A deep-sea plume control device and method based on differential pressure filtration

Abstract

The present invention discloses a deep-sea plume control device and method based on differential pressure filtration, comprising a plume collector and a housing. The front portion of the housing is a plume collection chamber, and the upper rear portion is, from front to back, a primary filter chamber, a reverse osmosis filter chamber, and a seawater expulsion chamber, and the lower rear portion is a sedimentation chamber. The plume collector is located at the front side of the plume collection chamber. A longitudinal gate is provided at the rear side of the plume collection chamber, a dense filter screen is provided at the rear side of the primary filter chamber, a micro-permeable membrane is provided at the rear side of the reverse osmosis filter chamber, and a stacking gate is provided at the front side of the seawater expulsion chamber. Vertical pistons are provided in the primary filter chamber, the reverse osmosis filter chamber, and the seawater expulsion chamber, respectively. The primary filter chamber and the reverse osmosis filter chamber can be connected to the sedimentation chamber, respectively. A sedimentation valve is provided at the bottom rear side of the sedimentation chamber. The present invention collects and filters the plume, and the filtered high-concentration suspended solids are accelerated to settle, the lower sediment is separated from the upper seawater, and the sediment is slowly discharged to the seabed using the pressure difference, thereby reducing disturbances and avoiding the generation of secondary plumes, thereby achieving a better sedimentation effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of marine mining equipment, and in particular to a deep-sea plume control device and method based on pressure differential filtration. Background Art

[0002] The ocean is rich in metal mineral resources such as polymetallic nodules, crusts, metal sulfides, and rare earth elements. Polymetallic nodules are currently the deep-sea metal resource with the greatest potential for commercial exploitation. Rich in iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, titanium, and other metal elements, polymetallic nodules cover approximately 10-30% of the ocean floor and are widely distributed across the Pacific and Indian Oceans, with an average abundance of 5-15 kg / m².

[0003] The environmental impact of deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining cannot be ignored. The primary environmental impacts of polymetallic nodule mining stem from the collection and tailings discharge processes, with the bottom plume generated during the collection process accounting for over 95% of the impact. Deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining disturbs shallow seafloor sediments, causing them to resuspend and form sediment plumes. The migration and spread of sediment plumes alters water chemistry, impacting the reproduction and survival of seafloor organisms. This is the most direct environmental impact of deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining. Currently, there is a lack of effective technologies to prevent and control deep-sea plumes.

[0004] Chinese patent application CN115653608A discloses a deep-sea mining plume containment device based on carbon dioxide. It comprises a plume collection unit, a pumping pipe assembly, a separation and sedimentation unit, and a solidification and discharge unit. The plume collection unit includes a spill shield and an inner suction tube. The spill shields are two and arranged symmetrically. The inner suction tube is housed within the spill shield and connected to the pumping pipe assembly. The solidification and discharge unit comprises a solidification and sedimentation chamber, a conveying mechanism, and a high-pressure injection assembly. Two high-pressure injection assemblies are arranged opposite each other within the solidification and sedimentation chamber and connected to the CO2 storage tank pipeline on the mining vehicle. However, this application has the following drawbacks: When CO2 is released into the deep sea, its dissolution in seawater will alter the original pH value, resulting in unknown environmental impacts. The density of liquid CO2, 1.101 g / cm³, is only slightly greater than the density of seawater, 1.07 g / cm³, and its sedimentation and concealment effect does not achieve the expected speed.

[0005] Chinese patent application CN218091160U discloses a deep-sea mining tailwater discharge plume suppression device, comprising a top plume suppression hood, the inner wall of which is fixedly connected to multiple damping plates. The front and back sides of the bottom side of the damping plates are flexibly connected to limit arc bars. The damping plates are surrounded by multiple discharge troughs, each containing multiple damping holes. A bottom plume suppression hood is located at the bottom of each damping hole. A connecting sleeve is fixedly connected to one side of the top plume suppression hood, the interior of which is plugged into a tailwater discharge pipe. A connecting sleeve is flexibly connected to the exterior of the tailwater discharge pipe. A drive motor is fixedly connected to the top of the connecting sleeve. However, this application suffers from the following drawbacks: a complex mechanical structure, which can easily lead to mechanical failure due to large-particle sediment getting stuck in the gear structure; and the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the plume suppression hood causes ore particles to be discharged from the discharge trough. The ore particles are discharged at a high rate, which can easily generate secondary plumes and result in poor treatment effectiveness. Therefore, the existing technology urgently needs further improvement and enhancement. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In response to the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art, one purpose of the present invention is to propose a deep-sea plume control device based on pressure differential filtration to solve the problem that the existing plume control method will change the pH value of seawater, affect the seabed environment, easily generate secondary plumes, and have poor control effects.

[0007] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0008] A deep-sea plume treatment device based on differential pressure filtration comprises a plume collector and a box body arranged on a mining vehicle. The box body is a rectangular three-dimensional structure and is located at the rear side of an ore collection box.

