This article is selected from the journal of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, China Engineering Science, No. 2, 2024
Authors: Liang Jianzhen, Feng Jingchun, Zhang Hui, Zhang Si
Source:Research on the development of deep-sea scientific experimental equipment[J].Strategic Study of Chinese Academy of Engineering,2024,26(2):23-37.)
Editor's note
The deep sea has given birth to the world's largest ecosystem, and a deep understanding of the evolution of the deep sea will support the sustainable development of human society. The extreme environmental conditions of the deep sea make it very difficult to carry out in-situ experiments, and also put forward strict requirements for deep-sea scientific experiment equipment.
The research team of Academician Zhang Xi of the Chinese Academy of Engineering published an article entitled "Research on the Development of Deep-sea Scientific Experimental Equipment" in the second issue of the journal of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Chinese Academy of Engineering, in 2024. From the perspective of deep-sea scientific experimental research, this paper systematically sorts out the development trend and problems faced by deep-sea scientific experimental equipment at home and abroad according to the main divisions of deep-sea experimental equipment and test sites, deep-sea in-situ detection and experimental equipment, and deep-sea environment simulation experimental equipment. In the field of deep-sea scientific experiment equipment, the mainland has formed a number of self-developed equipment technologies, which have promoted the progress of deep-sea scientific research, and some of its advantageous directions have reached the international advanced level. However, the failure to build a mature industrial chain in terms of high-precision equipment and its key core technologies has led to the limited development of some equipment and the highlighting of some technical weak links. It is necessary to strengthen top-level planning, coordinate technological research, establish incentive mechanisms, promote innovation and transformation, build demonstration platforms, form standard systems, break through sensing technology, accelerate the process of domestic production, strengthen international cooperation, enhance innovation capabilities, and promote deep-sea scientific research and the construction of a maritime power with the high-quality development of deep-sea scientific experimental equipment.
I. Preface
The deep sea has given birth to the world's largest ecosystem, contains the largest biological community, the largest number of deep energy resources in the earth, and has outstanding ecological service functions and scientific value. Understanding the process of deep-sea material and energy cycle is an important way to understand and respond to global climate change, which is of great significance to support the sustainable development of human society. At present, human understanding of the deep sea is far from enough, and there are even many blind spots. On the mainland, speeding up the construction of a maritime power has become a major strategy, and one of the important prerequisites is to have highly competitive marine frontier scientific knowledge and cutting-edge technology reserves. Deep-sea scientific experiments and research are an important support for the realization of this premise, and also an important support for the expansion of strategic space and the development of energy resources in the deep sea of the mainland.
In terms of application requirements, deep-sea scientific experimental equipment can be divided into deep-sea test equipment, deep-sea in-situ detection and experimental equipment, and deep-sea environment simulation experimental equipment, etc., which have the functional characteristics of carrying out device tests, in-situ observation, sampling analysis, cultivation experiments, and simulation experimental research in the laboratory in the extreme deep-sea environment. To decipher major basic scientific issues such as the ocean material and energy cycle, the interaction of the earth's multiple spheres, and the origin and evolution mechanism of life, it is necessary to develop high-precision scientific experimental equipment. Extreme environmental conditions such as deep-sea high pressure, high temperature/low temperature, and strong corrosion make it difficult to apply advanced scientific experiment equipment in the deep-sea field, and it is necessary to develop scientific experiment equipment dedicated to deep-sea extreme environments.
Driven by the huge demand for revealing the mysteries of deep-sea ecosystems and extreme life processes, deep-sea scientific experiment equipment technology has gradually been paid attention to and made great progress, making new breakthroughs and discoveries in the field of deep-sea science continue to emerge and enter a new "golden age". At present, the international community is still leading in the field of deep-sea scientific experiment equipment by European and American countries, Japan and other maritime powers. The mainland started late in this field, but after years of arduous exploration, it has also made major breakthroughs in recent years, and some equipment has reached the international "leading" level. From the perspective of equipment system, the mainland is relatively mature in the integration of large-scale equipment for deep-sea scientific experiments, but there are still "bottlenecks" at the level of key components. At present, the international situation is complex and volatile, and the mainland urgently needs to improve its independent innovation capabilities, overcome a number of key core technologies, and realize the independence and controllability of deep-sea scientific experiment equipment as soon as possible.
At present, the mainland's deep-sea scientific experiment equipment is entering a new stage of development, so grasping the key direction of the development of equipment in the fields of deep-sea resource development and environmental protection, and establishing a deep-sea scientific experiment equipment system has become an important topic to be studied urgently. Therefore, this paper analyzes the development trend at home and abroad, condenses the problems faced by the relevant development of the mainland, and conceives the key tasks for future development around the deep-sea scientific experimental equipment, in order to provide a reference for the development of equipment for deep-sea scientific research and the construction of a maritime power.
2. The development trend of the world's deep-sea scientific experiment equipment
In order to solve major deep-sea scientific problems, it is necessary to use special equipment for deep-sea scientific experiments to enter, detect and study the special environment of the deep-sea sea. However, deep-sea scientific experimental equipment faces harsh technical challenges such as extreme operating conditions in the deep-sea environment, so in the process of deep-sea scientific experimental research, it is first necessary to develop deep-sea scientific experimental equipment, and after sea trials and reliability verification, in-situ and deep-sea environment simulation experiments are carried out under extreme deep-sea conditions, so as to improve the understanding of deep-sea scientific laws (see Fig. 1). From the perspective of global development, deep-sea scientific experimental research mainly follows this process, using innovative equipment technology to solve new scientific problems, showing a spiral development trend, and constantly promoting the development of deep-sea scientific frontiers and solving major basic problems. The world's deep-sea scientific experiment equipment is in the stage of pedigree development, based on the function and application scope of the equipment, mainly including deep-sea test equipment and test sites, deep-sea in-situ exploration and experimental equipment, and deep-sea environment simulation experimental equipment.
Fig.1 Flow chart of deep-sea scientific experiments
(1) Deep-sea test equipment and test sites
Deep-sea test equipment is an important tool for effectively carrying out deep-sea scientific experiments and conducting sea test verification with related cutting-edge science and technology. With the deepening of human participation in deep-sea activities, various deep-sea activities such as underwater operations, scientific experiments, in-situ exploration, and resource development have posed new challenges to the functionality and stability of special equipment for manned experiments, and it is urgent to test the performance of deep-sea equipment and the durability of deep-sea materials. At present, the deep-sea test equipment that has been developed internationally mainly includes various systems such as deep-sea acoustic test, deep-sea environmental adaptability test of materials and deep-sea test energy and information support.
