Green and environment-friendly deep sea mineral conveying system without tail water being discharged to ocean

Abstract

The invention relates to a green and environment-friendly deep sea mineral conveying system without tail water being discharged to the ocean. The green and environment-friendly deep sea mineral conveying system comprises a tail water circulating system and a mineral conveying system. The tail water circulating system comprises a tail water pump, a tail water pipe and a tail water collecting device; the mineral conveying system comprises an ore pulp pump, a mineral conveying vertical pipe and a relay cabin; one end of the draft tube is connected with the tail water pump, and the other end of the draft tube is connected with the tail water collecting device; the ore pulp pump is connected to the ore conveying vertical pipe in series, the ore conveying vertical pipe is hung on the water surface mining ship in a suspended mode, and the relay cabin is arranged at the tail end of the ore conveying vertical pipe. The relay cabin is connected with the mining vehicle through a hose; the tail water collecting device, the mixing cabin, the ore conveying vertical pipe and the mining ship are sequentially communicated to form a tail water internal circulation path, and no tail water is discharged to the ocean in the ore conveying process. Through fusion design of the tail water discharge pump, the tail water discharge pipe, the tail water collection device and the mineral conveying system, circulation of deep-sea mining tail water in the conveying system is achieved, and the tail water can be prevented from being discharged to the sea.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of deep-sea mining equipment, and in particular to a green and environmentally friendly system for transporting deep-sea minerals (such as polymetallic nodules, sulfides, etc.), specifically a green and environmentally friendly deep-sea mineral transportation system without discharging tail water into the ocean. Background Art

[0002] Mineral conveying systems are the most core, complex, and technically challenging equipment in deep-sea mining operations, making their development extremely challenging. Developed countries in Europe and the United States, benefiting from decades of research, have completed technical exploration of mineral conveying models, feasibility analysis, and sea trials of equipment and systems. These efforts have effectively validated the mineral conveying technology, core conveying system equipment, and the overall system. Pipeline lifting using slurry pumps as the power source has been confirmed as the current mainstream mode of mineral conveying and is progressing towards commercialization.

[0003] Current deep-sea mining mineral delivery systems ( Figure 1 ) is mainly composed of a slurry pump, a ore delivery riser, a relay cabin, and hoses. In the current deep-sea mining operation process, the slurry is lifted to a surface vessel through a mineral delivery system. After the slurry is processed on the surface vessel to obtain ore, the remaining tail water is directly discharged into the ocean after treatment.

[0004] The tailwater produced during deep-sea mining contains large amounts of heavy metals, acidic substances, and toxic and hazardous substances. Direct discharge of these substances into the seawater can cause serious water pollution. For example, tailwater may contain heavy metals such as arsenic, mercury, and cadmium. These heavy metals are highly toxic and cumulative, accumulating in organisms over long periods of time and posing a chronic threat to marine ecosystems. Furthermore, the acidic nature of tailwater can lower the pH of seawater, further exacerbating ocean acidification.

[0005] Tailwater is an inevitable byproduct of deep-sea mining. Its complex composition and significant negative impacts on marine ecosystems are significant. Despite the availability of various technologies for tailwater treatment and management, none can prevent its discharge into the ocean. Effectively mitigating its negative impacts on deep-sea ecosystems remains a currently unresolved issue. This is a key reason why many countries and regions currently impose strict restrictions or bans on deep-sea mining activities, as well as the opposition of international environmental organizations to deep-sea mining.

[0006] Traditional underwater electric pumping systems (e.g., patent document CN117536625A) use a double-tank relay tank and high-pressure water flow to transport minerals. While this system addresses the problem of damage and repair of underwater electric pumps, it does not address tailwater treatment, and mining tailwater is discharged directly into the ocean. Heavy metals (such as arsenic and mercury) and acidic substances contained in tailwater can pollute seawater and damage marine ecosystems. Furthermore, tailwater discharge does not comply with environmental protection requirements, posing serious environmental risks.

[0007] Traditional tailwater utilization and transportation system (such as patent document CN117738668A): This system utilizes tailwater energy through a turbine slurry pump to discharge the tailwater into the deep sea below 1500m. Although it reduces surface pollution, it still discharges tailwater into the ocean and does not fundamentally solve the pollution problem. In addition, tailwater discharge requires additional energy consumption, resulting in energy waste. At the same time, the stability of the turbine drive is greatly affected by the fluctuation of tailwater flow.