[0009] The front part of the box body is a plume collection bin, and the upper rear part of the plume collection bin is sequentially arranged from front to back as a primary filter chamber, a reverse osmosis filter chamber and a seawater expulsion bin. Below the primary filter chamber and the reverse osmosis filter chamber is a sediment discharge bin, and a water expulsion check valve is provided on the rear side of the sediment discharge bin.

[0010] The plume collector comprises two plume transport pipes symmetrically arranged on both sides of the box body. The plume transport pipes are arranged obliquely, a plume collecting cover is provided at the front end thereof, and a rear end thereof is connected to the plume collecting bin.

[0011] A longitudinal gate is provided between the plume collection chamber and the primary filter chamber, a dense filter screen is provided between the primary filter chamber and the reverse osmosis filter chamber, a micro-permeable membrane is provided between the reverse osmosis filter chamber and the seawater expulsion chamber, and a superimposed gate is provided between the reverse osmosis filter chamber and the seawater expulsion chamber.

[0012] The upper parts of the primary filter chamber, reverse osmosis filter chamber and seawater expulsion tank are respectively provided with vertical pistons, and a hydraulic cylinder is arranged above each vertical piston. The primary filter chamber and reverse osmosis filter chamber are respectively connected to the sedimentation tank through a transverse gate.

[0013] A sediment discharge valve is provided at the rear bottom of the sediment discharge bin.

[0014] Furthermore, the box body is composed of a bottom plate, a top plate and four side plates located at the front, back, left and right, and the rear side of the plume collection chamber is provided with a first partition plate arranged vertically.

[0015] The top of the drainage bin has a horizontally arranged second partition, the front end of the second partition is an integrated structure with the rear side of the first partition, a third partition is vertically arranged between the primary filter chamber and the reverse osmosis filter chamber, and a fourth partition is arranged between the reverse osmosis filter chamber and the seawater expulsion bin.

[0016] The lower ends of the third partition plate and the fourth partition plate are fixedly connected to the second partition plate, and the upper ends are fixedly connected to the top plate to form a whole.

[0017] Furthermore, the plume transport pipe is arranged obliquely on the outside of the box body, and the rear end is fixedly connected and communicated with the upper part of the plume collecting bin.

[0018] An axial flow pump is fixedly installed on the inner side of the plume transport pipe. The plume collecting cover is a bell-shaped shell structure, and its closing end is fixedly connected to the front end of the plume transport pipe.

[0019] Furthermore, a water inlet is provided on the first partition, the water inlet corresponds to the lower part of the primary filter chamber, and a square ring-shaped first sealing protrusion is fixed on the front side wall of the first partition at the periphery of the water inlet.

[0020] The front side wall of the first partition is symmetrically provided with two first guide rails on the left and right sides of the water inlet. The left and right sides of the longitudinal gate are respectively vertically slidably matched with the two first guide rails. Two first electric push rods are provided above the longitudinal gate.

[0021] Furthermore, a first window is opened at the lower portion of the third partition plate, and the dense filter is fixedly installed on the inner side of the first window.

[0022] The lower part of the fourth partition has a plurality of second windows which are spaced apart in sequence laterally. A micro-permeable membrane is installed on each second window. The rear side wall of the fourth partition has a square annular second sealing protrusion located on the periphery of each second window.

[0023] The cascade gate is located at the rear side of the fourth partition plate, and includes valve plates whose number is equal to that of the second windows and whose positions correspond one to one. The valve plates are fixedly connected into one by a rod.

[0024] Two second guide rails are symmetrically provided on the upper and lower sides of the second window. The upper and lower sides of each valve plate body are respectively slidably matched with the two second guide rails. Two second electric push rods are provided on one side of the overlapping gate.

[0025] Furthermore, the vertical piston is a horizontally arranged square flat plate with a sealing ring embedded on its side wall. The vertical piston is in vertical sliding sealing cooperation with the side wall of the compartment through the sealing ring on its periphery.

[0026] The cylinder body of the hydraulic cylinder is fixedly mounted on the top plate of the box body, and the execution end thereof is fixedly connected to the center position of the corresponding vertical piston.

[0027] Furthermore, at least one drain port is provided on the rear side wall of the box body, and each drain port is provided with a water expulsion check valve. The seawater expulsion chamber can communicate with the outside of the box body through the water expulsion check valve to discharge the seawater in the seawater expulsion chamber.

[0028] Furthermore, a sedimentation port is provided at a position of the second partition plate relative to the primary filter chamber and the reverse osmosis filter chamber, and a transverse gate is provided at the bottom of the sedimentation port.

[0029] The bottom of the second partition is located on the periphery of each settlement port and has a square ring-shaped third sealing protrusion. Two third guide rails are symmetrically provided on the left and right sides of the third sealing protrusion. The left and right sides of the transverse moving gate are respectively slidably matched with the two third guide rails, and two third electric push rods are provided on the rear side of the transverse moving gate.

