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22 st / September 2015 www.sea-technology.com bad tidal conditions or an environment of poor visibility. Eddy Pump Design The core of this technology is the pat- ented Eddy Pump. This is the only pump on the market that utilizes the principles of a tornado to create a synchronized eddy current. This pump is not a cen- trifugal, positive displacement or vortex pump, but instead a highly effcient, high-solids and high-specifc-gravity pump. This translates to the ability to pump higher percent solids of material and capture the heavy, specifc-gravity gold. At the same time, the higher suction capability creates less turbidity, hence, less material being resuspended in the water column and creating a possible environmental impact. Based on its design, the pump is virtually clog proof when it comes to rocks or debris jamming inside of the volute. The high toler- ance of the pump allows any object up to 3.5 in. to pass directly through without obstruction or harm to the pump. This pass-through ability leads to signifcantly more mining without shutdown due to clogging. In order to keep up with the high suction capability of the Eddy Pump and constantly keep it fed with material, a bidirec- tional rotating guard is incorporated. This rotating guard is located on the suction of the Sub-Dredge and comes with various confgurations. In order to deal with different mate- rials and conditions, the basket can easily be modifed for optimal performance. For hard-packed material, such as compact sand, digging teeth are easily added to the rotating basket, which then breaks up the material for better pump- ing production. In conditions where there is a lot of debris or clay-like material that can foul the suction, a comb is can easily see the exact position of the Sub-Dredge, while also monitoring the pump's fow rate and rpm and seeing a live video stream of the underwater operations. Furthermore, the ability of the Sub-Dredge to operate remotely and underwater greatly increases the amount of mining time that normally would be impossible because of (Top) The Sub-Dredge being mobilized to the project site on a trailer and pickup truck. (Middle) An aerial view of the mining camp. (Bottom) A helicopter flming the min- ing operation.