A deep-sea mining device and control method utilizing buoyancy

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of seabed operation equipment, and discloses a deep-sea mining device and control method operated by buoyancy, comprising a shell, a mining mechanism is arranged on one side of the shell, and the mining mechanism is used to collect seabed ore; two partition plates are respectively fixed on both sides of the inner cavity of the shell, and the two partition plates divide the inner cavity of the shell into a collection area and two buoyancy lifting areas, and the two buoyancy lifting areas are respectively located on both sides of the collection area, and the buoyancy lifting area is provided with a buoyancy mechanism; a collection barrel is arranged in the collection area, and a crushing mechanism is arranged at one end of the collection barrel, which is used to crush the ore collected by the mining mechanism, and a pumping mechanism is arranged outside the collection barrel, and the mining mechanism pumps the seabed ore into the collection barrel through the pumping mechanism, and a stirring mechanism is arranged in the collection barrel, and a driving mechanism is arranged on one side of the shell, and the driving mechanism is connected with the stirring mechanism in a transmission manner. The present invention can realize the diving and floating of a mining vehicle, and improve the maneuverability of the mining vehicle walking on the seabed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of seabed operation equipment, and in particular to a deep-sea mining device operated by buoyancy and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Metallic nodules are widely distributed on the seafloor surface at a depth of 2,000 to 6,000 meters in the world's oceans. They are found on the surface of seafloor sediments, mainly in a semi-buried state. The mining of these renewable polymetallic mineral resources not only has potential economic significance, but also has important value in scientific research. At present, when mining seafloor metallic nodules, mining vehicles are directly lowered to the mineral points for mining based on the mineral deposits detected in advance. After the mining is completed, the mining vehicles are pulled from the seabed to the mining ship by ropes. In this way, each mining site needs to be pulled and lowered once, which is very complicated. The mining vehicle is difficult to dive and float, and the existing mining vehicles have poor mobility when walking on the seabed, and cannot achieve autonomous detection of metallic nodules. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a deep-sea mining device and a control method that utilizes buoyancy to operate, so as to solve the problems existing in the prior art.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides the following solution: The present invention provides a deep-sea mining device operated by buoyancy, comprising:

[0005] A shell, one side of which is provided with a mining mechanism, the mining mechanism being used to collect seabed ore;

[0006] Two partition plates, the two partition plates are respectively fixed to the two sides of the inner cavity of the shell, the two partition plates divide the inner cavity of the shell into a ore collection area and two buoyancy lifting areas, the two buoyancy lifting areas are respectively located on the two sides of the ore collection area, and a buoyancy mechanism is arranged in the buoyancy lifting area;

[0007] A ore collecting barrel, wherein the ore collecting barrel is arranged in the ore collecting area, a crushing mechanism is arranged at one end of the ore collecting barrel for crushing the ore collected by the mining mechanism, a pumping mechanism is arranged outside the ore collecting barrel, and the mining mechanism pumps the seabed ore into the ore collecting barrel through the pumping mechanism, a stirring mechanism is arranged in the ore collecting barrel, a driving mechanism is arranged on one side of the outer shell, and the driving mechanism is transmission-connected with the stirring mechanism.

[0008] Preferably, the buoyancy mechanism comprises:

[0009] Two guide rails, the two guide rails are respectively fixedly connected to two sides of the buoyancy lifting area;

[0010] A lifting plate, the lifting plate is located in the buoyancy lifting area, grooves adapted to the guide rails are respectively provided on both sides of the lifting plate, the lifting plate is in sliding contact with the guide rails, and the lifting plate separates the buoyancy lifting area into an inlet and outlet area and an inflation area;

[0011] An inlet and outlet water pump, the inlet and outlet water pump is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the shell, and the output end of the inlet and outlet water pump is connected to the inlet and outlet water area;

[0012] an airbag, the airbag being disposed in the inflation area;

[0013] The water inlet and outlet pump pumps water from the water inlet and outlet area, and the lifting plate slides upward to expand the airbag.

[0014] Preferably, the mining organization comprises:

[0015] The pipeline is arranged obliquely, and one end of the pipeline is connected to the crushing mechanism, and the other end of the pipeline is provided with a crushing assembly for preliminary crushing of the seabed ore so that the seabed ore can enter the pipeline.

[0016] Preferably, the crushing assembly comprises:

[0017] A plurality of crushing motors are fixedly connected to the top of the pipeline, and a crushing roller is fixedly connected to the output end of the crushing motor through the pipeline. The crushing motor drives the crushing roller to rotate so as to perform preliminary crushing on the seabed ore.

