Robot for cleaning interior of deep-sea mining lifting hard pipe

Abstract

The invention discloses a cleaning robot in a deep-sea mining lifting hard pipe. Belongs to the technical field of deep-sea mining. The self-adaptive auxiliary device can ensure that the robot vertically moves in pipelines with different diameters; the weight of the floating and sinking device is adjusted by means of the water ballast space and the side water space, and therefore floating and sinking are controlled or inclination compensation is carried out. According to the cleaning device, impurities and minerals can be cleaned on the premise that the wall of the hard pipe is not affected through the cavitation jet technology, part of the impurities are selectively filtered and adsorbed and temporarily stored in an internal storage bin, and secondary pollution is prevented. According to the hard pipe cleaning robot, the position is changed through self buoyancy, endurance is greatly prolonged, energy consumption is greatly reduced, the hard pipe cleaning robot can move along pipelines with different diameters, adaptability is good, and sediments or large minerals are cleaned through the high-pressure nozzle by means of the cavitation jet flow technology.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of deep-sea mining, and in particular to a deep-sea mining ore-lifting hard pipe cleaning robot, which can efficiently clean sediments and minerals in vertical pipes thousands of meters deep, adapt to different pipe diameters, and have long endurance. Background Art

[0002] As land resources gradually become depleted, humans have begun to turn their attention to the deep ocean, especially those areas rich in rare metal and mineral resources, such as polymetallic nodules, cobalt-rich crusts and hydrothermal sulfides.

[0003] In the process of deep-sea mining, the ore collected from the seabed needs to be transported to the surface support platform or ship through pipelines. However, the deep-sea mining ore-lifting hard pipes are prone to accumulate sediments and minerals during long-term use, affecting the transportation efficiency and even causing blockages. Therefore, in order to ensure the continuous and efficient operation of the system, the pipelines must be cleaned and maintained regularly. At present, pipeline cleaning robots mostly use crawler or wheeled structures to move along the pipeline, which is difficult to adapt to the long distance and high energy consumption requirements of deep-sea vertical pipelines. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a deep-sea mining hard pipe cleaning robot that can adapt to different pipe diameters, clean sediments and large impurities in the ore-lifting hard pipe in a top-down manner, and has long endurance and efficient cleaning. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, the purpose of the present invention is to propose a deep-sea mining ore-lifting hard pipe cleaning robot, which can effectively solve the problem of insufficient endurance of existing robots using crawler and wheel drives. It can efficiently clean sediments and minerals in deep-sea vertical pipelines, adapt to different pipe diameters, and have long endurance.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is: a deep-sea mining ore lifting hard pipe cleaning robot described in the present invention comprises a hexahedral frame, on which an adaptive auxiliary system, a floating and sinking system and a cleaning system are respectively arranged;

[0006] The adaptive auxiliary system includes at least three adaptive devices, which are respectively installed on three sides of the outside of the hexahedral frame, including several groups of fixing parts, cylinders (cylinder barrels), fisheye bearings, rockers, cranks, connecting rods and four auxiliary wheels;

[0007] One end of the cylinder is mounted on a hexahedral frame through a set of connected fixings, a cylinder rod is mounted on the other end of the cylinder, the cylinder rod is connected to cranks on both sides through fisheye bearings, the other ends of the cranks on both sides are connected to one end of a connecting rod, and the other end of the connecting rod is connected to one end of a rocker;

[0008] An O-type sealing ring is also installed on the sealing ring of the fisheye bearing;

[0009] The other ends of the cranks and rockers on both sides are respectively mounted on the hexahedral frame through fixed parts;

[0010] Two auxiliary wheels (four in total) are respectively installed at the connection between the crank and the connecting rod and the connection between the connecting rod and the rocker on both sides;

[0011] A tray is also installed in the middle of the connecting rod, and two suction cups are installed at both ends of the tray;

[0012] Specifically, the cylinder is powered by a gas cylinder, the heads of the cranks on both sides are connected to the hexahedral frame through fixings, the tails of the cranks are connected to the connecting rods, and the other ends of the connecting rods are connected to the rockers; the other ends of the rockers are connected to the hexahedral frame through fixings.

