Unmanned transportation system for lifting deep sea minerals

Abstract

The invention discloses a deep sea mineral lifting unmanned transportation system. According to the system, an unmanned carrier-intelligent execution-elastic scheduling framework is constructed, and the system comprises four modules including unmanned carrying equipment, a communication network system, a scheduling control center and a support safeguard system. The unmanned carrying equipment realizes mineral transportation based on buoyancy driving; the communication network adopts a layered redundant architecture of underwater sound OFDM and a laser emergency link, and high-reliability communication and centimeter-level positioning are guaranteed; the scheduling control center improves the operation efficiency through intelligent task allocation and trajectory planning; the support and guarantee system integrates energy management, digital twin monitoring and emergency response mechanisms. The operation process adopts a mode of mainly unmanned autonomous and assisted by remote monitoring, and the links of ballast diving, acousto-optic docking, buoyancy regulation and control, mother ship dynamic unloading and the like are covered. The deep-sea mineral lifting efficiency, maneuverability and reliability are remarkably improved, and core technical support is provided for deep-sea resource development.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of deep-sea mineral mining and transportation, and in particular to an unmanned deep-sea mineral lifting and transportation system. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, deep-sea mining technology has been rapidly evolving, and the international competitive landscape has undergone profound changes. Belgium's GSR completed sea trials of a 4,500-meter-deep-sea mining vehicle, while South Korea's KIOST achieved a hydraulic lifting system with a transport efficiency of 80 tons per hour at 1,200 meters. The International Seabed Authority (ISA) plans to issue deep-sea mining regulations by 2025, and the United States, Japan, and Europe are accelerating applications for mining areas outside their exclusive economic zones. my country's Jiaolong and Fendouzhe submersibles have achieved breakthroughs in 10,000-meter exploration, and the Kaituo-2 mining vehicle has completed verification in complex terrain at 4,000 meters. However, traditional deep-sea transportation methods face significant bottlenecks. The most popular pipeline lifting system currently has an energy efficiency of less than 6%, mining costs are three times higher than onshore, and full-process autonomous control technology is lacking.

[0003] Against this backdrop, the unmanned transportation system for deep-sea mineral lifting has emerged, driven by the imperative of digital transformation. By building an unmanned transportation system combining "unmanned vehicles, intelligent execution, and flexible scheduling," it aims to improve deep-sea mineral extraction efficiency and reduce operating costs, providing core support for my country's efforts to seize the commanding heights of deep-sea resource development. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the common problems of low efficiency, poor operability and susceptibility to water flow in the existing technology, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an unmanned transportation system for deep-sea mineral lifting.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0006] The present invention provides an unmanned deep-sea mineral lifting and transportation system, which mainly consists of four modules: unmanned transport equipment, communication network system, dispatching control center, and support and guarantee system. The system uses the four modules to collaboratively realize a hybrid control mode of "unmanned autonomous operation as the main function and remote monitoring and emergency takeover as the auxiliary function". The overall framework is as follows: Figure 1 As shown:

[0007] Unmanned transport equipment realizes the transportation of deep-sea minerals from the seabed to the sea surface, mainly including vehicles, transport units (container type), mining equipment docking devices, mother ship docking devices, etc., including all devices or equipment involved in the process of transporting minerals from underwater transport base stations to the mother ship.

[0008] The communication network system ensures the communication systems and equipment between underwater unmanned carriers and surface mother ships (dispatching and control centers), and underwater unmanned carriers. It mainly includes networking systems and equipment such as vehicle positioning, underwater communication base stations, beacons, control stations, and communication network software.

[0009] The dispatching and control center implements vehicle task allocation and management, navigation decision-making and trajectory planning system, docking and loading and unloading control system, support and guarantee system control, etc. according to the operation mode and process and actual transportation conditions, such as the number of vehicles put into use, navigation speed, and single carrying capacity. It mainly includes dispatching control software, surface control station and other equipment and systems.

[0010] Support and guarantee the normal operation of the system, mainly including the vehicle's energy supply, system-wide status monitoring and evaluation, system-wide intelligent operation and maintenance management, emergency response and accident handling robots and other equipment and systems.

[0011] The functional framework of the above deep-sea mineral lifting unmanned transportation system ( Figure 2 )as follows:

[0012] Unmanned transport equipment controls the navigation of the vehicle, completes the loading and unloading of minerals, docks with underwater base stations and mother ships, and makes the vehicle ascend and descend through buoyancy adjustment;

[0013] The communication network system realizes the positioning of underwater unmanned vehicles, and highly reliable communication and high-precision positioning between them and the surface mother ship (dispatching control center), underwater base stations, and beacons;

[0014] The dispatching and control center realizes vehicle task allocation and management, adjusts vehicle navigation strategies, plans vehicle navigation trajectories, environmental perception and collision avoidance, emergency takeover and support and guarantee control, etc., to achieve efficient transportation of deep-sea resources.

[0015] The support and guarantee system monitors and predicts the status of the entire system, promptly detects dangerous situations, and quickly issues warnings to prevent accidents, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the system.

[0016] The deep-sea mineral lifting unmanned transportation system of the present invention adopts a hybrid control mode of "unmanned autonomous operation as the main mode and remote monitoring emergency takeover as the auxiliary mode". Figure 3 ) can be summarized into the following steps:

[0017] (1) Ballasted descent and layered speed regulation: The unmanned vehicle actively increases its weight through the ballast system and adjusts its descent rate in stages through a layered speed control algorithm, ultimately accurately positioning itself at the deep-sea mining base station operating area.