1. Deep-sea acoustic test system
The acoustic parameters of the deep sea bottom are the basic data for studying the ocean acoustic field environment, and their acoustic characteristics are indispensable for analyzing the acoustic wave propagation loss of the seabed and constructing the geoacoustic model. In terms of geoacoustic testing, foreign shallow formation profile detection technology is quite mature, especially shallow formation profilers such as SES2000 and Parasound P, which can obtain fine stratification information of seabed sedimentary layers. In terms of static underwater acoustic testing of deep-sea equipment, the hydroacoustic static test system in Southeast Alaska, USA is the most typical, with the overall structure of a rectangular base array, composed of a test platform, an extended mooring facility and multiple sets of hydrophones, which are fixed by underwater anchoring devices. Represented by the new fixed STAFAC underwater acoustic measurement system of the Atlantic Underwater Testing and Evaluation Center in the United States, the dynamic underwater acoustic test is carried out at a depth of 1300 m and laid out in a large underwater linear formation, and the core measurement device is a large double conical frame hydrophone array, and the system is equipped with multiple modules such as underwater navigation and communication, which can be connected with the submarine network to provide underwater real-time communication and navigation tests for deep-sea submersibles and other scientific research equipment. The international deep-sea acoustic test system has been developed relatively maturely, and the underwater acoustic test range and ground acoustic test depth are the key to the breakthrough of system performance.
2. Material deep-sea environment adaptability test system
Materials are the basis for the development and safe service of all deep-sea equipment. The service performance data of materials in the deep-sea environment is an important basis for the design and selection of deep-sea equipment, and the deep-sea environment adaptability test is the only way to obtain the service performance data of metal materials such as steel and titanium alloys in the deep-sea environment. In the 60s of the 20th century, the United States began to carry out deep-sea environmental adaptability tests, taking the deep-sea bottom-sitting test device deployed on the Pacific seabed as a typical example, carried out a systematic and wide range of material environmental adaptability tests, and evaluated the service performance of various deep-sea equipment structure-related materials and structural parts in the deep-sea environment. The in-situ monitoring and evaluation of the environmental effect data of deep-sea equipment materials is the technical difficulty of the system, which is mainly to quantify the corrosion resistance and pressure resistance of the equipment.
3. Deep-sea test energy and information support system
The development of various deep-sea equipment tests is inseparable from reliable energy and information conditions to ensure the safe and effective conduct of various test work. The "scientific node" of the Monterrey accelerated research system in the United States is the most representative deep-sea test energy and information support equipment, which is assembled in the titanium alloy pressure chamber and connected to the shore station through high-voltage optoelectronic composite cables when deployed on the seabed, and the power conversion module can convert the voltage for the long-term operation of the test instrument or equipment, and the internal multiple scientific interfaces establish a communication connection with the shore base for the observation or test instrument. The high-speed data transmission bandwidth allows researchers to acquire high-quality digital video data in real time and control it remotely based on the Internet. In order to support the efficient operation of a variety of in-situ scientific instruments, it is still necessary to break through the energy density, output power and underwater information transmission efficiency of the deep-sea test support system.
4. Deep-sea test site
The improvement of test support capacity will promote the development of offshore test sites in the direction of deep sea, and at the same time provide real sea environmental conditions for long-term tests of various deep-sea instruments and devices. Typical foreign test sites include the Monterey Bay Sea Test Site in the United States, the Marine Technology Test Site in Canada, and the Wave Energy Test Site of the European Marine Energy Center. The Monterey Bay Marine Experiment Site in the United States is the most representative, mainly including the Monterrey Ocean Observing System, the Monterrey Accelerated Research System, the Autonomous Ocean Sampling Network, the Land/Marine Biogeochemical Observation, the Marine Multidisciplinary Acquisition System, etc., which can be used for the experiment, observation and sampling method research of marine equipment, and the field observation and research of marine science. In recent years, a number of research institutions have carried out a variety of marine scientific observations and experimental studies at the Monterey Bay Sea Proving Site, which have provided experimental sites and a large number of observation data support for the study of marine geobiochemical processes and the development of marine observation technology. In addition, the site can be an important part of the plan to advance the development of marine technology, with the aim of establishing a subsea engineering laboratory to help researchers carry out scientific instrument prototyping, marine technology development and systems engineering. Therefore, the deep-sea test site has become an important platform for comprehensive and scientific testing and verification of the service performance of various deep-sea equipment, and the construction of the platform still needs to develop to the deep-sea area with large depth, strong currents and complex terrain.
In general, the scientific test service function of deep-sea test equipment is gradually developing in the direction of multi-function, multi-condition, high precision, comprehensiveness, durability and adaptability. In the future, the construction of the deep-sea test site will continue to develop in the direction of the deep sea, and through long-term testing and improvement of various deep-sea equipment under more complex in-situ conditions, the environmental adaptability and underwater performance of deep-sea equipment will be optimized in an all-round way, so as to promote the industrialization process of the deep-sea equipment system under the requirements of complex functions.
(2) Deep-sea in-situ exploration and experimental equipment
Deep-sea in-situ detection and experimental equipment is based on the basic methodology of biological, chemical and environmental detection and experiments in the laboratory and developed through special materials and packaging processes, through the specific device carried by the in-situ experimental platform to enter the deep-sea seabed and control the experimental conditions based on the research purpose, so as to carry out experimental research on the transformation of deep-sea environmental substances, bioaccumulation culture and biological reaction process.
1. Deep Seabed Laboratory
The deep-sea submarine laboratory is an important equipment for scientists to carry out long-period in-situ experiments on the deep seabed, and is a kind of large-scale submarine manned submarine equipped with various scientific experimental instruments. Based on the seabed laboratory, scientists can stay in the in-situ environment for about 20 days and carry out on-site sampling, experiments, observations and analyses to explore long-term environmental changes, community dynamics and ecosystem evolution. In the 70s of the 20th century, the "NR-1" developed by the United States was the world's first scientific research engineering nuclear submarine, with an underwater displacement of 400 t, a diving depth of 914 m, a maximum crew of 6 people, and a maximum stay time of 15~20 days. After the "NR-1" was decommissioned in 2008, the United States proposed three "NR-2" deep-sea mobile working platform schemes with a depth of 914~1524 m and a displacement of 828~2062 t, and finally completed a wide range of scientific research tasks such as marine biology, marine geology, geophysics, and environmental science. However, the construction volume, personnel safety, energy security, and resistance of experimental equipment are relatively high, and only a few countries can develop them independently.
