A deep sea mining hydraulic conveyance relay station and hydraulic lift mining system

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical fields of deep-sea mining, and especially relates to a deep-sea mining hydraulic conveying relay station and a hydraulic lifting mining system. The deep-sea mining hydraulic conveying relay station comprises a stock bin and a feeding pipe. The stock bin comprises an upper stock bin and a lower stock bin. The upper stock bin is provided with a fixed baffle. A sliding baffle is arranged between the upper stock bin and the lower stock bin. The sliding baffle and the fixed baffle separate the stock bin into independent injection space and settling space. The sliding baffle is in sliding connection with the stock bin and can rotate around the central axis of the stock bin, so that the injection space and the settling space are alternately changed. The feeding pipe comprises injection pipes respectively connected to the injection space and the settling space. The injection pipe connected to the injection space is in an open state. The present application can reduce the blockage and ore overflow in the stock bin, realize continuous and uniform feeding, and has low requirements for the structure pressure resistance and is environment-friendly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of deep-sea mining technology, and in particular to a deep-sea mining hydraulic transport relay station and a hydraulic lifting mining system. Background Technology

[0002] Seabed mineral deposits are located thousands of meters deep on the seabed, requiring extremely high levels of technology and environmental protection for extraction, and commercial mining has not yet been achieved. The hydraulic lifting mining system, consisting of a ore collector and hydraulic lifting unit, is widely recognized as the most promising mining system. This system uses a vertical lifting pipe to lift nodules collected by a seabed ore collector to a surface mining vessel. The surface component includes the mining vessel and the hydraulic lifting system; the underwater component includes the ore collector, a relay station, and a flexible pipe connecting the ore collector and the relay station. The relay station design is primarily divided into closed structures and top-open structures.

[0003] While closed-loop relay stations do not experience ore spillage during normal operation, they pose high risks of overpressure and blockage within the silo, demanding high structural pressure resistance and potentially leading to system failure and damage to the entire pipeline system. Existing open-loop relay stations have small openings or screens at the top. Slurry enters the silo through the feed inlet, where the ore settles at the bottom, and most seawater is discharged through the opening at the top. However, the slurry ejected from the feed inlet continuously impacts the settled ore at the bottom of the silo, causing small-diameter ore particles (called "mesh-piercing ore") to pass through the screen with the impact water flow, resulting in significant ore spillage and a substantial environmental impact. Furthermore, the continuous upward flow of water within the silo causes some ore (called "retained ore") to be trapped by the screen under the influence of the overflowing water, leading to blockages and posing a risk of silo screen blockage. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the existing technology, the purpose of this invention is to provide a deep-sea mining hydraulic transport relay station to reduce blockages and ore spillage within the storage area.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present invention provide the following technical solutions:

[0006] A deep-sea mining hydraulic transport relay station includes: a silo and a feed pipe; the silo includes an upper silo and a lower silo, the upper silo is provided with a fixed baffle, and a sliding baffle is provided between the upper silo and the lower silo; the sliding baffle and the fixed baffle divide the silo into independent injection space and settling space, the sliding baffle is slidably connected to the silo and can rotate around the central axis of the silo, so that the injection space and the settling space alternate; the feed pipe includes injection pipes respectively connected to the injection space and the settling space, wherein the injection pipe connected to the injection space is in an open state.

[0007] Optionally, the hopper is equipped with a filter screen, and the feed pipe includes a first injection pipe and a second injection pipe. The first injection pipe and the second injection pipe pass through the filter screen and are respectively connected to the injection space and the settling space. The first injection pipe is equipped with a first electrically controlled valve, and the second injection pipe is equipped with a second electrically controlled valve.

[0008] Optionally, the injection space is formed by a sliding baffle, a fixed baffle, a filter screen, and the wall of the feeding hopper, and the settling space is formed by a sliding baffle, a fixed baffle, a filter screen, the wall of the feeding hopper, and the wall of the discharging hopper.