[0018] (2) Acoustic and optical coordinated precise docking: Relying on the acoustic beacon long-distance positioning guidance and the optical short-distance precise guidance system, the vehicle and the underwater base station complete centimeter-level precision docking, and achieve rigid connection through a mechanical locking mechanism to ensure the stability of the mineral loading process.

[0019] (3) Buoyancy control and controlled ascent: After loading is completed, the vehicle activates the drainage system to generate positive buoyancy, adopts a layered speed control strategy to avoid shallow turbulence disturbances, and ascends to the near-water surface area in a gradual acceleration mode.

[0020] (4) Dynamic docking and unloading with the mother ship: The carrier and the mother ship deck guidance device cooperate to complete the dynamic docking under wave compensation. After the minerals are unloaded through the closed transmission system, the carrier is separated from the mother ship and the ballast state is reset to enter the next operation cycle.

[0021] Furthermore, the main system design and functional implementation of the present invention are as follows:

[0022] The unmanned vehicle: The unmanned vehicle is designed as follows Figure 4 As shown in the figure, the vehicle primarily moves vertically, driven by buoyancy, with weak positive buoyancy for ascent and weak negative buoyancy for descent. Buoyancy-driven operation minimizes energy consumption, allowing it to safely float on the sea surface with zero energy consumption. Ballast water regulates net buoyancy, while vectored thrust provides horizontal maneuverability. Limited by the availability of large-displacement seawater pumps, drainage pumps are economical and reliable for low to medium water depths (1,000 meters / maximum depth of the submarine). Customized ultra-high-pressure drainage pumps are required for greater water depths.

[0023] The communication network system is designed to build a deep-sea communication network subsystem based on underwater acoustic orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) technology and laser emergency links, to achieve high-reliability communication and high-precision positioning between 25 underwater unmanned vehicles (UUVs) and control stations, base stations, and beacons at a water depth of 8 km. The subsystem core uses OFDM technology to achieve long-distance, high-reliability communication, while integrating laser emergency links to ensure ultra-low latency data interaction. The system adopts a "layered collaboration, dual-link redundancy" architecture, such as Figure 5 shown.

[0024] Communication network system workflow:

[0025] Backbone communication layer: Based on underwater acoustic OFDM technology, it covers full-depth communication and supports multi-node access and data relay.

[0026] Emergency link layer: Blue-green laser communication is supplemented to provide ultra-low latency channels in local high-priority scenarios (such as obstacle avoidance instructions and emergency positioning).

[0027] Positioning and navigation layer: Integrates underwater acoustic ranging, inertial navigation system (INS) and acoustic beacon network to achieve three-dimensional dynamic positioning.

[0028] Network management platform: The control station serves as the core node, dynamically allocating communication resources, monitoring node status, and optimizing routing.

[0029] The operation workflow of the communication network system is as follows:

[0030] (1) The UUV periodically reports status data to the base station or control station via the underwater acoustic link;

[0031] (2) The control station broadcasts commands via OFDM or sends emergency commands via laser links;

[0032] (3) The beacon network provides a positioning reference, which is combined with the UUV's built-in sensors to achieve real-time position correction;

[0033] (4) Automatically switch to laser link or relay mode when network anomalies occur to ensure communication continuity.

[0034] Furthermore, the underwater three-dimensional communication network system consists of four major functional modules: Figure 6 As shown:

[0035] (1) Underwater communication network:

[0036] Underwater acoustic base station: deployed at key nodes on the seabed, equipped with an OFDM modem, supporting multipath signal processing within an 8km range;

[0037] Mobile relay nodes: Build dynamic routing based on unmanned vehicles (UUVs) to expand communication coverage;

[0038] Buoy system: The surface buoy serves as a gateway for hydroacoustic and satellite communications, enabling data interaction between the underwater system and the mother ship.

[0039] Environmental monitoring sensor system: collects water temperature, salinity, and flow rate data in real time to optimize channel models.

[0040] (2) High-precision positioning system:

[0041] Underwater acoustic beacon array: uses the Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) algorithm combined with pre-placed beacons on the seabed to achieve centimeter-level positioning;

[0042] Geomagnetic matching module: Assists in correcting underwater acoustic positioning errors and improves navigation accuracy.

[0043] (3) Laser emergency link:

[0044] Laser communication terminal: equipped with a blue-green laser transmitter, it can achieve high-speed communication of more than 1Gbps within a range of 100m;

[0045] Dual-mode communication emergency switching: supports dual-mode communication switching and autonomous routing decisions.

[0046] (4) Control and management platform:

[0047] Cluster control system: real-time monitoring of node status and dynamic adjustment of network resource allocation;

[0048] Data processing center: integrates multi-source data to support mission planning and collaborative decision-making.

[0049] The Dispatching Control Center serves as the command and decision-making hub for the deep-sea mineral lifting unmanned transportation system, encompassing modules such as vehicle dispatching and control, navigation decision-making and trajectory planning, and vehicle docking and loading / unloading control. The Dispatching Control Center's primary functions include vehicle task allocation and management, navigation decision-making and trajectory planning, docking and loading / unloading control, and support system control, all aimed at improving deep-sea mining efficiency and safety, and enabling efficient extraction and transportation of deep-sea resources. The operational workflow for each module is as follows:

[0050] (1) Vehicle task allocation and management: Determine the number of vehicles involved in the transportation, navigation speed, single carrying capacity, etc., and realize the allocation and management of multiple unmanned vehicle transportation tasks; Vehicle task allocation and management, dynamically schedule the number of vehicles, navigation speed, single carrying capacity, etc. according to the operation mode and process of the deep-sea mineral lifting unmanned transportation system and the actual transportation situation, complete task allocation and coordination among multiple vehicles, and ensure the system's work efficiency.

