Deep-sea mining vehicles

Abstract

A deep-sea mining vehicle is described for recovering mineral deposits from the seabed at great depths and optionally transferring the deposits to a floating device. The vehicle comprises a support frame provided with means for moving the vehicle forward on the seabed, a reservoir for recovered mineral deposits, and a suction head having an open suction side oriented toward the seabed and along which the mineral deposits are recovered. The deep-sea mining vehicle is also provided with a control device for maintaining the height of the suction plane relative to the seabed within predetermined limits. The control device utilizes measurement means to determine the seabed height at locations preceding the open suction side relative to the direction of movement and extending across the width of the deep-sea mining vehicle. Actuators incorporated into the control circuit adjust the height of the suction head based on the seabed heights measured at these locations.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a deep-sea mining vehicle for collecting mineral deposits on the seabed at great depths and transferring the deposits to a flotation device or other above-water storage. The present invention also relates to a method for collecting mineral deposits at great depths using a deep-sea mining vehicle, and a suction head for a deep-sea mining vehicle. The mineral deposits may include polymetallic nodules, such as manganese nodules. Background Art

[0002] Given the growing world population and increasing scarcity of natural resources, the need for groundbreaking technologies for deep-sea mining is increasing. Polymetallic nodules occur on the seafloor of many oceans and contain essential raw materials such as nickel, cobalt, and manganese. After extraction, the metals present in these nodules can be used in, for example, stainless steel, batteries, wind turbines, photovoltaic systems, and other useful applications.

[0003] In deep sea mining, the seabed may be located at a distance of 4000-6000 m or more from the sea surface, and therefore deep sea mining equipment must be able to withstand the high pressures and other harsh conditions that prevail at such depths near the seabed.

[0004] Deep-sea mining vehicles are typically lowered toward the seabed from a deep-sea mining vessel. A launching device specifically designed for this purpose can be used, which can be adapted to the design of the deep-sea mining vehicle, if necessary. A riser or riser string arranged between the deep-sea mining vehicle and the deep-sea mining vessel further ensures that the mineral deposits collected by the deep-sea mining vehicle are transported from the seabed to a storage facility located above the water surface. For this purpose, the deep-sea mining vessel is equipped with suitable pumping equipment. If necessary, a pump can also be integrated into the riser string at specific water depths. A flexible connection between the riser string and the deep-sea mining vehicle ensures that the vehicle can move relatively freely on the seabed.

[0005] US 4,311,342 A discloses a deep sea mining vehicle comprising a level sensor shoe for measuring the height of the seabed. An actuator system uses the measured seabed height to control the height of a suction head.

[0006] CN 105735999 B, EP 0018891 B1 and WO 2013 / 050136 A1 disclose similar deep-sea mining vehicles.

[0007] Obviously, the collection of polymetallic nodules and then the transport of the collected polymetallic nodules to a floating device above the water surface must be done as efficiently as possible given the harsh conditions at the site. Summary of the Invention

[0008] It is an object of the present invention, inter alia, to provide a deep-sea mining vehicle with which mineral deposits can be collected at great depths with an increased efficiency compared to the prior art.

[0009] To this end, the present invention comprises a deep-sea mining vehicle according to claim 1. The deep-sea mining vehicle is used for recovering mineral deposits from the seabed at great depths and optionally transferring said deposits to a floating device, comprising a support frame provided with means for moving the vehicle forward in a direction of movement on the seabed, a storage for recovered mineral deposits, and further provided with at least one suction head having an open suction side oriented towards the seabed and arranged in a suction plane, along which the mineral deposits are recovered, wherein the width direction of the at least one suction head coincides with the width direction of the deep-sea mining vehicle, wherein the deep-sea mining vehicle is further provided with control means for maintaining the height of the suction plane relative to the seabed within predetermined limits, wherein the control means comprises measuring means for determining the seabed height at positions preceding the open suction side with respect to the direction of movement and extending across the width of the deep-sea mining vehicle, and actuators which are incorporated into the control circuit and are configured to adjust the height of the suction plane of the at least one suction head based on the seabed heights measured at these positions so that it remains between predetermined limits relative to the seabed.

