Deep sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle

Abstract

The invention discloses a deep sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle which comprises a structural frame. The crawler walking mechanism is arranged at the bottom of the structural frame and used for driving the deep sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle to move in the preset direction, and the collecting mechanism is arranged on the front portion of the structural frame and used for collecting polymetallic nodules. The conveying and cleaning mechanism is used for directionally conveying the collected polymetallic nodules and separating and desliming the collected polymetallic nodules; the crushing mechanism is used for crushing the conveyed ores; the storage mechanism is arranged at the tail part of the structural frame and is used for storing the crushed ore; the plume restraining mechanism is used for effectively collecting and treating plume generated in the mining process of the deep-sea mining vehicle and impurities carried by manganese nodules; and the environment sensing mechanism is used for sensing the deep sea environment and controlling the crawler walking mechanism and the collecting mechanism. Collection, screening, cleaning and storage are integrated, the mining capacity is improved, and the problem that an existing mining vehicle is low in collection efficiency is solved.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Deep-sea mineral resources mainly include polymetallic nodules, cobalt-rich crusts, and polymetallic sulfides. Their reserves of rare metals such as cobalt, manganese, and nickel are far greater than those on land, providing a guarantee for the increasing demand for rare metals from emerging new energy industries.

[0003] Most of the polymetallic nodules in the proven deep-sea mineral resources are located on the seabed at depths of 4,000-6,000 meters. Therefore, deep-sea mineral resource mining places extremely high demands on related equipment and technology. Among these, the mining vehicle is the primary component of the entire polymetallic nodule mining system and the most critical part for realizing polymetallic nodule mining operations.

[0004] However, due to the granular nature of polymetallic nodules occurring on the surface of the soft, sparse seabed thousands of meters deep, coupled with seawater pressure reaching tens of megapascals and complex seabed geological conditions including numerous hills and ravines, existing deep-sea mining vehicles suffer from the following problems: poor stability when moving on soft seabeds, easily causing disturbances and resulting in low mining efficiency; limited carrying capacity, making it impossible to achieve efficient and continuous mining operations; inadequate electrical control, environmental sensing, and plume suppression technologies, failing to meet the needs of deep-sea operations; and a lack of integrated ore processing capabilities, increasing subsequent processing steps and costs.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a compact, fully functional, adaptable, and environmentally friendly deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle to improve mining efficiency and reduce the impact on the marine environment. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention aims to overcome at least one of the defects of the prior art and provide a deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle to address the problems of low mining efficiency and weak environmental protection capabilities of existing mining vehicles.

[0007] Specifically, the present invention provides a deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle, comprising: Structural framework; A tracked walking mechanism, located at the bottom of the structural frame, is used to drive the deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle to move along a preset direction: A collection mechanism, located at the front of the structural frame, is used to collect polymetallic nodules; The conveying and cleaning mechanism is used for the directional conveying and separation of collected polymetallic nodules for desliming. Crushing mechanism, used to crush the transported ore; A storage mechanism, located at the rear of the structural frame, is used to store the crushed ore; The plume suppression mechanism is used to effectively collect and process the plumes and impurities carried by manganese nodules generated by deep-sea mining vehicles during the mining process.

[0008] An environmental sensing mechanism is used to sense the deep-sea environment and control the tracked walking mechanism and the data collection mechanism.

[0009] The collection mechanism includes a collection head and an axial flow pump assembly connected in sequence; the conveying and cleaning mechanism includes a conveying pipe and a cleaning device connected in sequence; the collection head is used to collect polymetallic nodules, the axial flow pump assembly is used to send the collected polymetallic nodules into the cleaning device through the conveying pipe, and the cleaning device is used to separate and desludge the collected polymetallic nodules.

[0010] Preferably, the sampling head is a dual-jet sampling head; the axial flow pump assembly includes an annular jet tube, a front axial flow pump, and a rear axial flow pump. The two ends of the annular jet tube are respectively connected to the dual-jet sampling head and the delivery pipe. The front axial flow pump is used to enable the dual-jet sampling head to absorb polymetallic nodules; the rear axial flow pump is used to enable the annular jet tube to deliver the collected polymetallic nodules to the delivery pipe; the delivery pipe includes a connecting hose and a delivery circular tube connected and fixed in sequence.