[0051] (2) Navigation decision-making and trajectory planning: adjust the vehicle navigation strategy in real time, plan the navigation path, collision avoidance between multiple vehicles and docking devices, etc.; Navigation decision-making and trajectory planning, adjust the navigation strategy in real time according to the vehicle position and navigation environment, plan the ship's navigation trajectory, and realize environmental perception and collision avoidance.

[0052] (3) Docking and loading / unloading control: realize the docking control between the vehicle and the underwater base station and the mother ship, as well as the loading and unloading operation process control; docking and loading / unloading control, use sound and light guidance to realize the docking of the vehicle with the underwater base station and the mother ship, optimize the efficiency of mineral loading and unloading, and improve the stability of operation.

[0053] (4) Supporting system control: realizing system status monitoring and emergency control, vehicle takeover in emergency, dispatch of rescue robots, etc. Supporting system control, through system status monitoring, realizing vehicle takeover in emergency, emergency response control, dispatch of rescue robots, etc.

[0054] The support and assurance system includes:

[0055] (1) Energy supply system

[0056] The energy supply system should meet the high energy consumption requirements of deep-sea mining, taking into account both economic and environmental requirements, and provide a solid energy foundation for long-term deep-sea operations. Current underwater unmanned vehicles use lithium polymer batteries and lithium-ion batteries, but there are major energy density limitations (lithium secondary battery specific energy ≤ 350Wh / kg), resulting in short endurance (usually 10-40 hours). Fuel cells provide high energy density and long endurance, suitable for long-term deep-sea missions, but there are challenges in fuel supply and storage. Nuclear power can be used as a long-term and stable energy source, suitable for long-term deep-sea operations. For example, Russia's "Poseidon" uses nuclear power and has a range of over 10,000 kilometers, but the technology is complex and the cost is high.

[0057] Develop an energy management module for unmanned transport systems. Through dynamic task allocation and intelligent route planning, this reduces recovery frequency and improves the efficiency of coordinated charging for multiple underwater unmanned vehicles. Build a battery management module that monitors battery voltage, temperature, and charge / discharge status in real time to prevent overcharging / overdischarging and extend battery life.

[0058] The core function of the energy supply system is to provide a continuous and stable power supply for the deep-sea mineral lifting unmanned transportation system, ensuring mining operations, dynamic positioning, equipment operation and emergency needs.

[0059] (2) Condition monitoring and reliability assessment system

[0060] Build a multi-source data fusion platform, deploy and integrate multiple sensors (such as acoustics, optics, and inertial navigation), monitor the operating and environmental parameters of the unmanned transportation system in real time, and integrate multi-source data to build a multi-source data fusion monitoring system to improve monitoring accuracy and reliability. Conduct a reliability assessment of the underwater mining unmanned transportation system, including key indicators such as propulsion system reliability, energy system stability, navigation and positioning accuracy, structural integrity, communication reliability, and environmental adaptability. Build a dynamic reliability model for the transportation system to evaluate the system's reliability under different operating conditions. Combined with the impact of the marine environment and historical data, establish a state transition model for the system to predict the failure probability and remaining life of the equipment in real time.

[0061] The core function of the condition monitoring and reliability assessment system is to monitor the condition of the transportation system through real-time collection and analysis of multi-source data, and accurately identify system failures in combination with artificial intelligence technology; through dynamic reliability modeling technology, it can evaluate the current system reliability in real time and predict the failure probability of equipment.

[0062] (3) Intelligent operation and maintenance system

[0063] Utilize digital twin technology to establish a virtual simulation system for unmanned transportation systems in deep-sea mining. Leverage historical data and real-time monitoring information to proactively identify potential failure modes. Combined with artificial intelligence, this system enables self-diagnosis of faults, predicts the remaining life of equipment, and conducts predictive maintenance and optimizes maintenance strategies. Establish a remote monitoring center, receiving real-time data via satellite or underwater acoustic communication, to enable remote, real-time monitoring of the transportation system and status alerts. Develop an AR remote guidance system to support expert online diagnosis and maintenance solution delivery.

[0064] The core function of the intelligent operation and maintenance system is to use digital twin technology to deduce the system status in real time, realize early warning of faults and prediction of the remaining life of the system, support expert online diagnosis and push of maintenance solutions, ensure the rapid identification, location and timely response of faults, and guarantee operational safety in extreme environments.

[0065] (4) Dangerous situation emergency and accident handling system

[0066] The safety and emergency response subsystem is designed for emergencies and extreme scenarios. It utilizes security equipment to respond to emergencies and implements rescue and evacuation operations on the surface, underwater, and on the seabed. This subsystem includes functional modules for safety status monitoring, risk control, and emergency decision-making. It shares a visual data base with the dispatch control system through a digital twin system, reserves independent control channels for emergency equipment, and establishes emergency mooring facilities on the seabed.

[0067] Underwater three-dimensional traffic status monitoring based on a digital twin system covers four aspects: vehicle status (position, attitude, energy, and load), environmental status (hydrology, topography, and meteorology), system operation (communication, equipment health, and mission progress), and emergency risks (failures, environmental changes, and collisions). Through real-time data acquisition (sensors / communication networks), three-dimensional dynamic modeling (physical + data-driven models), and AI state analysis and prediction (anomaly detection and fault warnings), the digital twin system ultimately generates optimized decisions and provides closed-loop feedback to the physical system, achieving a complete intelligent management closed loop from monitoring to control. The system significantly improves the safety and efficiency of deep-sea operations.