[0008] Conventional conveying system: After the slurry is lifted to the mining ship, the tail water is discharged directly into the ocean surface. The toxic and harmful substances it contains cause seawater acidification and bioaccumulative poisoning, which is strongly opposed by environmental organizations and restricts the commercialization of deep-sea mining.

[0009] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a deep-sea mineral transportation system that can completely avoid the discharge of tail water into the ocean and take into account both environmental protection and efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The present invention is to propose a green and environmentally friendly deep-sea mineral transportation system without tailwater discharge into the ocean. The purpose is to address the problem that the by-product tailwater discharged into the ocean during the deep-sea mineral mining process has adverse effects on the marine ecosystem and cannot be effectively solved. Tailwater pumps, tailwater pipes, tailwater collection devices, mixing chambers and other components are arranged in the transportation system to form an internal circulation of tailwater in the transportation system, avoiding the discharge of tailwater into the ocean, thereby fundamentally solving the harm of tailwater to the marine ecosystem.

[0011] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution of the present invention is: a green and environmentally friendly deep-sea mineral transportation system with no tailwater discharged into the ocean, comprising a tailwater circulation system and a mineral transportation system; the tailwater circulation system comprises a tailwater pump, a tailwater pipe, and a tailwater collection device; the mineral transportation system comprises a slurry pump, a ore transport riser, and a relay cabin; a transfer pump, a material cabin, a tailwater collection device, a feeder, and a mixing cabin are arranged inside the relay cabin, the tailwater pump is arranged on a surface mining ship, one end of the tailwater pipe is connected to the tailwater pump, and the other end is connected to the tailwater collection device; the slurry pump is connected in series to the ore transport riser, the ore transport riser is suspended and hoisted on the surface mining ship, and the relay cabin is arranged at the end of the ore transport riser; the relay cabin is connected to the mining vehicle through a hose; the tailwater collection device, the mixing cabin, the ore transport riser, and the mining ship are connected in sequence to form an internal circulation path for tailwater, thereby achieving no tailwater discharge into the ocean during the mineral transportation process.

[0012] Furthermore, the transfer pump is connected to the mining vehicle and the material tank through a hose, and is used to pump the ore mixed with seawater collected by the mining vehicle into the material tank; the bottom of the material tank is connected to a feeder, and the feeder outlet is connected to the mixing tank, which is used to transport ore to the mixing tank.

[0013] Furthermore, the slurry pump sucks upward through the ore delivery riser, and the ore provided by the tailwater mixing feeder discharged from the surface ship in the tailwater collection device is formed into slurry in the mixing chamber and transported to the surface mining ship, forming an internal circulation of the tailwater.

[0014] Furthermore, the tailwater collection device is located in the relay cabin, with the inlet connected to the tailwater pipe and the outlet connected to the mixing cabin. The internal volume and inlet and outlet diameters of the tailwater collection device are determined according to the tailwater discharge volume, the suction capacity of the slurry pump and the feeding speed of the feeder, which can reduce the resistance of the slurry pump to suck the tailwater.

[0015] Furthermore, the internal circulation path of the tail water is specifically as follows: the tail water discharged from the mining ship is pressurized by the tail water pump and transported to the tail water collection device through the tail water pipe; the tail water collection device introduces the tail water into the mixing chamber, and mixes it with the ore transported by the feeder to form slurry; the slurry is lifted to the mining ship by the slurry pump through the ore transport riser, and the tail water generated after ore separation enters the tail water circulation system again to form a closed loop.

[0016] Furthermore, the flow rate of the tailwater pump and the length parameters of the tailwater pipe are determined after dynamic analysis based on the tailwater discharge flow rate, tailwater discharge depth, overall piping system and local structure.

[0017] Furthermore, the structural parameters of the tailwater pump and the inner diameter parameters of the tailwater pipe are determined based on the tailwater pump flow rate and the tailwater pipe length, taking into account the tailwater pipe weight, tailwater pump power consumption, tailwater pipe installation layout, and combined with the tailwater pipe mechanical properties, tailwater pipe joint strength, sea conditions in the sea area and ocean currents, to meet the tailwater discharge requirements.