2. Deep-sea in-situ environment detection system
Sampling and detection of deep-sea environment is the basic condition for deep-sea scientific experimental research. The new in-situ sensor enables precise measurement of pore water profiles without deviation, especially for environmental indicators such as CH4, H2S, CO2 and nutrients that need to be detected quickly. Deep-sea Raman spectrometers developed in France for non-contact and immersion sampling can detect changes in the concentration of substances in extreme deep-sea environments without interference. Underwater sonar technology can be used to detect the specific characteristics of deep-sea topography and obtain topographic map data of special environments such as seamounts, oceanic crust, and trenches. The Norwegian Geological Survey used high-resolution sonar on board an autonomous submersible (AUV) to create acoustic images of the deep-sea cold seep area, identifying bubble plumes and habitat characteristics of methane leakage. Compared with large-scale topographic scanning, clear and detailed habitat information needs to be presented by underwater imaging technology. Decoy observation systems have been widely used for deep-sea habitat fauna observations, and payloads often include video cameras equipped with environmental sensors that record environmental parameters such as temperature, salinity, pressure, and currents while recording the video. The decoy camera system based on the autonomous benthic lander platform developed by the United States can conduct video observation of the morphological characteristics and abundance of deep-sea macroorganisms, and the strong underwater endurance of the system is the key to long-term observation. Compared with other methods, underwater optical and acoustic observation techniques have the advantage of collecting more information about deep-sea biotopes without interference, and help to improve the ability to investigate deep-sea columns and habitats affected by climate change and human activities. Therefore, the deep-sea in-situ environment detection system is characterized by rapid, accurate and automatic detection of deep-sea habitats, but due to the high pressure and rapidly changing operating environment, the adaptation and application of key components of sensor probes and other equipment in the underwater environment is the difficulty of its research and development technology.
3. Deep-sea in situ organism colonization systems
The in-situ planting culture system of deep-sea organisms can be deployed on the seabed for a long time through the deep-sea lander, and the in-situ microbial enrichment culture can be carried out on the surface of the sediment, and the collection of pollution-free samples and the recording of environmental parameters of near-bottom water can be realized. In 2011, Belgian researchers deployed the colonization experiment on the seabed through the robotic arm of the Underwater Cable-Operated Vehicle (ROV) and carried out isotope 13C-labeled in-situ cultivation experiments to analyze the biological response of plankton in colonization and uptake, and to reveal the mechanism of small-scale migration of benthic biota and spatiotemporal heterogeneity. In 2015, French researchers carried out in-situ experiments and long-term observations using deep-sea biological colonization devices combined with wood and other substrates to reveal the colonization process and community dynamics of deep-sea organisms, and to explore the relationship between exotic substrates and chemically synthesized microorganisms. In 2022, Japan developed a new type of in-situ microbial culture device, which can independently collect seawater samples and orientally cultivate water microorganisms at different incubation times of preset programs, and can also inject substrates and fix samples. It can be seen that the in-situ colonization system of deep-sea organisms is an important means to observe the process of community succession, and the difficulty in its research and development lies in the realization of automatic cultivation of in situ microorganisms and automatic monitoring of environmental parameters, and the development trend of microbial quantification, matrix supplementation, real-time environmental monitoring and isotope tracking is the development trend.
4. Deep-sea in-situ sample processing system
In the study of deep-sea endemic genes and life processes, genetic testing systems with in-situ sample processing are a new way to identify the short-cycle rhythmic processes of microorganisms. Oceanographers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in the United States have developed a deep-sea 4,000-meter-class environmental sample processor (D-ESP), which is an in-situ gene chip detection device that integrates microbial enrichment, filtration, lysis and nucleic acid purification processes, and can perform quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification experiments of deep-sea functional genes, and can detect the expression of target genes and the abundance of specific bacterial groups in real time. In addition, the system detects in-situ filtered seawater material through a system-integrated deep-sea mass spectrometer and can be connected to the Monterey Bay Seabed Observation Network. In terms of in-situ sample processing such as missing labeling and activity determination of biological samples, the United States has developed an integrated microbial sampling and culture system (MS-SID) that can be carried out on submersibles, which can carry out integrated operations such as fluorescent tracer injection, microbial sampling and processing during in-situ marine protist culture, and measure the high activity and system productivity of microbial communities through in-situ sample processing, which has deepened the understanding of the process of deep-sea microbial food webs. The discovery of the process of deep-sea in situ microbial activity has greatly promoted the attention of scientists to the in-situ observation of the deep sea, and the deep-sea in situ sample processing system is an emerging means to obtain in situ gene information with high fidelity, but the equipment is difficult to develop in terms of automatic control, pressure holding sample processing, in situ gene chip, sterile environment guarantee, etc., and only a few countries can achieve independent development.
Based on the research needs, the international deep-sea in-situ detection and experimental equipment pays more and more attention to the long-term, accurate and real-time observation of the in-situ environment, and obtains long-term series ecosystem dynamic information through multidisciplinary monitoring methods. In the future, deep-sea in-situ detection and experimental equipment will be developed with the characteristics of long-term adaptation to extreme dynamic environments, effective deployment of complex seabed terrain, comprehensive observation of multi-media environments, autonomous perception of environmental parameters, intelligent and precise control, low power consumption and long battery life, in order to achieve all-round accurate detection of deep-sea environment and in-situ scientific experiments, and obtain detailed dynamic information of deep-sea environment, so as to solve major deep-sea scientific problems.
(3) Deep-sea environment simulation experiment equipment
With the continuous enhancement of the ability of equipment to enter the deep sea and in-situ experiments, the area of human deep-sea exploration has gradually expanded, and continues to extend to the whole sea depth. However, due to limited access to special extreme environments, as well as significant cost and safety risks, it is not possible to carry out all experimental studies in deep-sea extreme environments; At the same time, the number of samples obtained for experimental analysis through the voyage of the scientific research ship is limited, and the activity of deep-sea organisms is easily affected when they leave the original high-pressure, low-temperature/high-temperature environment, so simulating the in-situ environmental conditions of the deep-sea environment in the laboratory is an effective and economical method to carry out experimental research on the transformation of deep-sea environmental substances and biological metabolic reactions. At present, the experimental equipment for deep-sea environment simulation mainly includes a closed-system high-pressure biological culture system and an open-system continuous high-pressure biological reaction system.
