A deep-sea polymetallic nodule tracked mining vehicle

Abstract

This invention discloses a deep-sea polymetallic nodule tracked mining vehicle, comprising: a vehicle frame; a tracked walking device located at the bottom of the vehicle frame for driving the mining vehicle to move in a predetermined direction; a hydraulic ore-gathering device located at the front end of the main frame for collecting polymetallic nodules; a storage mechanism located in the middle of the main frame for collecting polymetallic nodules from the seabed and enriching them in the central region of the main frame; and a seabed topography adaptive device located at the front end of the vehicle frame, including a linear electric cylinder, a linear sliding guide rail, a connecting bracket, and a displacement sensor, for receiving information from seabed topography exploration equipment mounted on the hydraulic ore-gathering device and controlling the height of the mineral enrichment device above the seabed. This invention is well-suited for harsh seabed conditions and complex terrain, offering a large collection range, high mining efficiency, and seabed topography adaptive adjustment capabilities, enabling efficient and reliable seabed operations while reducing the damage to the deep-sea environment caused by seabed mining.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of mining vehicle technology, and specifically to a deep-sea polymetallic nodule tracked mining vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] The deep seabed contains abundant mineral resources, mainly including polymetallic nodules, cobalt-rich crusts, and polymetallic sulfides. Its reserves of rare metals such as cobalt, manganese, and nickel are far greater than those on land, making it an effective way to make up for the depletion of land resources.

[0003] Polymetallic nodules are widely distributed and have high metal content, making them an extremely important mineral resource for the future. They are found in seabed sediments at depths of 3500-6000 meters, exhibiting varying grain sizes. Deep-sea mining faces unique conditions and a complex environment. Extracting polymetallic nodules from the extremely soft seabed sediments with minimal disturbance requires significantly different mining techniques, equipment, and operating environments, presenting much higher demands and greater challenges.

[0004] In conclusion, there is an urgent need for a new type of mining vehicle to improve the problems of limited mining range, low mining efficiency, and poor adaptability to seabed terrain of the existing mining vehicles. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to overcome at least one of the defects of the prior art and provide a deep-sea polymetallic nodule tracked mining vehicle that is suitable for harsh seabed conditions and complex terrain, is highly efficient, has seabed terrain adaptive adjustment function, can achieve efficient and reliable seabed operation, and at the same time reduce the damage to the deep-sea environment caused by the seabed mining process.

[0006] Specifically, the present invention provides a tracked mining vehicle for deep-sea polymetallic nodules, comprising:

[0007] The vehicle frame includes a tracked walking device located at the bottom of the vehicle frame for driving the mining vehicle to move in a set direction; a hydraulic ore collection device located at the front end of the main frame for collecting polymetallic nodules; a material storage mechanism located in the middle of the main frame for collecting polymetallic nodules from the seabed and enriching them in the middle area of ​​the main frame; and a seabed terrain adaptive device located at the front end of the vehicle frame, including a linear electric cylinder, a linear sliding guide rail, a connecting bracket, and a displacement sensor, for receiving information from the seabed terrain exploration equipment installed on the hydraulic ore collection device and controlling the height of the hydraulic ore collection device above the seabed.

[0008] The vehicle frame serves to support and mount other functional components. The tracked walking device is independently driven by a motor, enabling the vehicle to move. The hydraulic ore-gathering device is located at the front end of the main frame. Another advantage of this invention is the design of a seabed terrain adaptive device, which can receive information from the seabed terrain exploration equipment installed on the hydraulic ore-gathering device and use it to control the height of the hydraulic ore-gathering device above the seabed, thus achieving adaptive adjustment of the mining vehicle.

[0009] Furthermore, the tracked traveling device includes two sets of tracked chassis, each set of tracked chassis is equipped with two sets of track wheels, and each set of track wheels includes a track, a drive wheel, a load-bearing wheel, a carrier wheel, a guide wheel, a track tensioning device, and an electric traveling motor; the track surrounds the outer edge of the drive wheel, guide wheel, and load-bearing wheel; the electric traveling motor is connected to the drive wheel and is used to drive the drive wheel to rotate; the track tensioning device is located on the inner side of the track and is used to control the track tension state; the carrier wheel is located on the inner side of the track and is in contact with the track.

[0010] Furthermore, the hydraulic ore collection device includes an electrically driven water pump, a conveying hose, a jet nozzle, a conveying nozzle, and a conveying channel connected in sequence.

[0011] Preferably, the jet nozzle is a double-row jet collection head.

[0012] Furthermore, the hydraulic ore collection device is also equipped with a displacement sensor, which is connected to the seabed topography adaptive device.

[0013] Furthermore, the storage mechanism is equipped with a desliming screen. Preferably, the desliming screen has an opening and a guide port on both sides, the opening being connected to the storage mechanism to collect polymetallic nodules, and the guide port discharging a mud-water mixture.

[0014] Furthermore, the vehicle frame is made of high-strength titanium alloy TC4 and includes a main frame, connecting longitudinal beams, equipment rack, lifting bracket, and mounting base; the connecting longitudinal beams pass through the main frame and are welded and fixed to the main frame; the equipment rack is installed below the main frame and fixed to the connecting longitudinal beams; the lifting bracket is located on the upper surface of the main frame, and the mounting base is located at the front end of the main frame, facilitating the installation of the seabed terrain adaptive system.