[0018] Furthermore, the relay cabin determines the volume parameters of the mixing cabin according to the suction capacity of the slurry pump, the efficiency of the mineral conveying system, anti-clogging factors, and the feeding amount and feeding speed of the feeder, and optimizes the feeder and mixing cabin structure and internal flow channels to promote more uniform mixing of ore and tailings water, thereby ensuring efficient and smooth mineral transportation.

[0019] Furthermore, the overall weight and pressure resistance of the relay cabin are designed according to the deployment depth and the ocean current conditions in the sea area where it is located. The buoyancy of seawater balances part of the gravity to ensure stability in the deep sea environment.

[0020] Furthermore, the internal volume and inlet and outlet diameters of the tail water collection device are determined according to the tail water discharge volume, the suction capacity of the slurry pump and the feeding speed of the feeder, which can reduce the resistance of the slurry pump in sucking the tail water.

[0021] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0022] The present invention is a green and environmentally friendly deep-sea mineral transportation system that does not discharge tailwater into the ocean. By integrating the tailwater discharge pump, tailwater discharge pipe, tailwater collection device with the mineral transportation system, the deep-sea mining tailwater can be circulated within the transportation system, thus avoiding the discharge of tailwater into the ocean. This fundamentally solves the adverse effects of tailwater on the deep-sea ecosystem, is conducive to the development of deep-sea mining activities, and also provides a better solution for commercial mining. Specifically:

[0023] 1. Completely solve the problem of tail water pollution: the tail water circulates in a closed loop within the system, and no tail water is discharged into the ocean, avoiding the damage of heavy metals and acidic substances to the marine ecology, and meeting international environmental protection requirements.

[0024] 2. Improve energy utilization: Tailwater does not need to be discharged into the deep sea under additional pressure. Recycling reduces energy waste and reduces the energy consumption burden of mining ships.

[0025] 3. Improve system stability: Optimize the relay cabin structure (such as the mixing cabin flow channel design) and segmented ore transport risers (flexible joints) to adapt to deep-sea currents and the movement of mining ships, reducing the risk of blockage and breakage.

[0026] 4. Promote commercialization: meet the requirements of environmental organizations and international regulations, and provide compliance solutions for the commercial operation of deep-sea mining. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the traditional deep-sea mining mineral delivery system;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the green and environmentally friendly deep-sea mineral transportation system without tail water discharge to the ocean according to the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a partially enlarged view of the green and environmentally friendly deep-sea mineral transportation system of the present invention that does not discharge tail water into the ocean. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The present invention will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0031] like Figure 2As shown, an embodiment of the present invention proposes a green and environmentally friendly deep-sea mineral transportation system without tailwater discharge into the ocean, including a tailwater pump 1, a tailwater pipe 2, a slurry pump 3, a ore transport riser 4, a relay cabin 5, etc., wherein the tailwater pump 1 is arranged on a surface mining ship, the tailwater pipe 2 is connected to the tailwater pump 1, and is suspended and hoisted on the surface mining ship 12 to provide a channel for tailwater discharge; the slurry pump 3 is connected in series to the ore transport riser 4, the relay cabin 5 is arranged at the end of the ore transport riser 4, and the ore transport riser 4 is suspended and hoisted on the surface mining ship 12; the relay cabin 5 is connected to the mining vehicle 13 through a hose 11.

[0032] like Figure 3 As shown, the relay tank is internally arranged with a transfer pump 6, a material tank 7, a tailwater collection device 8, a feeder 9, and a mixing tank 10. The relay tank 5 is connected to the mining vehicle via a hose. The transfer pump 6 pumps the ore mixed with seawater from the mining vehicle into the material tank 7 through the hose. The feeder 9 connected to the material tank 7 feeds ore into the mixing tank 10. The slurry pump 3 pumps upward through the ore delivery riser 4, mixing the tailwater discharged from the surface ship in the tailwater collection device 8 with the ore provided by the feeder 9 to form a slurry in the mixing tank 10 and transport it to the surface mining vessel, forming an internal circulation of the tailwater.