[0010] According to the invention, the height of the suction plane of the at least one suction head is kept between predetermined limits relative to the seabed. It has been found that this measure increases the efficiency of extracting mineral deposits from the seabed.

[0011] In the context of the present invention, efficiency is understood to mean the amount by weight of mineral deposits collected per unit of power.

[0012] An embodiment of the invention relates to a deep-sea mining vehicle, wherein the measuring means comprises an elongated carrier, which is located in front of an open suction side with respect to the direction of movement, wherein the carrier is provided with a series of sources and a series of receivers, the series of sources being configured to generate geophysical signals underwater in the direction of the seabed, and the series of receivers being configured to measure response signals returned via the seabed, wherein the carrier extends over the width of the deep-sea mining vehicle in the width direction of the deep-sea mining vehicle.

[0013] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a deep sea mining vehicle is provided wherein the geophysical signal comprises an acoustic wave.

[0014] Another embodiment is achieved through deep-sea mining vehicles, where the measurement method includes multibeam. Multibeam systems are known per se and are used, for example, to map the topography of the seabed. Multibeam systems transmit sound waves in a fan pattern, i.e., at different angles. The amount of time it takes for the sound waves to travel from the seabed back to the receiver is used to determine the water depth. In contrast to other sonar systems, multibeam systems use beamforming to derive directional information from the returning sound waves.

[0015] Another embodiment relates to a deep-sea mining vehicle, wherein the number of locations at which the seabed height is measured in width direction is between 1 and 400, more preferably between 100 and 350, and even more preferably between 200 and 300. With these measures, a relatively complete picture of the seabed topology and any foreign objects that may be present on the seabed and must be avoided is obtained.

[0016] Yet another embodiment relates to a deep-sea mining vehicle, wherein the distance between two adjacent positions for seabed height measurement in the width direction is between 1 and 3 cm, more preferably between 1.2 and 2.5 cm, and even more preferably between 1.4 and 2 cm. The distance between the two adjacent positions claimed in this embodiment is not essential to the invention and can be selected differently if desired.

[0017] In a further refined embodiment, a deep-sea mining vehicle is provided, wherein the at least one suction head has a width, extreme values ​​are filtered out from the seabed heights measured in the width direction of the deep-sea mining vehicle, a subset of the seabed heights over the width of the at least one suction head is determined, and a maximum seabed height over the width of the at least one suction head is calculated from the subset, wherein the actuator is configured to adjust the height of the suction plane of the at least one suction head based on the calculated maximum seabed height so that it remains between predetermined limits relative to the seabed.

[0018] Yet another embodiment provides a deep-sea mining vehicle comprising at least two suction heads arranged parallel to each other in the width direction of the deep-sea mining vehicle, and more preferably comprising 2 to 16 suction heads, and even more preferably comprising 10 to 16 suction heads. The number of suction heads claimed in this embodiment is not critical to the invention and may be selected differently if desired.

[0019] A further optimized deep-sea mining vehicle is characterized in that the suction heads are individually controllable with respect to their height relative to the seabed.

[0020] A deep sea mining vehicle according to a further embodiment is characterized in that the predetermined limit amounts are 0 and 200 mm, more preferably 20 and 100 mm.

[0021] In an embodiment of the deep-sea mining vehicle, the measuring means is located at a front distance of between 20 cm and 250 cm, more preferably between 50 cm and 200 cm, most preferably between 80 cm and 150 cm in front of a front side of the open suction side of the at least one suction head with respect to the movement direction.

[0022] Another embodiment provides a deep-sea mining vehicle comprising further measuring means for obtaining the seabed height at a position in front of the open suction side and extending over the width of the deep-sea mining vehicle with respect to the direction of movement, wherein the further measuring means comprises a slat which is connected to the frame and which is movable over the seabed in the direction of movement, and wherein the further measuring means further comprises a calculation device for determining the seabed height from the measured inclination of the slat.

[0023] Here, in a deep-sea mining vehicle according to an embodiment, it is advantageous if the slats are removable from the seabed.