[0009] Optionally, the feeding hopper is cylindrical and the discharging hopper is conical. The conical discharging hopper has a large end and a small end. The small end of the discharging hopper is located below the large end. The large end of the discharging hopper is connected to the feeding hopper, and the diameter of the large end of the discharging hopper is equal to the diameter of the feeding hopper.

[0010] Optionally, a feeder is provided on the lower side of the hopper. The feeder includes a housing and an impeller. The housing is located on the lower side of the discharge hopper and communicates with the discharge hopper. The impeller is rotatably installed inside the housing and is located on the lower side of the communication opening between the housing and the discharge hopper.

[0011] Optionally, a discharge pipe is provided on the lower side of the feeder. The discharge pipe is connected to the housing of the feeder. The discharge pipe includes a connecting end and a free end. The connecting end is located at the top, and the free end is located at the bottom. The connecting end of the discharge pipe is connected to the lifting rigid pipe, and the free end of the discharge pipe is connected to seawater.

[0012] Optionally, a baffle rail is provided between the loading bin and the unloading bin. The sliding baffle includes a first sliding baffle and a second sliding baffle. Both the first sliding baffle and the second sliding baffle are slidably mounted on the baffle rail, and the rotation directions of the first sliding baffle and the second sliding baffle are opposite.

[0013] Optionally, the first sliding baffle includes, from bottom to top, a first spoke gear, a middle beam, and a first baffle; the second sliding baffle includes, from bottom to top, a second spoke gear and a second baffle, wherein the first spoke gear is located at the bottom of the second spoke gear, and the diameter of the first spoke gear is smaller than the diameter of the second spoke gear, and the first baffle and the second baffle are located on the same horizontal plane.

[0014] Optionally, it also includes an electronically controlled drive device, which includes a drive motor, a coupling, a first gear and a second gear. The drive motor is connected to the first gear through the coupling. The first gear meshes with the second gear and the second spoked gear, and the second gear meshes with the first spoked gear.

[0015] This invention also provides a hydraulic lifting mining system, including a conveying hose, a lifting rigid pipe, and a deep-sea mining hydraulic conveying relay station as described above, with the relay station located between the conveying hose and the lifting rigid pipe.

[0016] One or more technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present invention have at least the following technical effects or advantages:

[0017] The deep-sea mining hydraulic lifting relay station of this invention is equipped with fixed and sliding baffles within the feed hopper, dividing the relay station into two independent spaces. During operation, these spaces can alternate, preventing the slurry flow from the feed pipe from impacting the deposited ore in the lower feed hopper, thus reducing ore rise and overflow. One sub-space of the upper feed hopper alternately forms a settling space with the lower feed hopper. The alternation of feed hoppers does not affect the continuity of feeding, while allowing sufficient settling time for ore trapped in the screen to settle to the lower feed hopper. Furthermore, there is no rising water flow in this space during settling, resulting in high ore particle settling efficiency and low risk of screen clogging. Compared to existing technologies, the deep-sea mining hydraulic conveying relay station of this invention effectively reduces the risk of clogging at the filter screen, reduces ore overflow at the filter screen, achieves continuous and uniform feeding, has lower requirements for structural pressure resistance, offers better safety, and is more environmentally friendly.

[0018] Advantages of additional aspects of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is an overall schematic diagram of the relay station according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the feeding hopper according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the layered structure of the first sliding baffle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the layered structure of the second sliding baffle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the gear assembly structure of the electronically controlled drive device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the engagement between the sliding baffle and the electronically controlled drive device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the sliding baffle movement process according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] In the diagram: 1. Feed pipe; 2-1. First electrically controlled valve; 2-2. Second electrically controlled valve; 3. Feeding hopper; 3-1. Filter screen; 3-2. Fixed baffle; 3-3. First sliding baffle; 3-3-1. First spoke gear; 3-3-2. Middle beam; 3-3-3. First baffle; 3-4. Second sliding baffle; 3-4-1. Second spoke gear; 3-4-2. Second baffle; 3-5. Baffle slide rail; 3-6. Electrically controlled drive device; 3-6-1. Drive motor; 3-6-2. Coupling; 3-6-3. First gear; 3-6-4. Second gear; 4. Discharge hopper; 5. Feeder; 5-1. Impeller; 5-2. Shell; 6. Discharge pipe; 6-1. Free end; 6-2. Connecting end;

