Deep-sea polymetallic nodule intelligent acquisition system based on electromagnetic adsorption and use method of deep-sea polymetallic nodule intelligent acquisition system

Abstract

The invention relates to a deep sea polymetallic nodule intelligent collection system based on electromagnetic adsorption and a use method, the deep sea polymetallic nodule intelligent collection system comprises a vehicle body, a front end electromagnetic adsorption part, a double helix roller structure desliming pretreatment device and a foldable collection box working area, the front end electromagnetic adsorption part is arranged at the front end of the vehicle body and is used for collecting metal nodules; a double-helix roller structure desliming pretreatment device is arranged behind the front-end electromagnetic adsorption part and used for desliming treatment of the multi-metal nodule, a foldable collecting box working area is arranged at an ore outlet of the double-helix roller structure desliming pretreatment device, and two hydraulic rods are arranged at the left end of the foldable collecting box working area; according to the system, the electromagnetic adsorption type mining mode is adopted, huge damage to the seabed ecology can be well avoided, meanwhile, the foldable collecting box can replace a pipeline for transportation, the transportation efficiency is improved, and the transportation cost is reduced. The problem of pipeline maintenance is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of deep - sea resource development, and particularly relates to an intelligent deep - sea polymetallic nodule collection system based on electromagnetic adsorption, which is especially suitable for the efficient and environmental - friendly collection of submarine polymetallic nodules. Background Art

[0003] The technology of deep - sea mining vehicles is advancing, but most of the current deep - sea mining vehicles on the market first use mechanical rotating cutter heads to break ore into small particles, and then use a built - in high - power centrifugal pump to generate negative pressure to suck the broken ore mixed with seawater into a "slurry" into the lifting pipeline. However, this ignores the huge damage to the seabed ecosystem. Polymetallic nodules need to be broken and mixed with seawater to form a slurry (solid - liquid two - phase flow) and pumped to the water surface through a pipeline. The solid particle concentration needs to be precisely controlled. Secondly, the length of deep - sea mining pipelines usually exceeds 2000 meters, but the start and stop of the pump need to be coordinated with the water - surface platform and the ore - collecting vehicle. Delays or errors may cause the system to break down. If the pipeline ruptures, most current mining vehicles still use the mechanical - hydraulic extraction method for collection, which causes huge and irreversible damage to the marine ecological environment. Therefore, deep - sea mining still requires a more intelligent, efficient and comprehensive solution. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an intelligent deep - sea polymetallic nodule collection system based on electromagnetic adsorption, which is a device designed for the collection of polymetallic nodules in complex deep - sea environments. The electromagnetic adsorption - type mining method can well avoid the huge damage to the seabed ecosystem. At the same time, the foldable collection box can be used to replace the pipeline for transportation, solving the problem of pipeline maintenance.

[0005] Providing the usage method of the intelligent collection system is another purpose of the present invention.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention is an intelligent deep - sea polymetallic nodule collection system based on electromagnetic adsorption, which includes a vehicle body, a front - end electromagnetic adsorption part (2), a double - spiral drum structure desilting pretreatment device (18), and a foldable collection box working area (16). The vehicle body includes a double - pressure - resistant sealed cabin and crawlers installed at the bottom of the cabin. The front - end electromagnetic adsorption part (2) is arranged at the front end of the vehicle body. The front - end electromagnetic adsorption part (2) includes a frame and electromagnets. Active rollers and driven rollers are respectively arranged on the front and rear sides of the frame. Active sprockets and driven sprockets are respectively arranged at equal intervals on the active rollers and driven rollers. The correspondingly arranged active sprockets and driven sprockets are surrounded by a chain. Each section of the chain is fixedly connected with an electromagnet. The active roller is driven by a motor, so that the electromagnets move in a cycle along with the chain. Behind the front electromagnetic adsorption part (2), a double - spiral drum structure sludge removal pretreatment device (18) is provided for sludge removal treatment of polymetallic nodules. At the ore outlet of the double - spiral drum structure sludge removal pretreatment device (18), a foldable collection box working area (16) is provided for placing the opened foldable collection box. At the left end of the foldable collection box working area (16), two hydraulic rods (17) are provided for pulling the foldable collection box in the folded state into the foldable collection box working area (16) and opening the foldable collection box. On the right side of the foldable collection box working area (16) is the folded - state foldable collection box stacking area (14). A conveyor belt is arranged on the foldable collection box working area, and a pressure sensor is installed at the bottom of the conveyor belt for sending the foldable collection box out of the vehicle. Behind the foldable collection box working area, two isolation doors (15) are provided to play a role in isolation and protection.