[0011] Preferably, the conveying and cleaning mechanism is used for directional conveying and desliming of the collected polymetallic nodules; the cleaning device includes a rectangular cavity, inside which a screen is provided, with an opening and a guide port on both sides of the screen, the opening being connected to a storage mechanism to collect polymetallic nodules, and the guide port discharging a mud-water mixture; the cleaning device also includes rollers, a conveyor belt, baffles, and a first sprocket; the rollers are rotatably arranged at both ends in the conveying direction to drive the conveyor belt; the conveyor belt is fitted onto the rollers at both ends, and the conveyor belt moves cyclically driven by the rollers to transport the ore to the crushing mechanism; multiple baffles are spaced apart on the panel of the conveyor belt to increase the conveying volume of the conveyor belt; the first sprocket is installed on one side of the roller for chain drive with the second sprocket in the crushing mechanism.

[0012] The crushing mechanism is used to crush the transported ore; the crushing mechanism includes a crushing shell, a bearing seat, a crushing toothed roller, a first hydraulic motor, and a second sprocket; the crushing shell is placed on the upper end of the storage mechanism; the bearing seat is installed on the crushing shell to ensure the normal rotation of the crushing toothed roller; the crushing toothed roller is installed on the bearing seat to crush the ore entering the crushing shell; the first hydraulic motor is installed on the crushing shell to drive the crushing toothed roller to rotate; the second sprocket is installed on one side of the crushing toothed roller for chain drive with the first sprocket in the cleaning device.

[0013] Furthermore, the structural frame includes a mainboard frame, connecting beams, an equipment rack, and a mounting base; the connecting beams pass through and are fixedly connected to the mainboard frame, the equipment rack is mounted on the top of the mainboard frame, and the mounting base is located at the bottom of the mainboard frame. The structural frame also includes a lifting point and a terrain detection device; the lifting point is mounted on the top of the mainboard frame; the terrain detection device is suspended from the head of the mainboard frame and located below the environmental sensing mechanism. The terrain detection device uses multi-beam sonar to emit wide-sector sound waves to generate a seabed topographic map. The mainboard frame is made of high-strength titanium alloy, and the equipment rack is made of aluminum alloy; the mainboard frame and the equipment rack are joined and fixed by welding.

[0014] Furthermore, the tracked walking mechanism includes tracks, a drive wheel, an idler wheel, road wheels, a torsion bar, a shock absorber, a speed sensor, a reducer, and a second hydraulic motor. The drive wheel and idler wheel are respectively installed at both ends of the track structure. The drive wheel is located at the rear end of the mining vehicle's main frame, and the idler wheel is located at the front end, engaging with the inner side of the track to transmit driving force. Multiple road wheels are arranged below the track, engaging with the inner side of the lower layer of the track to support the vehicle's weight and make tracked movement more stable. The track is driven by the second hydraulic motor, which is fixedly connected to the drive wheel, providing driving force to the drive wheel and driving the reducer to output to the track, ensuring the vehicle can move smoothly on the seabed. The speed sensor is installed on the main frame to monitor the rotational speed of the drive wheel in real time, facilitating control and adjustment of the vehicle's travel speed. The speed sensor is placed inside the hydraulic motor. The torsion bar is connected to the track through a suspension system; the suspension system refers to the entire combination of track side plates, balance elbows, shock absorbers, and road wheels. A shock absorber is arranged on both the left and right sides of each side. The torsion bar is fixedly connected to the balance elbow, and the shock absorber is also hinged to the balance elbow. When encountering a steep slope, the load wheel is driven by the balance elbow, and the balance elbow transmits the torque to the torsion bar and the shock absorber. The shock absorber is compressed by the force, which plays a buffering role. The torsion bar twists and stores the torque to achieve the shock absorption function.

