Plume collecting device for deep-sea mining vehicle and deep-sea mining vehicle

Abstract

The invention provides a plume collecting device for a deep-sea mining vehicle and the deep-sea mining vehicle, and belongs to the technical field of equipment for underwater operation. One end of the suction pump is connected with the plume suction port of the plume collection cover, and the other end of the suction pump is connected with the solid-liquid separation device through a plume suction pipeline; the solid-liquid separation device is provided with a filter cake release port and a liquid discharge port, the solid-liquid separation device is used for separating a solid-liquid mixture entering the solid-liquid separation device, filtered solid impurities are discharged through the filter cake release port, and filtered water is discharged through the liquid discharge port. According to the plume collecting device, the plume collecting cover is arranged at the position, close to the crawler belt of the deep-sea mining vehicle, of the crawler belt, and diffusion of plume is blocked. By arranging the suction pump, plume can be timely collected and sucked into the plume collecting cover, and by arranging the solid-liquid separation device, the solid-liquid separation device separates an entered solid-liquid mixture, so that the problem that granular impurities pollute the seabed environment is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to equipment for underwater operations, in particular to a plume collection device and a deep-sea mining vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Deep-sea mining technology typically involves crawler mining vehicles traveling across the seabed to reach mineral deposits. Minerals are extracted using water jets from suction pumps and ejectors, which then aspirate and collect them into the vehicle's silo. The plume of water created by the vehicle's tailwater during its movement can stir up the seabed mud, suspending sediment particles and forming a diffuse plume. This plume can contaminate the food sources of deep-sea organisms, suffocating some filter-feeding organisms and damaging deep-sea ecosystems.

[0003] Furthermore, sedimentary suspended particles carried by plumes can become impurities and become incorporated into the collected minerals, reducing the recovery rate. Therefore, addressing the plume problem is a crucial research topic for the commercialization of deep-sea mining. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to solve the problem of pollution to the seabed environment caused by the plume of existing deep-sea mining vehicles, the present invention proposes a plume collection device for deep-sea mining vehicles, which can solve the above problem.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: A plume collection device for a deep-sea mining vehicle, comprising: A plume collection hood is provided near the tracks of the deep-sea mining vehicle, and a plume suction port is provided at one end of the plume collection hood; a suction pump, one end of which is connected to the plume suction port, and the other end of which is connected to the solid-liquid separation device through a plume suction pipeline, the suction pump being used to generate negative pressure by suction, and the plume is collected into the solid-liquid separation device through the plume suction port; The solid-liquid separation device has a filter cake release port and a liquid discharge port. The solid-liquid separation device is used to separate the incoming solid-liquid mixture, and the filtered solid impurities are discharged through the filter cake release port, and the filtered water is discharged through the liquid discharge port.

[0006] In some embodiments, the solid-liquid separation device includes: The box body has the filter cake release port and the liquid discharge port provided on it, and the box body is also provided with a flocculant injection port; a flocculant delivery device, which is provided on one side of the box body and is used to deliver flocculant into the box body through the flocculant delivery port; The filtering and compressing device is arranged in the box body and is located below the flocculant delivery port. It is used to receive and compress the sediment. The filter cake formed by compression is discharged to the outside of the box body through the filter cake release port.

[0007] In some embodiments, the filtering and compression device includes: The filter portion includes a filter cloth and a filter cloth drive mechanism, wherein the filter cloth and the filter cloth drive mechanism constitute a conveying mechanism, and the filter cloth is used to receive sediment and convey it toward its conveying end; The compression part is arranged below the filtering part, and includes a conveyor belt and a compression drive mechanism. The conveyor belt and the compression drive mechanism constitute a transmission mechanism. The gap between the bearing section of the conveyor belt and the return section of the filter cloth gradually decreases from the conveying head end to the conveying end end of the conveyor belt. A first material guide plate is provided between the conveying end end of the filter cloth and the conveying head end of the conveyor belt, which is used to receive the sediment conveyed by the filter cloth and guide it to the conveyor belt. The bearing section of the conveyor belt and the return section of the filter cloth compress the sediment on the conveyor belt to form a filter cake during the conveying process. The filter cake is discharged to the outside of the box through the filter cake release port. The filter cake release port is located near the conveying end of the conveyor belt.

[0008] In some embodiments, the filtering portion and the compression portion are respectively arranged along the length direction of the box body, and the filter cake release port is opened at the front end of the box body.

