A buoyant self-elevating bulk seabed mineral lifting system

Abstract

The embodiment of the present invention discloses a buoyancy self-elevating large-block seabed mineral lifting system, comprising: a surface support system, which is arranged on the water surface and is used to receive minerals lifted from the seabed to the surface; an anchoring system, through which the surface support system is positioned, and one end of the anchoring system is fixed to the seabed; a lifting system, which is used to lift the minerals from the seabed to the surface support system, and the two ends of the lifting system are respectively arranged on the surface support system and the anchoring system of the seabed; wherein the lifting system includes a transmission system arranged between the surface support system and the seabed, and two lifting cabins that alternately move along the transmission system under the action of buoyancy changes. The present invention does not require processing of the minerals, and can quickly lift large blocks of minerals to the water surface by utilizing the buoyancy changes and the interaction between the two lifting cabins.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiment of the present invention relates to the technical field of seabed mineral development, and in particular to a buoyancy self-elevating bulk seabed mineral lifting system. Background Art

[0002] After decades of development, the more feasible deep-sea mining methods can be divided into: trailer mining, continuous rope bucket, pipeline lifting and shuttle mining. The trailer mining method cannot be controlled, the recovery rate is low, and continuous mining is not possible, so the production capacity is low. The continuous rope bucket has the problem of ropes being too close and prone to entanglement. At present, the pipeline lifting method has been studied the most, and some sea trials have been carried out. Although the pipeline lifting method can achieve continuous production, the system has many limitations:

[0003] Minerals need to be crushed into smaller particles before they can be transported to the surface support system via hydraulic transport. The mineral crushing process consumes a lot of energy and will greatly pollute the marine environment.

[0004] In this regard, particle erosion is an unavoidable problem in this system, especially the erosion of lifting pumps and lifting pipelines is extremely serious; particles often clog the lifting pumps, causing production stoppages or even equipment failure; through hydraulic transportation, the system efficiency is low. Summary of the invention

[0005] To this end, an embodiment of the present invention provides a buoyancy self-elevating bulk seabed mineral lifting system to solve the problem in the prior art that minerals need to be crushed into smaller particle sizes before they can be transported to the water surface through water conservancy.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the embodiments of the present invention provide the following technical solutions:

[0007] In one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a buoyancy self-elevating bulk seabed mineral lifting system is provided, comprising:

[0008] A surface support system, which is installed on the water surface and is used to receive minerals lifted from the seabed to the surface;

[0009] An anchoring system, the surface support system is positioned by the anchoring system, and one end of the anchoring system is fixed to the seabed;

[0010] A lifting system, used to lift the minerals from the seabed to the surface support system, wherein two ends of the lifting system are respectively arranged on the surface support system and the anchoring system on the seabed;

[0011] The lifting system includes a transmission system arranged between the water surface support system and the seabed, and two lifting cabins that move alternately along the transmission system under the action of buoyancy changes.

[0012] As a preferred solution of the present invention, the surface support system includes a surface support vessel floating on the water surface, and a front door type crane and a rear door type crane arranged on the surface support vessel, a sea well is opened at both ends of the surface support vessel, and a surface pulley block support seat is arranged on the side of the wellhead of each of the sea wells close to the center of the surface support vessel.

[0013] As a preferred solution of the present invention, the anchoring system includes a plurality of suction anchors fixed to the bottom of the seabed, and a plurality of tension legs fixed on the suction anchors, the tension legs are fixedly connected to the surface support vessel, and a seabed pulley block support seat corresponding to the surface pulley block support seat is fixed on the suction anchor.

[0014] As a preferred solution of the present invention, the transmission system includes a top guide pulley block arranged on a surface pulley block support seat, and a seabed guide pulley block arranged on a seabed pulley block support seat, the two lifting cabins are respectively arranged below the sea-going well on both sides of the surface support vessel, one end of the two lifting cabins are connected by the polyester cable bypassing the outside of the top guide pulley, the other end of the two lifting cabins are connected by the polyester cable bypassing the outside of the seabed guide pulley block, the polyester cable passes through the sea-going well, and forms a lifting and transportation line below the sea-going well on both sides of the surface support vessel.

[0015] As a preferred solution of the present invention, four suction anchors are arranged side by side, wherein the two inner suction anchors are used to install the seabed pulley block support seat, and the two outer suction anchors are used to install the tension legs.

[0016] As a preferred solution of the present invention, a seabed positioning groove is provided at the position of the seabed pulley block support seat, and the top shape of the seabed positioning groove matches the bottom shape of the lifting cabin to position the lifting cabin when it runs to the seabed.