[0015] Furthermore, in the aforementioned deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle, the plume suppression mechanism includes a plume suppression device, a plume suction pipe, an impurity suction pipe, a pump body, and a solid-liquid separation chamber. The plume suppression device is installed above the tracks; the inlet end of the plume suction pipe is connected to the plume suppression device, and the plume suction pipe is arranged above the tracks and distributed along the tracks; the impurity suction pipe is arranged at the rear of the mining vehicle, and its inlet end is connected to the screening and cleaning chamber of the mining vehicle; the solid-liquid separation chamber is located at the front end of the mining vehicle, and its inlet is connected to the outlet end of the pump body. Wastewater is filtered in the solid-liquid separation chamber and released through the bottom. The plume suppression device of this invention, by setting a plume collection hood near the tracks of the deep-sea mining vehicle, blocks the spread of the plume; by setting a suction pump, the plume can be collected and sucked into the plume collection hood in a timely manner; by setting a solid-liquid separation device, the incoming solid-liquid mixture is separated, avoiding the problem of particulate impurities polluting the seabed environment.

[0016] Furthermore, the storage mechanism includes a storage bin, a pressure sensor, and a lifting pipe; the storage bin is located at the rear of the mining vehicle and is connected to the crushing mechanism; the pressure sensor is used to weigh the polymetallic nodules in the storage bin.

[0017] Preferably, in the deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle, the environmental sensing mechanism includes various sensors, a hydraulic control module, and an electrical control module; the hydraulic control module and the electrical control module are both located within the structural frame and are electrically connected to the tracked walking mechanism, the data acquisition mechanism, and the material storage mechanism.

[0018] This invention integrates the acquisition mechanism and environmental sensing mechanism into the structural frame, making the mining vehicle compact and fully functional, which is beneficial for the acquisition and transmission of various signal data within the mining vehicle. The tracked walking device ensures stable movement of the mining vehicle in soft and sparse soil, reducing disturbance and improving mining efficiency. The acquisition mechanism, conveying and cleaning mechanism, and crushing and storage mechanism can realize the integration of acquisition, screening, cleaning and storage, which improves mining capacity, saves processing steps and solves the problem of low acquisition efficiency of existing mining vehicles. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle provided for this example.

[0020] Figure 2 A structural diagram of the framework provided for this example.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of a single-sided track provided for this example.

[0022] Figure 4 The schematic diagram of the tracked walking mechanism provided for this example.

[0023] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the data acquisition mechanism provided for this example.

[0024] Figure 6 A bottom view of the data acquisition mechanism provided for this example.

[0025] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the conveying and cleaning mechanism provided for this example.

[0026] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the conveying and cleaning chamber provided for this example.

[0027] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the crushing mechanism provided for this example.

[0028] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the plume suppression mechanism provided for this example.

[0029] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the suction device structure of the plume suppression mechanism provided for this example.

[0030] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the solid-liquid separation chamber structure of the plume suppression mechanism provided for this example.

[0031] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the storage mechanism provided for this example.

[0032] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of the environmental sensing mechanism provided for this example.

[0033] Figure 15 The structural diagram of the load-bearing head provided for this example. Detailed Implementation

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] Example

[0038] This implementation example provides a deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it includes: a structural frame 1; a tracked walking mechanism 2, located at the bottom of the structural frame 1, which drives the deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle to move along the planned path direction; a collection mechanism 3, located at the front of the structural frame 1, which collects polymetallic nodules; a conveying and cleaning mechanism 4, located at the upper part of the structural frame 1, which conveys and cleans the polymetallic nodules; a crushing mechanism 5 and a storage mechanism 6 located at the rear of the structural frame 1, which crush and store the polymetallic nodules; a plume suppression mechanism 7, which is used to effectively collect and process the plumes generated by the deep-sea mining vehicle during the mining process and the impurities carried by the manganese nodules; and an environmental sensing mechanism 8, which is used to sense the deep-sea environment and control the tracked walking mechanism and the collection mechanism.

[0039] Specifically, in the deep-sea mining vehicle, the structural frame includes a main board frame 12, a connecting beam 11, an equipment frame 9, and a mounting base 10; the connecting beam 11 passes through the main board frame 12 and is fixed to the main board frame 12; the equipment frame 9 is installed on the periphery of the main board frame 12; and the mounting base 10 is located at the bottom of the main board frame 12.