[0009] In some embodiments, a second material guide plate is provided between the conveying end of the conveyor belt and the filter cake release port.

[0010] In some embodiments, the flocculant delivery device includes: A flocculant storage tank, in which flocculant is stored; a spray pump, the inlet of which is inserted into the flocculant storage tank and the outlet of which is connected to a spray pipe; The spraying pipe is inserted into the flocculant feeding port, and a plurality of spraying ports are provided on the spraying pipe.

[0011] In some embodiments, the plume suction port is in a trumpet shape, and is fixed to the rear end of the plume collecting cover and extends obliquely upward.

[0012] In some embodiments, the drain port is connected to a circulation pipeline, and the circulation pipeline is connected to the ore storage box.

[0013] The present invention also proposes a deep-sea mining vehicle, which includes a vehicle body and a crawler track arranged at the bottom of the vehicle body, and also includes any of the plume collection devices described above, and the plume suppression device is installed above the crawler track.

[0014] In some embodiments, the deep-sea mining vehicle further includes a pneumatic collection head and a screening and cleaning cabin connected to the collection head, the screening and cleaning cabin is connected to an impurity suction pipeline, the suction end of the suction pump is connected to a tee, and the other two ends of the tee are respectively connected to the plume suction port and the impurity suction pipeline.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the advantages and positive effects of the present invention are as follows: Since the tracks are the primary cause of plume diffusion, the plume collection device for a deep-sea mining vehicle of the present invention provides a plume collection hood located near the tracks of the deep-sea mining vehicle. This hood blocks the spread of the plume, effectively suppressing the plume generated by the mining vehicle. A suction pump is provided to generate negative pressure, allowing the plume to be promptly collected and drawn into the plume collection hood. The collected plume is then transported to the solid-liquid separation device, which separates the incoming solid-liquid mixture. The filtered solid impurities are compressed into blocks and discharged through the filter cake release port, thus avoiding the problem of secondary contamination of the seabed environment by particulate impurities.

[0016] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent after reading the detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a deep-sea mining vehicle proposed by the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a solid-liquid separation device in one embodiment of a plume collection device for a deep-sea mining vehicle proposed by the present invention; Figure 3 3. This is a top view of a solid-liquid separation device in one embodiment of a plume collection device for a deep-sea mining vehicle proposed by the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of a filter portion in one embodiment of a plume collection device for a deep-sea mining vehicle proposed by the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of a plume collection cover in one embodiment of a plume collection device for a deep-sea mining vehicle proposed by the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the gap between the conveyor belt and the filter cloth in one embodiment of the plume collection device for a deep-sea mining vehicle proposed by the present invention; Figure 7 1. It is a top view of a conveyor belt in one embodiment of a plume collection device for a deep-sea mining vehicle proposed by the present invention; In the figure, 11, plume collection cover; 110, plume suction port; 12, suction pump; 13, solid-liquid separation device; 130, filter cake release port; 131, circulation pipeline; 132, box; 133, flocculant delivery device; 1331, flocculant storage box; 1332, spray pump; 1333, spray pipe; 134, filter compression device; 1341, filter cloth; 1342, filter cloth drive mechanism; 134 3. Conveyor belt; 1343a. Conveyor belt bearing section; 1343b. Conveyor belt return section; 1344. Compression drive mechanism; 1345. First guide plate; 1346. Second guide plate; 135. Water inlet; 14. Plume suction pipeline; 20. Ore storage box; 30. Vehicle body; 40. Tracks; 50. Pneumatic collection head; 60. Screening and cleaning cabin; 61. Impurity suction pipeline; 62. Tee pipe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings 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 making creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] It should be noted that, in the description of the present invention, the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside" and the like indicating directions or positional relationships are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. This is merely for the convenience of description and does not indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0021] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "connect," "fixed," etc. should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; internal communication between two components or interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0022] Example 1: This example proposes a plume collection device for a deep-sea mining vehicle. Figure 1 As shown, the plume collection hood 11, a suction pump 12, and a solid-liquid separation device 13 are included. The plume collection hood 11 is positioned near the tracks of the deep-sea mining vehicle. A plume suction port 110 is provided at one end of the hood 11. One end of the suction pump 12 is connected to the plume suction port 110, and the other end is connected to the solid-liquid separation device 13 via a plume suction pipeline 14. The suction pump 12 is used to generate negative pressure through suction, and the plume is sucked and discharged into the solid-liquid separation device 13 through the plume suction port 110.