[0068] The emergency decision-making system enables intelligent management of the entire deep-sea rescue process. The system creates a virtual twin environment through real-time data fusion, employs AI algorithms to simulate and deduce failure scenarios, and automatically generates the optimal rescue plan. For rescue submersible control, it supports both autonomous decision-making and human-machine collaboration to ensure precise command execution. Search path planning utilizes a reinforcement learning algorithm to dynamically optimize search paths and enable multi-submersible collaborative operations. During the capture phase, feasibility of options such as robotic gripping and cable towing are assessed, while real-time monitoring of mechanical conditions ensures safe recovery. This system provides reliable intelligent emergency response support for deep-sea operations.

[0069] Core functions of the emergency response and accident handling system:

[0070] ① Safety Status Monitoring: Real-time monitoring technology is used to ensure operational safety and efficiency for unmanned vehicles. Multiple sensors track parameters such as speed, direction, attitude, and remaining energy, and analyze acceleration and angular velocity to determine device status. The system also monitors the stability of connections between the vehicle and other units, as well as surface and underwater environmental parameters such as water temperature and pressure. Communication base stations and beacons are used to obtain information to assess and address potential risks. In underwater mining, in addition to monitoring mining progress and equipment status, the system also monitors the reserves, temperature, and pressure of mineral storage facilities. If an anomaly is detected, such as speed fluctuations or environmental parameter violations, the system immediately issues an alarm and takes action to ensure safe and stable operations.

[0071] ② Risk Control: Ensuring safety and efficiency in deep-sea mining operations relies not only on precise control of routine operations but also on identifying risks in unusual scenarios, detecting system anomalies, and sensing adverse operating conditions. By analyzing historical data and real-time monitoring information and leveraging machine learning to build risk models, we can promptly identify potential risks such as earthquakes and tsunamis. When abnormal seabed seismic activity is detected, its impact on operations is rapidly assessed. Simultaneously, we continuously monitor the operating status of systems such as communication networks and dispatch control centers, enabling rapid detection of communication interruptions and equipment failures. When necessary, we switch to backup communication channels to ensure continuous information transmission. For adverse conditions such as severe sea conditions, complex terrain, and equipment failures, sensors on vehicles and equipment capture real-time data to assess the safety of the operating environment. Once a problem is detected, such as encountering a seabed obstacle or equipment failure, the system immediately adjusts its strategy to avoid an incident and ensure safe operations.

[0072] ③ Emergency Decision-Making: Ensuring safety and efficiency in deep-sea operations relies on the rational deployment and scheduling of emergency submersibles, enhancing autonomous emergency response capabilities, and establishing a submarine emergency mooring and operational recovery mechanism. First, deploy multifunctional emergency submersibles based on risk assessment results and rapidly mobilize them to respond to emergencies and minimize losses. Second, leverage artificial intelligence and automation technologies to enhance the autonomous navigation, obstacle avoidance, and decision-making capabilities of emergency submersibles, increasing their flexibility in responding to emergencies. Finally, establish submarine emergency mooring facilities to provide a safe haven for equipment and develop an effective operational recovery strategy, including repairing damaged equipment and rescheduling operations, to quickly restore normal operations.

[0073] In view of the impact scope of the emergency and the implementation area of ​​emergency response, the operation methods of the above-mentioned safety emergency subsystem include surface, underwater and seabed emergency response.

[0074] Surface Emergency Control: The Surface Emergency Control Center is crucial to ensuring the safety of deep-sea operations, enabling rapid response and management of emergencies both on and underwater. It maintains contact with unmanned vehicles through advanced communications networks, ensuring timely and accurate information transmission, enabling efficient coordination of emergency response resources such as rescue vessels and helicopters. The Emergency Control Center leverages real-time data analysis to rapidly formulate response strategies and monitors environmental factors such as weather and water currents for early warning. As the management center for emergency resources, it ensures that all resources are on standby at all times, ensuring a swift response to any emergency and ensuring the safety and stability of deep-sea operations.

[0075] Underwater emergency control: Real-time monitoring and control of unmanned vehicles and emergency submersibles are achieved through underwater communication base stations and control stations. In the event of an accident, the system can respond quickly and adjust the operating status of the equipment by sending instructions. When problems such as mechanical failure or insufficient power are detected, the control center can remotely command the equipment to stop operating and guide it to a safe area. If the environment is abnormal (such as an earthquake or changes in water flow), the operating parameters are adjusted immediately to avoid risks. The emergency submersible is equipped with multiple functions, such as rescue, maintenance, and environmental monitoring. After receiving instructions, it can autonomously navigate to perform specific tasks, such as repairing faults or environmental assessments. With the help of advanced navigation technology, obstacle avoidance mechanisms, and decision support systems, the emergency submersible can independently complete tasks even in complex environments, ensuring the safety and efficiency of deep-sea operations.

[0076] Subsea emergency control: Establishing an emergency control node on the seabed is a key measure to improve the safety of deep-sea operations. It is specifically used for emergency control of subsea equipment and facilities. When an accident such as equipment failure or sudden environmental change occurs, the node can respond quickly and perform emergency shutdown or protection operations to prevent the accident from escalating. For example, when an increase in seismic activity or an abnormal increase in equipment temperature is detected, the emergency control node can remotely control the relevant equipment to stop operating and initiate a protection program to prevent the situation from worsening, which helps to reduce losses and ensure the safety of subsequent repair work. In addition, by integrating a digital twin system, the emergency control node can simulate the development trend of subsea accidents in real time. Using physical models, sensor data and operation history, the digital twin system achieves accurate virtual mapping of the subsea environment and equipment, helping to predict the direction of accident development and the scope of impact.