[0017] As a preferred solution of the present invention, the lifting cabin has a capsule shape.

[0018] As a preferred solution of the present invention, both ends of the lifting device are provided with lifting ears connected to the polyester cable.

[0019] As a preferred solution of the present invention, four arched mineral entrances are opened on the top of the lifting cabin, and top arc doors capable of sliding in a circular direction along the lifting cabin are arranged on the arched mineral entrances. Four cargo bins are arranged on the lifting cabin, and cargo outlets are arranged at the bottom of the cargo bins. A bottom arc door is arranged on the cargo outlets, and is inclined outward at the bottom of the cargo bins.

[0020] As a preferred solution of the present invention, a ballast tank is arranged in the lifting cabin, and a ballast water inlet and outlet connected to the ballast tank is arranged at the bottom of the lifting cabin.

[0021] The embodiments of the present invention have the following advantages:

[0022] The present invention does not require crushing of the minerals, but only requires simple cutting to a size that can be placed in a lifting cabin. The buoyancy change between the two lifting cabins and their interaction can be used to quickly lift large pieces of minerals to the water surface, which can greatly reduce environmental pollution.

[0023] The present invention does not have the similar erosion and clogging problems of pipeline lifting systems caused by particles.

[0024] By adjusting the ballast of the buoyancy tank, the minerals can be lifted to the water surface with the help of buoyancy. No additional power system is needed to lift the minerals, which can greatly improve efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In order to more clearly illustrate the implementation methods of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for the implementation methods or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only exemplary, and for ordinary technicians in this field, other implementation drawings can be derived from the provided drawings without creative work.

[0026] The structures, proportions, sizes, etc. illustrated in this specification are only used to match the contents disclosed in the specification so as to facilitate understanding and reading by persons familiar with the technology. They are not used to limit the conditions under which the present invention can be implemented, and therefore have no substantial technical significance. Any structural modification, change in proportion or adjustment of size shall still fall within the scope of the technical contents disclosed in the present invention without affecting the effects and purposes that can be achieved by the present invention.

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a buoyancy self-elevating bulk seabed mineral lifting system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Right view of;

[0029] Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of a lifting cabin provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Top view of the .

[0031] In the figure:

[0032] 1-lifting cabin; 2-surface support vessel; 3-sea well; 4-surface pulley block support seat; 5-seabed; 6-suction anchor; 7-tension leg; 8-subsea pulley block support seat; 9-top guide pulley block; 10-subsea guide pulley block; 11-polyester cable; 12-subsea positioning groove; 13-front door type crane; 14-rear door type crane;

[0033] 101-lifting lug; 102-top curved door; 103-cargo hold; 104-bottom curved door; 105-ballast tank; 106-ballast water inlet and outlet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The following is a description of the implementation of the present invention by specific embodiments. People familiar with the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the present invention provides a buoyancy self-elevating bulk seabed mineral lifting system, which mainly includes three parts: a water surface support system, an anchoring system and a lifting system.

[0036] Among them, the surface support system is set on the water surface and is used to receive minerals lifted from the seabed to the surface. It specifically includes a surface support vessel 2 floating on the water surface, and a front door type crane 13 and a rear door type crane 14 arranged on the surface support vessel 2. A sea well 3 is opened at both ends of the surface support vessel, and a surface pulley block support seat 4 is arranged on the side of the wellhead of each of the sea wells 3 close to the center of the surface support vessel.

[0037] Among them, the front door type crane 13 and the rear door type crane 14 are mainly used for lifting heavy objects such as minerals.

[0038] The anchoring system is mainly used to position the surface support vessel 2 of the surface support system so that the surface support vessel 2 and the seabed mining area are relatively stable. It mainly includes a plurality of suction anchors 6 fixed to the bottom of the seabed 5, and a plurality of tension legs 7 fixed on the suction anchors 6. The tension legs 7 are fixedly connected to the surface support vessel 2, and a seabed pulley block support seat 8 corresponding to the surface pulley block support seat 4 is fixed on the suction anchor 6.

[0039] There are generally two tension legs 7, which are used to fix the front and rear ends of the surface support vessel 2 respectively.

[0040] The lifting system is used to lift minerals from the seabed to the surface support system, and the two ends of the lifting system are respectively arranged on the surface support system and the anchoring system of the seabed; the lifting system includes a transmission system arranged to run between the surface support system and the seabed, and two lifting cabins 1 that move alternately along the transmission system under the action of buoyancy changes. The function of automatic lifting of the lifting cabins 1 is mainly achieved by changing the buoyancy of the two lifting cabins 1.