[0030] A sinking pipe body is provided at the rear bottom of the sinking bin, the front end of which is connected to and communicates with the box body, and the sinking valve is located at the connection between the sinking pipe body and the box body.

[0031] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling deep-sea plumes.

[0032] A deep-sea plume control method, using the above-mentioned deep-sea plume control device based on differential pressure filtration, comprises the following steps:

[0033] In step 1, the plume generated outside the collection head is collected by the collection cover and pumped into the plume collection chamber through the plume transport tube, and the plume collection chamber is filled with water.

[0034] In step 2, the longitudinal gate is opened, and the overlapping gate and two transverse gates remain closed. Under the action of pressure difference, the plume carries large and small particles into the primary filter chamber. The large particles remain in the primary filter chamber due to the filtering effect of the dense filter mesh, and part of the plume carries small particles through the dense filter mesh into the reverse osmosis filter chamber.

[0035] After the plume fills the primary filter chamber and the reverse osmosis filter chamber, close the longitudinal gate.

[0036] In step three, the overlapping gates are opened, and the two transverse gates remain closed. The two vertical pistons located in the primary filter chamber and the reverse osmosis filter chamber move downward synchronously. The plume from the primary filter chamber is filtered through the dense filter mesh and the micropermeable membrane and enters the seawater expulsion tank. The plume from the reverse osmosis filter chamber is filtered through the micropermeable membrane and enters the seawater expulsion tank.

[0037] After the two vertical pistons of the primary filter chamber and the reverse osmosis filter chamber move to the bottom dead point, the overlapping gates are closed.

[0038] In step 4, both transverse gates are opened, the primary filter chamber and the reverse osmosis filter chamber are connected to the drainage bin, the water pressure in the drainage bin is balanced with the water pressure in the primary filter chamber and the reverse osmosis filter chamber, the suspended matter in the drainage bin, the primary filter chamber and the reverse osmosis filter chamber is in a high concentration state, and the particles of different sizes are accelerated to settle to the bottom of the drainage bin.

[0039] At the same time, the water expulsion check valve opens, and the vertical piston at the top of the seawater expulsion chamber moves downward to discharge the seawater in the seawater expulsion chamber. When the vertical piston at the top of the seawater expulsion chamber moves to the bottom dead point, the water expulsion check valve closes, and then the vertical piston at the top of the seawater expulsion chamber is reset.

[0040] Step 5: After the suspended matter in the sedimentation bin settles to the bottom, close the two transverse gates.

[0041] Afterwards, open the sediment discharge valve on the back side of the sediment discharge bin. Under the action of the internal and external pressure difference, the sediment at the bottom of the sediment discharge bin is slowly discharged through the sediment discharge valve. When the pressure difference inside the sediment discharge bin is consistent with that outside, close the sediment discharge valve.

[0042] The vertical pistons in the primary filter chamber and the reverse osmosis filter chamber move upward to the top dead center, after which the longitudinal gate opens again and the process from steps 2 to 5 is repeated to continuously filter, settle and discharge the seawater collected in the plume collection chamber.

[0043] Furthermore, before the longitudinal gate is opened in step 2, each vertical piston is at the top dead center, and the primary filter chamber, the reverse osmosis filter chamber and the seawater expulsion chamber are all in a low pressure state.

[0044] By adopting the above technical solution, the beneficial technical effect of the present invention is as follows: the present invention collects the plume outside the collection head and filters the plume. The clean seawater formed after filtration is directly discharged, and the remaining high-concentration suspended matter is accelerated to settle, separating the sediment on the lower side from the upper seawater. The pressure difference is used to slowly discharge the sediment to the seabed, reducing disturbance and avoiding the generation of secondary plume, achieving a better sedimentation effect, and avoiding the impact on the marine environment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a deep-sea plume control device based on pressure differential filtration according to the present invention.

[0046] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the box of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 3 The invention is a working principle diagram of a deep-sea plume control device based on differential pressure filtration.

[0048] Figure 4 It is an exploded schematic diagram of the fourth partition and folding gate combined structure of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] The following embodiments of the present invention are described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate the present invention but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0050] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more; the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," "outer," "front end," "rear end," "head," "tail," etc., indicating directions or positional relationships, are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are intended solely to facilitate the description of the present invention and simplify the description. They do not indicate or imply that the mechanisms or components referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed, or operate in a specific direction, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0051] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "connected" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integral connection; mechanical connection, electrical connection; direct connection, or indirect connection through an intermediary. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0052] When the concentration of suspended particulate matter in water is high, the gaps between particles decrease, causing them to interfere with each other during settling, crowding and agglomerating, resulting in a phenomenon called crowded sedimentation. In situ deep-sea observations in the western Pacific polymetallic nodule region show that plume concentrations are high in the 0-4m range surrounding the mining vehicle's collection head, reaching 40mg / L-200mg / L. This range is below the effective concentration of 500mg / L for crowded sedimentation. Reverse osmosis can reduce the water content in the plume, increase the suspended matter concentration, and accelerate the formation of crowded sedimentation. Reverse osmosis is a reverse migration of osmosis. It is a separation method that uses the static pressure difference across a semipermeable membrane as a driving force to separate solutes from solvents in a solution through the selective retention of the membrane. Micropermeable membranes generally operate at a pressure of around 7MPa. Due to the inherently high pressures in deep-sea conditions, properly regulating the pressure ensures optimal operating conditions for the micropermeable membranes. This allows for the green and efficient management of plumes generated by deep-sea mining vehicles.