1. Deep-sea high-pressure biological culture system
In the deep-sea environment simulation experimental system, a variety of environments from the surface ocean to the deep seabed can be simulated by adjusting the changes in temperature and hydrostatic pressure. High-pressure bioreactor systems can be used to evaluate the response mechanisms of deep-sea microbial community evolution to different environments based on pressure vessels, temperature control devices, and material observation tools. However, the availability and feasibility of deep-sea in situ microbial samples limit the level of experimentation, and scientists are exploring new equipment methods to obtain deep-sea refractory microorganisms with higher abundance and purity. The existing deep-sea environment simulation experimental system mainly focuses on high-temperature, high-pressure and low-temperature and high-pressure bioreactors to simulate extremely complex environments such as deep-sea hydrothermal fluids and cold seeps. In 2002, a high-pressure bioreactor developed in the United States was applied to study the effect of decompression on the structure of deep-sea extremophiles, and through the regulation of the pressure environment, the growth of deep-sea microorganisms and the finite response of their cores to stress were revealed. In 2018, a high-pressure culture device was developed in the United States, which can carry out culture experiments under atmospheric pressure or in situ pressure conditions, successfully enrich pressure-loving chemical organotrophic bacteria and determine their metabolic processes, and the study emphasizes the importance of hydrostatic pressure for the enrichment and isolation of pressure-loving microorganisms. In 2022, a high-pressure batch culture system based on a high-pressure vessel and temperature-controlled system was developed in the United States, which eliminates the need for sample depressurization and repressurization during sampling, and investigated the effects of this process on microbial growth rate, cell yield, and stress tolerance, revealing that repeated decompression can have a significant negative impact on cell viability. In addition, due to the limited supply of substrates in the deep-sea high-pressure environment, the growth of microorganisms is very slow, so the deep-sea simulated biological culture system is making breakthroughs in the direction of technical difficulties such as large capacity, high mass transfer, high fidelity, and online type, so as to effectively improve the enrichment efficiency of deep-sea microorganisms.
2. Continuous high-pressure bioreactor system
Deep-sea continuous high-pressure reaction systems have been used to study microbial activity and geochemical processes associated with the special environmental conditions of the deep sea. In 2007, American researchers successfully enriched thermophilic microorganisms in the hydrothermal environment using a continuous biological reaction system and monitored the chemical changes of fluids over a long period of time to explore the interaction between mineral fluid reactions and metabolic processes. In 2015, Switzerland developed a deep-sea simulated bioreactor to carry out in-situ environmental sample cultivation experiments, obtained low-representative microbial populations, and studied biodiversity-driven microbial mineral fluid interactions in the deep sea environment. Continuous high-pressure reaction systems can also simulate environmental processes with strong coupling flow and geomechanics and study gas hydrate deposits. In 2022, the United States developed a coupled flow \u2012 geomechanical simulation system, which has functions such as fluid control, pressure control, temperature control and data acquisition. Therefore, the continuous high-pressure reaction system can simulate more realistic deep-sea environmental processes, and the simulation of multiple types of geological processes and the online monitoring of biological and environmental indicators will be the direction that needs to be overcome by such simulation equipment in the future.
In general, the development trend of international deep-sea environment simulation experimental equipment is mainly in the direction of temperature and pressure control accuracy, continuous fluidity, monitoring sensitivity, and geological coupling simulation. The research and development of automated, systematic, multi-level, integrated, high-pressure stability, and autonomous perception of environmental parameters for deep-sea large-scale ecosystem simulation equipment, combined with multi-factor cultivation and long-term monitoring, to reshape deep-sea ecosystems in situ in the laboratory will provide a new direction for scientists to understand the evolution process and biological adaptation strategies of deep-sea ecosystems.
3. The development status of deep-sea scientific experiment equipment on the mainland
(1) Deep-sea test equipment and test sites
The research and development of equipment applied to deep-sea scientific experiments in the mainland started late, and there is a big gap between the advanced degree of test equipment and test technology and analysis methods of foreign developed countries, especially the construction of test sites that can provide comprehensive test services is still blank, which hinders the research and development and industrial application of deep-sea scientific experimental equipment and related equipment in the mainland.
1. Deep-sea acoustic test system
In terms of deep-sea acoustic positioning, the deep-sea high-precision underwater acoustic integrated positioning system integrates ultra-short baseline and long baseline to provide high-precision positioning services for deep-sea submersibles with a wide range and long voyage, with a positioning accuracy of better than 1 m, a maximum working distance of 8000 m, and an operating depth of 7000 m. In 2017, the system provided high-precision positioning support for the comprehensive survey voyage of the South China Sea of the Strategic Priority Science and Technology Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences "Material and Energy Exchange and Its Impacts in the Tropical Western Pacific Marine System", with an operating depth of 1200 m and a dynamic positioning accuracy of better than 0.5 m. The underwater acoustic test of deep-sea equipment can provide basic data for the classification of seabed bottom acoustics, seabed acoustic environmental assessment, acoustic survey, etc.
2. Material deep-sea environment adaptability test system
The R&D of deep-sea equipment has also put forward a wide and urgent demand for the adaptability test of materials to the deep-sea environment and related basic data. In the construction of large-scale equipment such as deep-sea space stations, the mainland has clearly stated that it is necessary to carry out deep-sea tests such as galvanic corrosion, stress corrosion, and corrosion fatigue of dissimilar material components such as high-strength steel and titanium alloys. At present, the 725th Research Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corporation has independently developed a suspended deep-sea test device and test method, which mainly uses buoyancy materials and gravity anchors to suspend the test system frame in the waters near the seabed, which reduces the impact of seabed sediment on equipment testing. The device has successively carried out multi-batch and multi-depth experimental research on the environmental adaptability of materials in the 3000 m water depth of the South China Sea, and provided basic data such as environmental adaptability test and evaluation and design and material selection for major marine projects in the mainland. In addition, the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences also uses the developed bottom-sitting test equipment to carry out research. However, due to the lack of in-situ test equipment for deep-sea environmental adaptability and the limited supply of deep-sea power supply, none of the domestic deep-sea test devices are equipped with in-situ test systems, and only laboratory test and analysis are carried out on recovered specimens, and there is a lack of real-time service parameter information in the in-situ environment, so it is urgent to develop a deep-sea in-situ test device for materials with in-situ collection of deep-sea environmental parameters and environmental effect data.
3. Deep-sea test site
The fixed offshore test site is an important test platform for the research and development of marine observation, monitoring instruments and survey equipment, marine scientific research and the transformation of high-tech achievements, which has an obvious role in promoting the development of marine science and technology and marine industry. The test site of the 760th Research Institute of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation is a fixed marine test site built earlier in China and with relatively mature testing technology, and is a unique ship target characteristics information center in the mainland. The test site mainly provides services such as acoustics, electromagnetics, ocean currents and other scientific research tests in the sea area, as well as the acquisition and processing of environmental auxiliary test data information. The fixed marine test site of the Institute of Acoustics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is mainly engaged in the research and development of marine acoustics and underwater acoustic engineering, and the test site is located in the Lingshui area of the South China Sea from shallow to deep transition and the seabed environment is diverse, with the ability of long-term three-dimensional observation of the deep sea, environmental information acquisition, transmission and resource sharing, and can form a national marine technology and system test base. Most of the mature fixed offshore test sites in the mainland are located in shallow sea areas, and the construction scale is small, the equipment and functions are relatively simple, and the operational capacity is lacking. At present, the sea trials of deep-sea equipment in the mainland are still mainly carried by the support mother ship to the designated deep sea area to carry out short-term tests, and there is an urgent need to develop fixed deep-sea test sites that serve scientific research and technical equipment tests.