[0018] Preferably, the pulverizing mechanism comprises:

[0019] A pulverizing shell, wherein the pulverizing shell is connected to the inner cavity of the ore collecting barrel, and an isolation plate is fixedly connected to one side of the inner cavity of the pulverizing shell;

[0020] A plurality of crushing motors are fixedly connected to the isolation plate, and the output ends of the crushing motors penetrate through the isolation plate and are fixedly connected with crushing rollers. The crushing motors drive the crushing rollers to rotate so as to crush the ore.

[0021] Preferably, the pumping mechanism comprises:

[0022] A plurality of water pumps are fixedly connected to the shell, an input end of the water pump is connected to the ore collecting area, and a plurality of filtering holes are opened on the ore collecting cylinder.

[0023] Preferably, the stirring mechanism comprises:

[0024] A stirring shaft, one end of which is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the shell, the other end of which is transmission-connected to the driving mechanism, one end of a plurality of stirring rods is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the stirring shaft, the other end of the stirring rod is fixedly connected to a scraper, and the scraper is in sliding contact with the inner wall of the ore collecting barrel.

[0025] Preferably, the driving mechanism comprises:

[0026] An end cover, wherein a discharge hole is provided on the outer wall of the shell, the discharge hole is communicated with the inner cavity of the ore collecting barrel, the end cover is detachably connected to the wall of the discharge hole, a drive assembly is provided on the end cover, and the drive assembly is transmission-connected to the stirring shaft.

[0027] Preferably, the driving member comprises:

[0028] A driving motor is fixedly connected to the end cover, an output end of the driving motor passes through the end cover and is fixedly connected with a rectangular shaft, an end surface of the stirring shaft is provided with a rectangular hole, and the rectangular shaft is adapted to the rectangular hole.

[0029] Preferably, a frame is fixedly connected to the bottom of the shell, and track wheels are respectively provided on both sides of the frame.

[0030] A control method for a deep-sea mining device operated by buoyancy comprises the following steps:

[0031] S1. Place the deep-sea mining device onto the sea surface through external equipment;

[0032] S2, and driving the buoyancy mechanism to introduce seawater into the buoyancy lifting area, so that the deep-sea mining device sinks to the seabed;

[0033] S3, driving the crawler wheels to drive the entire deep-sea mining device to the designated mining area;

[0034] S4, start the mining mechanism to crush the seabed ore to be collected;

[0035] S5, the crushing mechanism and the pumping mechanism are started synchronously, the crushing mechanism crushes the ore collected by the mining mechanism, and the pumping mechanism pumps the crushed ore and seawater into the ore collecting tube;

[0036] S6. Turn on the driving mechanism to drive the stirring mechanism to stir the ore in the ore collecting tube, and remove impurities by coordinating with the circulation of seawater;

[0037] S7. After completing the quantitative collection of the ore, the buoyancy mechanism is activated again to discharge the seawater, so that the deep-sea mining device rises to the sea surface;

[0038] S8. After the sea mining device rises to the sea surface, it is transported to land through external equipment for ore discharge.

[0039] The present invention discloses the following technical effects: a mining mechanism is set up to collect seabed ore, and under the drive of a pumping mechanism, seawater is extracted from the mining mechanism to be pumped into a crushing mechanism in coordination with the ore, and the ore entering the crushing mechanism enters a ore collecting barrel after being crushed, and under the stirring action of a stirring mechanism, the ore in the ore collecting barrel is connected with impurities to be stirred, the ore is retained in the ore collecting barrel, and the impurities are connected with seawater to be pumped out, such a setting can realize the collection of ore while removing impurities, and the automatic lifting of the mining vehicle can be realized through the buoyancy mechanism, and the maneuverability of the mining vehicle walking on the seabed can be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0041] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a deep-sea mining device that utilizes buoyancy to operate according to the present invention;

[0042] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the inner cavity of the shell in the present invention;

[0043] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the pipeline in the present invention;

[0044] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the airbag in the present invention;

[0045] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ore collecting tube in the present invention;

[0046] Among them, 1. Shell; 2. Partition plate; 3. Ore collecting tube; 4. Guide rail; 5. Lifting plate; 6. Water inlet and outlet pump; 7. Air bag; 8. Pipeline; 9. Crushing motor; 10. Crushing roller; 11. Crushing shell; 12. Isolation plate; 13. Crushing motor; 14. Crushing roller; 15. Water pump; 16. Filter hole; 17. Agitator shaft; 18. Agitator rod; 19. Scraper; 20. End cover; 21. Drive motor; 22. Rectangular shaft; 23. Frame; 24. Track wheel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0048] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0049] Reference Figure 1-Figure 5 The present invention provides a deep-sea mining device operated by buoyancy, comprising:

[0050] A shell 1, one side of which is provided with a mining mechanism for collecting seabed ore;

[0051] Two partition plates 2, the two partition plates 2 are respectively fixed on both sides of the inner cavity of the shell 1, and the two partition plates 2 divide the inner cavity of the shell 1 into a ore collection area and two buoyancy lifting areas, the two buoyancy lifting areas are respectively located on both sides of the ore collection area, and a buoyancy mechanism is arranged in the buoyancy lifting area;

[0052] The ore collecting barrel 3 is arranged in the ore collecting area. A crushing mechanism is arranged at one end of the ore collecting barrel 3 for crushing the ore collected by the mining mechanism. A pumping mechanism is arranged outside the ore collecting barrel 3. The mining mechanism pumps the seabed ore into the ore collecting barrel 3 through the pumping mechanism. A stirring mechanism is arranged inside the ore collecting barrel 3. A driving mechanism is arranged on one side of the outer shell 1, and the driving mechanism is connected with the stirring mechanism through transmission.

[0053] The mining mechanism is used to collect seabed ore. Under the drive of the pumping mechanism, the seawater at the mining mechanism is extracted and pumped into the crushing mechanism together with the ore. The ore entering the crushing mechanism enters the ore collecting barrel 3 after being crushed. Under the stirring action of the stirring mechanism, the ore in the ore collecting barrel 3 is connected with the impurities to be stirred, and the ore is retained in the ore collecting barrel 3, and the impurities are connected with the seawater and pumped out. Such a setting can realize the collection of ore while removing impurities. The buoyancy mechanism can realize the automatic lifting of the mining vehicle and improve the maneuverability of the mining vehicle walking on the seabed.

[0054] Further optimization scheme, the buoyancy mechanism includes:

[0055] Two guide rails 4, the two guide rails 4 are respectively fixed on both sides of the buoyancy lifting area;

[0056] A lifting plate 5, the lifting plate 5 is located in the buoyancy lifting area, grooves adapted to the guide rails 4 are respectively provided on both sides of the lifting plate 5, the lifting plate 5 is in sliding contact with the guide rails 4, and the lifting plate 5 divides the buoyancy lifting area into an inlet and outlet area and an inflation area;

[0057] The inlet and outlet pump 6 is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the housing 1, and the output end of the inlet and outlet pump 6 is connected to the inlet and outlet area;

[0058] An airbag 7, the airbag 7 is arranged in the inflation area;

[0059] The water inlet and outlet pump 6 pumps water from the water inlet and outlet area, and the lifting plate 5 slides upward, so that the airbag 7 expands.

[0060] The water inlet and outlet pump 6 pumps water into the water inlet and outlet area, and the lifting plate 5 slides upward to expand the airbag 7, thereby achieving the buoyancy of the mining vehicle. The water inlet and outlet pump 6 injects water into the water inlet and outlet area, and the lifting plate 5 slides downward to shrink the airbag 7, thereby achieving the sinking of the mining vehicle.

[0061] To further optimize the scheme, mining institutions include:

[0062] The pipeline 8 is arranged at an angle, and one end of the pipeline 8 is connected to the crushing mechanism, and the other end of the pipeline 8 is provided with a crushing assembly for preliminary crushing of the seabed ore so that the seabed ore can enter the pipeline 8.

[0063] To further optimize the solution, the crushing components include:

[0064] A plurality of crushing motors 9 are fixedly connected to the top of the pipeline 8. The output end of the crushing motor 9 passes through the pipeline 8 and is fixedly connected with a crushing roller 10. The crushing motor 9 drives the crushing roller 10 to rotate, so as to perform preliminary crushing of the seabed ore.

[0065] The larger volume of ore on the seabed is crushed by the crushing roller 10 , and the seawater is pumped by the water pump 15 to carry the ore into the ore collecting tube 3 .

[0066] To further optimize the solution, the crushing mechanism includes:

[0067] A crushing shell 11, which is connected to the inner cavity of the ore collecting cylinder 3, and an isolation plate 12 is fixedly connected to one side of the inner cavity of the crushing shell 11;

[0068] A plurality of crushing motors 13 are fixedly connected to the isolation plate 12. The output end of the crushing motor 13 passes through the isolation plate 12 and is fixedly connected to a crushing roller 14. The crushing motor 13 drives the crushing roller 14 to rotate so as to crush the ore.

[0069] The crushing motor 13 drives the crushing roller 14 to rotate, thereby further crushing the ore, thereby improving the efficiency of the ore entering the ore collecting barrel 3.