[0030] The distances or dimensions between parts have been exaggerated to show their positions; the diagram is for illustrative purposes only. Detailed Implementation

[0031] It should be noted that the following detailed descriptions are illustrative and intended to provide further explanation of the invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used in this invention have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof. The terms "installed," "connected," "linked," "fixed," etc., in this invention should be interpreted broadly. For example, they may refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; they may refer to a mechanical connection, a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they may refer to an internal connection between two elements, or the interaction between two elements. Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand the specific meaning of the terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0032] Deep-sea mining hydraulic transport: Using slurry pumps / clear water pumps / jet pumps at different depths, the nodular ore collected by the seabed mining machine is mixed with seawater and lifted to the surface mining vessel through a vertical lifting pipeline.

[0033] Relay Station: The deep-sea mining system mainly consists of a mining vessel, a telemetry and control system, a hoisting pipeline system, a subsea ore collecting machine, and a transportation support subsystem. The transportation system includes rigid pipes, flexible hoses, and relay stations. The main function of the relay station is to store nodules from the subsea ore collecting machine and supply ore to the hoisting system at a uniform rate, preventing blockages or flow fluctuations in the hoisting system. The relay station consists of an ore storage bin, a feeder, a hydraulic pump station, a power and telemetry and control unit and its accessories, and a frame.

[0034] Mineral slurry: A mixture of seawater and mineral nodules.

[0035] As described in the background section, existing open-type relay stations have small openings or screens at the top, resulting in significant ore spillage and a substantial environmental impact; ore trapped inside the silo also poses a risk of silo blockage. To address these technical problems, this invention proposes a deep-sea mining hydraulic conveying relay station that reduces silo blockage and ore spillage, ensures continuous feeding, has low structural pressure requirements, and is environmentally friendly.

[0036] Example 1

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, one embodiment of the present invention proposes a deep-sea mining hydraulic transport relay station, comprising: a silo and a feed pipe 1; the silo includes an upper feed silo 3 and a lower feed silo 4, the upper feed silo 3 being equipped with fixed baffles 3-2, as shown. Figure 1 As shown, the fixed baffle 3-2 is arranged in the middle of the feeding hopper 3, dividing the feeding hopper 3 into two independent spaces, left and right. A sliding baffle is provided between the feeding hopper 3 and the unloading hopper 4. The sliding baffle and the fixed baffle 3-2 divide the entire hopper into independent injection space and settling space. In this embodiment, the injection space is half of the space in the feeding hopper 3, and the settling space is the other half of the feeding hopper 3 plus the space in the unloading hopper 4. The sliding baffle is slidably connected to the hopper and can rotate around the central axis of the hopper, so that the injection space and the settling space alternate. That is, when the sliding baffle rotates to the left, the left side of the feeding hopper 3 is the injection space, and the right side of the feeding hopper 3 and the space in the unloading hopper 4 constitute the settling space; when the sliding baffle rotates to the right, the right side of the feeding hopper 3 is the injection space, and the left side of the feeding hopper 3 and the space in the unloading hopper 4 constitute the settling space.

[0038] The feed pipe 1 includes an injection pipe that is connected to both the injection space and the settling space. The injection pipe connected to the injection space is in an open state, and the injection pipe connected to the settling space is in a closed state. In the next stage, when the sliding baffle rotates to the other side, the injection space and the settling space change, and the open and closed states of the two injection pipes also change accordingly.