[0013] The two ends of the connecting rod are connected to four auxiliary wheels on both sides; the connecting rod is pushed by the cylinder to drive the auxiliary wheels to adapt to pipes of different diameters; an O-ring is added to the sealing ring of the fisheye bearing to enhance the sealing effect.

[0014] Furthermore, the adaptive device is assisted in adjustment by a cylinder; wherein the cylinder is connected to the crank via a fisheye bearing, and the crank drives the connecting rod machine rocker structure to move, thereby driving the auxiliary wheel to rotate.

[0015] Furthermore, two suction cups are provided on the side of the adaptive device to offset the reaction force when the cleaning system is working.

[0016] Further, the floating and sinking system includes a ballast water tank, six side water tanks, an air intake pipe and a high-pressure gas cylinder;

[0017] The ballast water tank is installed above the hexahedral frame, and a water inlet valve and an exhaust valve are respectively provided on the top of the ballast water tank; the water inlet valve and the exhaust valve are both installed on the top of the ballast water tank, and adopt solenoid valves to adjust the air pressure in the tank;

[0018] The six side water tanks are installed on the six faces of the top of the hexahedral frame; in addition to the ballast water tank on the top, there are six side water tanks, and the robot movement speed or tilt compensation can be adjusted by adjusting the water intake of the tanks;

[0019] The high-pressure gas cylinder is installed at the bottom of the hexahedral frame; the purpose of floating or sinking is achieved by using the high-pressure gas cylinder to change the seawater content in the ballast water tank;

[0020] One side of the air inlet pipe is connected to the high-pressure gas cylinder, and the other side thereof is connected to the ballast water tank;

[0021] The air intake pipe and the six side water tanks on both sides are sealed; the seawater content in the tank is adjusted through the air intake pipe, air intake valve and water intake valve to achieve autonomous floating and sinking of the robot;

[0022] Furthermore, the top surface of the ballast water tank is a hemispherical surface (hemispherical pressure-resistant shell); the space utilization is optimized, the external pressure is evenly distributed, and the external pressure is evenly distributed on all surfaces, with excellent pressure resistance, improved pressure resistance, and improved overall safety and reliability of the robot.

[0023] Further, the cleaning system includes a cleaning device installed at the bottom of the hexahedral frame, and the cleaning device includes a hexahedral pressure-resistant cylinder, a vertical nozzle, a cross roller bearing, at least three angled nozzles and a suction cup head;

[0024] The pressure-resistant cylinder is in the shape of a hexahedron, wherein three adaptive devices are respectively arranged on the three outer surfaces, six side water tanks are arranged on the tops of the six inner surfaces, and three detachable storage bins are arranged on the inner bottom, so that the space utilization is high;

[0025] The cross roller bearing comprises an outer ring and an inner ring, the inner ring of the cross roller bearing is fixedly mounted on the bottom of the pressure-resistant cylinder, and the outer ring is connected to the angled nozzle and is located below the hexahedral frame;

[0026] The vertical nozzle is connected directly below the hexahedral frame and fixed to the bottom of the pressure-resistant cylinder.

[0027] The three angled nozzles are equidistantly connected to the cross roller bearings.

[0028] The three suction cup heads are equidistantly arranged on the outside of two adjacent angled nozzles;

[0029] A screen is installed inside the suction cup head;

[0030] Furthermore, the vertical nozzle and the three angled nozzles form an angle of 120 degrees with each other;

[0031] The angled nozzle and the outer ring of the cross roller bearing are placed at an angle of 120 degrees to each other;

[0032] The suction cup head is placed at an angle of 120 degrees;

[0033] Specifically, the cleaning device can withstand large radial and axial loads by using a cross roller bearing to drive the oblique nozzle to rotate;

[0034] A vertical nozzle is combined with three angled nozzles (120° to each other) and a cross roller bearing is used to achieve rotary spraying to cover a larger cleaning area.