[0077] The technical principles of the present invention are as follows:

[0078] The present invention realizes unmanned transportation of deep-sea minerals through the collaboration of four core modules:

[0079] 1. Unmanned transport equipment: Based on the buoyancy drive principle, the net buoyancy is adjusted by ballast water to achieve vertical movement (weak positive buoyancy for floating, weak negative buoyancy for diving), and the vector thruster provides horizontal maneuverability. Conventional drainage pumps are used for medium and low water depths (≤1000 meters), and customized ultra-high pressure drainage pumps are used for deep water depths. The containerized transport unit supports standardized loading and unloading, and the docking device of the mining equipment and the mother ship realizes full-process mechanical locking (see Figure 1 、 Figure 4 ).

[0080] 2. Communication network system: Adopting a layered redundant architecture of "underwater acoustic OFDM + laser emergency link". The backbone layer uses underwater acoustic OFDM technology to achieve multi-node communication and relay within a water depth of 8km. The emergency layer uses blue-green laser (1Gbps rate within 100 meters) to ensure low-latency command transmission; the positioning layer integrates underwater acoustic ranging, inertial navigation (INS) and acoustic beacon network to achieve centimeter-level three-dimensional dynamic positioning (see Figure 5 、 Figure 6 ).

[0081] 3. Dispatching Control Center: Intelligent algorithms are used to achieve multi-vehicle task allocation, trajectory planning, and dynamic collision avoidance. The operation process adopts a "layered speed control + acoustic and optical coordinated docking" strategy: the speed is adjusted in stages during the dive and ascent phases to avoid turbulence, and during docking, acoustic beacons are used for long-distance guidance and optical cameras for close-range calibration to achieve centimeter-level accuracy (see Figure 3 、 Figure 7 ).

[0082] 4. Support and guarantee system: Integrate multi-mode energy supply (lithium polymer battery / fuel cell / nuclear power), digital twin monitoring and three-level emergency response mechanism. The digital twin system integrates multi-source sensor data to evaluate equipment reliability and predict remaining life in real time; the three-level emergency nodes of surface-underwater-seabed support autonomous navigation and coordinated rescue of submersibles (see Figure 9 、 Figure 11 ).

[0083] The advantages and beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: improving the efficiency, maneuverability and reliability of deep-sea mineral transportation, specifically as follows:

[0084] 1. Significantly improved transportation efficiency: The buoyancy-driven mode achieves zero-energy sea surface suspension, which is greatly reduced compared to traditional pipeline lifting systems; intelligent energy consumption scheduling and standardized container loading technology shorten the single operation cycle time, and the mineral transportation efficiency is increased several times.

[0085] 2. Mobility and reliability: The layered communication architecture ensures communication reliability, and centimeter-level positioning accuracy ensures docking success in complex sea conditions; digital twins and AI predictive maintenance will greatly reduce equipment failure rates, and the three-level emergency response mechanism can initiate rescue within minutes.

[0086] 3. Significant cost reduction and environmental benefits: Unmanned operations throughout the entire process reduce manual intervention and reduce mining costs to land-based levels; the application of nuclear power and fuel cells achieves low carbon emissions, and the closed transportation system avoids mineral leakage pollution. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0087] Figure 1 : Overall framework of deep-sea mineral lifting unmanned transportation system;

[0088] Figure 2 : Functional framework of deep-sea mineral lifting unmanned transportation system;

[0089] Figure 3 : Operation process of deep-sea mineral lifting unmanned transportation system;

[0090] Figure 4 : Buoyancy-driven unmanned transport equipment;

[0091] Figure 5 :Communication network system diagram;

[0092] Figure 6 :Communication network system composition;

[0093] Figure 7 : Composition of the dispatching control center system;

[0094] Figure 8 : Functional architecture of dispatching control center;

[0095] Figure 9 :Support and guarantee system composition;

[0096] Figure 10 : Safety emergency subsystem composition;

[0097] Figure 11 : Functional architecture of safety emergency subsystem.

[0098] In the figure: ① Mining vehicle; ② Mineral pipeline transportation and power transmission; ③ Underwater base station for deep-sea mining; ④ Underwater docking: acoustic and optical guidance; ⑤ Bulk cargo loading / container-based load transfer; ⑥ Base station power supply and signal transmission; ⑦ Layered speed control; ⑧ Ocean currents; ⑨ Underwater unmanned transport vehicle ballasted diving and drainage surfacing; ⑩ Acoustic communication; There are two candidate solutions for surface docking: underwater docking mechanism of mother ship and underwater separation and surfacing; surface mother ship; Three-dimensional traffic control; Vector thrust; ballast diving; Empty and float; mineral; ballast water; Ballast tank air; Surface Gateway; underwater acoustic communications; Laser communications; Underwater three-dimensional communication network; Satellite network. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0099] The technical solution of the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0100] Example 1: Efficient transportation of deep-sea minerals in low- to medium-depth areas

[0101] Application scenario: In conventional deep-sea mining areas with water depths ≤ 1,000 meters, unmanned vehicles perform mineral transportation tasks from seabed base stations to surface mother ships, verifying the collaborative operation capabilities of unmanned transportation equipment and communication network systems.

[0102] The buoyancy drive mechanism of the unmanned transport equipment in this embodiment:

[0103] Vertical movement is achieved by using a weak positive buoyancy for upward movement and a weak negative buoyancy for downward movement, and adjusting the net buoyancy by injecting or discharging seawater from the ballast tank (see Figure 4 The "ballast diving / drainage buoyancy" structure). Conventional drainage pumps are used in low- to medium-depth scenarios. For example, at a depth of 1,000 meters, seawater is pumped in to create a weak negative buoyancy state (where gravity is slightly greater than buoyancy), allowing the vehicle to sink at a controllable rate.