[0040] The connecting beam 11 includes a connecting main beam and a connecting secondary beam. The connecting main beam passes through the main board frame 12 and is welded to the main board frame 12 as a whole. The equipment rack 9 protrudes from the main board frame 12, that is, the equipment rack 9 is set in front of the main board frame 12.

[0041] In practical implementation, considering the high-pressure, highly corrosive, and soft seabed working environment of the deep-sea mining vehicle, the main frame 12 is made of high-strength titanium alloy TC4. Specifically, in actual processing, hydraulic or laser cutting can be used. Based on the overall layout of the deep-sea mining vehicle, component connection requirements, and stress distribution, the overall shape of the titanium alloy main frame is designed, and the titanium plates are cut into the designed shape using hydraulic or laser cutting. This processing method effectively reduces the amount of welding, thereby reducing the probability of welding defects and the impact of residual thermal stress. Furthermore, to save overall costs, the removed titanium alloy material can be used to manufacture other structural components.

[0042] Meanwhile, since the load-bearing capacity of the equipment frame 9 is relatively small, the material of the equipment frame is aluminum alloy, thereby effectively reducing the manufacturing cost of the deep-sea mining vehicle.

[0043] Furthermore, to facilitate the installation and subsequent maintenance and replacement of the motherboard frame 12 and the device rack 9, the motherboard frame 12 and the device rack 9 are connected and fixed by welding.

[0044] In practical implementation, lifting point 13 is located directly above the center of gravity of the deep-sea mining vehicle, facilitating its retrieval. The structural frame 1 can also be used for connecting guide devices to the optoelectronic composite cable deployment system. To prevent bending or twisting of the optoelectronic composite cable in the load-bearing head, the guide device ensures the stability and safety of the optoelectronic composite cable during deployment, connection, and load-bearing processes. The structure of the load-bearing head is as follows... Figure 15 As shown. The general working principle is that the guide device of the optical fiber composite cable laying system presses the guide ring onto the guide plate through the hydraulic rod of the hydraulic system. The resulting friction force overcomes the relative movement of the mining car relative to the weighing head, thereby protecting the optical fiber composite cable and reducing the swaying of the mining car.

[0045] During the installation process, the equipment frame 9 is used to support the data acquisition mechanism. Depending on the size of the bracket, multiple mainboard frames can be set to provide sufficient support for the bracket. In this embodiment, mainboard frames 12 are set on both sides of the bracket, and there are four mainboard frames in each group. The two ends of each mainboard frame are connected to different positions of the bracket and the mounting base 10, respectively.

[0046] In addition, cable chains can be installed to protect the pipelines from tangling, wear, or detachment.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as... Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the tracked walking mechanism 2 consists of a track 14, a drive wheel 15, an idler wheel 16, road wheels 17, a torsion bar 18, a shock absorber 19, a speed sensor 21, a reducer, and a second hydraulic motor 20. The drive wheel 15 and idler wheel 16 are mounted at both ends of the track structure. The drive wheel 15 is located at the rear end of the main frame, and the idler wheel 16 is located at the front end, engaging with the inner side of the track to transmit driving force. Multiple road wheels 17 are arranged along the underside of the track, engaging with the inner side of the lower layer of the track to support the vehicle's weight and make the track movement more stable. The track is driven by the second hydraulic motor 20, which is fixedly connected to the drive wheel 15, providing driving force to the drive wheel and driving the reducer to output to the track, ensuring the vehicle can move smoothly on the seabed. The speed sensor is mounted on the main frame to monitor the rotational speed of the drive wheel in real time, facilitating the control and adjustment of the vehicle's travel speed.

[0048] The track design incorporates double rows of guide teeth, providing stability during engagement between the track and drive sprocket, preventing track slippage, and ensuring smooth movement. Furthermore, the tracked running gear employs a torsion bar 18 suspension structure. The torsion bar 18 is connected to the track via the suspension system, and together with shock absorbers 19, effectively buffers shocks and vibrations in rugged seabed terrain, improving the vehicle's adaptability to complex seabed environments.

