OCEAN SPIRAL, Deep Sea Future City Concept

OCEAN SPIRAL, Deep Sea Future City Concept

The concept of a direct connection to the deep sea

The ocean covers roughly 70% of the earth’s surface. Roughly 80% of that is deep sea.
The deep sea holds major potential for ensuring proper cycles in the global biosphere.
We have not yet taken advantage of that potential, however.
We thought that we could utilize the limitless potential of the deep sea through a vertical connection of the atmosphere, ocean surface, deep sea, and sea floor.
Now is the time for us to create a new connection with the deep sea because it is the earth’s final frontier.
Our goal is to draw a clear distinction from the former strategy of development for the sake of onshore efficiency and dramatically improve the sustainability of human societies on the earth by fully utilizing the deep sea.

Five Reasons Why We are Targeting the Deep Sea

The deep sea has the potential to solve five problems
we face: food, energy, water, CO2, and resources.

Food
The potential of deep sea fishing is boundless in quality and quantity.
Energy
The deep sea possesses limitless untapped energy.
Water
The ocean is deep, so an infinite amount of fresh water can be created from it.
CO2
The deep sea has an unlimited capacity to process CO2.
Resources
There is an infinite abundance of resources in the sea floor and in the ocean.

Humans will begin restoring the earth with the power of the deep sea,
using our Deep Sea Future City as a base camp.

OCEAN SPIRAL, Deep Sea Future City Concept

Working to restore the earth with power of the deep sea

OCEAN SPIRAL, Deep Sea Future City Concept
OCEAN SPIRAL, Deep Sea Future City Concept

【Deep Sea Characteristics】

−200 meters
Beginning of deep sea

  • Sunlight Zone (Euphotic)：
    Sunlight penetrates well up to this level
  • Limitations of photosynthesis of phytoplankton
  • Twilight Zone (Disphotic)：
    Faint light penetrates to this zone

−1,000 meters
Beginning of upper Midnight Zone

  • Aphotic region：Sunlight does not penetrate
  • Temperature differs from ocean surface by about 20ºC
    (low latitude region)
  • Acoustic waves travel the furthest here
  • Lowest zone at which seawater conditions differ substantially
    (in temperature, density, and salinity)

−1,500 meters
Beginning of lower Midnight Zone

  • Seawater temperature of around 2-3ºC

-3,000 to -4,000 meters
Beginning of the deep sea zone

  • Sea floor vision in the current plan

【Current Plan】

■ BLUE GARDEN

  • Base camp for a comfortable,
    safe, and healthy deep sea city
    (Globe, 500 meters in diameter)

Deep sea gondola arrival/departure floor

Super Ballast Ball

  • Buoyancy controlled by sand and air

Deep sea acoustic wave monitoring site

  • Uses depth at which sound waves travel best to monitor the ocean environment

■ INFRA SPIRAL

  • Transport function
    　Outbound：People, electricity, water, oxygen, etc.
    　Inbound：People, sea floor resources, bio resources, etc.
  • Water intake function
    −1,000 meters：For power generation
    −1,500 meters：For cold water plant farming
    −2,500 meters：For water desalinization

Deep sea biomonitoring site

  • Continuous monitoring of living things that live in seawater at a temperature of around 2-3ºC

Tension Leg

  • Mooring structure to prevent drifting and maintain position

Deep sea submarine port

  • Supplies electricity, water, oxygen, etc.
  • Relays data and sea floor resources

■ EARTH FACTORY

  • CO2 storage and reuse
  • Development and cultivation of deep sea resources
  • Tectonics and earthquake monitoring site

MASTER VISION A Direct Connection between the Ocean Surface and Sea Floor

BLUE GARDEN

OCEAN SPIRAL Base Camp

BLUE GARDEN, an orb that measures 500 meters in diameter, floats in the deep sea like a space ship. It is safer and more comfortable city than those on land.

  • A comfortable city with minimal temperature changes
  • A safe city with unaffected by typhoons or earthquakes
  • A healthy city with a higher concentration of oxygen than on land
Grand entrance to the BLUE GARDEN
Grand entrance to the BLUE GARDEN
BLUE GARDEN Atrium
BLUE GARDEN Atrium

A new lifestyle

You can relax in the casual zone facing the deep sea, and enjoy it, learn from it, and communicate with others about it.

Example Activities
  • Deep sea sightseeing tour
  • Deep sea experiential learning
  • Health maintenance regimen with the high oxygen concentration in the deep sea environment
  • Comfortable, safe lifestyle and work place
BLUE GARDEN Deep Sea Promenade

BLUE GARDEN Deep Sea Promenade

A New Business Model

New, deep sea-originated industry models are incubated in the mid-tower business zone.

