Deep-sea mineral mixed transportation offshore test system

Abstract

The present invention discloses a deep-sea mineral mixed transportation offshore test system, comprising a surface operation platform and a lifting pipeline, wherein the top of the lifting pipeline is fixed on the surface operation platform, and the bottom is placed at the underwater collection depth to be tested, and the lifting pipeline is also provided with a monitoring device for monitoring the state of the lifting pipeline, and also comprises a circulation device, wherein the circulation device is respectively connected with both ends of the lifting pipeline, and the lifting pipeline lifts the solid-liquid mixture at the bottom to the top, and the circulation device adjusts the solid-liquid ratio of the solid-liquid mixture lifted by the lifting pipeline to the top, and transports the adjusted solid-liquid mixture to the bottom of the lifting pipeline. The deep-sea mineral mixed transportation offshore test system of the present invention has the advantages of real test environment, reliable test data, simple overall structure, and easy and convenient operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of deep-sea mining equipment testing, and in particular to a deep-sea mineral mixed transportation offshore testing system. Background Art

[0002] The deep sea area is rich in minerals, and the main metal mineral resources include polymetallic nodules, polymetallic sulfides, and cobalt-rich crusts. These resources are all found in deep-sea seabed deposits thousands of meters deep. In the existing deep-sea mining field, it is generally believed that the model of mining by mining vehicles-hydraulic lifting pipeline transportation-sea engineering ships is the most commercially valuable. Among them, the mixed transportation method of using hydraulic lifting pipelines to transport minerals has complex requirements for the transportation pipelines. The tests on hydraulic lifting pipelines used for transportation at home and abroad are mainly studied through theoretical calculations, simulation analysis, laboratory tests, etc. These studies are all simulated or hypothetical working conditions, which are very different from the offshore operating environment of the real mining area. When establishing a vertical pipeline transportation test system in the laboratory, due to the limitations of the test space, the length of the riser is generally only tens of meters high, and it is also in the air or deep well environment, lacking the influence of ocean waves, surges, etc. on the pipeline. Summary of the invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and provide a deep-sea mineral mixed transportation offshore test system with a real test environment, reliable test data, a simple overall structure and easy and convenient operation.

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution proposed by the present invention is:

[0005] A deep-sea mineral mixed transportation offshore test system comprises a surface operating platform and a lifting pipeline, wherein the top end of the lifting pipeline is fixed on the surface operating platform, and the bottom end is placed at the underwater collection depth to be tested. The lifting pipeline is also provided with a monitoring device for monitoring the state of the lifting pipeline, and also comprises a circulation device, wherein the circulation device is respectively connected to both ends of the lifting pipeline, the lifting pipeline lifts the solid-liquid mixture at the bottom end to the top end, the circulation device adjusts the solid-liquid ratio of the solid-liquid mixture lifted to the top end by the lifting pipeline, and transports the adjusted solid-liquid mixture to the bottom end of the lifting pipeline.

[0006] As a further improvement of the above technical solution:

[0007] The circulation device comprises a ratio adjustment device and a feeding pipe, wherein the top end of the feeding pipe is connected to the outlet of the ratio adjustment device, the bottom end is connected to the bottom end of the lifting pipe, and the top end of the lifting pipe is connected to the inlet of the ratio adjustment device.

[0008] The proportion adjustment device includes a sub-storage bin, a feeder and a mixing bin. The sub-storage bin includes a solid storage area and a liquid storage area for separating and storing solid-liquid mixtures respectively. The two are connected to the mixing bin through connecting pipes respectively, and at least one connecting pipe is provided with a feeder for controlling the feeding speed by adjusting the rotation speed. The inlet of the sub-storage bin is connected to the top of the lifting pipe, and the outlet of the mixing bin is connected to the top of the feeding pipe.

[0009] The liquid storage area is provided with a liquid level meter, and the surface operating platform is provided with a liquid replenishing device. When the liquid level meter detects that the liquid level in the liquid storage area is lower than the set liquid level, the liquid replenishing device is controlled to replenish liquid into the liquid storage area.

[0010] The liquid storage area is provided with an overflow port at a set height.

[0011] The solid storage area and the liquid storage area of ​​the sub-storage bin are located at the same horizontal position. A screen partition is provided in the sub-storage bin to separate the solid storage area from the liquid storage area. The liquid in the solid storage area can enter the liquid storage area through the screen partition.

[0012] The circulation device also includes a three-way pipe, two openings of which are respectively connected to the bottom end of the feeding pipe and the bottom end of the lifting pipe, and the other opening is provided with a discharge valve.

[0013] The three-way pipe is a U-shaped pipe, wherein the two openings communicating with the feeding pipe and the lifting pipe are flush with each other, and the opening with the discharge valve is arranged at the lowest point of the U-shaped pipe.