[0049] In this example, the road wheels 17 are evenly spaced at the bottom of the main frame of the mining vehicle to support the weight of the deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle. Torsion bars 18 are connected to the balance elbows of each road wheel 17, automatically adjusting the road wheels 17 to adapt to the seabed terrain. Due to the large diameter of the road wheels 17, they also provide some support for the upper tracks. Guide teeth are designed on the tracks to ensure the position of the road wheels and guide the tracks 14 along the correct trajectory, preventing track deviation or derailment. The speed of the drive sprocket 15 is measured by a speed sensor mounted on the main frame, then transmitted to the control mechanism, which adjusts the speed of the second hydraulic motor 20, thereby achieving speed control of the drive sprocket 15.

[0050] To minimize the amount of plume emitted, a sled-shaped pressure plate 22 is installed under the main frame. This allows the mixture of mud and sand collected by the plume collection device to be pressed down by the sled-shaped pressure plate 22 as the mining vehicle moves forward during discharge, thereby reducing plume diffusion and minimizing its impact on the marine environment. Figure 7As shown, the plume suppression mechanism 7 includes a plume suppression device, a plume suction pipe 46, an impurity suction pipe 48, a pump body 47, and a solid-liquid separation chamber 53. The plume suppression device is installed above the track 14. The water inlet of the plume suction pipe 46 is connected to the plume suppression device, and the plume suction pipe 46 is arranged above the track 14. The impurity suction pipe 48 is arranged at the rear of the structural frame 1, and the water inlet of the impurity suction pipe 48 is connected to the cleaning chamber 30. The solid-liquid separation chamber 53 is located at the front end of the structural frame 1, and its inlet is connected to the water outlet of the pump body 47.

[0051] In practical applications, this vehicle uses an elastic suspension and employs torsion bars with different axle arrangements to give the torsion bars themselves low shear stress, resulting in fewer suspension components and easier maintenance. The suspension is arranged along the length of the vehicle and does not occupy vertical space, which is conducive to the low-profile design of the vehicle body.

[0052] Since the tracks are inevitably affected by the uneven terrain of the seabed during travel, multiple road wheels are arranged to distribute the stress on the tracks. At the same time, the elastic suspension can effectively absorb the impact force during travel, reduce the vibration of the tracks during movement, and extend the service life of the entire running gear.

[0053] To ensure the stable movement of the deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle on the seabed, in this example, the tracks are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the mining vehicle, and the total width of the tracks is less than the total width of the collection head in the collection mechanism. This ensures that the tracked walking mechanism will not crush or damage the ore on both sides of the deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle, thus reducing the waste of ore resources.

[0054] Furthermore, to enable movement on the soft, deep-sea seabed, this embodiment employs triangular toothed track plates. Multiple road wheels ensure a low ground pressure, and the increased height of the track teeth enhances the penetration depth into the seabed and improves shear traction. In this embodiment, a sled-shaped pressure plate 22 is installed to reduce the impact on the marine environment.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in the figure, the collection mechanism includes a collection head 23 and an axial flow pump assembly connected in sequence; the conveying and cleaning mechanism includes a conveying pipe and a cleaning device connected in sequence; the collection head 23 is used to collect polymetallic nodules, the axial flow pump assembly is used to send the collected polymetallic nodules into the conveying and cleaning mechanism 4 through the conveying pipe, and the conveying and cleaning mechanism 4 is used to clean and desludge the collected polymetallic nodules.

[0056] Specifically, in this embodiment, the collection head 23 is a dual-row jet collection head; the axial flow pump assembly includes an annular jet tube 24, a front axial flow pump 25, and a rear axial flow pump 26. The two ends of the annular jet tube are respectively connected to the delivery pipe. The front axial flow pump is used to enable the dual-row jet collection head to absorb polymetallic nodules; the rear axial flow pump is also used to enable the annular jet tube to deliver the collected polymetallic nodules to the delivery pipe. The delivery pipe includes a connecting hose 27 and a delivery circular tube 28 connected and fixed in sequence.

[0057] In practical applications, in order to improve the collection efficiency of polymetallic nodules, multiple collection heads can be set up side by side. As shown in the figure, this embodiment has two sets of collection mechanisms set up side by side. The two sets of collection mechanisms are symmetrically distributed along the axis of the deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle and can move independently.