[0053] Example 1, combined Figures 1 to 4 A deep-sea plume control device based on differential pressure filtration includes a plume collector and a housing 1 mounted on a mining vehicle. The housing 1 is a rectangular, three-dimensional structure composed of a bottom plate 11, a top plate 12, and four side plates 13 located at the front, back, left, and right sides. The housing 1 is mounted on the mining vehicle and located behind the ore collection box. The deep-sea plume control device based on differential pressure filtration also includes a controller, employing a conventional PLC controller, to automatically control the electric push rods and electronically controlled valves according to program settings.

[0054] The front part of the box body 1 is a plume collection chamber 21. The rear side of the plume collection chamber 21 has a vertically arranged first partition 14. The upper and lower ends of the first partition 14 are fixedly welded to the top plate 12 and the bottom plate 11 respectively, and the left and right sides are fixedly welded to the side walls of the box body 1 respectively, forming a closed plume collection chamber 21 at the front part of the box body 1.

[0055] The upper and rear parts of the plume collection bin 21 are, from front to back, the primary filter chamber 22, the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 and the seawater expulsion bin 24. The primary filter chamber 22, the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 and the seawater expulsion bin 24 are independent chambers respectively. Below the primary filter chamber 22 and the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 is the sedimentation bin 25. The top of the sedimentation bin 25 has a horizontally arranged second partition 15. The front end of the second partition 15 is an integrated structure with the rear side of the first partition 14. The second partition 15 separates the sedimentation bin 25 from the primary filter chamber 22, the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 and the seawater expulsion bin 24 above it. A water expulsion check valve is provided on the rear side of the sedimentation bin 25. The water expulsion check valve is an electrically controlled valve, and its signal end is communicatively connected to the controller.

[0056] Specifically, a water inlet 31 is provided on the first partition 14, and the water inlet 31 corresponds to the lower part of the primary filter chamber 22. A square ring-shaped first sealing protrusion 311 is fixed on the front side wall of the first partition 14 at the periphery of the water inlet 31. The plume collecting bin 21 can be connected to the primary filter chamber 22 through the water inlet 31. The plume with large and small particle sizes in the plume collecting bin 21 can enter the primary filter chamber 22 through the water inlet 31 under the action of pressure difference.

[0057] The plume collector includes two plume transport tubes 41 symmetrically arranged on both sides of the box body 1. The plume transport tubes 41 are arranged tilted with the front low and the rear high. The front end of the plume transport tube 41 is provided with a plume collection cover 42, and the rear end is connected to the plume collection chamber 21. The plume collection cover 42 is arranged adjacent to the outside of the collection head.

[0058] Specifically, the plume transport tube 41 is arranged obliquely outside the housing 1, with its rear end fixedly connected to and in communication with the upper portion of the plume collection chamber 21. An axial flow pump is fixedly mounted inside the plume transport tube 41. The plume collection hood 42 is a bell-shaped shell structure, its closed end fixedly connected to the front end of the plume transport tube 41. When the axial flow pump is in operation, a negative pressure is created in the plume transport tube 41, drawing plume from the periphery of the collection head into the plume transport tube 41 through the plume collection hood 42 and delivering it to the interior of the plume collection chamber 21.

[0059] A pressure sensor is installed within the plume collection chamber 21, which is in communication with the controller and monitors the pressure inside the plume transport tube 41 in real time. When the pressure inside the plume collection chamber 21 falls below a set value, the axial flow pump begins operating, drawing the external plume into the plume collection chamber 21. The controller is programmed to ensure that the plume collection chamber 21 is filled with water and the water pressure reaches the set value before the water inlet 31 is opened each time, thereby maintaining continuous plume collection.

[0060] A longitudinal gate 34 is provided between the plume collection chamber 21 and the primary filter chamber 22, a dense filter screen 51 is provided between the primary filter chamber 22 and the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23, a micropermeable membrane 52 is provided between the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 and the seawater expulsion chamber 24, and a superimposed gate 71 is provided between the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 and the seawater expulsion chamber 24.