[0014] A simulated relay station is provided on the lifting pipeline.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are:

[0016] The deep-sea mineral mixed transportation offshore test system of the present invention includes a surface operating platform and a lifting pipeline. The lifting pipeline is also provided with a monitoring device for monitoring the status of the lifting pipeline. The surface operating platform is arranged on the real sea surface, the top end of the lifting pipeline is fixed on the surface operating platform, and the bottom end is placed at the underwater collection depth to be tested, so that the test environment is consistent with the real operating environment. During the test, the influence of real ocean waves and surges can be obtained, ensuring the reliability of the test data.

[0017] The superiority of the test system of the present invention also lies in that the test system also includes a circulation device, the circulation device is connected to the two ends of the lifting pipeline respectively, the lifting pipeline lifts the solid-liquid mixture at the bottom to the top, the circulation device adjusts the solid-liquid ratio of the solid-liquid mixture lifted by the lifting pipeline to the top, and transports the adjusted solid-liquid mixture to the bottom of the lifting pipeline, so that the conveyed material of the entire system circulates internally. This setting method can simulate and restore the function of the lifting pipeline in the real deep-sea mineral mining system to the greatest extent without the high cost and complicated operation of real deep-sea mineral mining, making the ore replenishment in the circulation process simple and the operation more convenient and easy. And because the conveyed material circulates internally, it can ensure that the conveyed material is always kept in a stable transportation state during the test, avoiding the adverse effects of interruption on the test. In addition, the circulation device adjusts the solid-liquid ratio of the solid-liquid mixture in real time to ensure the high consistency of the test conditions, further optimize the reliability of the test results, and when conducting different mining conditions, it can also simulate the actual situation to flexibly adjust the solid-liquid ratio, further enriching the test conditions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the deep-sea mineral mixed transportation offshore test system of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sub-storage bins in the deep-sea mineral mixed transportation offshore test system of the present invention.

[0020] Legend: 1. Surface operating platform; 2. Lifting pipeline; 21. Simulation relay station; 3. Monitoring equipment; 4. Circulation equipment; 41. Proportional adjustment device; 411. Sub-storage bin; 4111. Screen partition; 412. Feeder; 413. Mixing bin; 42. Feeding pipe; 43. Tee pipe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] In order to facilitate the understanding of the present invention, the present invention will be described more comprehensively and meticulously below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments of the specification, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the following specific embodiments.

[0022] Example:

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, the deep-sea mineral mixed transportation offshore test system of this embodiment includes a surface operating platform 1 and a lifting pipeline 2. The lifting pipeline 2 is also provided with a monitoring device 3 for monitoring the status of the lifting pipeline 2, wherein the surface operating platform 1 is arranged on the real sea surface, the top end of the lifting pipeline 2 is fixed on the surface operating platform 1, and the bottom end is placed at the underwater collection depth to be tested, so that the test environment is consistent with the real working environment, and the real ocean waves and surges can be obtained during the test, thereby ensuring the reliability of the test data.

[0024] The test system of this embodiment also includes a circulation device 4, which is connected to both ends of the lifting pipe 2. The lifting pipe 2 lifts the solid-liquid mixture at the bottom to the top. The circulation device 4 adjusts the solid-liquid ratio of the solid-liquid mixture lifted to the top of the lifting pipe 2, and transports the adjusted solid-liquid mixture to the bottom of the lifting pipe 2, so that the transported material of the entire system circulates internally. This setting method can simulate and restore the function of the lifting pipe 2 in the real deep-sea mineral mining system to the greatest extent without the high cost and complex operation of real deep-sea mineral mining, making the ore replenishment in the circulation process simple and the operation more convenient and easy. In addition, the circulation device 4 adjusts the solid-liquid ratio of the solid-liquid mixture in real time to ensure the high consistency of the test conditions, further optimize the reliability of the test results, and when conducting different mining conditions, it can also simulate the actual situation to flexibly adjust the solid-liquid ratio, further enriching the test conditions.

[0025] In addition, since the silo volume of the relay station of the real mining system is limited, it is difficult to manually replenish the ore in the relay station silo without a mining vehicle, and it is impossible to carry out a long-term ore transportation test on the lifting pipeline 2. In this embodiment, the internal circulation of the conveyed material is adopted, so that the conveyed material can always be kept in a stable transportation state during the test, avoiding the adverse effects of interruption on the test, and the required manpower, material resources and pre- and post-equipment are greatly simplified, and the investment cost is greatly reduced, which can take into account the operability and economy of the offshore test, and is conducive to the establishment of an offshore pipeline lifting test system.