[0023] In the plume collection device for a deep-sea mining vehicle of this embodiment, since the main cause of plume diffusion is the moving tracks, a plume collection cover is provided near the tracks of the deep-sea mining vehicle, thereby preventing the spread of the plume.

[0024] In some embodiments, the plume collection cover 11 is a bottom-open structure, which can cover the plume formed by the floating turbidity on the seabed, thereby preventing the spread of the plume to the greatest extent.

[0025] like Figure 2 As shown, the solid-liquid separation device 13 has a filter cake release port 130 and a liquid discharge port. The solid-liquid separation device 13 is used to separate the solid-liquid mixture entering from the water inlet 135, and the filtered solid impurities are discharged through the filter cake release port 130, and the filtered water is discharged through the liquid discharge port.

[0026] By setting up a solid-liquid separation device, the collected plume is further transported to the solid-liquid separation device, which separates the incoming solid-liquid mixture. The filtered solid impurities are compressed into blocks and discharged through the filter cake release port, avoiding the problem of granular impurities polluting the seabed environment.

[0027] In some embodiments, the drain port can discharge the filtered seawater into an ore storage tank or screening and cleaning tank, thereby preventing the filtered seawater from causing secondary disturbance of the seabed sediments. Furthermore, since the filtered seawater contains less floating matter and is relatively clear, it can be used to clean the mined ore, further improving the quality of the ore.

[0028] In this embodiment, if Figure 3 As shown, the drain port is connected to a circulation pipeline 131 , and the circulation pipeline 131 is connected to the ore storage box 20 for further improving the quality of the mined ore.

[0029] In some embodiments, Figure 2As shown, the solid-liquid separation device 13 includes a box body 132, a flocculant feeding device 133 and a filter compression device 134. The filter cake release port 130 and the liquid discharge port are opened on the box body 132. The box body 132 is also provided with a flocculant feeding port.

[0030] The flocculant delivery device 133 is provided on one side of the box body 132 and is used to deliver flocculant into the box body 132 through the flocculant delivery port.

[0031] The filtering and compression device 134 is disposed in the box body 132 below the flocculant delivery port, and is used to receive and compress the sediment. The filter cake formed by compression is discharged to the outside of the box body 132 through the filter cake release port 130 .

[0032] In this embodiment, flocculant is sprayed by a spraying device to preliminarily separate impurities and water, and then the impurities are filtered out by the filtering and compressing device 134 and compressed to form a filter cake, which is released to the seabed through the filter cake release port 130 of the box 132.

[0033] In some embodiments, the filter-compression device 134 includes a filter portion and a compression portion, wherein Figure 2 、 Figure 4 As shown, Figure 2 、 Figure 7 As shown, the compression part includes a conveyor belt 1343 and a compression driving mechanism 1344, which play the role of conveying compression.

[0034] The filter part is arranged below the compression part, and the filter part includes a filter cloth 1341 and a filter cloth driving mechanism 1342. The filter cloth 1341 and the filter cloth driving mechanism 1342 play the role of transmission and filtration.

[0035] The conveyor belt 1343 is located below the flocculant injection port and is used to receive the sediment and transport it toward its conveying end.

[0036] Specifically, the conveyor belt 1343 includes a conveyor belt load-bearing section 1343a and a conveyor belt return section 1343b. The sediment first falls on the conveyor belt load-bearing section 1343a and is transported to the top of the first guide plate 1345 along the transmission direction of the conveyor belt 1343. The sediment detaches from the conveyor belt load-bearing section 1343a and falls on the first guide plate 1345.

[0037] The end of the first guide plate 1345 is connected to the filter cloth 1341. The conveyor belt 1343 and the filter cloth 1341 rotate in opposite directions. When the two rotate at the same time, negative pressure is formed, which sucks the sediment on the first guide plate 1345 between the two and transfers the sediment to the filter cloth 1341.

[0038] The filter cloth 1341 is formed with water holes, such as Figure 6 As shown, the gap d between the return section 1343b of the conveyor belt and the supporting section of the filter cloth gradually decreases from the conveying start to the conveying end of the filter cloth 1341. During the conveying process of the filter cloth 1341, the sediment is gradually squeezed by the return section 1343b of the conveyor belt. Water in the sediment is squeezed out through the water holes in the filter cloth 1341 and eventually compressed to form a filter cake. The filter cake is then discharged to the outside of the housing 132 through the filter cake release port 130, which is located near the conveying end of the filter cloth 1341.