[0039] This invention divides the entire silo into two sub-spaces: an injection space and a settling space, using a fixed baffle 3-2 and a sliding baffle. Furthermore, by controlling the sliding baffle, the injection space and settling space alternate. When the feed pipe 1 enters the intermediate station's upper silo 3, it splits into two, alternately injecting slurry into the two sub-spaces. During operation at the intermediate station, this alternating operation avoids the impact of the slurry flow from the feed pipe 1 on the deposited ore at the lower silo 4, reducing ore rise and overflow. Moreover, the lower silo 4 is always a settling space; the alternating switching of silos does not affect the continuity of feeding. The alternating operation of the silos allows sufficient settling time for the trapped ore from the screen to settle into the lower silo 4. Furthermore, there is no rising water flow in this space during settling, resulting in high ore particle settling efficiency and low risk of screen clogging. Compared with existing technologies, the deep-sea mining hydraulic conveying relay station of the present invention can effectively reduce the risk of clogging at filter screen 3-1, reduce ore overflow at filter screen 3-1, provide good feeding continuity, have lower requirements for structural pressure resistance, have better safety, and be more environmentally friendly.

[0040] The silo is equipped with a filter screen 3-1. The feed pipe 1 includes a first injection pipe and a second injection pipe. The first injection pipe and the second injection pipe pass through the filter screen 3-1 and are respectively connected to the injection space and the settling space. The first injection pipe is equipped with a first electrically controlled valve 2-1 and the second injection pipe is equipped with a second electrically controlled valve 2-2. The slurry is injected into the two spaces alternately at different times by opening and closing the first electrically controlled valve 2-1 and the second electrically controlled valve 2-2.

[0041] In this embodiment, the injection space is enclosed by horizontally arranged sliding baffles, vertically arranged fixed baffles 3-2, a filter screen 3-1, and the wall of the feeding hopper 3. The settling space is enclosed by horizontally arranged sliding baffles, vertically arranged fixed baffles 3-2, the filter screen 3-1 on the opposite side, the wall of the feeding hopper 3 on the opposite side, and the wall of the discharging hopper 4. It is understood that the entire silo can also be divided into multiple spaces, including at least one injection space for injecting slurry and at least one settling space for settling ore.

[0042] The feeding hopper 3 and the unloading hopper 4 can be of the same shape or different shapes, such as cylindrical, square, or conical. In this embodiment... Figure 1 As shown, the feeding bin 3 is cylindrical and the feeding bin 4 is conical. The conical feeding bin 4 has a large end and a small end. The small end of the feeding bin 4 is located below the large end, i.e., the large end is larger at the top and smaller at the bottom. The large end of the feeding bin 4 is connected to the feeding bin 3, and the diameter of the large end of the feeding bin 4 is equal to the diameter of the feeding bin 3.

[0043] like Figure 1As shown, a drive device is installed on the outer wall of the hopper, and a baffle rail 3-5 is installed between the upper hopper 3 and the lower hopper 4. The sliding baffle rotates on the baffle rail 3-5. In this embodiment, the drive device can adopt existing technology, as long as it can drive the sliding baffle to rotate and realize the alternation of the two spaces, injection space and settling space.

[0044] Furthermore, a feeder 5 is provided on the lower side of the hopper. The feeder 5 includes a housing 5-2 and an impeller 5-1. The housing 5-2 is located on the lower side of the discharge hopper 4 and communicates with the discharge hopper 4. Figure 8 , Figure 9 As shown, the impeller 5-1 is rotatably mounted inside the housing 5-2 and is located below the connection between the housing 5-2 and the discharge bin 4. A discharge pipe 6 is provided on the lower side of the feeder 5, and the discharge pipe 6 communicates with the housing 5-2 of the feeder 5, as shown... Figure 1 As shown, the discharge pipe 6 includes a connecting end 6-2 and a free end 6-1. The connecting end 6-2 is located at the top, and the free end 6-1 is located at the bottom. The connecting end 6-2 of the discharge pipe 6 is connected to the lifting rigid pipe, and the free end 6-1 of the discharge pipe 6 is connected to seawater.