[0026] In this embodiment, the power cable and various signal cables are arranged and fixed on the lifting pipe 2. The lifting pipe 2 can be a hose or a hard pipe. The test system of this embodiment can not only test the performance of the lifting pipe 2 during the lifting process, but also be used to test the performance comparison of lifting pipes 2 of different materials and different hardness, laying a foundation for improving the lifting pipe 2.

[0027] In this embodiment, the circulation device 4 includes a ratio adjustment device 41 and a feeding pipe 42. The top of the feeding pipe 42 is connected to the outlet of the ratio adjustment device 41, and the bottom is connected to the bottom end of the lifting pipeline 2. The top of the lifting pipeline 2 is connected to the inlet of the ratio adjustment device 41. The feeding pipe 42 can be a hard pipe or a hose. In this embodiment, the feeding pipe 42 adopts a hose, which has the advantages of lower cost, almost no impact on the lifting pipeline 2, and fast and convenient deployment and recovery. In addition, the real deep-sea mining system uses a hose to connect the relay station and the mining workshop. The feeding pipe 42 adopts a hose, which is more in line with the real mineral lifting and conveying system. In this embodiment, a conveying pump is also provided at the top of the feeding pipe 42 to increase the conveying speed of the solid-liquid mixture in the feeding pipe 42, to ensure that the feeding speed of the feeding pipe 42 matches the lifting speed of the lifting pipeline 2, so that the whole system circulates well.

[0028] In this embodiment, the ratio adjustment device 41 includes a sub-storage bin 411, a feeder 412 and a mixing bin 413. The sub-storage bin 411 includes a solid storage area and a liquid storage area for separating and storing a solid-liquid mixture, and the two are respectively connected to the mixing bin 413 through connecting pipes, and at least one connecting pipe is provided with a feeder 412 for controlling the feeding speed by adjusting the rotation speed. The inlet of the sub-storage bin 411 is connected to the top of the lifting pipe 2, and the outlet of the mixing bin 413 is connected to the top of the feeding pipe 42. During the test, by adjusting the rotation speed of the feeder 412, the feeding speed of the solid storage area and the liquid storage area can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the relative speed of the liquid and the solid entering the mixing bin 413, so that the ratio of the two in the mixing bin 413 changes.

[0029] In this embodiment, a liquid level meter is provided on the liquid storage area, and a liquid replenishing device is provided on the surface operating platform 1. When the liquid level meter detects that the liquid level in the liquid storage area is lower than the set liquid level, the liquid replenishing device is controlled to replenish liquid into the liquid storage area in time to prevent the liquid level in the liquid storage area from dropping until it dries up, thereby causing serious consequences such as shutting down the entire system.

[0030] In this embodiment, the liquid storage area is provided with an overflow port at a set height. The height of the overflow port is higher than the height of the liquid level gauge. The overflow port cooperates with the liquid level gauge and the liquid replenishing device to ensure that the liquid level of the liquid storage area is always maintained within a set range. This arrangement keeps the water pressure at the bottom of the liquid storage area stable, thereby improving the overall stability of the system and providing a certain water pressure for material discharge.

[0031] In this embodiment, Figure 2As shown, the solid storage area and the liquid storage area of ​​the sub-storage bin 411 are located at the same horizontal position, and a screen partition 4111 is provided in the sub-storage bin 411 to separate the solid storage area and the liquid storage area. The outlet of the lifting pipe 2 is above the solid storage area, and the liquid in the solid storage area can pass through the screen partition 4111 and enter the liquid storage area, but solid materials such as ore will not fall into the liquid storage area, so as to avoid affecting the solid-liquid ratio adjustment. When the sub-storage bin 411 is unloaded, although there will be liquid in the solid storage area due to the gaps between the ore, the solid ore will settle to the bottom of the solid storage area, so the ore-liquid ratio at the outlet of the solid storage area is certain, and the presence of appropriate liquid can also facilitate the smooth unloading of the ore from the solid storage area, and then the solid-liquid ratio of the unloading of the sub-storage bin 411 can be adjusted by adjusting the unloading speed of the solid storage area and the liquid storage area.

[0032] In this embodiment, the circulation device 4 further includes a three-way pipe 43, two openings of which are respectively connected to the bottom end of the feed pipe 42 and the bottom end of the lifting pipe 2, and the other opening is provided with a discharge valve. When an emergency such as a power failure occurs, the materials in the lifting pipe 2 and the feed pipe 42 can be discharged through the discharge valve, thereby avoiding dangerous situations such as pipe blockage.

[0033] In this embodiment, the three-way pipe 43 is a U-shaped pipe, wherein the two openings communicating with the feeding pipe 42 and the lifting pipe 2 are aligned, and the opening with the discharge valve is arranged at the lowest point of the U-shaped pipe. The arc portion of the U-shaped pipe can achieve a good transition between the feeding pipe 42 and the lifting pipe 2, and the material can pass through the arc portion more smoothly under the action of the conveying force.