[0070] To further optimize the scheme, the pumping mechanism includes:

[0071] A plurality of water pumps 15 are fixedly connected to the housing 1 , and input ends of the water pumps 15 are connected to the ore collecting area. A plurality of filtering holes 16 are provided on the ore collecting cylinder 3 .

[0072] The pumping mechanism pumps seawater into the pipeline 8 and discharges impurities from the ore collecting tube 3 at the same time.

[0073] Further optimization scheme, the stirring mechanism includes:

[0074] A stirring shaft 17, one end of which is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the shell 1, and the other end of which is transmission-connected to the driving mechanism. One end of a plurality of stirring rods 18 is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the stirring shaft 17, and a scraper 19 is fixedly connected to the other end of the stirring rod 18. The scraper 19 is in sliding contact with the inner wall of the ore collecting barrel 3.

[0075] Further optimization scheme, the driving mechanism includes:

[0076] The end cover 20 has a discharge hole on the outer wall of the shell 1 , and the discharge hole is connected to the inner cavity of the ore collecting barrel 3 . The end cover 20 is detachably connected to the wall of the discharge hole. A driving component is arranged on the end cover 20 , and the driving component is connected to the stirring shaft 17 in a transmission manner.

[0077] To further optimize the solution, the drive components include:

[0078] The driving motor 21 is fixedly connected to the end cover 20 . The output end of the driving motor 21 passes through the end cover 20 and is fixedly connected with a rectangular shaft 22 . A rectangular hole is opened on the end surface of the stirring shaft 17 , and the rectangular shaft 22 is matched with the rectangular hole.

[0079] According to a further optimized solution, a frame 23 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the housing 1 , and track wheels 24 are respectively provided on both sides of the frame 23 .

[0080] A control method for a deep-sea mining device operated by buoyancy comprises the following steps:

[0081] S1. Place the deep-sea mining device onto the sea surface through external equipment;

[0082] S2, and driving the buoyancy mechanism to introduce seawater into the buoyancy lifting area, so that the deep-sea mining device sinks to the seabed;

[0083] S3, driving the crawler wheel 24 to drive the entire deep-sea mining device to the designated mining area;

[0084] S4, start the mining mechanism to crush the seabed ore to be collected;

[0085] S5, synchronously start the crushing mechanism and the pumping mechanism, the crushing mechanism crushes the ore collected by the mining mechanism, and the pumping mechanism pumps the crushed ore and seawater into the ore collecting tube 3;

[0086] S6, start the driving mechanism to drive the stirring mechanism to drive, stir the ore in the ore collecting tube 3, and cooperate with the circulation of seawater to achieve impurity removal;

[0087] S7. After completing the quantitative collection of the ore, the buoyancy mechanism is activated again to discharge the seawater, so that the deep-sea mining device rises to the sea surface;

[0088] S8. After the sea mining device rises to the sea surface, it is transported to land through external equipment for ore discharge.

[0089] The directions or positional relationships indicated by “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “inside” and “outside” are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention. They do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operate in a specific direction. Therefore, they should not be understood as limitations on the present invention.