[0061] Specifically, the front side wall of the first partition 14 is located on the left and right sides of the water inlet 31 and is symmetrically provided with two first guide rails 32. The first guide rails 32 are arranged vertically, and the opposite sides of the two first guide rails 32 have guide grooves. The left and right sides of the longitudinal gate 34 are respectively located in the guide grooves of the two first guide rails 32, and the left and right sides of the longitudinal gate 34 are respectively vertically slidably matched with the two first guide rails 32. The rear side wall of the first partition 14 is slidably and sealedly matched with the first sealing protrusion 311.

[0062] Two first electric push rods 33 are positioned above the longitudinal gate 34. Their actuator ends are fixedly connected to the upper portion of the longitudinal gate 34, and their signal ends are in communication with the controller. The first electric push rods 33 drive the longitudinal gate 34 upward and downward, opening and closing the water inlet 31. The controller controls the opening and closing timing of the water inlet 31.

[0063] A third partition 16 is vertically provided between the primary filter chamber 22 and the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23, and a fourth partition 17 is provided between the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 and the seawater expulsion chamber 24. The upper and lower ends of the third partition 16 and the fourth partition 17 are fixedly and sealedly connected to the top plate 12 and the second partition 15 respectively, and the left and right sides are fixedly and sealedly connected to the side panels of the box body 1 as a whole, forming three independent chambers above the second partition 15.

[0064] A first window is defined at the bottom of the third partition 16. A dense filter screen 51, made of a small-pore metal mesh, is fixedly mounted inside the first window. When seawater enters the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 through the dense filter screen 51, it traps large particles within the primary filter chamber 22. A plurality of second windows 171 are defined at the bottom of the fourth partition 17, spaced laterally and sequentially. Each second window is fitted with a micropermeable membrane 52, made of a ceramic inorganic membrane and used to filter small particles. When seawater enters the seawater expulsion chamber 24 through the micropermeable membrane 52, it traps small particles within the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23.

[0065] Specifically, the rear wall of the fourth partition plate 17 has a square, annular second sealing protrusion 172 located around each second window 171. The cascade gate 71, located on the rear side of the fourth partition plate 17, comprises valve plates, each corresponding in number to the second windows, fixedly connected by a rod.

[0066] Two second guide rails 72 are symmetrically provided on the upper and lower sides of the second window. The opposite sides of the two second guide rails 72 have the same guide groove. The upper and lower sides of each valve plate body are respectively located in the guide groove of the two second guide rails 72, and the upper and lower sides of the valve plate body are respectively engaged with the two second guide rails 72 in a transverse sliding manner.

[0067] Two second electric push rods 73 are installed on one side of the stacking gate 71. The second electric push rods 73 are fixedly installed on the box body 1, and their execution ends are fixedly connected to the stacking gate 71. The signal ends of the second electric push rods 73 are communicated with the controller. The controller controls the execution ends of the two second electric push rods 73 to extend and retract synchronously through instructions, driving the stacking gate 71 to move laterally. The front side wall of each valve plate body and the second sealing protrusion 172 open or close the corresponding second window 171.

[0068] Vertical pistons 53 are installed above the primary filter chamber 22, the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23, and the seawater removal chamber 24. Each vertical piston 53 is positioned above a hydraulic cylinder 54. The vertical pistons 53 are horizontally arranged square flat plates with sealing rings embedded in their sidewalls. These seals provide a vertical sliding seal against the sidewalls of the chamber in which they are located. The cylinder bodies of the hydraulic cylinders 54 are fixedly mounted on the top plate 12 of the housing 1, with their actuators fixedly connected to the center of the corresponding vertical piston 53.

[0069] In operation, the hydraulic cylinder 54 drives the vertical piston 53 below it to move vertically, compressing the seawater in its chamber. Once the primary filter chamber 22 and the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 are filled with seawater, the cascade gate 71 opens, placing the seawater expulsion chamber 24 at low pressure. The vertical pistons 53 within the primary filter chamber 22 and the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 move downward, filtering the seawater in the primary filter chamber 22 and the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 and allowing it to enter the seawater expulsion chamber 24. When the vertical pistons 53 within the primary filter chamber 22 and the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 reach their bottom dead center, the primary filter chamber 22 and the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 are filled with seawater containing a high concentration of sediment. At this point, the cascade gate 71 closes, and the seawater expulsion chamber 24 is filled with high-pressure, clean seawater.

[0070] Three drain ports 241 are provided on the rear side wall of the box body 1, and each drain port 241 is provided with a water expulsion check valve. The water expulsion check valve is an electrically controlled valve, and its signal end is communicatively connected to the controller. The controller controls the water expulsion check valve to open through instructions, and the vertical piston 53 in the seawater expulsion chamber 24 moves downward. Under the action of the pressure difference, the clean seawater in the seawater expulsion chamber 24 is discharged to the outside of the box body 1 through the water expulsion check valve. When the internal pressure of the seawater expulsion chamber 24 is consistent with that of the outside, the water expulsion check valve is closed, and the vertical piston 53 in the seawater expulsion chamber 24 is reset.