[0045] The feeder 5 is located between the feed bin 4 and the discharge pipe 6. The feeder 5 includes an impeller 5-1, a housing 5-2, and sealing end caps on both sides. The impeller 5-1 rotates at a certain speed, and the ore falls sequentially into the compartments of the impeller 5-1. As the impeller 5-1 rotates, the ore enters the discharge pipe 6, achieving uniform feeding. One side of the free end 6-1 of the discharge pipe 6 is a seawater inlet and an emergency discharge outlet, used to discharge nodules in the lifting pipe in case of overpressure or lifting system failure, thus preventing pipe blockage.

[0046] The fixed baffle 3-2 of this invention divides the feeding hopper 3 into two sub-spaces. The feed pipe 1 splits into two upon entering the relay station feeding hopper 3, and slurry is alternately injected into the two feeding hopper 3 sub-spaces under the control of an electrically controlled valve. A sliding baffle located between the feeding hopper 3 and the unloading hopper 4 separates the upper and lower hoppers 4, so that the horizontally placed sliding baffle, the vertically placed fixed baffle 3-2, the feeding hopper 3 wall, and the filter screen 3-1 together form a relatively independent space. The sliding baffle can be moved along the baffle slide rail 3-5 by an electrically controlled drive device 3-6, so that the two sides of the fixed baffle 3-2 alternately form an injection space in one side of the feeding hopper 3 as the sliding baffle moves. At the same time, on the opposite side, the filter screen 3-1, the feeding hopper 3 wall, the vertically placed fixed baffle 3-2, the horizontally arranged sliding baffle, and the unloading hopper 4 together form a relatively independent settling space. The feeder 5 is located between the feeding bin 4 and the discharge pipe 6. The ore falls into the grid cavity of the impeller 5-1 in sequence. As the impeller 5-1 rotates, the ore enters the discharge pipe 6, achieving continuous and uniform feeding over a long period of time.

[0047] The working process of the above relay station:

[0048] When slurry is injected into the independent subspace through feed pipe 1, the sliding baffle slides to the side where the electrically controlled valve of feed pipe 1 is open. At this time, the injected slurry flows only in the relatively independent injection space composed of four parts: the sliding baffle, the fixed baffle 3-2, the wall of the feeding bin 3, and the filter screen 3-1. In this independent space within the feeding bin 3, large-diameter ore settles to the lower part of the injection space, i.e., the sliding baffle, while small-diameter ore moves with the rising water flow to the filter screen 3-1. The smaller ore overflows with the water flow to the relay station. Larger pieces of ore (through the screen) are trapped by the filter screen 3-1, causing blockages. Simultaneously, the space in the feed hopper 3 at the closed position of the electrically controlled valve on the opposite side is connected to the feed hopper 4. Ore particles from the slurry injected into the feed hopper 3 in the previous period, including those trapped at the filter screen 3-1, settle freely and eventually settle into the cavity of the rotating impeller 5-1 of the feeder 5. The ore is then conveyed to the discharge pipe 6 at the bottom of the feeder 5 by the impeller 5-1 at a given speed, supplying ore to the lifting system at a uniform speed. Under the suction of the lifting pump in the lifting pipe, the ore is lifted by seawater from the discharge pipe 6 into the lifting pipe. One side of the free end 6-1 of the discharge pipe 6 is a seawater inlet and an emergency discharge outlet, used to discharge nodules in the lifting pipe in case of overpressure or lifting system failure, preventing blockages.

[0049] Example 2

[0050] In this embodiment, the sliding baffle consists of two pieces, and the corresponding sliding structure and driving device are provided. Specifically, as shown... Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, a baffle rail 3-5 is provided between the loading bin 3 and the unloading bin 4. The sliding baffle includes a first sliding baffle 3-3 and a second sliding baffle 3-4. Both the first sliding baffle 3-3 and the second sliding baffle 3-4 are slidably mounted on the baffle rail 3-5, and the rotation directions of the first sliding baffle 3-3 and the second sliding baffle 3-4 are opposite. Compared with switching between two independent spaces by rotating a single sliding baffle, this embodiment achieves switching between two independent spaces by rotating two sliding baffles in opposite directions, resulting in a faster switching speed and improved working efficiency of the relay station.