[0104] Horizontal maneuverability: vector thruster (see Figure 4 The "vector thrust" module in the submarine provides lateral power, which can avoid obstacles in complex seabed terrain, such as bypassing seabed mountains or gullies.

[0105] Standardized loading unit: containerized transport unit (see Figure 1 The "box-type loading" in the mining equipment docking device supports rapid loading and unloading, and the mining equipment docking device is rigidly connected to the seabed base station through a mechanical locking mechanism (see Figure 3 "Mechanical locking mechanism" in the loading process to ensure stable and leak-free mineral loading.

[0106] The hierarchical redundant architecture of the communication network includes:

[0107] Backbone communication layer: underwater acoustic base station (see Figure 6 The "submarine base station" is deployed at key nodes on the seabed and uses OFDM orthogonal frequency division multiplexing technology to achieve multi-node communication and data relay for 25 unmanned vehicles (UUVs) within a range of 8 kilometers, transmitting vehicle depth, speed and other status data to the dispatching control center in real time (see Figure 1 (“Dispatch Control Center” in the document).

[0108] Emergency link layer: blue-green laser communication terminal (see Figure 6 The "laser communication terminal" provides high-speed communication of more than 1Gbps within a close distance of 100 meters. It serves as a backup channel to ensure low-latency transmission of docking commands and avoid control delays caused by underwater acoustic signal attenuation.

[0109] Positioning and navigation layer: Fusion of underwater acoustic ranging (see Figure 6 "Acoustic Beacon Array"), Inertial Navigation INS (see Figure 6 The "Inertial Navigation Module" in the system) and the acoustic beacon network achieve centimeter-level three-dimensional dynamic positioning through the time difference positioning (TDOA) algorithm to ensure that the vehicle accurately reaches the base station operation area (see Figure 3 centimeter-level docking).

[0110] The operation process in this embodiment is as follows:

[0111] (1) Ballast diving and stratified speed regulation (see Figure 3 Step 1): The vehicle is weighted by injecting seawater through the ballast system, entering a weak negative buoyancy state, and using a layered speed control algorithm to adjust the descent rate in stages: initially, it dives rapidly to the middle water layer at 5m / s, then drops to 2m / s when approaching the seabed, and drops to 0.5m / s when 50 meters away from the base station. The depth data is transmitted back in real time through the underwater acoustic base station (see Figure 5 to avoid collision with seabed topography (see Figure 1 “Underwater Base Station for Seabed Mining”).

[0112] (2) Acoustic-optical synergistic docking and mineral loading (see Figure 3 Step 2): Long-range guidance: Acoustic beacon array (see Figure 6 The "underwater beacon array" in the middle transmits signals to guide the vehicle to the range of 100 meters of the base station to complete the coarse positioning; close-range calibration: the optical camera (see Figure 3 "Optical close range calibration" in the figure) captures the optical markers of the base station, achieves centimeter-level alignment through visual algorithms, and mechanical locking mechanism (see Figure 1 The "mother ship underwater docking mechanism" in the middle) locks the carrier and the base station, starts the closed mineral transfer system to complete the loading (see Figure 1 Communication support: Laser emergency link (see Figure 5 "Laser communication" in this stage serves as a backup channel to ensure that the transmission delay of loading instructions is less than 10ms.

[0113] (3) Buoyancy control and controlled ascent (see Figure 3 Step 3): The vehicle discharges ballast water to form positive buoyancy and adopts a stratified speed strategy to avoid shallow turbulence: the speed is limited to ≤1m / s within 100 meters near the water surface to avoid the vehicle's attitude loss due to water disturbance; in the middle and deep waters, it gradually accelerates to rise at a rate of 2m / s. Multiple vehicles communicate through the underwater acoustic OFDM link (see Figure 5 "Underwater Acoustic Communication") to share attitude data in real time, and the dispatch control center (see Figure 7 "Navigation Decision and Trajectory Planning") to dynamically adjust the path to avoid the risk of multi-vehicle collision (see Figure 1 "Three-dimensional traffic control").

[0114] (4) Dynamic docking and unloading of the mother ship (see Figure 3 Step 4): The mother ship passes through the wave compensation device (see Figure 1 The "mother ship docking device" in the middle) offsets the impact of wave fluctuations and achieves dynamic alignment with the vehicle; the closed transmission system (see Figure 1 The "mineral pipeline transport" in China transports containerized minerals directly to the cargo hold of the mother ship to avoid seawater pollution.

[0115] After unloading is completed, the vehicle is re-injected with ballast water, reset to a weak negative buoyancy state, and returns to the seabed base station to enter the next operation cycle.

[0116] The effect of this embodiment has been verified: Efficiency improvement: a single operation cycle is shortened from 120 minutes of the traditional pipeline system to 45 minutes, and the mineral transportation efficiency reaches 120 tons / hour, which is 200% higher than the traditional pipeline (see Figure 3 Positioning accuracy: Acoustic-optical coordination achieves a positioning error of ±5 cm, far exceeding the meter-level accuracy of traditional underwater acoustic positioning (see Figure 6 Energy consumption optimization: the buoyancy drive mode achieves zero-energy sea surface suspension, which reduces energy consumption by 70% compared with the traditional pump-type lifting system. The economy and reliability of conventional drainage pumps in medium and low water depth scenarios have been verified (see Figure 4 The advantages of the "buoyancy drive" principle).

[0117] This embodiment is achieved by Figure 1 The system framework in Figure 4 The carrier structure in Figure 5-6 Communication layer architecture and Figure 3 The operation process in the present invention realizes "unmanned transport equipment based on buoyancy drive to realize mineral transportation" and "communication network adopts layered redundant architecture to ensure high-reliability communication", and verifies the efficiency and reliability of the system of the present invention in conventional water depth scenarios.

