China’s deep-sea manned submersible Jiaolong carried out its maiden dive on a mission to study active hydrothermal vents in the southwestern Indian Ocean on January 2. The temperature of one active hydrothermal vent, which Jiaolong measured with a special probe in its iron hand, was 352 degree Celsius. The hydrothermal fluid sampler, an extremely important device that aided it in accomplishing this mission, was designed by Zhejiang University.
The HOME (Human-machine and Ocean Mechatronic Engineering) team, led by Professor Yang Canjun of the School of Mechanical Engineering, carried out specific research and development work. Funded by China’s 863 Program and the Public Marine Project, the HOME team, in collaboration with the University of Minnesota, successfully made a hydrothermal fluid sampler, which obtained deep-sea hydrothermal fluid samples, thus providing immense technological support for China’s scientific research into hydrothermal fluid.
On this expedition, scientists also employed a self-contained probe for the measurement of hydrothermal fluid, which was also designed by Zhejiang University, to conduct an 8-day observation of hydrothermal vents. They found that the temperature of hydrothermal fluid fluctuated with the tide in a periodical manner. They also harnessed temperature differences in hydrothermal fluid to generate power, thus testifying to the feasibility of power generation in deep sea.