[0033] like Figure 2 As shown, an environmentally friendly green deep-sea mineral transportation system without tailwater discharge into the ocean is composed of a slurry pump 3 and a ore transport riser 4. The main parameters and layout of the slurry pump are designed and determined based on factors such as the ore transport capacity requirements, mining depth, slurry concentration, mineral particle size, and transport length, combined with the composition of the long-distance pump-pipe system, the material of the hard pipe, the connection method between the hard pipe and the hard pipe and the pump, and the analysis of the mechanical properties of the hard pipe, the strength of the hard pipe joint, and the structural dynamics of the pump-pipe system, to provide power and channels for the transportation system.

[0034] like Figure 2As shown, the tailwater pump 1 and the tailwater pipe 2 are located between the mining ship and the relay cabin. The main function of the tailwater pump 1 is to provide power for tailwater discharge, and the flow rate of the tailwater pump 1 is determined according to the tailwater discharge flow rate; the function of the tailwater pipe 2 is to provide a channel for tailwater discharge, and the underwater arrangement length of the tailwater pipe is determined according to the tailwater discharge depth; the tailwater pump 1 and the tailwater pipe 2 are designed based on the tailwater discharge volume and the tailwater pipe length. During the design process, under the premise of the same tailwater discharge volume and tailwater pipe length, if the overall weight of the tailwater pipe 2 needs to be reduced, the diameter of the tailwater pipe 2 needs to be smaller, and the corresponding pipeline resistance will increase. In this case, a tailwater pump 1 with a larger head needs to be configured, which increases the power consumption of the tailwater pump 1 and increases the power supply burden of the surface ship. If the power supply burden of the surface ship needs to be reduced, the diameter of the tailwater pipe 2 needs to be increased to reduce the pipeline resistance, so that a tailwater pump 1 with a smaller head can be configured to reduce power consumption, but the overall weight of the tailwater pipe will increase, making the installation and layout of the tailwater pipe more difficult. Therefore, taking various factors into comprehensive consideration, the optimal tailwater pipe inner diameter is selected to reduce the resource demand of the tailwater pump and tailwater pipe on the mining ship.

[0035] like Figure 3 As shown, the relay cabin 5 is located at the bottom of the ore conveying riser 4. Taking into account the suction capacity of the slurry pump 3, the efficiency of the mineral conveying system, anti-clogging requirements, and the feeding amount and feeding speed of the feeder, the parameters such as the volume of the mixing cabin 10 are determined to ensure that the volume concentration of the ore is maintained at an appropriate value during the process of ore and tailings forming slurry; and combined with the overall relay cabin layout plan, through the calculation and analysis of the two-phase flow inside the mixing cabin 10, the internal flow channel is optimized (such as the internal design is trapezoidal, elliptical, etc.) and the overall structure is optimized, so as to promote more uniform mixing of ore and tailings, thereby ensuring efficient and smooth mineral transportation, and reasonably arranged in the relay cabin 5.

[0036] like Figure 2 As shown, the tailwater collection device 8 is located between the tailwater pipe and the mixing chamber and is designed based on the tailwater discharge volume, the suction capacity of the slurry pump 3, the feeding volume and feeding speed of the feeder 9, etc. The main design considerations are the internal volume (size) and the inlet and outlet diameters of the tailwater collection device 8. Among them, the key consideration is the size of the inlet and outlet diameters. Selecting a suitable diameter size can reduce the resistance of the slurry pump 3 to suction the tailwater and save the resources required by the slurry pump 3.

[0037] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the present invention in any form. Any person skilled in the art can use the above disclosed technical content to make many possible changes and modifications to the technical solution of the present invention without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention, or modify it into an equivalent embodiment with equivalent changes. Therefore, any simple modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiment based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention should fall within the scope of protection of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A green and environmentally friendly deep-sea mineral transportation system without tailwater discharge into the ocean, characterized by: It includes a tailwater circulation system and a mineral transportation system; the tailwater circulation system includes a tailwater pump, a tailwater pipe, and a tailwater collecting device; the mineral transportation system includes a slurry pump, an ore transport riser, and a relay cabin; the relay cabin is internally arranged with a transfer pump, a material cabin, a tailwater collecting device, a feeder, and a mixing cabin, the tailwater pump is arranged on a surface mining ship, one end of the tailwater pipe is connected to the tailwater pump, and the other end is connected to the tailwater collecting device; the slurry pump is connected in series to the ore transport riser, the ore transport riser is suspended on the surface mining ship, and the relay cabin is arranged at the end of the ore transport riser; the relay cabin is connected to the mining vehicle through a hose; the tailwater collecting device, the mixing cabin, the ore transport riser, and the mining ship are connected in sequence to form an internal circulation path for the tailwater, so that no tailwater is discharged to the ocean during the mineral transportation process.