In general, the mainland deep-sea test equipment is still catching up with the pace of international development, such as the material deep-sea environment adaptability test system and other equipment still need to make up for the shortcomings and improve the supporting equipment, in order to solve the "last kilometer" bottleneck problem in the delivery and application of deep-sea equipment, so that the test capacity can reach the leading level of the same type of deep-sea test equipment in the world. The mainland's deep-sea test equipment will focus on the in-depth development of five deep-sea test demand directions, including deep-sea acoustics, deep-sea operations, environmental effect assessment of deep-sea equipment materials and components, and deep-sea test support. The mainland needs to focus on building a fixed test site for long-term real-sea testing of deep-sea equipment, and build it into an important base for scientific and technological innovation and social services in the mainland's marine technology system.
(2) Deep-sea in-situ exploration and experimental equipment
Deep-sea in-situ exploration and experimental equipment is an important technical means to obtain basic environmental information in the mainland, the South China Sea and even the global seas. After years of arduous exploration, it has achieved the leap from "following" to "running alongside", from the initial dependence on foreign countries to the development of in-situ integrated experimental platforms such as deep-sea submersibles and the planning and construction of deep-sea submarine laboratories.
Fig.2 Development of deep-sea in-situ exploration and experimental equipment
1. Deep Seabed Laboratory
Relying on the submarine laboratory, scientists go to the in-situ environment of the seabed and use the natural environmental characteristics of the deep seabed to carry out scientific research. At present, there is no seabed laboratory dedicated to the study of deep-sea ecosystem processes in China, and the research needs can only be completed with the help of multiple dives and short-term operations of manned submersibles. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) approved the feasibility plan for the construction of the "Cold Spring Ecosystem Research Facility", a major scientific and technological infrastructure undertaken by the research team, which proposes to build a seabed laboratory that can stay and observe the processes of the cold spring ecosystem for a long time (see Figure 3). According to the overall design scheme, the subsea laboratory has a maximum working depth of 3000 m, and is divided into 4 main functional compartments, which can carry 6 personnel (including 3 scientists and 3 operators). The construction of the Deep-Sea Cold Seep Submarine Laboratory will provide important equipment and platform support for scientific research in the ecology, biology and geochemistry of the Deep Sea Cold Seep.
Fig.3 Conceptual diagram of the Deep-Sea Submarine Laboratory
2. Deep-sea in-situ integrated experimental platform
Deep-sea manned submersibles are an important platform for scientists to carry out comprehensive scientific experiments in the deep-sea in-situ environment, which can carry out in-situ operations with a variety of in-situ detection, sample collection and processing devices, and can also carry out multidisciplinary comprehensive experimental research. The deep-sea in-situ integrated experimental platform has more practical application advantages, and can use thrusters and operating systems to achieve a wide range of operations. Equipped with a multi-sequence sampling device and a flexible manipulator, it can realize a large number of sampling at a fixed point on the deep seabed, and the deployment and recovery of experimental devices. Through the observation window, the real deep-sea environment dynamics and special seabed geological characteristics can be observed at close range. Equipped with geochemical detection equipment, it can realize fine exploration of unknown areas in the deep sea. The mainland has successively carried out the research and development of manned submersibles such as the Jiaolong, the Deep Sea Warrior, and the Struggler, and the manned deep diving technology has gradually reached the world-class level. In 2020, the localization rate of the core components of the "Struggler" reached 96.5%, and it has the ability to enter the whole sea depth, scientific research and operation. However, compared with the submersibles of other maritime powers, there is still a large gap in terms of functional application, which is mainly manifested in the low degree of automation of the control system, the lack of in-situ fine detection sensors, the low visual imaging resolution and transmission rate, the low compatibility of the equipment, and the incomplete supporting facilities for the joint operation of multiple submersibles.
3. Deep-sea in-situ environmental detection system
At present, the deep-sea environment exploration experiments carried out by the mainland mainly realize the sampling and detection of deep-sea environmental samples such as seawater and sediment through measurement, collection, grabbing, pumping and suction, among which sample fidelity and accurate measurement are the key and difficult points of equipment research and development. In terms of in-situ observation, underwater sensors are effective tools for real-time observation and analysis of environmental parameters and material composition of deep-sea ecosystems. In 2020, the deep-sea laser Raman spectroscopy in-situ detection system (RiP) independently developed by the research team of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is the most representative, which can detect the in-situ detection of vent fluids in the deep-sea hydrothermal area, and discovered natural supercritical carbon dioxide, which is the first discovery of the continent in the world. The team of Ocean University of China has developed the first deep-sea self-capacitive laser Raman spectroscopy in-situ detection system (DOCARS) in China, which is the first in the world to obtain the dual-wavelength excitation of deep-sea in-situ Raman spectroscopy of samples at a depth of 4000 m, and realizes the system's quantitative detection ability of common acid ions in seawater. The research team of the China Geological Survey has developed a 4,000-meter-level bottom-sitting submersible observation system, equipped with a variety of sensors such as methane, carbon dioxide, temperature and salt depth, dissolved oxygen, turbidity meter, transmissometer, acoustic Doppler profiler and fixed-point current meter, with a long-term monitoring capacity of more than 180 days, covering the entire hydrate mining cycle to observe the environmental change process of seabed methane leakage. In 2021, the First Institute of Oceanography of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the People's Republic of China (MNR) used the self-developed free-release acoustic Doppler current profile observation system (FADCP) to carry out in-situ observation experiments at a depth of 1400 m in the Xisha area of the South China Sea, and obtained cross-sectional environmental information such as currents and thermohaliness bathymetry (CTD) at 16 stations. Deep-sea in-situ observation equipment can effectively identify the physical and chemical factors and other habitat information of the deep-sea environment in real time, but the deep-sea environment conditions are harsh, and the precision probes of such observation equipment are often difficult to develop, and are currently developing in the direction of compactness, intelligence and accuracy.