[0035] Using cavitation to generate micro jets and shock waves, the sediment can be removed efficiently at low working pressure, avoiding damage to the pipe wall and reducing the risk of environmental pollution.

[0036] The vacuum system selectively absorbs the sediment into the internal storage chamber to prevent secondary contamination;

[0037] The cleaning device adopts air jet flow technology, has excellent underwater cleaning performance, reduces working hydraulic pressure, and reduces the risk of environmental pollution;

[0038] The suction cup and the cleaning device cooperate with each other to achieve the purpose of stable cleaning.

[0039] The beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. Through the adaptive auxiliary system, the robot can adapt to pipes of different diameters, so that the center of the robot can move vertically along the axis of the pipe to maintain the stability of the overall structure. The suction cup is connected to the adaptive auxiliary mechanism to offset the reaction force of the cleaning mechanism when it is working; 2. By adopting the buoyancy adjustment method in the pipeline, the traditional wheeled or crawler movement method is abandoned, energy consumption is saved, and the robot can move vertically in thousands of meters of hard pipes for lifting mines, changing the seawater flow in the ballast water tank and the side water tank, and realizing precise control of buoyancy and tilt compensation; 3. By adopting cavitation jet technology for underwater cleaning operations, compared with traditional continuous jets, the required working pressure for the treatment of hard materials is greatly reduced, the burden on the pipeline is reduced, and efficient removal can be achieved. A storage bin is installed inside to reduce secondary pollution through selective adsorption. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 2 is an internal cross-sectional view of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of each device in the adaptive device of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of each device in the cleaning device of the present invention;

[0044] In the figure: 1. water inlet valve; 2. exhaust valve; 3. ballast water tank; 4. air inlet pipe; 5. pressure-resistant cylinder; 6. high-pressure gas cylinder; 7. cleaning device; 8. adaptive device; 9. side water tank; 10. storage bin; 710. vertical nozzle; 720. angled nozzle; 730. cross roller bearing; 740. suction cup head; 741. screen; 810. auxiliary wheel; 811. suction cup; 820. connecting rod; 821. crank; 822. rocker; 830. cylinder rod; 831. fisheye bearing; 840. cylinder; 850. fixing part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] The specific technical solutions of the present invention are further described in detail below in conjunction with specific examples.

[0046] As shown in the figure, a deep-sea mining ore lifting hard pipe cleaning robot according to the present invention comprises a pressure-resistant cylinder 5, an adaptive device 8, an auxiliary wheel 810, a suction cup 811, a connecting rod 820, a cylinder rod 830, a fisheye bearing 831, a cylinder 840, and a fixing part 850;

[0047] The pressure-resistant cylinder 5 is a hexahedral structure, with three adaptive devices 8 fixed on three surfaces of the pressure-resistant cylinder 5 at an angle of 120° to each other. The connecting rod 820 is driven to rotate by the cylinder 840, thereby driving the auxiliary wheel 810 to rotate to adapt to pipes of different diameters. The three adaptive devices at an angle of 120° to each other ensure that the overall structure is symmetrical and stable, and the robot axis is always located in the center of the pipe. This design allows the robot to move vertically along the vertical hard pipe of deep-sea mining to meet application requirements.

[0048] Furthermore, a single adaptive device 8 has six fixings 850 installed on the pressure-resistant cylinder 5, two of which are fixed to the tail of the cylinder 840, and two are connected to the head of the crank 821. The six fixings 850 provide stable support for the cylinder 840 and the connecting rod 820, ensuring stability and accuracy during rotational movement; this design provides stability and reliability for the device, making adaptive adjustment more efficient and accurate;

[0049] Specifically, the head of the cylinder 840 is connected to the cranks 821 on both sides through the fisheye bearing 831, the crank 821 is connected to the connecting rod 820, and the connecting rod 820 is connected to the rocker 822; the two ends of the connecting rod 820 are connected to four auxiliary wheels 810; the high load-bearing capacity and self-aligning function of the fisheye bearing 831 ensure that the overall structure has good vibration resistance, helps reduce wear and prolongs service life.