[0024] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a method for recovering mineral deposits on the seabed at great depths and optionally transferring the deposits to a floating device is provided. The method comprises providing a deep-sea mining vehicle according to the present invention, connecting the deep-sea mining vehicle to a suspension cable disposed between the floating device and the deep-sea mining vehicle, lowering the deep-sea mining vehicle toward the seabed, and moving the deep-sea mining vehicle forward above or on the seabed to recover the mineral deposits.

[0025] The embodiments of the invention described in this patent application may be combined in any possible combination of these embodiments, and each embodiment may individually form the subject matter of a patent application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The present invention will now be further described based on the following drawings and description of preferred embodiments, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the drawings:

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic side view of an assembly of a floating vessel and a riser connected to the floating vessel, with a deep-sea mining vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention connected to its underside;

[0028] Figure 2 is a schematic side view of a deep-sea mining vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 is a schematic front perspective view of a deep-sea mining vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 is a schematic front perspective view of a suction head of a deep-sea mining vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A schematic rear perspective view of a suction head of a deep-sea mining vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0032] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 A detailed schematic side view of a deep-sea mining vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0033] Figure 7 is a visualization of measurements of the deep seabed height obtained by measurement means arranged on a deep sea mining vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] refer to Figure 1 , shows part of a typical apparatus for deep-sea mining of mineral deposits (e.g., polymetallic nodules). The apparatus typically comprises a conveying system in the form of a tubular riser string 2 (which may be several kilometers in length and connected to a floating vessel 1), to which mining equipment, such as a deep-sea mining vehicle 3, is attached. A flexible connecting hose assembly 4 may be arranged between the lower end 7 of the riser 2 and the deep-sea mining vehicle 3, which is adapted to move over a deep-sea floor 5 and collect mineral deposits therefrom.

[0035] The connection assembly 4 includes a flexible subsea hose 40 adapted to transport the mineral nodules collected by the vehicle 3 to the rigid riser 2. The hose 40 may be provided with buoyant blocks 41 that compensate for the component's own weight and generate an upward force in a portion of the hose, forming an S-shape. The flexible connection assembly 4 enables the mining vehicle 3 to move around on the seabed 5 with a defined degree of freedom, while ensuring that the vehicle is not affected by the movement of the riser 2. To support and lift the vehicle 3, a steel crane cable (not shown) may be provided between the vessel 1 and the deep-sea mining vehicle 3.

[0036] If necessary, the transport system in the form of a very long tubular riser string 2 may also comprise a plurality of pump modules 10 arranged in a longitudinal direction. The pump modules 10 are adapted to pump the mineral deposits (nodules) upwards from the seabed 5 in an upward direction 6 directed away from the seabed 5 towards the sea surface.

[0037] Figure 2 A deep sea mining vehicle 3 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. The deep sea mining vehicle 3 generally comprises a support frame 300 provided with means 301 for enabling the deep sea mining vehicle 3 to move, for example, on the seabed. Such means may take the form of tracks 301, wheels or other means of movement.

[0038] To enable the collection of mineral deposits, the support frame 300 is typically equipped with a nodule collection head 8, a hopper 32, and an outlet 33. The mixture of water and mineral deposits, etc., collected by the nodule collection head 8, is transported from the seabed to the deep-sea mining vehicle 3. Within the deep-sea mining vehicle 3, particularly within the separation chamber 31, the mixture is separated into at least two parts, for example, by arranging a filter 311 at the inlet of the outlet 33. The mineral nodules are thus separated from the majority of the water and some finer particles in the mixture. The water and finer particles in the mixture are ejected back into the surrounding area via the outlet 33.

[0039] The mineral nodules are captured in the hopper 32, which in this case serves as a storage or temporary storage. Figure 1 As part of the deep sea mining apparatus shown, the mineral nodules are pumped via the reservoir, optionally via a central discharge pipe of the deep sea mining vehicle 3, to the hose 40. In another embodiment, the deep sea mining vehicle 3 may be provided with a nodule bin for collecting the mineral nodules.

[0040] Figure 3 A schematic front perspective view of a deep-sea mining vehicle 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. From this perspective, it can again be seen that the deep-sea mining vehicle 3 includes a support frame 300 and crawler tracks 301. This perspective particularly illustrates that the deep-sea mining vehicle 3 may include, in addition to one, a plurality of nodule collecting heads 8 arranged parallel to one another.