The study of physicochemical properties and morphological evolution processes in the deep-sea environment also requires in-situ observation experiments. In order to explore the dynamic formation and dissociation process of hydrates under deep-sea burial conditions, the deep-sea environmental process observation system developed by the team of the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is the most representative. By coupling the deep-sea in-situ Raman system, the system can measure the in-situ physicochemical properties of in-situ hydrates, such as cage shape and saturation, and discover the key role of mineral particles in the rapid formation of hydrates in cold seep fluids. The deep-sea environmental process observation system is a powerful tool for in-situ integrated environmental investigation in the future, but it is still necessary to strengthen the research on long-term stability, measurement accuracy, and system coupling and synergy.
The sensor system for in-situ environmental parameter monitoring and analysis is a key core component of deep-sea scientific experiment equipment. From the perspective of the development of marine sensor technology on the mainland, although the marine sensor technology has developed rapidly after 2010, its overall number is relatively small (see Figure 4). Marine sensor technology covers acoustic marine sensors, marine fiber optic sensors, marine electromagnetic sensors, marine spectral sensors, etc. Among them, the mainland has made great progress in the technology of acoustic ocean sensors and marine optical fiber sensors, which is promoted by the major project of the construction of the continental ocean observation network. The mainland has shown obvious shortcomings in more sophisticated scientific instruments such as marine electromagnetic sensors and marine spectral sensors, and most of these sensors still rely on imports. Therefore, the high-end in-situ sensing system and its precise sensor core components are the key research and development directions of the mainland's deep-sea scientific experimental equipment.
Fig.4 Development of patented technology for continental marine sensors
4. Deep-sea in-situ fidelity sampling system
Due to the lack of in-situ detection equipment such as real-time detection and online analysis of deep-sea environments, researchers usually use deep-sea environment sampling equipment to obtain deep-sea in-situ samples for subsequent laboratory analysis and investigation. Scientists have found that the pressure drop and temperature increase during the transfer of samples in the deep-sea environment can easily affect the physicochemical properties and microbial activity of the samples. Omics studies were carried out on the nucleic acids obtained in situ, and it was found that the pressure holding sampler could restore the microbial community structure and gene expression activity in situ in the deep sea to the greatest extent compared with the conventional sampling method using Niskin sampling bottles. Therefore, the deep-sea sampling device not only needs to realize the function of sample pressure retention and heat preservation, but also dynamically monitor the sample in the sampler to maintain the high fidelity of the sample. In 2020, the research team of Qingdao University of Science and Technology developed a set of high-fidelity integrated sampler for sampling, recovery and transfer, which can be mounted on submersibles and can operate at a water depth of 5000 m, realizing the heat preservation, pressure holding and dynamic monitoring of samples. In order to achieve the pressure-holding sampling of full-sea deep sediments, the research team of Zhejiang University developed a self-sealing full-sea depth sediment pressure-holding sampling system based on a submarine lander, and in the 2021 oceanic scientific expedition, the sampler carried out in-situ testing and pressure-holding sampling on board the "Endeavor" submersible in the Mariana Trench, and obtained pressure-holding sediment samples with a pressure retention rate of more than 80% and a volume of more than 700 mL. In terms of biofidelity sampling, in 2022, the research team of the China Ship Scientific Research Center developed a deep-sea biological in-situ insulation and pressure holding device, which can realize the in-situ pressure maintenance of the device through active temperature control through extravehicular oil-filled semiconductor refrigeration and high-pressure gas cylinder pressure supplement, and verified the feasibility of the technology based on submersible carrying and application.
From the perspective of material analysis, the samples collected by conventional samplers can no longer fully reflect the true composition information of substances in the deep-sea environment. In fact, in-situ samples in high-pressure environments often contain a large amount of dissolved gases, and obtaining information on the content of CH4, H2S and CO2 is an important way to accurately track the processes of special deep-sea habitats such as submarine cold seeps and hydrothermal fluids, so the full-sea deep-fidelity sampler has become an important sampling tool. In order to obtain more accurate deep-sea environmental data and high-fidelity deep-sea biological samples and biological information, it is urgent to develop deep-sea environmental sampling equipment integrating in-situ fidelity sampling, sample fidelity transfer and fidelity storage.
5. Deep-sea in situ organism colonization systems
In order to provide a seabed experimental platform for the cultivation of microorganisms with special functions in deep-sea sediments, in 2016, the research team of Hangzhou Dianzi University developed a large-capacity, long-term sediment enrichment and cultivation system. The system has the capability of in-situ enrichment experiments, automated multi-stage sampling, identification of the source of sedimentary material, quantification of sedimentation rate, and acquisition of large numbers of microorganisms. In 2019, the team of the Third Institute of Oceanography of the Ministry of Natural Resources independently developed an in-situ colonization culture system for deep-sea waters, which has the function of quantitative slow-release nitrogen, which can carry out long-term in-situ controlled culture of nitrogen-cycling microorganisms in the 3300 m waters of the South China Sea, and successfully obtained and isolated the enriched microflora with a variety of nitrogen cycling functions. Based on the in-situ experimental capabilities of ROV and other platforms, the biological in-situ culture device can carry out controllable in-situ culture experiments in various habitats in the deep sea. In 2020, the team of the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences independently developed a large-scale deep-sea biological in-situ experimental system based on the "Discovery" ROV, which has the ability of sample collection, isotope timing and quantitative injection, and in-situ or translocation culture, and the ability to analyze deep-sea microbial interactions under the original environment or specific environmental stress. For the directed in situ enrichment culture of specific functional microorganisms in the deep sea, in situ condition control experiments need to be carried out with the help of customized in situ culture systems. It can be seen that the in-situ organism cultivation system is gradually developing in the direction of multi-type environmental adaptation, autonomous control and monitoring of environmental conditions, and customized design of functional requirements.
In general, there is still a gap between the continental deep-sea in-situ detection and experimental equipment and the world's ocean powers, and in order to reach the leading level, it is necessary to develop in the direction of perception accuracy, sample fidelity, environmental adaptability, long-term stability, equipment compatibility and autonomy. The mainland needs to focus on improving its independent innovation capabilities, focusing on breakthroughs in the core technologies of key components such as sensors and their preparation processes, so as to form a large number of high-precision, high-stability, and multi-element domestic deep-sea in-situ detection and experimental equipment to meet the needs of deep-sea scientific experiments in various application scenarios.
(3) Deep-sea environment simulation experiment equipment
The existing deep-sea environment simulation experimental equipment in mainland China mainly includes deep-sea high-pressure bioreactors, deep-sea gas hydrate formation and exploitation simulation systems, etc., which can be used in the laboratory to simulate various natural environments in the deep-sea by using adjustable temperature, pressure conditions and material inputs. At present, the mainland has made great progress in the simulation system of deep-sea gas hydrate, and still needs to increase research and development efforts in the deep-sea bioreactor system.