[0051] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, the first sliding baffle 3-3, from bottom to top, includes a first spoke gear 3-3-1, a middle beam 3-3-2, and a first baffle 3-3-3; the second sliding baffle 3-4, from bottom to top, includes a second spoke gear 3-4-1 and a second baffle 3-4-2. Figure 6As shown, the first spoke gear 3-3-1 is located at the bottom of the second spoke gear 3-4-1, and the diameter of the first spoke gear 3-3-1 is smaller than the diameter of the second spoke gear 3-4-1. Moreover, the first baffle 3-3-3 and the second baffle 3-4-2 are located on the same horizontal plane by the setting of the middle beam 3-3-2.

[0052] like Figure 5 As shown, the electronically controlled drive device 3-6 includes a drive motor 3-6-1, a coupling 3-6-2, a first gear 3-6-3, and a second gear 3-6-4, as follows: Figure 6 As shown, the drive motor 3-6-1 is connected to the first gear 3-6-3 via a coupling 3-6-2. The first gear 3-6-3 meshes with the second gear 3-6-4 and the second spoked gear 3-4-1, respectively. The second gear 3-6-4 meshes with the first spoked gear 3-3-1. Driven by the electronically controlled drive device 3-6, the sliding baffle moves along the baffle slide rail 3-5, causing the two sides of the fixed baffle 3-2 to alternately form independent spaces on one side of the loading bin 3 as the sliding baffle moves.

[0053] Specifically, the first sliding baffle 3-3 has a three-layer structure, consisting of a first spoke gear 3-3-1, a middle beam 3-3-2, and the first baffle 3-3-3 from bottom to top; the second sliding baffle 3-4 has a double-layer structure, consisting of a second spoke gear 3-4-1 and the second baffle 3-4-2 from bottom to top. The diameter of the second spoke gear 3-4-1 is larger than that of the first spoke gear 3-3-1, and the second spoke gear 3-4-1 is stacked on top of the first spoke gear 3-3-1.

[0054] The electric drive unit 3-6 houses a drive motor 3-6-1, which is connected to a first gear 3-6-3 via a coupling 3-6-2. The first gear 3-6-3 meshes with a second spoked gear 3-4-1 at the bottom of the second baffle 3-4-2. Simultaneously, the first gear 3-6-3 meshes with the second gear 3-6-4, and the second gear 3-6-4 meshes with the first spoked gear 3-3-1 at the bottom of the first baffle 3-3-3. Figure 7 As shown, the first sliding baffle 3-3 and the second sliding baffle 3-4 rotate in opposite directions. Through the cooperation of the gear assembly of the electronically controlled drive device 3-6 and the spoke-type gear of the sliding baffle, the movement of the sliding baffle within the baffle slide rail 3-5 is realized, thereby separating the space on both sides of the upper hopper 3 from the space of the lower hopper 4.

[0055] Example 3

[0056] Based on the deep-sea mining hydraulic conveying relay station of Embodiments 1 and 2, this embodiment also provides a hydraulic lifting mining system, mainly composed of a seabed ore collecting machine, a slurry conveying hose, a relay station, ore lifting pumps, a lifting rigid pipe, and a surface mining vessel. The relay station has an open-top structure, with its top connected to the external seawater through a large-area screen. The relay station is located between the conveying hose and the lifting rigid pipe, connected to the conveying hose via an inlet pipe 1 and to the lifting rigid pipe via an outlet pipe 6. Several ore lifting pumps are installed on the lifting rigid pipe. The suction action of the pumps creates a negative pressure in the outlet pipe 6 of the relay station, causing the ore evenly fed by the feeder 5 to be lifted by the seawater from the outlet pipe 6 into the lifting rigid pipe. Since the above-mentioned relay station has the aforementioned technical effects, the technical effects of the hydraulic lifting mining system using this relay station can be found in the above embodiments.

