均最大功率密度、小潮年平均功率密度和年平均功率密度等特征值分布基本相似;其丰富区域出现在海峡东口南部海域以及海峡中部海域,其中东口南部海域可能最大流速可达4.6 m/s,表层流大潮年平均最大功率密度为5996 W/m²,小潮平均最大功率密度仅为467 W/m²,年平均功率密度为819 W/m²,代表点超过0.7 m/s的潮流流速年统计时间约为4717 h;海峡潮流能资源理论蕴藏量为189.55MW,利用FLUX、FARM、GC方法得到该水道的潮流能可开发量分别为249GW/yr、20.2GW/yr和263GW/yr。     

基于20a卫星高度计数据的黑潮变异特征

黑潮作为一支典型的西边界流,其路径变化特征及其相关的物理现象对于渔业和航海有着不可忽视的影响。本文基于改进的特征线方法,利用1992~2012年的高度计绝对动力地形数据提取了整个黑潮流区逐月的黑潮主轴和边界位置,并对沿轴速度、主流宽度、表层水体输运以及路径标准差等黑潮特征量进行了分析研究。结果表明,黑潮整体的沿轴速度在夏秋季较大,最大值可达0.95 m/s,而在冬季的速度较小;黑潮主流宽度在10、11月份达到最大值;黑潮表层水体输运在夏季最大,春秋两季次之,冬季最小。沿黑潮流路分区域对黑潮特征进行分析,结果表明,越往黑潮下游,其沿轴速度、主流宽度和表层水体输运越大,同时沿轴速度和表层水体输运量最大值出现的时间也越晚,黑潮主轴位置相对于其多年平均的偏离程度越大,且随时间波动也越强烈。     

Development of A Depth-Integrated Longshore Current Model with Unstructured Grids

A depth-integrated model for simulating wave-induced longshore current was developed with unstructured grids. Effects of surface roller and horizontal mixing under combined waves and currents were incorporated in the numerical model. Recommended values of model coefficients were also proposed based on sensitivity analysis. Field observations and three series of laboratory measurements including two cases conducted on the plane beach and one implemented on the ideal inlet were employed to examine the predictive capability of this model. For the field case and laboratory cases conducted on the plane beach, numerical results were compared favorably with the measured data. For the case with an ideal inlet, simulated circulation pattern is supposed to be reasonable although some deviations between numerical results and measured data still can be detected.