[0041] The transmission system includes a top guide pulley block 9 arranged on a surface pulley block support seat 4, and a seabed guide pulley block 10 arranged on a seabed pulley block support seat 8. Two lifting cabins 1 are respectively arranged below the seawell 3 on both sides of the surface support ship 2. One end of the two lifting cabins 1 is connected by a polyester cable 11 bypassing the outside of the top guide pulley block 9, and the other end of the two lifting cabins 1 is connected by a polyester cable 11 bypassing the outside of the seabed guide pulley block 10. The polyester cable 11 passes through the seawell 3 and forms a lifting and transportation line below the seawell 3 on both sides of the surface support ship 2.

[0042] A seabed positioning groove 12 is provided at the position of the seabed pulley block support seat 8, and the top shape of the seabed positioning groove 12 matches the bottom shape of the lifting cabin 1 to position the lifting cabin 1 when it runs to the seabed.

[0043] When one of the lifting cabins floats up to the surface support vessel 3 for unloading, the bottom of the other lifting cabin is just in the seabed positioning groove 12.

[0044] Four suction anchors 6 are arranged side by side, wherein the two inner suction anchors 6 are used to install the seabed pulley block support seat 8 , and the two outer suction anchors 6 are used to install the tension legs 7 .

[0045] Among them, Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the lifting cabin 1 has a capsule-shaped appearance, that is, its upper and lower ends are ellipsoidal, mainly to improve the hydrodynamic performance and reduce the fluid resistance when the lifting cabin travels through the water, so as to increase the transportation speed.

[0046] Lifting ears 101 connected to the polyester cable 11 are provided at both ends of the lifting cabin 1, four arched mineral entrances are opened on the top of the lifting cabin 1, and a top arc door 102 that can slide circumferentially along the lifting cabin 1 is provided on the arched mineral entrance, four cargo holds 103 are provided on the lifting cabin 1, and a cargo outlet is provided at the bottom of the cargo hold 103, and a bottom arc door 104 is provided on the cargo outlet, which is tilted outward at the bottom of the cargo hold 103. When the lifting cabin 1 is lifted to the surface support ship 3 for unloading, the cargo can slide out directly under the action of gravity due to the lack of water pressure. A ballast tank 105 is provided in the lifting cabin 1, and a ballast water inlet and outlet 106 connected to the ballast tank 105 is provided at the bottom of the lifting cabin 1. The cabin bodies of the two lifting cabins are made to have positive buoyancy or negative buoyancy through ballast adjustment, thereby achieving the purpose of floating or diving.

[0047] For the sake of explanation, the Figure 1 The lift cabin on the right side is designated as lift cabin A, and the one on the left side is designated as lift cabin B.

[0048] When lifting ore, the top of the lifting cabin A is connected to the high-strength polyester cable 11 and sunk to the seabed under ballasting and placed on the seabed positioning groove 10, and the lifting cabin A is fixed by a clamping device.

[0049] The left end of the high-strength polyester cable connected to the top of the lifting cabin A is connected to the top of the lifting cabin B. The high-strength polyester cable at the bottom of the lifting cabin A passes through the seabed positioning groove 12 under the traction of the ROV, bypasses the seabed guide pulley group 10, and is connected to the lifting ear at the bottom of the lifting cabin B. Subsequently, the high-strength polyester cable 4 is put into a tensioned state through the winch system of the surface support vessel 3.

[0050] After lifting tank A is filled with bulk minerals, the seawater in the ballast tank 24 is discharged through the pressure pump in the tank, so that the buoyancy of the hull of lifting tank A is greater than the gravity. At the same time, the cargo in lifting tank B has been unloaded (it was empty during the first installation), and pressurized water is added to the ballast tank, so that the gravity is greater than the buoyancy.

[0051] Then, the clamping device is released, and the lifting cabin B will dive with the empty ballast tank under the action of gravity, and the lifting cabin A will float up with the cargo hold full of minerals under the action of buoyancy. Due to the combined effect of effective gravity and effective buoyancy, the lifting cabin A can quickly float to the surface of the water, and the lifting cabin B can quickly dive to the seabed.

[0052] When lift cabin A and lift cabin B are approaching the designated parking point, they will be decelerated through the winch system. After lift cabin A rises to the surface support ship, the bottom arc door is opened, and the minerals will be automatically unloaded under the action of gravity through the inclined panel at the bottom of the cargo hold, and after the minerals are unloaded, the ballast water will be added to the ballast tank.