1. Deep-sea high-pressure biological culture system
The main goal of the deep-sea high-pressure bioreactor is to enrich deep-sea microorganisms and analyze the reaction process, represented by a continuous batch-fed biological culture system developed by the team of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which can adjust the methane pressure and simulate the in-situ environment of cold seeps, monitor and explore the methane cycle process, and enrich the methane oxidizing functional flora and improve the activity of the microflora. In addition, the air stripping bioreactor is another continuous enrichment bioreactor dedicated to the cultivation of thermophilic communities and their biodiversity analysis in deep-sea hydrothermal environments. In 2019, the team of the Institute of Deep-Sea Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed a macro-biological high-pressure culture system to realize the study of the adaptability of deep-sea biological environment through a pressurized experimental process.
2. In-situ environment cultivation and sorting system for the whole process of deep-sea organisms
In 2023, the authors' research team developed a high-throughput automatic screening system for deep-sea thermal insulation and pressure-holding single colonies, as shown in Figure 5, which has the functions of temperature and pressure control, microbial cultivation and sorting, and can carry out artificially controllable automatic separation and purification of single colonies for deep-sea microorganisms. It can be seen that deep-sea bioreactors have developed from biological reaction monitoring to the whole process of biological research such as bioenrichment, transfer and sorting, in which sample fidelity and precise regulation of environmental conditions are the key.
Fig.5 In-situ environment cultivation and sorting system for deep-sea organisms
3. Deep-sea environment process simulation experimental system
The deep-sea environment simulation experimental system is an important equipment for simulating deep-sea geochemical processes and exploring the formation and transformation mechanism of deep-sea special substances. In 2021, the authors' research team developed a deep-sea methane leakage process simulation system (Fig. 6), which has the ability to simulate the bubble flow conditions of deep-sea cold seeps and observe the dynamics of methane hydrate formation, including different flow modes, morphological evolution and gas consumption, and found that there is a critical flow velocity between the steady and unsteady states of methane fluids and leads to a shortened nucleation time of hydrates. In order to further reveal the leakage pathways and hydrate transformation mechanisms in the process of deep-sea methane leakage, the research team developed a deep-sea sediment \u2012 seawater simulation system (DSSWS) in 2022, which can simulate the multi-level deep-sea environment of lower sediments and upper seawater, and can monitor the methane bubble migration path and hydrate transformation and aggregation process in the sediment layer through the spatial deployment of resistance and temperature sensors, which is of pioneering significance for the experimental simulation of methane leakage process in deep-sea cold seep area.
Fig.6 Deep-sea sediments – seawater simulation system
Note: PID stands for Process Controller.
In the process of exploitation of deep-sea oil and gas resources such as gas hydrates, the environmental change process and its controlling factors caused by oil and gas leakage are the research focus of scientific development of deep-sea resources. However, only a few simulation systems have been developed to study the environmental processes of oil and gas leakage in the extraction of deep-sea resources such as gas hydrates. In 2022, the research team developed a novel coupled simulation system for gas hydrate decomposition and methane leakage (DLCS) to study the environmental effects of hydrate extraction and methane release. The system overcomes the shortcomings of previous studies in the construction of hydrate-free overlying strata and seawater, and can simulate the in-situ natural environment containing hydrate reservoirs, overlying strata and overlying seawater. In addition, the system integrates the spatial distribution of temperature, pressure, and resistance in the hydrate reservoir system, enabling visual monitoring of the overlying stratum and sampling of overburden gases and liquids. At present, the effectiveness of the coupling simulation of the system has been verified by experimental tests, and the leakage mechanism of methane gas has been clarified, which can provide a scientific basis for formulating the safe development strategy of deep-sea oil and gas resources.
In general, the mainland can keep up with the pace of international development in the field of deep-sea environment simulation experimental equipment, and the development trend of deep-sea environment simulation experimental system equipment is mainly manifested in large volume, high pressure resistance, automation, visualization, integration, system stability, and rapid and accurate environmental control. In-situ remodeling of deep-sea ecosystems in the laboratory has become a new research direction, combining multi-factor cultivation and long-term monitoring, identifying and quantifying biogeochemical reactions, and carrying out multidisciplinary cross-integration analysis of deep-sea ecosystems, so as to improve the understanding of biological adaptation mechanisms and ecological evolution processes in deep-sea ecosystems. In the future, the mainland needs to independently build more complete full-dimensional deep-sea ecosystem evolution simulation equipment, and develop multi-dimensional modules and multi-functional professional equipment that integrate biology, chemistry, geology, etc., so as to occupy a new highland for deep-sea environment simulation experimental research.
4. Thoughts on the development of deep-sea scientific experimental equipment in the mainland
(1) Strengthen top-level planning and coordinate technical research
The mainland has not yet released a national-level development plan for deep-sea scientific experiment equipment, and the top-level design of the equipment development path in this field is relatively vague. There is a situation where the boundaries of the development plan formulated by the relevant management departments at the industry level are not clear, resulting in the phenomenon of low-level duplication of equipment in the field. The correlation between the experimental research of deep-sea science in the mainland and the construction of major marine projects is not strong, and the input of scientific tasks and the stable and transparent layout of scientific research funding organized at the national level need to be strengthened urgently.
At the national level, coordinate multiple management departments to formulate an overall strategic plan for the development of deep-sea scientific experimental equipment and key technical research on localization, strengthen the top-level design of the development path of deep-sea scientific experimental equipment and the overall layout of related deep-sea science and technology projects, organize normalized research on the technical needs of key components of deep-sea scientific experimental equipment localization, strengthen the formulation of standards and specifications for equipment technology research and development and application, and give key support to the weak links of the whole industrial chain of deep-sea scientific experimental equipment. Focusing on the key technologies for the localization of deep-sea scientific experimental equipment, we will concentrate domestic superior forces to carry out joint research, strengthen the research and development of key small parts, sensitive materials, and basic processes, realize the independent and controllable key core technologies, and support the high-quality development of the deep-sea scientific experimental equipment technology industry.
(2) Establish an incentive mechanism to promote innovation and transformation
The industrialization of deep-sea scientific experimental equipment in mainland China has obvious shortcomings, such as weak connectivity of "production, education, research and application", long transformation cycle of scientific and technological achievements, and few large-scale application products. Most of the scientific and technological achievements of scientific research institutions in the mainland are in the stage of laboratory application, and the degree of transformation of scientific and technological achievements into real productive forces is insufficient. As the main body of innovation, enterprises have great pressure to survive in the market, and they are not enthusiastic enough to participate in productization and industrialization due to cost and benefit considerations. As a result, the market vitality is sluggish, the innovation and entrepreneurship system is incomplete, and it is difficult to truly promote the productization and serialization of deep-sea scientific experimental equipment.