[0071] The primary filter chamber 22 and the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 are respectively connected to the sedimentation bin 25 through a transverse gate. Specifically, a sedimentation port is provided at the position relative to the second partition plate 15 and the primary filter chamber 22 and the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23, and the transverse gate is arranged at the bottom of the sedimentation port.

[0072] The bottom of the second partition 15, located on the periphery of each settlement outlet, has a square, annular third sealing protrusion. Two third guide rails are symmetrically positioned on either side of the third sealing protrusion. The left and right sides of the traversing gate slide in contact with the two third guide rails, respectively. Two third electric push rods are positioned on the rear side of the traversing gate. The actuator ends of the two third electric push rods are fixedly connected to one side of the traversing gate, driving the traversing gate to open or close the corresponding settlement outlet. The signal ends of the third electric push rods are connected to a controller, which controls the movement of the traversing gate via commands. The installation method of the traversing gate is the same as that of the driven valve and will not be further described here.

[0073] After the vertical pistons 53 of the primary filter chamber 22 and the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 move to the lower dead point, the two sedimentation ports are opened, and the primary filter chamber 22 and the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 are connected to the sedimentation bin 25. At this time, the sedimentation valve 62 is in a closed state, and the high-concentration sediment seawater inside the primary filter chamber 22 and the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 is mixed with the seawater in the sedimentation bin 25. The high-concentration sediment enters the sedimentation bin 25 under the action of gravity. The concentration of the mixed liquid is higher than the effective concentration of crowded sedimentation of 500 mg / L, and the phenomenon of accelerated crowded sedimentation occurs. The particulate matter quickly settles to the bottom of the sedimentation bin 25, and the upper part of the primary filter chamber 22, the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 and the sedimentation bin 25 is seawater with extremely low concentration. After sedimentation is completed, the two sedimentation ports are closed, and then the vertical pistons 53 of the primary filter chamber 22 and the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 rise and reset.

[0074] A sediment discharge pipe 61 is provided at the rear bottom of the sediment discharge bin 25, the front end of which is connected to the tank 1. A sediment discharge valve 62 is also provided at the rear bottom of the sediment discharge bin 25, located at the connection between the sediment discharge pipe 61 and the tank 1. The sediment discharge valve 62 is a solenoid valve, the signal end of which is communicatively connected to the controller. After both sedimentation ports are closed, the sediment discharge valve 62 opens, and under the action of the pressure differential, the sediment at the bottom of the sediment discharge bin 25 is slowly discharged from the tank 1 through the sediment discharge bin 25 and sinks to the seabed.

[0075] Example 2, combined with Figures 1 to 4 The deep-sea plume control method adopts the above-mentioned deep-sea plume control device based on pressure differential filtration and adopts the following steps:

[0076] In step 1, the plume generated outside the collection head is collected by the collection cover and pumped into the plume collection chamber 21 through the plume transfer tube 41. The plume collection chamber 21 reaches a full water and high pressure state.

[0077] Step 2: Before the longitudinal gate 34 is opened, each vertical piston 53 is at the top dead center, and the primary filter chamber 22, the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 and the seawater expulsion chamber 24 are all in a low pressure state.

[0078] The longitudinal gate 34 is opened, the overlapping gate 71 and the two transverse gates remain closed. Under the action of the pressure difference, the plume carries large and small particles into the primary filter chamber 22. The large particles are retained in the primary filter chamber 22 due to the filtering effect of the dense filter mesh 51, and part of the plume carries small particles through the dense filter mesh 51 and enters the reverse osmosis filter chamber.

[0079] After the plume fills the primary filter chamber 22 and the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23, the longitudinal gate 34 is closed.

[0080] In step three, the overlapping gates are opened, and the two transverse gates remain closed. The two vertical pistons 53 located in the primary filter chamber 22 and the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 move downward synchronously. The plume of the primary filter chamber 22 is filtered through the dense filter mesh 51 and the micropermeable membrane 52 and enters the seawater expulsion tank 24. The plume of the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 is filtered through the micropermeable membrane 52 and enters the seawater expulsion tank 24.

[0081] After the two vertical pistons 53 of the primary filter chamber 22 and the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 move to the bottom dead center, the overlapping gates are closed.

[0082] In step four, both transverse gates are opened, the primary filter chamber 22 and the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 are connected to the drainage bin 25, the water pressure in the drainage bin 25 is balanced with the water pressure in the primary filter chamber 22 and the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23, the suspended matter in the drainage bin 25, the primary filter chamber 22 and the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 is in a high concentration state, and the particles of large and small sizes are accelerated to settle to the bottom of the drainage bin 25.

[0083] At the same time, the water expulsion check valve opens, and the vertical piston 53 located at the top of the seawater expulsion chamber 24 moves downward to discharge the seawater in the seawater expulsion chamber 24. When the vertical piston 53 at the top of the seawater expulsion chamber 24 moves to the bottom dead point, the water expulsion check valve closes, and then the vertical piston 53 at the top of the seawater expulsion chamber 24 is reset.