Example Activities
  • Deep sea resource industry
  • Deep sea energy industry
  • Deep sea tourism industry
  • Deep sea advanced research lab
BLUE GARDEN Central Plaza

BLUE GARDEN Central Plaza

INFRA SPIRAL

The deep sea offers a convenient location where the functions that utilize the unique characteristics of the deep sea are all in one place.

  • Electricity: Power generation using ocean thermal energy conversion
  • Food: Plant cultivation using deep sea water
  • Fresh water: Desalinization using water pressure
  • Transportation: Deep sea submarine port (supply base)
  • Information: Deep sea monitoring site
INFRA SPIRAL

INFRA SPIRAL

EARTH FACTORY

Current advanced deep sea research will become the advanced deep sea industries of the future

  • CO2:Storage and reuse of industrial CO2 emissions
  • Resources:Development and cultivation of deep sea resources
EARTH FACTORY

EARTH FACTORY

SOLUTION:Restoring the Earth with the Power of the Deep Sea

Restoring cycles on a global scale in five areas

We will use the inherent potential of the deep sea to restore cycles and improve the sustainability of human societies on a global scale in five problem areas.

SOLUTION:Restoring the Earth with the Power of the Deep Sea
  • Food
  • Food shortages are occurring due to explosive growth in global population.
     
  • Environmental destruction is being caused by expansion of farming worldwide.
     
  • The deep sea fishing industry offers limitless potential, both in quality and quantity.

Utilize the temperatures and nutrition that the deep sea offers.
(E.g.: Raise premium-brand fish)

▼

Expand offshore fish farming.

  • Energy
  • Global spread of economic development is putting pressure on power supply capacity.
  • A base load power source that provides a continuous, stable supply of electricity is necessary.
  • The deep sea offers a limitless supply of untapped energy.
     

Generate power from ocean temperature differentials using ocean thermal energy conversion.
 

▼

Energy self-sufficiency
 

  • Water
  • Global water shortages are being caused by abnormal weather conditions and increased consumption.
  • If desalinization of seawater can be done simply, this would resolve the problem.
     
  • A limitless supply of fresh water could be produced from the deep sea.

Utilize the temperature and nutrition of the deep sea
(E.g.: Raise premium-brand fish)
 

▼

Expand offshore fish farming.

  • CO2
  • Reducing CO2 to prevent global warming is an urgent issue.
     
  • It is difficult to form a global consensus on reducing CO2.
     
     
  • The deep sea has unlimited CO2 processing capacity.

Use the earth’s inherent CO2 cycle.
(E.g.: Produce energy from CO2)
 

▼

Move from CO2 reduction to use
 

  • Resources
  • The global spread of economic development is putting pressure on resources.
  • Onshore resource development is facing depletion and is causing environmental problems.
  • The volume of resources in the sea floor and ocean is limitless.

Use the untapped resources in seawater and the sea floor.
(E.g.: Man-made hydrothermal deposits)

▼

Move from harvesting resources to cultivating them

SOLUTION 深海力で、地球を再生

TECHNOLOGY:
Future Technological Issues

Structural plan: Create an underwater city that spans 500 meters in diameter, in concrete.

  • 1.Strength:Water pressure is neutralized by the orb shape
  • 2.Concrete:Strong, resin concrete
  • 3.Rebar layout:Rustproof resin bars
  • 4.Environmental friendliness:Material from recycled PET bottles is used in resin concrete
Concrete-framed orb that spans 500 meters in diameter
Concrete-framed orb that spans 500 meters
in diameter
The internal tower is used to reinforce the spherical shell.
The internal tower is used to reinforce the spherical shell.

Outer wall plan: The challenge is to create a transparent orb in the deep sea with 360° panoramic views.

  • 1.Strength:Achieved with acrylic boards arranged in pattern of triangles measuring 50 meters per leg
  • 2.Strength:Reinforced with semi-transparent FRP ribs
  • 3.Cleaning:Use of microbubbles, etc. to prevent bio-fouling
  • 4.Joints:Water-sealed, displacement absorption, etc.
Orb made of acrylic boards in a triangular pattern,with triangles measuring 50 meters per leg
Orb made of acrylic boards in a triangular pattern,
with triangles measuring 50 meters per leg
360° Deep sea panorama
360° Deep sea panorama

Equipment plans: The challenge is to achieve comfort unique to the deep sea environment