[0090] The above embodiments are only descriptions of the preferred modes of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Without departing from the design spirit of the present invention, various modifications and improvements made to the technical solutions of the present invention by ordinary technicians in this field should all fall within the protection scope determined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A deep-sea mining device operated by buoyancy, characterized in that: include: A housing (1), wherein a mining mechanism is provided on one side of the housing (1), and the mining mechanism is used to collect seabed ore; Two partition plates (2), the two partition plates (2) are respectively fixed to two sides of the inner cavity of the shell (1), the two partition plates (2) divide the inner cavity of the shell (1) into a mineral collection area and two buoyancy lifting areas, the two buoyancy lifting areas are respectively located on two sides of the mineral collection area, and a buoyancy mechanism is arranged in the buoyancy lifting area; A ore collecting barrel (3), the ore collecting barrel (3) being arranged in the ore collecting area, a crushing mechanism being arranged at one end of the ore collecting barrel (3) for crushing the ore collected by the mining mechanism, a pumping mechanism being arranged outside the ore collecting barrel (3), the mining mechanism pumping the seabed ore into the ore collecting barrel (3) through the pumping mechanism, a stirring mechanism being arranged inside the ore collecting barrel (3), a driving mechanism being arranged on one side of the housing (1), the driving mechanism being in transmission connection with the stirring mechanism; A vehicle frame (23) is fixedly connected to the bottom of the housing (1), and track wheels (24) are respectively arranged on both sides of the vehicle frame (23); The mining institutions include: A pipeline (8), wherein the pipeline (8) is arranged at an angle, and one end of the pipeline (8) is connected to the crushing mechanism, and the other end of the pipeline (8) is provided with a crushing assembly for preliminarily crushing the seabed ore so that the seabed ore can enter the pipeline (8); Crushing components include: A plurality of crushing motors (9), wherein the plurality of crushing motors (9) are fixedly connected to the top of the pipeline (8), and the output end of the crushing motor (9) passes through the pipeline (8) and is fixedly connected to a crushing roller (10), and the crushing motor (9) drives the crushing roller (10) to rotate, so as to perform preliminary crushing on the seabed ore; The crushing mechanism comprises: A pulverizing shell (11), the pulverizing shell (11) being connected to the inner cavity of the ore collecting barrel (3), and an isolation plate (12) being fixedly connected to one side of the inner cavity of the pulverizing shell (11); A plurality of crushing motors (13) are fixedly connected to the isolation plate (12); the output end of the crushing motor (13) passes through the isolation plate (12) and is fixedly connected to a crushing roller (14); the crushing motor (13) drives the crushing roller (14) to rotate, so as to crush the ore; The pumping mechanism comprises: A plurality of water pumps (15), wherein the plurality of water pumps (15) are fixedly connected to the housing (1), the input ends of the water pumps (15) are connected to the ore collecting area, and the ore collecting barrel (3) is provided with a plurality of filter holes (16); the water pumping mechanism pumps seawater into the pipe (8) and discharges impurities from the ore collecting barrel (3); The buoyancy mechanism comprises: Two guide rails (4), the two guide rails (4) are respectively fixedly connected to two sides of the buoyancy lifting area; A lifting plate (5), the lifting plate (5) is located in the buoyancy lifting area, grooves adapted to the guide rail (4) are respectively provided on both sides of the lifting plate (5), the lifting plate (5) is in sliding contact with the guide rail (4), and the lifting plate (5) divides the buoyancy lifting area into an inlet and outlet area and an inflation area; An inlet and outlet water pump (6), the inlet and outlet water pump (6) being fixedly connected to the outer wall of the housing (1), and the output end of the inlet and outlet water pump (6) being connected to the inlet and outlet water area; An airbag (7), wherein the airbag (7) is arranged in the inflation area; The water inlet and outlet pump (6) pumps water from the water inlet and outlet area, and the lifting plate (5) slides upward, so that the airbag (7) expands; The stirring mechanism comprises: A stirring shaft (17), one end of which is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the outer shell (1), and the other end of which is transmission-connected to the driving mechanism. One end of a plurality of stirring rods (18) is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the stirring shaft (17), and the other end of the stirring rod (18) is fixedly connected to a scraper (19), and the scraper (19) is in sliding contact with the inner wall of the ore collecting barrel (3).

2. A deep-sea mining device utilizing buoyancy according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving mechanism comprises: An end cover (20), wherein a discharge hole is provided on the outer wall of the outer shell (1), the discharge hole is communicated with the inner cavity of the ore collecting barrel (3), the end cover (20) is detachably connected to the wall of the discharge hole, and a drive assembly is provided on the end cover (20), and the drive assembly is transmission-connected to the stirring shaft (17).

3. A deep-sea mining device operated by buoyancy according to claim 2, characterized in that: The drive assembly comprises: A driving motor (21) is fixedly connected to the end cover (20); an output end of the driving motor (21) passes through the end cover (20) and is fixedly connected to a rectangular shaft (22); a rectangular hole is opened on the end surface of the stirring shaft (17); and the rectangular shaft (22) is adapted to fit the rectangular hole.

4. A control method for a deep-sea mining device operated by buoyancy, according to the deep-sea mining device operated by buoyancy of claim 1, characterized in that: The steps include: S1. Place the deep-sea mining device onto the sea surface through external equipment; S2, and driving the buoyancy mechanism to introduce seawater into the buoyancy lifting area, so that the deep-sea mining device sinks to the seabed; S3, driving the crawler wheel (24) to drive the entire deep-sea mining device to reach the designated mining area; S4, start the mining mechanism to crush the seabed ore to be collected; S5, synchronously start the crushing mechanism and the pumping mechanism, the crushing mechanism crushes the ore collected by the mining mechanism, and the pumping mechanism pumps the crushed ore and seawater into the ore collecting tube (3); S6, starting the driving mechanism to drive the stirring mechanism to stir the ore in the ore collecting tube (3), and coordinating with the circulation of seawater to achieve impurity removal; S7. After completing the quantitative collection of the ore, the buoyancy mechanism is activated again to discharge the seawater, so that the deep-sea mining device rises to the sea surface; S8. After the sea mining device rises to the sea surface, it is transported to land through external equipment for ore discharge.

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