[0007] Below the front electromagnetic adsorption part (2), a secondary conveyor belt (5) is provided.

[0008] The frame of the front electromagnetic adsorption part (2) forms an angle of 40° with the ground.

[0009] The rear end of the secondary conveyor belt (5) is connected to the ore inlet of the double - spiral drum structure sludge removal pretreatment device (18).

[0010] The two hydraulic rods (17) are on the same straight line as the central axis of the collection box working area (16) and the stacking area (14) of the foldable collection box in the folded state.

[0011] Outside the vehicle body, a system external frame (13) is provided. The system external frame (13) also includes an environmental monitoring system. The environmental monitoring system includes in - situ water quality sensors, sediment disturbance monitoring arrays, and ecological impact assessment modules. The in - situ water quality sensors are used to monitor pH, turbidity, and heavy metal ion concentration in real - time. The sediment disturbance monitoring array is composed of 24 micro - differential pressure sensors distributed in a ring shape; the ecological impact assessment module predicts the diffusion path of the mining plume based on neural networks.

[0012] The foldable collection box has a buoyancy module and a DP system.

[0013] In front of the vehicle body, a lighting lamp is provided.

[0014] A usage method of a deep - sea polymetallic nodule intelligent collection system based on electromagnetic adsorption Step 1: The electromagnet controls the current passing through it through the main control module to adjust the magnetic force of the electromagnet, adsorb deep - sea polymetallic nodules, and then convey the ore onto the secondary conveyor belt (5). The secondary conveyor belt (5) transports the ore to the double - spiral drum structure sludge removal pretreatment device (18) for separating and removing sediment solid particles. Step 2: After the minerals are subjected to desliming treatment, they enter the automated filling section. Two hydraulic rods (17) drag the foldable collection box from the stack area (14) of the foldable collection box in the folded state to the working area (16) of the foldable collection box, and at the same time, it unfolds from the folded state to the working state. The deslimed ore enters the foldable collection box. When the pressure sensor under the foldable collection box reaches the critical value, the conveyor belt transports the foldable collection box outside the cabin; Step 3: The foldable collection box is equipped with a buoyancy module. After the collection box is discharged outside the cabin, seawater penetration activates the buoyancy module. During the floating process of the collection box, the DP system using active dynamic positioning returns to the vicinity of the mother ship, and the staff salvages it.

[0015] The intelligent deep-sea polymetallic nodule collection system of the present invention, during the movement process of the front electromagnetic adsorption part, can efficiently adsorb polymetallic nodules at the deep-sea bottom to achieve preliminary collection. The electromagnet plays a key role in magnetic force regulation. It is closely connected to the main control module, which can precisely adjust the magnitude of the current passing through the electromagnet, thereby realizing flexible control of the magnetic force of the electromagnet. This characteristic is crucial during the screening and transportation of ores. According to the characteristics of different ores and processing requirements, the magnetic force can be changed in real time to ensure effective adsorption and separation of ores. The secondary conveyor belt (5) is responsible for further transporting the ores to the double-helix drum structure (18). The double-helix drum structure desliming pretreatment device, through a unique double-helix drum design, during the rotation of the drum, conducts desliming treatment on the adsorbed polymetallic nodules. Its working principle is based on a gravity spiral sorting mechanism. Through the continuous rotational movement of the double-helix drum, it cleverly utilizes various physical forces such as gravity and centrifugal force to efficiently separate solid particles from the liquid mixed with them, thereby improving the purity of the nodules and facilitating subsequent collection work. During this process, the liquid can flow out smoothly through a specific channel, while the solid particles are gradually transported to a designated position along a spiral trajectory to complete the preliminary desliming pretreatment work, laying a good foundation for the subsequent ore processing process; then there is a working area (16) for the foldable collection box. At the right end of the working area of the foldable collection box is the stacking area (14) of the foldable collection box in the folded state. At the left end of the working area of the foldable collection box, two hydraulic rods (17) are installed, which can precisely control the unfolding and folding actions of the foldable collection box. When it is necessary to collect nodules, the hydraulic rods extend, pushing the foldable collection box to switch from the folded state to the unfolded state and enter the working mode. A pressure sensor is installed at the lower end of the conveyor belt. The role of the pressure sensor is crucial. It can real-time monitor the weight of the nodules on the conveyor belt. Once the set weight threshold is reached, it will send a signal to the system to prompt that the collection box is about to be full. The system will automatically trigger the conveyor belt, and the conveyor belt will start quickly to transport the foldable collection box filled with ores out of the cabin; behind the working area of the foldable collection box, there are two isolation doors (15), which mainly play an isolation and protection role to prevent seawater, impurities, etc. in the deep sea from entering the system and affecting the normal operation of the equipment.Meanwhile, when operations such as switching the collection box are carried out, the isolation door can maintain the relative stability of the internal environment of the system, ensuring the efficiency and safety of the entire collection process. The foldable collection box is designed with optimized materials and structures, and a buoyancy module is provided inside. After the collection box is discharged outside the cabin, the surrounding seawater will gradually penetrate into the collection box. The seawater reacts with specific reactants inside the collection box to activate a reaction, generating a large amount of gas. These gases quickly fill the buoyancy module, enabling the collection box to have strong buoyancy and start to gradually float. During the floating process of the collection box, the system adopts the advanced DP system technology of active dynamic positioning. This technology automatically adjusts the attitude and traveling direction of the collection box by real-time monitoring of the position, speed of the collection box, and environmental factors such as the surrounding water flow, wind and waves, ensuring that the collection box can move stably towards the vicinity of the mother ship. Finally, when the collection box reaches a suitable position near the mother ship, the staff can carry out the salvage operation to recover the ore inside the collection box, completing the entire ore processing and collection process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the intelligent collection system of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 is a front view of the intelligent collection system of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 is a top view of the intelligent collection system of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 is a side view of the intelligent collection system of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the intelligent collection system of the present invention.