[0058] Each collection mechanism has a double-row jet collection head 23, which can peel polymetallic nodules from the sediment and lift them to a certain height through the jet impact provided by the front axial flow pump 25. The double-row jet collection head 23 of each collection mechanism is welded and fixed to the annular jet pipe 24. The rear axial flow pump 26 is installed in the middle of the annular jet pipe 24. The water supplied by the rear axial flow pump 26 lifts the polymetallic nodules further upward under the action of the annular flow channel, so that the polymetallic nodules can overcome the effect of gravity and enter the delivery pipe smoothly.

[0059] In this embodiment, both ends of the connecting hose 27 are connected to flange joints via annular clamps. One end is fixed to the sampling head 23 via a flange, and the other end is fixed to the delivery pipe 28 via a flange. Since the sampling head 23 and the axial flow pump assembly adjust their angles according to the terrain, and the adaptive robotic arm 29 extends and retracts according to the terrain, the connecting hose 27 between the axial flow pump assembly and the delivery pipe 28 ensures reliable communication with the delivery pipe 28 regardless of the orientation of the sampling head 23, the axial flow pump assembly, and the adaptive robotic arm 29. The delivery pipe 28 is fixed to one side of the adaptive robotic arm 29 for easy assembly and disassembly.

[0060] The conveying and cleaning mechanism 4 is used for the directional conveying and separation of the collected polymetallic nodules; the cleaning device includes a cleaning chamber 30, which is a rectangular cavity, and a screen 31 is installed inside the rectangular cavity. Figure 8As shown, the screen 31 has openings 37 and guide ports 36 on both sides. The openings 37 are connected to a crushing mechanism 5 to collect polymetallic nodules, and the guide ports 36 discharge mud-water mixture. The washing device includes rollers 32, a conveyor belt 33, baffles 34, and a first sprocket 35. The rollers 32 are rotatably arranged at both ends of the conveying direction to drive the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt 33 is sleeved on the rollers 32 at both ends and moves cyclically by the drive of the rollers 32 to transport ore to the crushing mechanism 5. The multiple baffles 34 are spaced apart on the panel of the conveyor belt 33 to expand the conveying volume of the conveyor belt. The first sprocket 35 is installed on one side of the roller and is used for chain drive with the second sprocket in the crushing mechanism.

[0061] In addition, in this embodiment, the side of the conveying and cleaning mechanism 4 that connects to the conveying pipe 28 is reliably connected to the conveying pipe through a flange joint. As shown in the figure, a metal screen 31 is provided at a suitable position inside the cavity of the conveying and cleaning mechanism 4. The mesh size of the metal screen 31 can be reasonably set according to the size of the polymetallic nodules. The guide port 36 is a louvered guide port, which facilitates the rapid discharge of sludge and other impurities. During the collection process, when the polymetallic nodules mixed with sludge and impurities enter the desliming device from the conveying pipe, after being impacted by the jet of the conveyor belt and filtered by the screen 31, the sludge and impurities are discharged from the guide port 36, while the polymetallic nodules are intercepted by the screen and fall into the crushing mechanism.

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in the figure, the crushing mechanism 5 includes a crushing shell 38, a crushing toothed roller 39, a bearing seat 40, a second sprocket 41, and a first hydraulic motor 42. The crushing shell 38 is placed on the upper end of the storage mechanism 6, and the crushed ore falls into the storage bin. The bearing seat 40 is installed on the crushing shell 38 to ensure the normal rotation of the crushing toothed roller 39. The crushing toothed roller 39 is installed on the bearing seat 40 to crush the ore entering the crushing shell 38. By adjusting the distance between the two crushing toothed rollers 39 and the roller parameters, the manganese nodules are crushed to a diameter of 2cm. The first hydraulic motor 42 is installed on the crushing shell to drive the crushing toothed roller 39 to rotate. The second sprocket 41 is installed on one side of the crushing toothed roller 39 to supply the first sprocket 35 in the cleaning device for chain drive.

[0063] Specifically, in this embodiment, as shown in the figure, the storage mechanism 6 is located at the rear of the structural frame and is used to store the collected manganese nodules. Thus, the collection, processing, and storage mechanisms integrate the collection, processing, and storage, improving the single-mining capacity. The storage mechanism 6 includes a storage bin 43, a pressure sensor 44, and a lifting pipe 45; the storage bin 43 is located at the rear of the mining vehicle and is connected to the crushing mechanism; the pressure sensor 44 is used to weigh the polymetallic nodules within the storage bin 43.