[0050] Furthermore, when the fisheye bearing 831 is used in a deep-sea environment, it faces harsh conditions such as extreme pressure, low temperature, and corrosive seawater. Therefore, a sealing ring is made of corrosion-resistant stainless steel or titanium alloy. The sealing ring is installed between the outer ring and the inner ring of the bearing to prevent seawater from entering the interior of the bearing. At the same time, an O-ring is added to the sealing ring to enhance the sealing effect.

[0051] Furthermore, a suction cup 811 is installed on the side of the adaptive auxiliary device, which arrives at the designated sea area and starts working to offset the reaction force of the cleaning system and make the robot stably suspended.

[0052] Furthermore, the present invention also includes a water inlet valve 1, an exhaust valve 2, a ballast water tank 3, an air inlet pipe 4, a pressure-resistant cylinder 5, a high-pressure gas cylinder 6, and a side water tank 9;

[0053] The ballast water tank 3 is hemispherical and located directly above the pressure-resistant cylinder 5. When the robot needs to dive, the valve of the water inlet valve 1 on the top of the ballast water tank will be opened to allow seawater to flow into the tank, increasing the weight of the robot so that the total weight of the robot is greater than the weight of the water it displaces. At this time, the gravity is greater than the buoyancy, and the robot will begin to sink.

[0054] When the robot needs to float, the high-pressure air is used through the high-pressure gas cylinder 6 and the air inlet pipe 4 to squeeze out the water in the water tank, thereby reducing the weight of the robot, making the buoyancy greater than the gravity, and prompting the robot to rise.

[0055] Furthermore, the ballast water tank 3 is designed to be hemispherical in shape to improve space utilization. In a deep-sea environment, the external pressure is evenly distributed on all surfaces without obvious stress concentration. The pressure resistance is excellent, thereby improving the overall safety and reliability of the robot.

[0056] Furthermore, there are six side water tanks 9 inside, and by changing the seawater content in different tanks, the movement speed of the robot can be controlled and the tilt compensation function can be performed.

[0057] Furthermore, the present invention also includes a pressure-resistant cylinder 5, a vertical nozzle 710, an angled nozzle 720, a cross roller bearing 730, a suction cup head 740, a screen 741, and a storage bin 10;

[0058] The inner ring of the cross roller bearing 730 is fixed to the bottom of the pressure-resistant cylinder 5, and the outer ring is connected to three angled nozzles 720. A vertical nozzle 710 is fixed to the bottom of the pressure-resistant cylinder 5. The four nozzles are at a certain angle to each other and use cavitation jet technology to clean large minerals or sediments in the tube.

[0059] Furthermore, the nozzle rotates using a cross roller bearing 730, which can withstand larger radial and axial loads. By performing physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating on the surfaces of the inner and outer rings of the bearing, a hard film is formed to improve its surface quality, reduce the friction coefficient, and enhance corrosion resistance.

[0060] Furthermore, the technology uses the cavitation phenomenon generated in the liquid to enhance the jet effect. The nozzle controls the pressure and flow rate under specific conditions to produce high-speed microjets and strong shock waves, which can greatly improve the cleaning efficiency and reduce costs without damaging the pipeline.

[0061] Furthermore, three storage bins 10 are disposed at the bottom of the hexahedron, and part of the sediment and impurities are collected through the suction cup head 740 and the screen 741 to avoid secondary contamination.