[0021] Reference numerals in the figures: 1. Lighting lamp, 2. Front-end electromagnetic adsorption part, 3. Frame, 4. Driving roller, 5. Auxiliary conveyor belt, 6. Auxiliary conveyor belt shaft, 7. Track driving wheel, 8. Track driven wheel, 9. Track chassis, 10. Buoyancy module, 11. Foldable collection box, 12. Double pressure-resistant sealed cabin, 13. External frame, 14. Stacking area of the foldable collection box in the folded state, 15. Isolation door, 16. Working area of the foldable collection box, 17. Hydraulic rod, 18. Double spiral drum structure desilting pretreatment device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0022] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are some, but not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0023] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that when terms such as "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc. appear, the orientation or positional relationship indicated thereby is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention. In addition, when terms such as "first", "second", "third" appear, they are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0024] In the description of the invention, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "installed", "connected", "coupled" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0025] Please refer to Figures 1-5 , a deep-sea polymetallic nodule intelligent collection system based on electromagnetic adsorption, comprising a vehicle body, a front-end electromagnetic adsorption part 2, a double-helix drum structure sludge removal pretreatment device 18, and a foldable collection box working area 16. The vehicle body includes a double-pressure-resistant sealed cabin 12 and crawlers installed at the bottom of the cabin. A lighting lamp 1 is provided in front of the vehicle body for deep-sea operations. The front-end electromagnetic adsorption part 2 is arranged at the front end of the vehicle body. The front-end electromagnetic adsorption part 2 includes a frame 3 and an electromagnet. The frame forms an angle of 40° with the ground. Such an angle design has been considered in many aspects, which can not only ensure the stability of the ore during adsorption and transmission, but also enable the entire electromagnetic adsorption part to operate efficiently in a limited space. A driving roller 4 and a driven roller are respectively arranged on the front and rear sides of the frame 3. Driving sprockets and driven sprockets are respectively arranged at equal intervals on the driving roller 4 and the driven roller. The correspondingly arranged driving sprockets and driven sprockets are surrounded by a chain. Each section of the chain is fixedly connected with an electromagnet. The chain plays a key carrier role in the entire electromagnetic adsorption part. The electromagnet is carefully fixed on each section of the chain. The electromagnet and the chain are connected by screws. This connection is not only firm and reliable, but also convenient for disassembling and maintaining the electromagnet when needed. When the electromagnet gradually moves to the ore adsorption point under the continuous drive of the chain, the photoelectric sensor installed at this position will quickly capture the arrival of the electromagnet and immediately send a signal to the main control module. After receiving the signal, the main control module will immediately execute the pre-set program and significantly increase the suction force of the electromagnet by increasing the current, so as to firmly adsorb the ore. The driving roller 4 is driven by a motor through a belt, and the power of the motor is smoothly transmitted to the driving roller 4 through the belt, so that the electromagnet moves in a cycle with the chain, and the running state is more stable. A system external frame 13 is arranged on the outer side of the vehicle body. The system external frame 13 also includes an environmental monitoring system. The environmental monitoring system includes an in-situ water quality sensor, a sediment disturbance monitoring array, and an ecological impact assessment module. The in-situ water quality sensor is used to monitor the pH, turbidity, and heavy metal ion concentration in real time. The sediment disturbance monitoring array is annularly distributed by 24 micro differential pressure sensors; the ecological impact assessment module predicts the diffusion path of the mining plume based on a neural network.