[0057] While the specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, this is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications or variations that can be made by those skilled in the art without creative effort based on the technical solutions of the present invention are still within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A deep-sea mining hydraulic transport relay station, characterized in that, include: hopper and feed pipe; The hopper includes an upper hopper and a lower hopper. The upper hopper is equipped with a fixed baffle, and a sliding baffle is provided between the upper hopper and the lower hopper. The sliding baffle and the fixed baffle divide the hopper into an independent injection space and a settling space. The sliding baffle is slidably connected to the hopper and can rotate around the central axis of the hopper, so that the injection space and the settling space alternate. The hopper is equipped with a filter screen, the injection space is formed by a sliding baffle, a fixed baffle, a filter screen and the upper hopper wall, and the settling space is formed by a sliding baffle, a fixed baffle, a filter screen, the upper hopper wall and the lower hopper wall. The feed pipe includes an injection pipe that is connected to an injection space and a settling space respectively, wherein the injection pipe connected to the injection space is in an open state and the injection pipe connected to the settling space is in a closed state.

2. The deep-sea mining hydraulic transport relay station as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The feed pipe includes a first injection pipe and a second injection pipe. The first injection pipe and the second injection pipe pass through the filter screen and are respectively connected to the injection space and the sedimentation space. A first electrically controlled valve is provided on the first injection pipe and a second electrically controlled valve is provided on the second injection pipe.

3. The deep-sea mining hydraulic transport relay station as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding hopper is cylindrical, and the discharging hopper is conical. The conical discharging hopper has a large end and a small end. The small end of the discharging hopper is located below the large end. The large end of the discharging hopper is connected to the feeding hopper, and the diameter of the large end of the discharging hopper is equal to the diameter of the feeding hopper.

4. The deep-sea mining hydraulic transport relay station as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A feeder is provided on the lower side of the hopper. The feeder includes a housing and an impeller. The housing is located on the lower side of the discharge hopper and is in communication with the discharge hopper. The impeller is rotatably installed inside the housing and is located on the lower side of the communication opening between the housing and the discharge hopper.

5. The deep-sea mining hydraulic transport relay station as described in claim 4, characterized in that, A discharge pipe is provided on the lower side of the feeder. The discharge pipe is connected to the housing of the feeder. The discharge pipe includes a connecting end and a free end. The connecting end is located at the top and the free end is located at the bottom. The connecting end of the discharge pipe is connected to the lifting rigid pipe, and the free end of the discharge pipe is connected to seawater.

6. The deep-sea mining hydraulic transport relay station as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A baffle rail is provided between the loading bin and the unloading bin. The sliding baffle includes a first sliding baffle and a second sliding baffle. Both the first sliding baffle and the second sliding baffle are slidably mounted on the baffle rail, and the rotation directions of the first sliding baffle and the second sliding baffle are opposite.

7. The deep-sea mining hydraulic transport relay station as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The first sliding baffle includes, from bottom to top, a first spoke gear, a middle beam, and a first baffle; the second sliding baffle includes, from bottom to top, a second spoke gear and a second baffle, wherein the first spoke gear is located at the bottom of the second spoke gear, and the diameter of the first spoke gear is smaller than the diameter of the second spoke gear, and the first baffle and the second baffle are located on the same horizontal plane.

8. The deep-sea mining hydraulic transport relay station as described in claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes an electronically controlled drive device, which includes a drive motor, a coupling, a first gear and a second gear. The drive motor is connected to the first gear through the coupling. The first gear meshes with the second gear and the second spoked gear, and the second gear meshes with the first spoked gear.

9. A hydraulic lifting mining system, characterized in that, It includes a delivery hose, a lifting rigid pipe, and a deep-sea mining hydraulic transport relay station as described in any one of claims 1-8, wherein the relay station is located between the delivery hose and the lifting rigid pipe.

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