Explore and formulate incentive policies for the industrialization of deep-sea scientific experimental equipment, promote the establishment of an industrial system with enterprises as the main body and coordinated operation of universities, scientific research institutes and enterprises, establish a multi-channel and diversified financing mechanism, strengthen the development elements of the deep-sea scientific experimental equipment industry, guide the participation of enterprise innovation subjects, build a collaborative innovation system of "production, education, research and application", set up an incubator for technological achievements of deep-sea scientific experimental equipment, and encourage the productization of independent key technologies of scientific experimental equipment such as deep-sea sensors. Stimulate the enthusiasm for innovation and entrepreneurship and market vitality, promote the transfer, transformation and industrialization of innovation achievements, promote the application of localized innovation achievements in deep-sea scientific experimental equipment, and drive the development of related industrial chains with independent innovation.
(3) Build a demonstration platform and form a standard system
The operating environment of deep-sea in-situ scientific experiments is very complex, including high hydrostatic pressure, high salinity, high temperature/low temperature, complex fluid dynamics, corrosion and fouling, and other harsh factors, the strong coupling of these complex factors will lead to the damage of deep-sea materials and the failure of deep-sea scientific experiment equipment. However, there is still a lack of basic research on the application of equipment technologies such as materials science, structural mechanics, corrosion science, and hydroacoustics in the deep sea environment. In terms of common supporting technologies and equipment such as special materials, real-time communication, positioning and navigation, and autonomous control equipment in the deep-sea field, the development of supporting technologies for deep-sea scientific experiment equipment on the mainland is uneven, and the formulation of technical standards is not uniform, which is subject to the world's maritime powers. Therefore, it is urgent to build a standardized and systematic deep-sea test site to provide unified, scientific and efficient services for the whole process of R&D, inspection and engineering application of deep-sea scientific experimental equipment in the mainland.
Accelerate the construction of a national technological innovation organization system and a comprehensive test base for the research and development of deep-sea scientific experimental equipment, form a comprehensive business capability for equipment research and development, testing and verification oriented to real sea conditions, and provide high-quality and standardized supporting services for the development and application of deep-sea scientific experimental equipment; Integrate resources as needed, reasonably support the business operation of existing experimental bases, build a national deep-sea comprehensive test site, and build a public inspection platform for deep-sea scientific experimental equipment and technology, and a demonstration platform for application promotion; Support the finalization and commercialization of deep-sea scientific experimental equipment and technology products with public test infrastructure, and promote the benign development of related equipment technology R&D and innovation subjects, and promote the industrialization process of deep-sea scientific experimental equipment; In line with the international technical standards for deep-sea scientific experimental equipment, we have independently built a complete standard system for the mainland, and formed a series of standards and specifications in terms of data processing, management mode, and system construction, so as to lay a solid foundation for the mainland deep-sea scientific experimental equipment to open up the international market.
(4) Break through sensing technology and accelerate the process of localization
Deep-sea sensors are the core components of the continental deep-sea comprehensive environmental information observation equipment. At present, the localization rate of core sensors in the marine field is only 23%; The main market for key technology products in the deep-sea field is monopolized by the world's maritime powers, accounting for 95% of the market share. At present, most of the substances detected and analyzed in the deep-sea environment still need to collect in-situ samples and transport them to the laboratory for completion, which is difficult to achieve instant rapid analysis and in-situ online detection. In terms of deep-sea sensing systems, the high-end products of mainland acoustic sensors have not yet formed a system, and the non-acoustic marine optical fiber, electromagnetic, and spectral sensor products are still weak in sea trials and engineering applications. Most marine science and technology enterprises focus on the integrated application of low-end fields, and carry out secondary development of key components such as imported sensitive components and chips, with insufficient innovation enthusiasm and weak independent research and development capabilities.
Strengthen the coordination and linkage of management departments, formulate an overall plan for the development of the deep-sea sensor system equipment industry, and coordinate and support the technological innovation, equipment research, demonstration application and platform construction of the deep-sea sensor system. Strengthen the support for deep-sea sensing technology, equipment and talents in major national innovation projects, key R&D plans and other special projects, promote deep-sea science and technological innovation at the same time, and improve the mainland's deep-sea basic research and experimental capabilities. Strengthen joint technical research, include the test verification and application promotion of deep-sea sensing system equipment into the index assessment requirements, and implement policies such as the first (set) demonstration application. Develop a number of basic standards for technologies and methods for the design, manufacturing, testing, and verification of deep-sea sensing equipment, and carry out the formulation/revision of key technical standards for equipment performance, reliability, components, and data processing. At the national level, we will focus on supporting the weak links in the whole industrial chain of deep-sea sensing system equipment, promote the mainland to break through the key technical bottlenecks of deep-sea sensors, develop independent and controllable deep-sea in-situ sensing equipment, and get rid of the situation that deep-sea scientific research relies on foreign experimental equipment, so as to effectively improve the level and academic influence of deep-sea scientific research in the mainland.
(5) Strengthen international cooperation and enhance innovation capabilities
To enhance the ability of independent innovation in deep-sea scientific experiment equipment technology, it is necessary to expand international scientific and technological cooperation and exchanges. Relying on the national key R&D plan in the deep-sea field, we will vigorously promote cooperation with well-known marine scientific research institutions in countries along the Maritime Silk Road, strengthen cooperation with marine scientific research institutions of the world's maritime powers, and improve the cooperation network between the mainland and the world's deep-sea research institutions, so as to provide strong support for jointly promoting the world's deep-sea science and technology frontiers. Establish an international high-level exchange forum on deep-sea science and technology innovation, strengthen exchanges and cooperation with countries along the Maritime Silk Road in the field of deep-sea science and technology and industry, actively introduce international advanced deep-sea scientific experimental equipment and technology, and encourage the introduction, digestion, absorption, and re-innovation to achieve leapfrog development. Support mainland scientists and scientific research institutions to participate in or take the lead in organizing international and regional deep-sea science programs, so as to lay a solid foundation for mainland deep-sea scientific experiment equipment to go global.
Note: The presentation of the content of this article has been slightly adjusted, if necessary, you can view the original article.
About the Author
Zhang Si
He is an expert in marine science and engineering, and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
He is mainly engaged in the research of marine ecological engineering.
Note: The paper reflects the progress of research results and does not represent the views of Chinese Journal of Engineering Science.