[0041] In use, such a nodule collecting head 8 sprays water at high speed onto the seabed in order to thereby mix the mineral deposits situated there with the supplied and surrounding water.

[0042] These nodule collecting heads 8 typically include a pump 81 that supplies water at high pressure to a suction head 80 via one or more supply pipes. The pump 81 can also be shared between two or more nodule collecting heads, where the pump supplies water to both heads. Water is sprayed from the suction head 80 at high speed onto the seabed, causing the mineral deposits located there to mix with the supplied and surrounding water. The mixture of water and seabed is collected via the nodule collecting heads into the deep-sea mining vehicle 3, which is then used as described above with reference to the present invention. Figure 2 The mixture is received in the nodule collecting head 8 through the suction pipe 84 from the head 80 .

[0043] The one or more nodule collecting heads 8 can be controlled based on measurements of the surrounding area via measurement equipment mounted on a measurement equipment frame 83 .

[0044] Figure 4 and Figure 5Schematic front and rear perspective views of a suction head 80 as part of a nodule collection head 8 of a deep-sea mining vehicle 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention are shown, respectively. From this perspective, it can be seen again that the nodule collection head 8 comprises, inter alia, the suction head 80 and the suction duct 84. From this perspective, it can be seen in particular that the suction head 80 is partially located in the suction duct 84, wherein these elements are interconnected by a height adjustment actuator 851 and a guide device 852. An outlet 813 having an outer periphery corresponding to the opening in the suction duct 84 is in particular at least partially arranged in the suction duct 84. The height adjustment actuator 851 enables the suction head 80 and the suction duct 84 to be adjustable relative to each other. This is achieved by moving the outlet 813 into or out of the suction duct 84. The guide device 852 is arranged to further support this linear movement.

[0045] From this perspective, it can also be seen that the suction head 80 further comprises one or more water inlets 801, a pressure chamber 802, an open suction side 803, an outlet 813, and an optional active suction space 804. Water, which is already under high pressure and is supplied from the supply pipe 82, is collected in the pressure chamber 802 via the one or more water inlets 801. The supplied water is ejected from the pressure chamber 802 into the open suction side 803 at high speed, particularly in the direction of the outlet.

[0046] When the nodule collecting head 8, of which the suction head 80 forms a part, is mounted on the deep-sea mining vehicle 3, the open suction side 803 is oriented in an environment of use towards the bottom (e.g., the seabed) on which the deep-sea mining vehicle 3 rests. In a collecting head 8 mounted in this manner, the longitudinal axis of the suction conduit 84 preferably forms an angle of between 30 and 80 degrees with the horizontal plane, and more preferably between 40 and 50 degrees.

[0047] By directing the water flow toward the seabed, a water flow is achieved from the pressure chamber 802 to the suction conduit 84, and in this way, a mixture of water and mineral deposits is drawn into the suction conduit 84. The flow of this mixture into the suction conduit 84 can be enhanced in the active suction space 804 by injecting water into the suction conduit 84 at high speed in the suction direction of the suction conduit 84. Water is supplied to the active suction space 804 at high pressure via a secondary water inlet 805. For this purpose, the water can be further pressurized by a pump, such as pump 81, and supplied to the secondary water inlet 805 via a supply conduit similar to supply conduit 82. In this way, both mineral deposits located on the seabed and mineral deposits partially buried below the seabed can be drawn in.

[0048] Figure 6 There is shown a portion of a deep sea mining vehicle 3. In this view it can again be seen that the deep sea vehicle 3 comprises a support frame 300 which rests on tracks 301 .

[0049] Also visible in this view is the suction duct 84 mounted on the support frame 300, with the outlet 813 of the suction head 80 at least partially disposed within the duct. The measuring device 83 also includes a support 831, from which a navigation and positioning system 832 and a multi-beam measuring head 833 are suspended. The measuring system frame 83 is also equipped with a mechanical back-off system 834.