2. The green and environmentally friendly deep-sea mineral transportation system without tailwater discharge to the ocean according to claim 1 is characterized by: The transfer pump is connected to the mining vehicle and the material cabin through a hose, and is used to pump the ore mixed with seawater collected by the mining vehicle into the material cabin; the bottom of the material cabin is connected to a feeder, and the feeder outlet is connected to the mixing cabin, which is used to transport ore to the mixing cabin.

3. The green and environmentally friendly deep-sea mineral transportation system without tailwater discharge to the ocean according to claim 1 is characterized by: The slurry pump sucks upward through the ore delivery riser, and the ore provided by the tailwater mixing feeder discharged from the surface ship in the tailwater collection device is formed into slurry in the mixing chamber and transported to the surface mining ship, forming an internal circulation of the tailwater.

4. The green and environmentally friendly deep-sea mineral transportation system without tailwater discharge to the ocean according to claim 1 is characterized by: The tailwater collection device is located in the relay cabin, with the inlet connected to the tailwater pipe and the outlet connected to the mixing cabin. The internal volume and inlet and outlet diameters of the tailwater collection device are determined according to the tailwater discharge volume, the suction capacity of the slurry pump and the feeding speed of the feeder, which can reduce the resistance of the slurry pump to sucking the tailwater.

5. The green and environmentally friendly deep-sea mineral transportation system without tailwater discharge to the ocean according to claim 1 is characterized by: The tailwater internal circulation path is specifically as follows: the tailwater discharged from the mining ship is pressurized by the tailwater pump and then transported to the tailwater collection device through the tailwater pipe; the tailwater collection device introduces the tailwater into the mixing chamber, where it is mixed with the ore transported by the feeder to form slurry; the slurry is lifted to the mining ship by the slurry pump through the ore transport riser, and the tailwater generated after ore separation enters the tailwater circulation system again, forming a closed loop.

6. The green and environmentally friendly deep-sea mineral transportation system without tailwater discharge to the ocean according to claim 1 is characterized by: The flow rate of the tailwater pump and the length parameters of the tailwater pipe are determined after dynamic analysis based on the tailwater discharge flow rate, tailwater discharge depth, overall pipe system and local structure.

7. The green and environmentally friendly deep-sea mineral transportation system without tailwater discharge to the ocean according to claim 1 is characterized by: The structural parameters of the tailwater pump and the inner diameter parameters of the tailwater pipe are determined based on the tailwater pump flow rate and the tailwater pipe length, taking into account the tailwater pipe weight, tailwater pump power consumption, tailwater pipe installation layout, and combined with the tailwater pipe mechanical properties, tailwater pipe joint strength, sea conditions in the sea area and ocean currents, to meet the tailwater discharge requirements.

8. The green and environmentally friendly deep-sea mineral transportation system without tailwater discharge to the ocean according to claim 1 is characterized by: The relay cabin determines the volume parameters of the mixing cabin according to the suction capacity of the slurry pump, the efficiency of the mineral conveying system, anti-clogging factors, and the feeding amount and feeding speed of the feeder, and optimizes the structure and internal flow channel of the feeder and mixing cabin to promote more uniform mixing of ore and tailings water, thereby ensuring efficient and smooth mineral transportation.

9. The green and environmentally friendly deep-sea mineral transportation system without tailwater discharge to the ocean according to claim 1 is characterized by: The overall weight and pressure resistance of the relay cabin are designed according to the deployment depth and the ocean current conditions in the sea area where it is located. The buoyancy of seawater is used to balance part of the gravity to ensure stability in the deep sea environment.

10. The green and environmentally friendly deep-sea mineral transportation system without tailwater discharge to the ocean according to claim 1, characterized in that: The internal volume and inlet and outlet diameters of the tail water collection device are determined according to the tail water discharge volume, the suction capacity of the slurry pump and the feeding speed of the feeder, which can reduce the resistance of the slurry pump to suck the tail water.

Images