[0053] At the same time, after the ballast tank of lifting cabin B reaches the seabed, the top arc door is opened to add minerals into the cargo hold. During this period, the seawater in the ballast tank is discharged through the high-pressure pump, making the buoyancy of the lifting cabin greater than the gravity. Due to the action of the clamping device at this time, the lifting cabin will not float up. When it is full of cargo, the clamping device is released and the lifting cabin can float up.

[0054] Specifically, taking a steel cylindrical buoyancy tank with a diameter of 6m, a height of 10m and a wall thickness of 10mm as an example, if four cylindrical cargo tanks with a diameter of 2m and a height of 10m are designed on the buoyancy tank, its single effective load capacity can exceed 130 tons. If necessary, the size of the buoyancy tank can be increased, and its effective load capacity can be greatly improved. Polymer materials can also be used to further increase the effective load capacity.

[0055] Although the present invention has been described in detail above by general description and specific embodiments, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that some modifications or improvements can be made to the present invention. Therefore, these modifications or improvements made without departing from the spirit of the present invention all belong to the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A buoyancy self-elevating bulk seabed mineral lifting system, characterized in that: include: A surface support system, which is installed on the water surface and is used to receive minerals lifted from the seabed to the surface; An anchoring system, the surface support system is positioned by the anchoring system, and one end of the anchoring system is fixed to the seabed; A lifting system, used to lift the minerals from the seabed to the surface support system, wherein both ends of the lifting system are respectively arranged on the surface support system and the anchoring system on the seabed; The lifting system comprises a transmission system arranged between the water surface support system and the seabed, and two lifting cabins (1) which move alternately along the transmission system under the action of buoyancy changes; The surface support system comprises a surface support vessel (2) floating on the water surface, and a front door type crane (13) and a rear door type crane (14) arranged on the surface support vessel (2); a sea well (3) is provided at both ends of the surface support vessel, and a surface pulley block support seat (4) is provided on one side of the wellhead of each sea well (3) close to the center of the surface support vessel; The anchoring system comprises a plurality of suction anchors (6) fixed to the bottom of the seabed (5), and a plurality of tension legs (7) fixed to the suction anchors (6), wherein the tension legs (7) are fixedly connected to the surface support vessel (2), and a seabed pulley block support seat (8) corresponding to the surface pulley block support seat (4) is fixed to the suction anchors (6); The transmission system comprises a top guide pulley block (9) arranged on a surface pulley block support seat (4), and a bottom guide pulley block (10) arranged on a bottom pulley block support seat (8); the two lifting cabins (1) are respectively arranged below the sea-going well (3) on both sides of the surface support vessel (2); one end of the two lifting cabins (1) is connected by bypassing the outside of the top guide pulley block (9) through a polyester cable (11); the other end of the two lifting cabins (1) is connected by bypassing the outside of the bottom guide pulley block (10) through the polyester cable (11); the polyester cable (11) passes through the sea-going well (3), and forms a lifting and transportation line below the sea-going well (3) on both sides of the surface support vessel (2); Both ends of the lifting cabin (1) are provided with lifting ears (101) connected to the polyester cable (11); Four arched mineral entrances are provided at the top of the lifting cabin (1), and top arc doors (102) capable of sliding in a circular direction along the lifting cabin (1) are provided on the arched mineral entrances; four cargo bins (103) are provided on the lifting cabin (1), and cargo outlets are provided at the bottom of the cargo bins (103); bottom arc doors (104) are provided on the cargo outlets, and are inclined outward at the bottom of the cargo bins (103); A ballast tank (105) is arranged in the lifting tank (1), and a ballast water inlet and outlet (106) in communication with the ballast tank (105) is arranged at the bottom of the lifting tank (1).

2. A buoyancy self-elevating bulk seabed mineral lifting system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Four suction anchors (6) are arranged side by side, wherein the two inner suction anchors (6) are used to install the seafloor pulley block support seat (8), and the two outer suction anchors (6) are used to install the tension legs (7).

3. A buoyancy self-elevating bulk seabed mineral lifting system according to claim 2, characterized in that: A seabed positioning groove (12) is provided at the position of the seabed pulley block support seat (8), and the top shape of the seabed positioning groove (12) matches the bottom shape of the lifting cabin (1) so as to position the lifting cabin (1) when it runs to the seabed.

4. A buoyancy self-elevating bulk seabed mineral lifting system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The lifting cabin (1) has a capsule-like appearance.

Images