[0050] The relative displacement between the suction duct 84 and the suction head 80 is controlled by a height adjustment actuator 851. In order to further support this linear movement, a guide device 852 is provided. The guide device 852 is used to reduce the torsional forces on the height adjustment actuator. Since the main supply duct 82A and the secondary supply duct 82B are made of flexible material, it is possible to supply water to the suction head 80 for suction heads 80 of multiple heights. Due to the angle at which the suction duct 84 is mounted on the support frame 300, the displacement of the suction head 80 also always occurs at a certain angle, in particular the same angle. When the suction head 80 is displaced upwards, it is also always displaced at least partially backwards.

[0051] The device is particularly configured to control the distance of the suction head 80 to the underlying seabed. Where the deep sea mining vehicle comprises a plurality of suction heads, these suction heads can be individually controlled in terms of their height relative to the seabed.

[0052] The height of the plane of the suction head 80 oriented toward the seabed (hereinafter referred to as the suction plane) is adjusted by a control device in order to keep this distance within certain limits.

[0053] This is achieved by means of a measuring head 833 for determining the height of the seabed at positions in front of the open suction side and extending over almost the entire width of the deep-sea mining vehicle 3 relative to the direction of movement, and a height adjustment actuator 851 which is incorporated into the control circuit and is configured to adjust the height of the suction plane of the suction head 80 on the basis of the seabed height measured at these positions so that it remains between predetermined limits relative to the seabed.

[0054] The measuring head 833 includes a source configured to generate geophysical signals (e.g., acoustic signals) underwater in the direction of the seabed, and a series of receivers configured to measure response signals returned via the seabed. The source extends across the width of the deep-sea mining vehicle 3, extending across the width of the vehicle. To ensure sufficient accuracy across the entire width, the measurement method may include a multibeam. Instead of measuring at a single location, such a multibeam measurement is performed at multiple locations across the width of the vehicle, for example, 256. These locations are distributed across the width of the deep-sea mining vehicle 3, such that the mid-distance between two adjacent locations for seabed height measurement is between 1 and 3 cm, more preferably between 1.2 and 2.5 cm, and even more preferably between 1.4 and 2 cm, across the width. In other exemplary embodiments, the mid-distance between two adjacent locations may be selected differently.

[0055] The actuator 851 may adjust the height of the suction plane of the at least one suction head 80 based on the calculated maximum seabed height so that it remains between predetermined limits relative to the seabed.

[0056] Despite the above precautions, if the suction head 80 is placed closer to the seabed than the above limits, or if the measuring head 832 fails for other reasons, a mechanical back-off system 834 in the form of one or more slats connected to the carrier 831 provides a solution. These can be moved on the seabed in the direction of travel, and the back-off system also includes calculation means for determining the seabed height from the measured inclination of the slats. These slats can be removed from the system.

[0057] Figure 7 A schematic representation of these measurements is shown. The figure shows a plurality of measuring points 92, which are measured by measuring heads 833, 832 and are always arranged within a limiting measuring range 90. The measuring range 90 is divided into different regions, with a single region 91 corresponding to a suction head 80 arranged across the width of the deep-sea mining vehicle 3. All regions together therefore correspond substantially to the entire width of the deep-sea mining vehicle 3.

[0058] For a single suction head 80, the desired height is determined based on measurements 92 performed in the relevant area. To prevent the suction head 80 from being incorrectly raised and thus reducing suction capacity, extreme values ​​can be filtered out of the measured seabed heights. If sufficient measurements are available across the width of the suction head 80, it can be safely assumed that the most extreme values ​​are due to measurement errors. The maximum seabed height over the width of that suction head 80 can then be calculated from the remaining measurements.

[0059] In order to prevent the suction head 80 from constantly moving up and down, a plurality of consecutive measurements are performed within a predetermined time period, and the average value of these measurements is determined as the desired height 93 of the suction head 80. This makes it possible that in the event of unexpected sharp changes, the desired height 93 is not adjusted in time, so that when setting up the above-mentioned measuring system it must be taken into account that a minimum residual volume on the bottom must be accepted.