[0034] In this embodiment, a simulated relay station 21 is provided on the lifting pipeline 2, that is, the simulated relay station 21 is set at the original position of the lifting pipeline 2 to retain the mass similar to that of the original relay station and continue to play the role of the center of mass, thereby restoring and simulating the stress condition of the lifting pipeline 2 to the greatest extent.

[0035] Before the test system of this embodiment starts working, it is necessary to add mineral materials and conveying liquid into the sub-storage bin 411, wherein the conveying liquid can be seawater, and if the operation is carried out on the lake surface, the conveying liquid can also be lake water, until the conveying liquid overflows from the overflow port of the liquid storage area. After that, the conveying pump on the feeding pipe 42 and the lifting drive device on the lifting pipeline 2 are turned on, and the mineral materials and conveying liquid in the sub-storage bin 411 enter the mixing bin 413 for mixing, and then pass through the feeding pipe 42, and then enter the lifting pipeline 2 through the three-way pipe 43, and then enter the sub-storage bin 411 after being lifted by the lifting pipeline 2, and then reciprocate.

[0036] In this embodiment, the monitoring device 3 includes an optical fiber sensor and an ultrasonic guided wave sensor, which are used to monitor the stress, wear and other conditions of the lifting pipeline 2. In other embodiments, different sensors can be replaced as the monitoring device 3 according to specific test conditions and test results to be collected, which will not be described in detail here.

[0037] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For those skilled in the art, improvements and changes obtained without departing from the technical concept of the present invention should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A deep-sea mineral mixed transportation offshore test system, comprising a surface operation platform (1) and a lifting pipeline (2), wherein the top end of the lifting pipeline (2) is fixed on the surface operation platform (1), and the bottom end is placed at the underwater collection depth to be tested, and the lifting pipeline (2) is also provided with a monitoring device (3) for monitoring the state of the lifting pipeline (2), characterized in that: It also includes a circulation device (4), the circulation device (4) being in communication with both ends of the lifting pipe (2), the lifting pipe (2) lifting the solid-liquid mixture at the bottom to the top, the circulation device (4) adjusting the solid-liquid ratio of the solid-liquid mixture lifted from the lifting pipe (2) to the top, and conveying the adjusted solid-liquid mixture to the bottom of the lifting pipe (2); The circulation device (4) comprises a ratio adjustment device (41) and a feeding pipe (42), wherein the top end of the feeding pipe (42) is connected to the outlet of the ratio adjustment device (41), and the bottom end is connected to the bottom end of the lifting pipe (2), and the top end of the lifting pipe (2) is connected to the inlet of the ratio adjustment device (41); The ratio adjustment device (41) comprises a sub-storage bin (411), a feeder (412) and a mixing bin (413); the sub-storage bin (411) comprises a solid storage area and a liquid storage area for separating and storing a solid-liquid mixture respectively, the two areas are respectively connected to the mixing bin (413) via connecting pipes, and at least one connecting pipe is provided with a feeder (412) for controlling a feeding speed by adjusting a rotation speed; the inlet of the sub-storage bin (411) is connected to the top end of the lifting pipe (2), and the outlet of the mixing bin (413) is connected to the top end of the feeding pipe (42); The lifting pipeline (2) is provided with a simulated relay station (21).

2. The deep-sea mineral mixed transportation offshore test system according to claim 1 is characterized by: The liquid storage area is provided with a liquid level meter, and the surface operation platform (1) is provided with a liquid replenishing device. When the liquid level meter detects that the liquid level in the liquid storage area is lower than a set liquid level, the liquid replenishing device is controlled to replenish liquid into the liquid storage area.

3. The deep-sea mineral mixed transportation offshore test system according to claim 2 is characterized by: The liquid storage area is provided with an overflow port at a set height.

4. The deep-sea mineral mixed transportation offshore test system according to claim 2 is characterized by: The solid storage area and the liquid storage area of ​​the sub-storage bin (411) are located at the same horizontal position. A screen partition (4111) is provided in the sub-storage bin (411) to separate the solid storage area from the liquid storage area. The liquid in the solid storage area can enter the liquid storage area through the screen partition (4111).

5. The deep-sea mineral mixed transportation offshore test system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The circulation device (4) further comprises a three-way pipe (43), two openings of which are respectively connected to the bottom end of the feed pipe (42) and the bottom end of the lifting pipe (2), and the other opening is provided with a discharge valve.

6. The deep-sea mineral mixed transportation offshore test system according to claim 5 is characterized by: The three-way pipe (43) is a U-shaped pipe, wherein the two openings communicating with the feeding pipe (42) and the lifting pipe (2) are aligned, and the opening with the discharge valve is arranged at the lowest point of the U-shaped pipe.

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