[0064] In this embodiment, as Figure 12 As shown, the plume suppression mechanism 7, through the suction port 49, transports the impurities collected by the sampling head 23 and the sediments agitated by the track 14 through the impurity suction pipe 48 to the solid-liquid separation device. Inside the solid-liquid separation device, the spraying device 50 sprays flocculant to initially separate the impurities and water. Then, under the action of its filtration device 51, the impurities are filtered out, compressed to form a filter cake, and the filter cake is released to the seabed through the release port 52 at the front of the box. Figure 9 As shown, the filtered water enters the circulation pipeline from the outlet and finally enters the storage tank for subsequent ore lifting.

[0065] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the sensing and control structure includes a hydraulic control module and an electrical control module; both the hydraulic control module and the electrical control module are housed within the structural frame. Additionally, this embodiment includes multiple sensors such as a camera 54, a water quality monitor 55, a flow velocity monitor 56, and a terrain detection device 57, wherein the terrain detection device 57 is a multi-beam sonar. These multiple sensors facilitate real-time monitoring of the environment and internal condition of the deep-sea polymetallic mining vehicle.

[0066] Thus, the deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle provided in this embodiment achieves efficient and low-disturbance mining through a modular acquisition mechanism integrating dual-row jets and annular jets, reducing mining costs and environmental damage. The use of dual or multiple acquisition mechanisms expands the acquisition width and improves acquisition efficiency. A tracked walking mechanism enables the deep-sea heavy-duty mining platform to move stably on soft, sparse seabeds. An adaptive acquisition device allows the acquisition head to adjust adaptively to the terrain, improving the acquisition efficiency of polymetallic nodules. A conveying and cleaning mechanism enhances mineral quality, and a crushing and storage mechanism further facilitates mineral extraction, making the mining process more sustainable. A modular sensing and control mechanism monitors the surrounding environment and the mining vehicle's status in real time, facilitating maintenance. A plume suppression module maximizes the green mining of minerals.

[0067] 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 deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle, characterized in that, include: Structural framework (1), Tracked walking mechanism (2): Located at the bottom of the structural frame (1), used to drive the mining vehicle to move; Collection mechanism (3): Located at the front of the structural frame (1), used to collect polymetallic nodules; Conveying and cleaning mechanism (4): Located on the upper part of the structural frame (1), it conveys and cleans the polymetallic nodules; Crushing mechanism (5): Located at the rear of the structural frame (1), used to crush polymetallic nodules; Storage mechanism (6): Located at the rear of the crushing mechanism (5), used to store polymetallic nodules; Plume suppression mechanism (7): Located in the lower layer of the structural frame (1), used to collect and process the plumes and impurities carried by manganese nodules generated during the mining process; Environmental sensing mechanism (8): Located above the front end of the structural frame (1), it is used to sense the deep-sea environment and is linked and communicated with the tracked walking mechanism (2) and the acquisition mechanism (3). The collection mechanism (3) includes a collection head (23) and an axial flow pump assembly connected in sequence, and the conveying and cleaning mechanism (4) includes a conveying pipe and a cleaning device connected in sequence; The collection head (23) is used to collect polymetallic nodules; The axial flow pump assembly includes an annular jet tube (24), a front axial flow pump (25), and a rear axial flow pump (26); the two ends of the annular jet tube (24) are connected to the collection head (23) and the delivery tube, respectively; the front axial flow pump (25) is used to enable the collection head (23) to absorb polymetallic nodules; the rear axial flow pump (26) is used to enable the annular jet tube (24) to deliver the collected polymetallic nodules to the delivery tube.

2. The deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveying pipe includes a connecting hose (27) and a conveying round pipe (28) connected and fixed in sequence; the cleaning device includes a cleaning chamber (30), which is a rectangular cavity. A screen (31) is provided inside the rectangular cavity. An opening (37) and a guide port (36) are provided on both sides of the screen (31). The opening (37) is connected to the storage mechanism (6) to collect polymetallic nodules. The guide port (36) is used to discharge the mud-water mixture.