[0026] A secondary conveyor belt 5 is arranged below the front-end electromagnetic adsorption part 2. The rear end of the secondary conveyor belt 5 is connected to the ore inlet of the double-helical drum structure desliming pretreatment device 18. The secondary conveyor belt 5 transports the ore to the double-helical drum structure desliming pretreatment device 18, which is used to separate sediment, reducing the excessive weight of the ore and improving the collection speed and efficiency of the collection device. Any desliming treatment device with a double-helical drum structure in the prior art can be adopted. At the ore outlet of the double-helical drum structure desliming pretreatment device 18, there is a foldable collection box working area 16 for placing the opened foldable collection box. At the left end of the foldable collection box working area 16, there are two hydraulic rods 17 for pulling the foldable collection box in the folded state into the foldable collection box working area 16 and opening the foldable collection box. The specific method can adopt any foldable collection box opening device in the prior art. On the right side of the foldable collection box working area 16 is the stacked area 14 of the foldable collection box in the folded state. The two hydraulic rods 17 are on the same straight line as the central axis of the working area 16 of the collection box and the stacked area 14 of the foldable collection box in the folded state. The foldable collection box has a buoyancy module and a DP system. A conveyor belt is arranged on the foldable collection box working area, and a pressure sensor is installed at the bottom of the conveyor belt for sending the foldable collection box out of the vehicle. Behind the foldable collection box working area, there are two isolation doors 15, which play a role in isolation and protection.

[0027] The foldable collection box adopts a design method combining high-strength pressure-resistant composite materials with a foldable honeycomb topology configuration. Through the collaborative design strategy of material property optimization and structural mechanics simulation, the weight is reduced by 38.2% compared with the traditional structure. While significantly reducing the system mass, its compressive strength reaches 63.5 MPa (±2.1 MPa), which is 17% higher than that of the metal structure of the same size. The buoyancy module uses a water-activated chemical foaming composite material. When the seawater penetration rate reaches the critical value (salinity 3.5%, temperature 5°C), the redox reaction of the NaH-AlCl3 system can be triggered, with a gas production rate of 4.2 L / min and a duration of 120 s, ensuring that the collection cabin can achieve controllable floating at an average speed of 0.85 m / s. The structural deformation amount is less than 3% under the water pressure environment of 1000 m, meeting the engineering reliability requirements for deep-sea operations.

[0028] During use, the electromagnet is controlled by the main control module to adjust the magnetic force of the electromagnet by controlling the current passing through it, adsorb deep-sea polymetallic nodules, and then convey the ore to the secondary conveyor belt 5. The secondary conveyor belt 5 transports the ore to the double-helix drum structure desilting pretreatment device 18 for separating and removing sediment solid particles; after the minerals are desilted, they enter the automated filling section. Two hydraulic rods (17) drag the foldable collection box from the foldable collection box stacking area 14 in the folded state to the working area 16 of the foldable collection box, and at the same time unfold from the folded state to the working state. The desilted ore enters the foldable collection box. When the pressure sensor under the foldable collection box reaches the critical value, the conveyor belt transports the foldable collection box outside the cabin; the foldable collection box has a buoyancy module. After the collection box is discharged outside the cabin, seawater penetration activates the buoyancy module, and the DP system using active dynamic positioning returns to the vicinity of the mother ship during the floating process of the collection box, and the staff salvages it.