[0015] Furthermore, the deep-sea polymetallic nodule tracked mining vehicle of the present invention also includes an adaptive control system and a driver, and two sealed cylindrical tubes are provided at the rear of the vehicle frame, and the adaptive control system and driver are located inside the sealed cylindrical tubes.

[0016] Preferably, the width of the hydraulic ore collection device is 2.5 times that of the tracked walking device.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0018] This invention discloses a tracked mining vehicle for deep-sea polymetallic nodules. During operation, a hydraulic ore-gathering device at the front of the vehicle uses two jets to collect polymetallic nodules from the surface into a guide channel area. The nodules are then conveyed through a conveying nozzle and transported to a storage and unloading device, where sediment and minerals are separated. This deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle is well-suited for harsh seabed conditions and complex terrain, offering a large collection range, high mining efficiency, and adaptive adjustment to seabed terrain. It enables efficient and reliable seabed operations while minimizing environmental damage during the mining process. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle in this embodiment.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the main frame structure of this embodiment.

[0021] Figure 3 This is another structural diagram of the main framework of this embodiment.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the hydraulic ore collection device in this embodiment.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the hydraulic ore collection device from another perspective in this embodiment.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the tracked walking device in this embodiment.

[0025] 100-Vehicle frame; 101-Main frame; 102-Connecting longitudinal beam; 103-Equipment frame; 104-Lifting bracket; 105-Mounting base; 106-Sealed cylindrical cylinder; 200-Crawler walking device; 201-Crawler; 202-Drive wheel; 203-Bearing wheel; 204-Carrier wheel; 205-Idler wheel; 206-Crawler tensioning device; 207-Electric walking motor; 300-Hydraulic ore collection device; 301-Electric water pump; 302-Conveying hose; 303-Jet nozzle; 304-Conveying nozzle; 305-Conveying channel; 400-Storage mechanism; 500-Seabed terrain adaptive device; 501-Linear sliding guide rail; 502-Connecting bracket; 600-Desliming screen. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The accompanying drawings illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention in more detail. Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The described embodiments are some, but not all, embodiments of the present invention. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention. The embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] It should be noted that if the embodiments of this application involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0028] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this application involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the technical solutions of various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed in this application. Example

[0029] This embodiment provides a deep-sea polymetallic nodule tracked mining vehicle 201, including: a vehicle frame 100; considering that the deep-sea polymetallic nodule tracked mining vehicle 201 is in a working environment with high pressure, high corrosion and soft seabed, the vehicle frame 100 is made of high-strength titanium alloy TC4, including a main frame 101, connecting longitudinal beams 102, equipment frame 103, lifting bracket 104 and mounting base 105; the connecting longitudinal beams 102 pass through the main frame 101 and are welded and fixed to the main frame 101; the equipment frame 103 is installed below the main frame 101 and fixed to the connecting longitudinal beams 102; the lifting bracket 104 is located on the upper surface of the main frame 101, and the mounting base 105 is located at the front end of the main frame 101 to facilitate the installation of the seabed terrain adaptive system.

[0030] In the specific implementation process, the lifting point of the mining vehicle is set at the top of the body frame 100 of the deep-sea polymetallic nodule four-tracked 201 mining vehicle. Its structure has a three-degree-of-freedom hinge adjustment function, which can release the rotational degrees of freedom in both longitudinal and lateral directions, thereby facilitating the recovery of the mining vehicle through the lifting point.

[0031] A tracked traveling device 200 is located at the bottom of the vehicle frame 100 and is used to drive the mining vehicle to move in a set direction. The tracked traveling device 200 includes two sets of tracked chassis, each set of tracked chassis is equipped with two sets of track wheels, and each set of track wheels includes a track 201, a drive wheel 202, a load-bearing wheel 203, a carrier roller 204, a guide wheel 205, a track tensioning device 206, and an electric traveling motor 207. The track 201 surrounds the outer edge of the drive wheel 202, the guide wheel 205, and the load-bearing wheel 203. The electric traveling motor 207 is connected to the drive wheel 202 and is used to drive the drive wheel 202 to rotate. The track tensioning device 206 is located on the inner side of the track 201 and is used to control the tension state of the track 201. The carrier roller 204 is located on the inner side of the track 201 and is in contact with the track 201. This invention utilizes a four-track walking device 200 to ensure stable movement of the mining vehicle in soft, sparse soil, thereby improving mining efficiency. A single electric walking motor 207 independently controls the four sets of track wheels to achieve forward, backward, and differential turning functions.

[0032] A hydraulic ore-gathering device 300, located at the front end of the main frame 101, is used to collect polymetallic nodules. The hydraulic ore-gathering device 300 includes an electrically driven water pump 301, a conveying hose 302, a jet nozzle 303, a conveying nozzle 304, and a conveying channel 305 connected in sequence. The hydraulic ore-gathering device 300 employs a double-row jet collection head at the front and rear, and adds a conveying nozzle 304 to the conveying channel. The hydraulic ore-gathering device 300 is also equipped with a displacement sensor, which is connected to the seabed topography adaptive device. The width of the hydraulic ore-gathering device 300 is 2.5 times that of the four-tracked walking device 200, thereby ensuring a sufficiently large mining range and improving collection efficiency.