3. The deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cleaning device also includes rollers (32), a conveyor belt (33), baffles (34), and a first sprocket (35); the rollers (32) are rotatably arranged at both ends of the conveying direction to drive the conveyor belt (33) to move; the conveyor belt (33) is sleeved on the rollers (32) at both ends, and the conveyor belt (33) moves cyclically by the drive of the rollers (32) to transport the ore to the crushing mechanism (5); a plurality of baffles (34) are spaced apart on the panel of the conveyor belt (33); the first sprocket (35) is installed on one side of the rollers (32) and is chain driven with the crushing mechanism (5).

4. The deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that, The crushing mechanism (5) includes a crushing shell (38), a bearing seat (40), a crushing toothed roller (39), a first hydraulic motor (42), and a second sprocket (41); the crushing shell (38) is located at the upper end of the storage mechanism (6); the bearing seat (40) is installed on the crushing shell (38) to ensure the normal rotation of the crushing toothed roller (39); the crushing toothed roller (39) is installed on the bearing seat (40) to crush the ore entering the crushing shell (38); the first hydraulic motor (42) is installed on the crushing shell (38) to drive the crushing toothed roller (39) to rotate; the second sprocket (41) is installed on one side of the crushing toothed roller (39) for chain drive with the first sprocket (35).

5. The deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The structural frame (1) includes a main board frame (12), a connecting beam (11), an equipment rack (9), and a mounting base (10); the connecting beam (11) passes through and is fixedly connected to the main board frame (12), the equipment rack (9) is installed on the top of the main board frame (12), and the mounting base (10) is located at the bottom of the main board frame (12).

6. The deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that, The structural frame (1) also includes a lifting point (13) and a terrain detection device (57); the lifting point (13) is installed on the top of the main board frame (12); the terrain detection device (57) is suspended at the head of the main board frame (12) and located below the environmental sensing mechanism (8).

7. The deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tracked walking mechanism (2) includes a track (14), a drive wheel (15), an idler wheel (16), a road wheel (17), a torsion bar (18), a shock absorber (19), a speed sensor (21), a reducer, and a second hydraulic motor (20); the drive wheel (15) is located at the rear end of the structural frame (1), and the idler wheel (16) is located at the front end of the structural frame (1); the drive wheel (15) and the idler wheel (16) respectively mesh with the inner side of the track (14); a plurality of the... The road wheels (17) are arranged below the track (14) and mesh with the lower inner side of the track (14); the torsion bar (18) is connected to the balance elbow of the multiple road wheels (17); the second hydraulic motor (20) is fixedly connected to the drive wheel (15), provides driving force to the drive wheel (15), and drives the reducer to output to the track (14); the speed sensor is installed on the structural frame (1) to monitor the rotation speed of the drive wheel (15) in real time, so as to facilitate the control and adjustment of the travel speed.

8. The deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle according to claim 7, characterized in that, The plume suppression mechanism (7) includes a plume suppression device, a plume suction pipe (46), an impurity suction pipe (48), a pump body (47), and a solid-liquid separation chamber (53). The plume suppression device is installed above the track (14). The water inlet of the plume suction pipe (46) is connected to the plume suppression device, and the plume suction pipe (46) is arranged above the track (14). The impurity suction pipe (48) is arranged at the rear of the structural frame (1), and the water inlet of the impurity suction pipe (48) is connected to the cleaning chamber (30). The solid-liquid separation chamber (53) is located at the front end of the structural frame (1), and its inlet is connected to the outlet of the pump body (47).

9. The deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The storage mechanism (6) includes a storage bin (43), a pressure sensor (44), and a lifting pipe (45); the storage bin (43) is located at the tail of the structural frame (1) and is connected to the crushing mechanism (5); the pressure sensor (44) is used to weigh the polymetallic nodules in the storage bin (43); the environmental sensing mechanism (8) includes multiple sensors, a hydraulic control module, and an electrical control module; the hydraulic control module and the electrical control module are located in the structural frame (1) and are electrically connected to the tracked walking mechanism (2), the acquisition mechanism (3), and the storage mechanism (6).

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