Claims

1. A deep-sea mining ore lifting hard pipe cleaning robot, comprising a hexahedral frame, characterized in that: An adaptive auxiliary system, a floating and sinking system and a cleaning system are respectively arranged on the hexahedral frame; The adaptive auxiliary system comprises at least three adaptive devices (8), which are respectively installed on three sides of the outside of the hexahedral frame, and include a plurality of sets of fixing parts (850), a cylinder (840), a fisheye bearing (831), a rocker (822), a crank (821) and a connecting rod (820); One end of the cylinder (840) is installed on a hexahedral frame through a set of connected fixings (850), and a cylinder rod (830) is installed at the other end of the cylinder (840). The cylinder rod (830) is connected to cranks (821) on both sides through installed fisheye bearings (831), and the other end of the cranks (821) on both sides is connected to one end of a connecting rod (820), and the other end of the connecting rod (820) is connected to one end of a rocker (822); The other ends of the cranks (821) and rockers (822) on both sides are connected to the hexahedral frame via fixing members (850); An O-type sealing ring is also installed on the sealing ring of the fisheye bearing (831).

2. A deep-sea mining ore lifting hard pipe cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: Two auxiliary wheels (810) are respectively installed at the connection points between the crank (821) and the connecting rod (820) and the connection points between the connecting rod (820) and the rocker (822) on both sides.

3. The deep-sea mining ore lifting hard pipe cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: A tray is installed in the middle of the connecting rod (820), and two suction cups (811) are installed at both ends of the tray.

4. A deep-sea mining ore lifting hard pipe cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The floating and sinking system comprises a ballast water tank (3), six side water tanks (9), an air intake pipe (4) and a high-pressure gas cylinder (6); The ballast water tank (3) is installed above the hexahedral frame, and a water inlet valve (1) and an exhaust valve (2) are respectively provided on the top of the ballast water tank (3); The six side water tanks (9) are installed on the six faces of the top of the hexahedral frame; The high-pressure gas cylinder (6) is installed at the bottom of the hexahedral frame; One side of the air inlet pipe (4) is connected to the high-pressure gas cylinder (6), and the other side is connected to the ballast water tank (3).

5. A deep-sea mining ore lifting hard pipe cleaning robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The air inlet pipe (4) and the six side water tanks (9) on both sides are sealed.

6. A deep-sea mining ore lifting hard pipe cleaning robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The top surface of the ballast water tank (3) is a hemispherical surface.

7. A deep-sea mining ore lifting hard pipe cleaning robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The cleaning system comprises a cleaning device (7) installed at the bottom of a hexahedral frame, wherein the cleaning device (7) comprises a hexahedral pressure-resistant cylinder (5), a vertical nozzle (710), a cross roller bearing (730), at least three oblique angle nozzles (720) and a suction cup head (740); The pressure-resistant cylinder (5) is in the shape of a hexahedron structure, wherein three adaptive devices (8) are respectively arranged on the three outer surfaces, six side water tanks (9) are arranged on the tops of the six inner surfaces, and three detachable storage bins (10) are arranged on the inner bottom.

8. The deep-sea mining ore lifting hard pipe cleaning robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: The cross roller bearing (730) comprises an outer ring and an inner ring, the inner ring of the cross roller bearing (730) is fixedly mounted on the bottom of the pressure-resistant cylinder (5), and the outer ring is connected to the angled nozzle (720) and is located below the hexahedral frame; The vertical nozzle (710) is connected directly below the hexahedral frame and fixed to the bottom of the pressure-resistant cylinder (5). The three angled nozzles (720) are connected to the cross roller bearing (730) at equal distances. The three suction cup heads (740) are equidistantly arranged on the outside of two adjacent oblique angle nozzles (720).

9. A deep-sea mining ore lifting hard pipe cleaning robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: A screen (741) is installed inside the suction cup head (740).

10. The deep-sea mining ore lifting hard pipe cleaning robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: The vertical nozzle (710) and the three angled nozzles (720) form an angle of 120 degrees with each other; The angled nozzle (720) and the outer ring of the cross roller bearing (730) are placed at an angle of 120 degrees to each other.

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