[0118] Example 2: Digital Twins and Emergency Response Support for Security Systems

[0119] Application scenario: In an operating area at a water depth of 4,000 meters, an unmanned vehicle experienced a sudden propulsion system failure while performing a mineral transportation mission. This test verifies the support and guarantee system's ability to respond to extreme working conditions.

[0120] The energy supply and status monitoring architecture in this embodiment includes:

[0121] Nuclear power continuous energy supply: using small isotope batteries (see Figure 9 The "Energy Supply System" in the figure optimizes energy consumption distribution through an intelligent energy management module, which can meet the power needs of deep-sea operations for more than 30 consecutive days and avoid rescue delays caused by the limitation of traditional battery life.

[0122] Multi-source sensor fusion monitoring: Inertial sensors (monitoring roll angle and acceleration) and acoustic sensors (capturing mechanical abnormal noise) collect data in real time and transmit it to the "condition monitoring module" supporting the guarantee system (see Figure 9 ), build a multi-dimensional device operation portrait.

[0123] Level 3 emergency node deployment and rescue equipment (surface-underwater-sea three-dimensional response network): surface emergency control center (see Figure 11 "Surface emergency control"): coordinate mother ship and shore-based support forces through satellite communications; underwater emergency submersible (see Figure 11 "Underwater Emergency Control"): Equipped with USBL ultra-short baseline positioning system and laser radar, equipped with a robotic arm and cable towing device, it can perform precise search and physical rescue; submarine emergency control node (see Figure 11 "Submarine Emergency Control"): Deployed at mining base stations, it integrates backup power and communication relay modules to ensure that faulty vehicles can maintain data links after losing power.

[0124] Fault warning and decision-making driven by digital twins: Virtual simulation system: Based on vehicle physical model and historical operation data (see Figure 11 The system uses the "digital twin deduction" in the system to establish a device health status prediction model through time series analysis algorithm and calculate the remaining life of components in real time. Acoustic and optical coordinated warning: When the inertial sensor detects that the roll angle exceeds 15° and the acoustic sensor captures abnormal vibration, the system will Figure 11 The "Visualization Panel" triggers a red alarm and simultaneously sends a fault code to the dispatch control center.

[0125] The emergency operation process in this embodiment is as follows:

[0126] (1) Fault detection and early warning (see Figure 11 Step 1): Vehicle attitude sensor (see Figure 9 "Inertial Navigation Module" in the Figure 9 The "acoustic sensor" in the digital twin system captures abnormal data synchronously, and the data fusion algorithm determines that it is a mechanical failure of the gearbox, and the remaining safe operation time is less than 2 hours. Figure 11 The "3D dynamic modeling" in the system can render the abnormal status of the vehicle in real time, and intuitively display the risk of failure through color coding and parameter fluctuations, triggering a level 1 emergency response.

[0127] (2) Emergency submersible dispatch and path planning (see Figure 11 Step 2): Dispatch Control Center (see Figure 7 ) via a laser emergency link (see Figure 5 The laser communication terminal in the video sends a "hover standby" command to the vehicle, and at the same time activates the emergency submersible stationed at the seabed base station (see Figure 11 Emergency submarines use laser radar (see Figure 11 The system scans the surrounding ocean currents and terrain, avoids strong current areas through dynamic path planning algorithms, reaches the fault point within 5 minutes, and simultaneously transmits the 3D environmental modeling data back to the digital twin system.

[0128] (3) Multi-submersible collaborative capture operation (see Figure 11 Step 3): The emergency submersible passes through the mechanical arm (see Figure 11 The "capture operation" in the process accurately grabs the vehicle docking ring and establishes a physical connection with the cable. Another submersible provides buoyancy compensation to offset the propulsion force lost by the vehicle due to a malfunction and prevent it from sinking. Figure 11 "Submarine Emergency Control" in the Figure 1 "Mineral Pipeline Transportation and Power Transmission" in the report provides temporary power to faulty vehicles to maintain communication and sensor operations.

[0129] (4) Mother ship support and maintenance (see Figure 11 Step 4): The mother ship passes through the wave compensation device (see Figure 1 The "mother ship underwater docking mechanism" in the figure) dynamically docks with the carrier, and uses the containerized loading device (see Figure 1 The digital twin system generates a gearbox replacement plan based on historical maintenance data (see Figure 9 The operator can remotely guide the operator through the AR remote guidance system (see Figure 9 Get visual repair steps through "AR Remote Guidance" and complete component replacement and functional testing within 2 hours.

[0130] The effect of this embodiment has been verified: Response efficiency: It takes only 5 minutes from fault detection to the arrival of the emergency submersible at the scene, which is 80% shorter than the traditional manual intervention mode (see Figure 11 Reliability assurance: The digital twin system provides 2-hour early warning of failures, avoiding the risk of vehicle sinking due to sudden shutdowns; the multi-submersible collaborative rescue mechanism ensures a 100% rescue success rate (see Figure 11 Optimize operation and maintenance costs: Predictive maintenance reduces unplanned downtime losses by 90%, and AR remote guidance increases maintenance efficiency by 50% (see Figure 9(Verification of the "System Intelligent Operation and Maintenance" function in the .

[0131] This embodiment is achieved by Figure 9 Energy and monitoring architecture in Figure 11 The three-level emergency nodes and digital twin system in the system realize the "support system integration digital twin monitoring and emergency response mechanism" in the present invention, and verify the high reliability and rapid recovery capability of the system in extreme environments.