[0084] Step 5: After the suspended matter in the sedimentation bin 25 has settled to the bottom, close the two traverse gates.

[0085] Afterwards, the sediment discharge valve on the rear side of the sediment discharge bin 25 is opened, and under the action of the internal and external pressure difference, the sediment at the bottom of the sediment discharge bin 25 is slowly discharged through the sediment discharge valve. When the pressure difference inside the sediment discharge bin 25 is consistent with that outside, the sediment discharge valve is closed.

[0086] The vertical pistons 53 in the primary filter chamber 22 and the reverse osmosis filter chamber 23 move upward to the top dead center.

[0087] Afterwards, the longitudinal gate 34 is opened again, and the process from step 2 to step 5 is repeated to continuously filter, settle and discharge the seawater collected in the plume collection chamber 21 .

[0088] Parts not described in the present invention can be implemented by adopting or drawing on existing technologies.

[0089] The embodiments of the present invention are presented for purposes of illustration and description and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the disclosed forms. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The embodiments are chosen and described in order to better illustrate the principles of the invention and its practical application and to enable those skilled in the art to understand the invention and design various embodiments with various modifications as suited for specific applications.

[0090] Of course, the above description is not a limitation of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above examples. Changes, modifications, additions or substitutions made by technicians in this technical field within the essential scope of the present invention should also fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A deep-sea plume treatment device based on differential pressure filtration, comprising a plume collector and a box mounted on a mining vehicle, characterized in that: The box body is a rectangular three-dimensional structure and is located at the rear side of the ore collection box; The front part of the box body is a plume collection chamber, and the upper and rear parts of the plume collection chamber are, from front to back, the primary filter chamber, the reverse osmosis filter chamber and the seawater expulsion chamber. Below the primary filter chamber and the reverse osmosis filter chamber is a drainage chamber, and a water expulsion check valve is provided on the rear side of the drainage chamber. The plume collector includes two plume transport pipes symmetrically arranged on both sides of the box. The plume transport pipes are arranged obliquely, with a plume collection cover at the front end and a plume collection chamber at the rear end. A longitudinal gate is provided between the plume collection chamber and the primary filter chamber, a dense filter screen is provided between the primary filter chamber and the reverse osmosis filter chamber, a micro-permeable membrane is provided between the reverse osmosis filter chamber and the seawater expulsion chamber, and a superimposed gate is provided between the reverse osmosis filter chamber and the seawater expulsion chamber; The upper parts of the primary filter chamber, reverse osmosis filter chamber and seawater expulsion tank are respectively provided with vertical pistons, and a hydraulic cylinder is arranged above each vertical piston. The primary filter chamber and reverse osmosis filter chamber are respectively connected to the sediment discharge tank through a transverse gate; A sediment discharge valve is provided at the rear bottom of the sediment discharge bin.

2. The deep-sea plume control device based on differential pressure filtration according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The box body is composed of a bottom plate, a top plate and four side plates located at the front, back, left and right sides. The rear side of the plume collection chamber is provided with a vertically arranged first partition. The top of the drainage bin is provided with a horizontally arranged second partition, the front end of the second partition is integrated with the rear side of the first partition, a third partition is vertically provided between the primary filter chamber and the reverse osmosis filter chamber, and a fourth partition is provided between the reverse osmosis filter chamber and the seawater removal bin; The lower ends of the third partition plate and the fourth partition plate are fixedly connected to the second partition plate, and the upper ends are fixedly connected to the top plate to form a whole.

3. The deep-sea plume control device based on differential pressure filtration according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plume transport pipe is arranged obliquely on the outside of the box, and the rear end is fixedly connected and communicated with the upper part of the plume collection chamber; An axial flow pump is fixedly installed on the inner side of the plume transport pipe. The plume collecting cover is a bell-shaped shell structure, and its closing end is fixedly connected to the front end of the plume transport pipe.

4. The deep-sea plume control device based on differential pressure filtration according to claim 2, characterized in that: A water inlet is provided on the first partition, the water inlet corresponds to the lower part of the primary filter chamber, and a square ring-shaped first sealing protrusion is fixed on the front side wall of the first partition at the periphery of the water inlet; The front side wall of the first partition is symmetrically provided with two first guide rails on the left and right sides of the water inlet. The left and right sides of the longitudinal gate are respectively vertically slidably matched with the two first guide rails. Two first electric push rods are provided above the longitudinal gate.

5. The deep-sea plume control device based on differential pressure filtration according to claim 2, characterized in that: A first window is formed at the lower portion of the third partition plate, and the dense filter is fixedly mounted on the inner side of the first window; The lower portion of the fourth partition has a plurality of second windows spaced laterally apart, each second window is provided with a micro-permeable membrane, and the rear side wall of the fourth partition has a square annular second sealing protrusion located on the periphery of each second window; The stacking gate is located at the rear side of the fourth partition plate, and includes valve plates having the same number as the second windows and corresponding positions, and the valve plates are fixedly connected to form a whole through a rod body; Two second guide rails are symmetrically provided on the upper and lower sides of the second window. The upper and lower sides of each valve plate body are respectively slidably matched with the two second guide rails. Two second electric push rods are provided on one side of the overlapping gate.