[0060] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and also includes modifications of these embodiments that fall within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. Deep-sea mining vehicles used to retrieve mineral deposits from the seabed at great depths, where: The vehicle comprises a support frame provided with means for moving the vehicle forward in a direction of movement on the seabed, provided with a storage for the collected mineral deposits, and further provided with at least two suction heads arranged parallel to each other in a width direction of the deep-sea mining vehicle, each of the at least two suction heads having an open suction side oriented towards the seabed and arranged in a suction plane, and the mineral deposits being collected along the open suction sides, wherein the width direction of each of the at least two suction heads coincides with the width direction of the deep-sea mining vehicle, wherein the deep-sea mining vehicle is further provided with control means for keeping the height of each of the suction planes within predetermined limits relative to the seabed, wherein the control means - comprising measuring means for obtaining the height of the seabed at a position in front of the open suction side relative to the direction of movement and extending over the width of the deep-sea mining vehicle, and an actuator incorporated into the control circuit and configured to individually adjust the height of the suction plane of each of said at least two suction heads based on the height of said seabed measured at said location, so that each of them remains between predetermined limits relative to said seabed, and wherein the measuring means comprises an elongated carrier positioned in front of the open suction side with respect to the direction of movement, wherein the carrier is provided with a series of sources and a series of receivers, the series of sources being configured to generate geophysical signals underwater in the direction of the seabed, and the series of receivers being configured to measure response signals returned via the seabed, wherein the carrier extends across the width of the deep-sea mining vehicle in the width direction of the deep-sea mining vehicle, wherein each of the at least two suction heads has a width, extreme values ​​are filtered out from the seabed heights measured in the width direction of the deep-sea mining vehicle, a subset of the seabed heights across the width of each of the at least two suction heads is determined, and a maximum seabed height across the width of each of the at least two suction heads is calculated from the subset, wherein the actuator is configured to individually adjust the height of the suction plane of each of the at least two suction heads based on the calculated maximum seabed height so that it remains between the predetermined limits relative to the seabed.

2. The deep sea mining vehicle of claim 1, wherein: The geophysical signals include acoustic waves.

3. The deep sea mining vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The measuring means includes multi-beam.

4. A deep sea mining vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The number of seabed height measurement locations is between 1 and 400 in the width direction.

5. The deep sea mining vehicle of claim 4, wherein: The number of seabed height measurement locations is between 100 and 350 in the width direction.

6. The deep sea mining vehicle of claim 5, wherein: The number of seabed height measurement locations is between 200 and 300 in the width direction.

7. A deep sea mining vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The middle distance between two adjacent positions of the seabed height measurement is between 1 and 3 cm in the width direction.

8. The deep sea mining vehicle of claim 7, wherein: The middle distance between two adjacent positions of the seabed height measurement is between 1.2 and 2.5 cm in the width direction.

9. The deep sea mining vehicle of claim 8, wherein: The middle distance between two adjacent positions of the seabed height measurement is between 1.4 and 2 cm in the width direction.

10. A deep sea mining vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising 2 to 10 suction heads.

11. The deep sea mining vehicle of claim 10, comprising 3 to 5 suction heads.

12. A deep sea mining vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The predetermined limit amounts are 0 and 200 mm.

13. The deep sea mining vehicle of claim 12, wherein: The predetermined limit amounts are 20 and 100 mm.

14. A deep sea mining vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The measuring means is located at a front distance of between 5 and 100 cm in front of the front side of the open suction side of the at least two suction heads relative to the movement direction.

15. A deep-sea mining vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising further measuring means for obtaining the height of the seabed at a position in front of the open suction side with respect to the direction of movement and extending over the width of the deep-sea mining vehicle, wherein the further measuring means comprises a slat connected to the frame and movable on the seabed in the direction of movement, and further comprising calculation means for determining the height of the seabed from the measured inclination of the slat.

16. The deep sea mining vehicle of claim 15, wherein: The slats are removable from the seabed.

17. A method for recovering mineral deposits on the seabed at great depths, the method comprising providing a deep sea mining vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 16, connecting the deep sea mining vehicle to a suspension cable provided between a floating device and the deep sea mining vehicle, lowering the deep sea mining vehicle towards the seabed, and moving the deep sea mining vehicle forward above or on the seabed to recover the mineral deposits.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of transferring the sediment to the flotation device.

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