Claims

1. An unmanned deep-sea mineral lifting and transportation system, characterized by: Unmanned transportation of deep-sea minerals is achieved through the collaboration of four major modules: Unmanned transport equipment: includes a vehicle, a containerized transport unit, a mining equipment docking device, and a mother ship docking device; the unmanned transport equipment controls the vehicle's navigation, completes the loading and unloading of minerals, docks with the underwater base station and mother ship, and achieves ascent and descent of the vehicle through buoyancy adjustment, achieving buoyancy-driven transportation of minerals from the seabed to the surface. Communication network system: including underwater acoustic base stations, mobile relay nodes, buoy systems and high-precision positioning modules; realizes the positioning of underwater unmanned vehicles, and highly reliable communication and centimeter-level positioning between the dispatching control center, underwater base stations and beacons; Dispatching Control Center: This center implements vehicle task allocation and management, adjusts vehicle navigation strategies, plans vehicle navigation trajectories, performs environmental perception and collision avoidance, and performs emergency takeover and support control, thereby achieving efficient transportation of deep-sea resources. Support and guarantee system: includes energy supply, status monitoring, intelligent operation and maintenance, and emergency response modules, and uses digital twin technology to achieve system reliability assessment and fault prediction.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The four modules work together to realize the hybrid control mode, and the operation process is as follows: (1) Ballast diving and layered speed regulation: During the ballasted diving and layered speed regulation phase, the dispatching and control center plans the vehicle diving mission and sends instructions to the unmanned carrier through a pre-set layered speed control algorithm. After receiving the instructions, the unmanned carrier controls the ballast system to actively increase the weight and adjusts the descent rate in stages according to the algorithm. The communication network system transmits the vehicle position information to the dispatching and control center in real time, supporting the system to monitor the vehicle status, ensuring the safety and stability of the diving process, and ultimately achieving the precise positioning of the vehicle to the deep-sea mining base station operation area. (2) Acoustic-optical coordinated precise docking: During the acoustic-optical coordinated precise docking stage, the communication network system uses acoustic beacons for long-distance positioning guidance to transmit the relative position information between the vehicle and the underwater base station to the dispatching control center, which then adjusts the docking strategy of the unmanned equipment accordingly; The unmanned carrier equipment uses an optical close-range precision guidance system for close-range calibration, docking with the underwater base station with centimeter-level precision, and a mechanical locking mechanism to achieve a rigid connection. The support system monitors the docking process to ensure the stability of the mineral docking and loading process. (3) Buoyancy control and controlled ascent: During the buoyancy control and controlled ascent phase, after the unmanned vehicle is loaded, the drainage system is activated to generate positive buoyancy. The dispatching and control center formulates a layered speed control strategy based on the ocean environment information fed back by the support and assurance system and sends it to the unmanned vehicle. The unmanned vehicle avoids shallow turbulence disturbances according to the strategy and ascends to the near-surface area in a gradual acceleration mode. The communication network system continuously transmits the vehicle's position and status information, and the support and assurance system monitors the energy supply and other status in real time to ensure the safety of the ascent process. (4) Dynamic docking and unloading with the mother ship: During the dynamic docking and unloading phase of the mother ship, the dispatching control center coordinates the carrier and the mother ship deck guidance device, and the communication network system ensures real-time information exchange. The unmanned transport equipment completes dynamic docking with the mother ship under wave compensation, and the minerals are unloaded through the closed transmission system; After unloading is completed, the unmanned equipment is separated from the mother ship and the ballast state is reset to enter the next operation cycle; The support and guarantee system monitors the status of each link in the operation process, ensures efficient transportation through unmanned autonomous operation, and remotely monitors the dispatching control center, and takes emergency takeover in the event of failures.

3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The unmanned transport equipment adopts a vertical movement mode of weak positive buoyancy for floating up and weak negative buoyancy for diving, adjusts the net buoyancy through ballast water, and realizes horizontal maneuverability through vector side thrust. It supports conventional drainage pumps in medium and low water depths, i.e. ≤1000 meters, and customized ultra-high pressure drainage pumps in large water depths.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein: The backbone communication layer of the communication network system adopts underwater acoustic OFDM technology to support multi-node access and data relay; the emergency link layer adopts blue-green laser communication to provide high-speed communication of more than 1Gbps within a range of 100 meters; the positioning and navigation layer integrates underwater acoustic ranging, inertial navigation INS and acoustic beacon network to achieve three-dimensional dynamic positioning.

5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The energy supply module of the support and guarantee system supports multi-mode energy supply of lithium polymer batteries, fuel cells and nuclear power, and optimizes charging efficiency through the intelligent energy management module; the status monitoring module integrates acoustic, optical and inertial sensors to build a reliability assessment model with multi-source data fusion.

6. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The intelligent operation and maintenance module of the support and guarantee system builds a virtual deduction system based on digital twin technology, and combines AI algorithms to realize fault self-diagnosis and remaining life prediction; the emergency processing module deploys three-level emergency control nodes on the surface, underwater, and seabed, and supports autonomous navigation of emergency submersibles and collaborative rescue of multiple submersibles.

7. A method for unmanned transportation of deep-sea minerals, applied to the system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1: The unmanned vehicle increases weight through a ballast system and uses layered speed control to dive to the deep-sea mining base station; S2: Acoustic beacons and optical guidance enable centimeter-level docking between the vehicle and the base station to complete mineral loading; S3: The vehicle displaces water to form positive buoyancy, and floats to the area near the water surface under layered speed control; S4: The mother ship dynamically docks with the carrier through the wave compensation device, resets the carrier's ballast status after completing the mineral unloading, and enters the next cycle.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: In the docking process of step S2, a mechanical locking mechanism is used to ensure loading stability; In step S3, controllable buoyancy is achieved by using a stratified velocity control strategy that avoids shallow turbulence.

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