[0033] A storage mechanism 400, located in the middle of the main frame 101, is used to collect polymetallic nodules from the seabed and concentrate them in the middle region of the main frame 101. The storage mechanism 400 includes a desliming screen 600. Preferably, the desliming screen 600 has an opening 601 and a guide port 602 on both sides. The opening 601 is connected to the storage mechanism 400 to collect the polymetallic nodules, and the guide port 602 discharges the mud-water mixture.

[0034] The seabed terrain adaptive device 500 is located at the front end of the vehicle frame 100 and includes a linear electric cylinder, a linear sliding guide rail 501, a connecting bracket 502, and a displacement sensor. The linear electric cylinder and the displacement sensor are installed in the space shown in 503 in the figure. They are used to receive information from the seabed terrain exploration equipment set on the hydraulic mineral collection device 300 and to control the height of the hydraulic mineral collection device 300 above the seabed.

[0035] Furthermore, the deep-sea polymetallic nodule tracked mining vehicle 201 of the present invention also includes an adaptive control system and a driver. The rear of the vehicle frame 100 is provided with two sealed cylindrical tubes 106, and the adaptive control system and driver are located inside the sealed cylindrical tubes 106.

[0036] In this embodiment, all driving components are electrically driven, which improves the operability of the system and the accuracy of mechanical actions.

[0037] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments above, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions to the technical solutions of the present invention should not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can also make other changes within the spirit of the present invention and use them in the design of the present invention, as long as they do not deviate from the technical effects of the present invention. These changes made according to the spirit of the present invention should all be included within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A tracked mining vehicle for deep-sea polymetallic nodules, characterized in that, include: Vehicle body frame (100). A tracked walking device (200) is located at the bottom of the vehicle frame (100) and is used to drive the mining vehicle to move in a set direction; A hydraulic ore-collecting device (300) is located at the front end of the vehicle frame (100) and is used to collect polymetallic nodules; The storage mechanism (400) is located in the middle of the vehicle frame (100) and is used to collect polymetallic nodules from the seabed and enrich them in the middle area of ​​the vehicle frame (100). The seabed terrain adaptive device (500) is located at the front end of the vehicle frame (100) and includes a linear electric cylinder, a linear sliding guide rail (501), a connecting bracket (502), and a displacement sensor. It is used to receive information from the seabed terrain exploration equipment installed on the hydraulic mineral collection device (300) and control the height of the hydraulic mineral collection device (300) from the seabed. The hydraulic mineral collection device (300) includes an electric water pump (301), a conveying hose (302), a jet nozzle (303), a conveying nozzle (304), and a conveying channel (305) connected in sequence. The jet nozzle (303) is a double-row jet collection head; the tracked walking device (200) includes two sets of tracked chassis, each set of tracked chassis is equipped with two sets of track wheels, and each set of track wheels includes a track (201), a drive wheel (202), a load-bearing wheel (203), a track roller (204), a guide wheel (205), a track tensioning device (206), and an electric walking motor (207). The track (201) surrounds the outer edge of the drive wheel (202), guide wheel (205), and load-bearing wheel (203); the electric travel motor (207) is connected to the drive wheel (202) and is used to drive the drive wheel (202) to rotate; the track tensioning device (206) is located on the inner side of the track (201) and is used to control the tension state of the track (201); the track roller (204) is located on the inner side of the track (201) and is in contact with the track (201); The hydraulic mineral collection device (300) is also equipped with a displacement sensor, which is connected to the seabed topography adaptive device. The vehicle frame (100) is made of high-strength titanium alloy TC4 and includes a main frame (101), connecting longitudinal beams (102), equipment rack (103), lifting bracket (104), and mounting base (105). The connecting longitudinal beam (102) passes through the main frame (101) and is welded and fixed to the main frame (101). The equipment rack (103) is installed below the main frame (101) and fixed to the connecting longitudinal beam (102). The lifting bracket (104) is located on the upper surface of the main frame (101), and the mounting base (105) is located at the front end of the main frame (101) to facilitate the installation of the seabed terrain adaptive device (500). It also includes an adaptive control system and a driver, and the rear of the vehicle frame (100) is provided with two sealed cylindrical tubes (106), and the adaptive control system and the driver are located inside the sealed cylindrical tubes (106).

2. The deep-sea polymetallic nodule tracked mining vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The storage mechanism (400) is equipped with a desliming screen (600).

3. The deep-sea polymetallic nodule tracked mining vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that, The desliming screen (600) is provided with an opening (601) and a guide port (602) on both sides respectively. The opening (601) is connected to the storage mechanism (400) to collect polymetallic nodules, and the guide port (602) discharges the mud-water mixture.

4. The deep-sea polymetallic nodule tracked mining vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The width of the hydraulic ore collection device (300) is 2.5 times that of the tracked walking device (200).

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