  • 1.Natural convectionNatural convection that utilizes the difference in temperature between seawater and air to provide comfortable, cool air.
  • 2.DehumidificationRefreshing, dehumidifying air conditioning achieved with the cold energy of deep sea seawater
  • 3.Air conditioningRadiant air conditioning that is comfortable for people through use of the cold water after dehumidification
  • 4.Heat insulationA comfortable environment achieved with the heat-insulating properties of acrylic boards (3 meters thick)
Construction plan

Construction plan: The challenge is to completely automate offshore construction of the orb

  • 1.Anticipation of future technology3-D printer method (resin concrete placing) (resin bars)
  • 2.Integration of proven technologyAutomated vertical diversion of large-scale concrete forms (Jump-up method) Balanced Cantilever DYWIDAG method
  • 3.Construction methods specific to offshore constructionThe entire structure is constructed at water surface level (the completed part of structure is submerged)
施工計画 ： 球体の洋上完全自動化施工に挑戦する
Construction Process

Operation and maintenance plan: Fail-safe and maintenance

  • 1.Vertical movement control:Sand-filled super ballast ball
Sand-filled super ballast ball
  • 2.Wave control:
     Floating breakwater unit
Floating breakwater unit
  • 3.Routine vibration control:Vibration damping equipment
Vibration damping equipment

VARIATION
VARIATIONS: Accommodates Many Types of Location and Scale

Variation in location: OCEAN SPIRAL network, linking the oceans around the world

Envisioned locations based on regional characteristics

  • 1.Ocean in coastal region:Revitalization of outlying islands in the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of each country
  • 2.The ocean of an ocean island nation:As a countermeasure to rising sea levels for ocean nations in the Pacific Ocean
  • 3.Ocean in a desert region:
    Comfortable ocean living in the Middle East or Africa

Envisioned locations based on submarine topography

Envisioned locations based on submarine topography

Worldwide OCEAN SPIRAL network

Worldwide OCEAN SPIRAL network

Envisioned locations based on submarine topography

Envisioned locations based on submarine topography
Envisioned location:
  • Deep sea plateau #1: Water depth of 3,000-5,000 meters; Maximum plateau width of 1,000 km
  • Continental rise #2: Water depth of 3,000-4,000 meters; Maximum plateau width of 500 km
Source: From The Deep Sea and its Denizens−A World of Beautiful Mysteries (Full-color illustrated) (Natsumesha CO., LTD.), under the supervision of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)
Illustrator: Office of Shinsei Yokoyama, Saimitsu Art Gallery

Variation in scale:

In addition to the urban-scale model that spans 500 meters in diameter, we also envision an architectural-scale model of 200 meters in diameter that is more practical.

Diameter of 500 meters (Urban model)

Diameter of 500 meters (Urban model) Diameter of 500 meters (Urban model)
A sand-filled super ballast is necessary to keep the buoyancy balance.

Diameter of 200 meters (Architectural model)

Diameter of 200 meters (Architectural model) Diameter of 200 meters (Architectural model)
The buoyancy balance can be handled with the sand-filled ballast inside the orb.

ADVISERS

Those who provided technical information on the OCEAN SPIRAL Deep Sea Future City Concept

ACADEMIC ADVISORS

About marine eco systems, deep seawater:
Masayuki Takahashi, Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo and Kochi University
About ocean thermal energy conversion:
Yasuyuki Ikegami, Professor, Saga University
About the deep sea:
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)

Specialized fields:

About marine resources, aquaculture
Fisheries Research Agency
About resin concrete, resin construction materials:
SHOWA DENKO K.K.
About large acrylic boards:
NIPPURA CO., LTD.

From the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC):

The Japanese archipelago is situated in one of the most active places on earth. JAMSTEC has therefore long viewed it as our mission to communicate information that will help people to gain an overall understanding of the oceans, earth, life, and human activity. In the future, we also need to vigorously pursue ocean innovations such as the use of marine resources, the development of marine life engineering, and the advancement of information on the oceans and earth.
When we heard about Shimizu Corporation’s deep sea future city concept that aims for a new connection between people and the deep sea, in this context, we were confident in our decision to have Shimizu use the results of our research. The mission of JAMSTEC is to help Japan achieve the goal of becoming a fully ocean-based nation through developing new scientific and technological capabilities which contribute to the sustainable development, and responsible maintenance, of a peaceful and fulfilling global society.
We have provided information based on the results that JAMSTEC has achieved in producing the pamphlet, and would like to cooperate fully in the future to improve the technical feasibility and implementability of OCEAN SPIRAL.

Return to Shimizu Dreams
Close