Claims

1. A deep-sea polymetallic nodule intelligent collection system based on electromagnetic adsorption, characterized in that: It comprises a vehicle body, a front electromagnetic adsorption part (2), a double-helix drum structure desludging pretreatment device (18), and a foldable collection box working area (16). The vehicle body comprises a double pressure-resistant sealed cabin and a crawler installed at the bottom of the cabin. The front electromagnetic adsorption part (2) is arranged at the front end of the vehicle body, and the front electromagnetic adsorption part (2) comprises a frame, an electromagnet, and the front and rear sides of the frame are respectively provided with a driving roller and a driven roller, and the driving roller and the driven roller are respectively provided with a driving sprocket and a driven sprocket at equal intervals, and the corresponding driving sprocket and the driven sprocket are surrounded by a chain, and the electromagnet is fixedly connected to each section of the chain, and the driving roller is driven by a motor, so that the electromagnet moves cyclically with the chain. A double-helix drum structure desludging pretreatment device (18) is arranged behind the front electromagnetic adsorption part (2) for desludging polymetallic nodules. A foldable collection box working area (16) is arranged at the ore outlet of the double-helix drum structure desludging pretreatment device (18) for placing an opened foldable collection box. Two hydraulic rods (17) are arranged at the left end of the foldable collection box working area (16) for pulling the folded foldable collection box into the foldable collection box working area (16) and opening the foldable collection box. The right side of the foldable collection box working area (16) is a folded foldable collection box stacking area (14). A conveyor belt is arranged on the foldable collection box working area. A pressure sensor is installed at the bottom of the conveyor belt for sending the foldable collection box out of the vehicle. Two isolation doors (15) are arranged behind the foldable collection box working area for isolation and protection.

2. The deep-sea polymetallic nodule intelligent collection system based on electromagnetic adsorption according to claim 1 is characterized in that: An auxiliary conveyor belt (5) is arranged below the front end electromagnetic adsorption part (2).

3. The deep-sea polymetallic nodule intelligent collection system based on electromagnetic adsorption according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The frame of the front electromagnetic adsorption part (2) forms an angle of 40° with the ground.

4. The deep-sea polymetallic nodule intelligent collection system based on electromagnetic adsorption according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The rear end of the auxiliary conveyor belt (5) is connected to the ore inlet of the double-helix drum structure desludging pretreatment device (18).

5. The deep-sea polymetallic nodule intelligent collection system based on electromagnetic adsorption according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The two hydraulic rods (17) are in the same straight line as the central axis of the working area (16) of the collection box and the stacking area (14) of the foldable collection box when the foldable collection box is in the folded state.

6. The deep-sea polymetallic nodule intelligent collection system based on electromagnetic adsorption according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The vehicle body is provided with a system external frame (13) on the outside, the system external frame (13) also includes an environmental monitoring system, the environmental monitoring system includes an in-situ water quality sensor, a sediment disturbance monitoring array, and an ecological impact assessment module, the in-situ water quality sensor is used to monitor pH, turbidity and heavy metal ion concentration in real time, the sediment disturbance monitoring array is composed of 24 micro-pressure difference sensors distributed in a ring; the ecological impact assessment module predicts the diffusion path of mining plumes based on a neural network.

7. The deep-sea polymetallic nodule intelligent collection system based on electromagnetic adsorption according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The foldable collection box has a buoyancy module and a DP system.

8. The deep-sea polymetallic nodule intelligent collection system based on electromagnetic adsorption according to claim 1 is characterized in that: A lighting lamp is arranged in front of the vehicle body.

9. The method for using the deep-sea polymetallic nodule intelligent collection system based on electromagnetic adsorption according to claim 1 is characterized in that: Step 1: The electromagnet is controlled by the main control module to adjust the magnetic force of the electromagnet through the current through the electromagnet, so as to adsorb the deep-sea polymetallic nodules, and then the ore is conveyed to the auxiliary conveyor belt (5). The auxiliary conveyor belt (5) transports the ore to the double-helix drum structure desludging pretreatment device (18) for separating and removing the silt solid particles; Step 2: After the minerals are desludified, they enter the automated filling section. Two hydraulic rods (17) drag the foldable collection box from the folded foldable collection box stacking area (14) to the foldable collection box working area (16), and at the same time unfold it from the folded state to the working state. The desludified ore enters the foldable collection box. When the pressure sensor under the foldable collection box reaches a critical value, the conveyor belt transports the foldable collection box to the outside of the cabin. Step 3: The foldable collection box has a buoyancy module. After the collection box is discharged outside the cabin, seawater infiltration activates the buoyancy module. During the buoyancy of the collection box, the active dynamic positioning DP system is used to return to the vicinity of the mother ship, and the staff conducts salvage.

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