6. The deep-sea plume control device based on differential pressure filtration according to claim 2, characterized in that: The vertical piston is a horizontally arranged square flat plate with a sealing ring embedded on its side wall. The vertical piston is in vertical sliding sealing cooperation with the side wall of the compartment through the sealing ring on its periphery; The cylinder body of the hydraulic cylinder is fixedly mounted on the top plate of the box body, and the execution end thereof is fixedly connected to the center position of the corresponding vertical piston.

7. The deep-sea plume control device based on differential pressure filtration according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one drain port is provided on the rear side wall of the box body, and each drain port is provided with a water expulsion check valve. The seawater expulsion chamber can communicate with the outside of the box body through the water expulsion check valve to discharge the seawater in the seawater expulsion chamber.

8. The deep-sea plume control device based on differential pressure filtration according to claim 1, characterized in that: A settling port is provided at a position of the second partition plate relative to the primary filter chamber and the reverse osmosis filter chamber, and a traverse gate is provided at the bottom of the settling port; The bottom of the second partition is located on the periphery of each settlement port and has a square ring-shaped third sealing protrusion. Two third guide rails are symmetrically provided on the left and right sides of the third sealing protrusion. The left and right sides of the traversing gate are respectively slidably engaged with the two third guide rails. Two third electric push rods are provided on the rear side of the traversing gate. A sinking pipe body is provided at the rear bottom of the sinking bin, the front end of the sinking pipe body is connected and communicated with the box body, and the sinking valve is located at the connection between the sinking pipe body and the box body.

9. A method for controlling deep-sea plumes, characterized in that: The deep-sea plume control device based on differential pressure filtration according to any one of claims 1 to 8 comprises the following steps: Step 1: The plume generated outside the collection head is collected by the collection cover and pumped into the plume collection chamber through the plume transport tube, and the plume collection chamber is filled with water; Step 2: The longitudinal gate is opened, while the overlapping gate and two transverse gates remain closed. Under the action of the pressure difference, the plume carries large and small particles into the primary filter chamber. The large particles are retained in the primary filter chamber due to the filtration effect of the dense filter mesh, while part of the plume carries small particles through the dense filter mesh into the reverse osmosis filter chamber. After the plume fills the primary filter chamber and the reverse osmosis filter chamber, the longitudinal gate is closed; Step 3: The overlapping gates are opened, and the two transverse gates remain closed. The two vertical pistons located in the primary filter chamber and the reverse osmosis filter chamber move downward synchronously. The plume from the primary filter chamber is filtered through the dense filter mesh and micropermeable membrane and enters the seawater expulsion chamber. The plume from the reverse osmosis filter chamber is filtered through the micropermeable membrane and enters the seawater expulsion chamber. After the two vertical pistons of the primary filter chamber and the reverse osmosis filter chamber move to the bottom dead center, the overlapping gates are closed; Step 4: Both traverse gates are opened, the primary filter chamber and the reverse osmosis filter chamber are connected to the drainage and sedimentation bin, the water pressure in the drainage and sedimentation bin is balanced with the water pressure in the primary filter chamber and the reverse osmosis filter chamber, the suspended solids in the drainage and sedimentation bin, the primary filter chamber and the reverse osmosis filter chamber are in a high concentration state, and the large and small particle sizes are accelerated to settle to the bottom of the drainage and sedimentation bin; At the same time, the water expulsion check valve opens, and the vertical piston at the top of the seawater expulsion chamber moves downward to discharge the seawater in the seawater expulsion chamber. When the vertical piston at the top of the seawater expulsion chamber moves to the bottom dead point, the water expulsion check valve closes, and then the vertical piston at the top of the seawater expulsion chamber resets. Step 5: After the suspended matter in the sedimentation bin has settled to the bottom, close the two traverse gates; After that, open the drain valve on the back of the sediment discharge bin. Under the action of the pressure difference between the inside and outside, the sediment at the bottom of the sediment discharge bin is slowly discharged through the drain valve. When the pressure difference inside the sediment discharge bin is consistent with that outside, close the drain valve. The vertical pistons in the primary filter chamber and the reverse osmosis filter chamber move upward to the top dead center, after which the longitudinal gate opens again and the process from steps 2 to 5 is repeated to continuously filter, settle and discharge the seawater collected in the plume collection chamber.

10. The deep sea plume control method according to claim 9, characterized in that: Before the longitudinal gate is opened in step 2, each vertical piston is at the top dead center, and the primary filter chamber, reverse osmosis filter chamber and seawater expulsion chamber are all in a low pressure state.

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