[0039] The filter cloth 1341 can be provided to receive and transport sediments while preventing water from being squeezed out from both sides and causing a portion of sediments to fall to the bottom of the box 132 and accumulate in the box 132 .

[0040] It can be understood that the filter cloth driving mechanism 1342 includes a filter cloth driving wheel and a filter cloth driven wheel, which are used to drive the surrounding filter cloth 1341 to rotate in a circular manner. The sediment received by the receiving part of the filter cloth 1341 is transported to its delivery end as the filter cloth 1341 rotates.

[0041] It is understood that the filter cloth 1341 and the conveyor belt 1343 are arranged in the same direction, and the filter cloth 1341 is located directly below the conveyor belt 1343. The filter cloth 1341 and the conveyor belt 1343 rotate in opposite directions. Therefore, the return section 1343b of the conveyor belt and the bearing section of the filter cloth 1341 move in the same direction, achieving the purpose of squeezing and conveying sediment.

[0042] In some embodiments, the filter unit and the compression unit are respectively arranged along the length direction of the box body 132, and the filter cake release port 130 is opened at the front end of the box body 132 to prevent it from being sucked into the plume collection cover 11 again. The front end in this embodiment refers to the direction of the vehicle body moving forward.

[0043] By controlling the rotation speed of the compression drive mechanism 1344 and / or the filter cloth drive mechanism 1342 , the filter cake is slowly released to the seabed through the filter cake release port 130 of the box, thereby avoiding secondary plume.

[0044] In some embodiments, Figure 2 As shown, a second material guide plate 1346 is provided between the conveying end of the filter cloth 1341 and the filter cake release port to guide the filter cake, ensuring that it can be discharged to the outside smoothly and avoiding accumulation in the box 132.

[0045] In some embodiments, Figure 2 As shown, the flocculant delivery device 133 includes a flocculant storage box 1331 , a spraying pump 1332 and a spraying pipe 1333 , wherein the flocculant storage box 1331 stores flocculant and is disposed on one side of the housing 132 .

[0046] The inlet of the spray pump 1332 extends into the flocculant storage tank 1331, and the outlet is connected to the spray pipe 1333. The spraying end of the spray pipe 1333 extends into the flocculant delivery port. The spray pump 1332 extracts flocculant from the flocculant storage tank 1331 and sprays it into the box body 132 through the spray pipe 1333 to coagulate the floating turbid matter inside.

[0047] In some embodiments, the spray pipe 1333 is provided with a plurality of spray ports, so that the flocculant can be evenly sprayed in the box 132 , thereby improving the flocculation efficiency.

[0048] In some embodiments, the spray pipe 1333 is arranged in an elliptical ring shape, and the spray port is opened on the lower surface of the lower pipe section.

[0049] In some embodiments, Figure 5 As shown, the plume suction port 110 is in a trumpet shape, and the plume suction port 110 is fixed to the rear end of the plume collection cover 11 and extends upward at an angle, so as to avoid the problem of large particles in the box 132 blocking the plume suction port 110.

[0050] Example 2: This example proposes a deep-sea mining vehicle, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown, the vehicle comprises a vehicle body 30 and a crawler track 40 disposed at the bottom of the vehicle body 30 , and further comprises a plume collecting device installed above the crawler track 40 .

[0051] The plume collection device includes a plume collection hood 11, a suction pump 12, and a solid-liquid separation device 13. The plume collection hood 11 is fixed to the traveling device and installed above the crawler 40. A plume suction port 110 is provided at one end of the plume collection hood 11. One end of the suction pump 12 is connected to the plume suction port 110, and the other end is connected to the solid-liquid separation device 13 via a plume suction pipeline 14. The suction pump 12 is used to generate negative pressure by suction, and the plume is sucked and discharged into the solid-liquid separation device 13 through the plume suction port 110. In the deep-sea mining vehicle of this embodiment, since the traveling crawler is the main cause of plume diffusion, the plume collection hood is provided near the crawler of the deep-sea mining vehicle, thereby preventing the spread of the plume.

[0052] In some embodiments, the deep-sea mining vehicle further includes a pneumatic collection head 50 and a screening and cleaning cabin 60 connected to the pneumatic collection head 50. The screening and cleaning cabin 60 is connected to an impurity suction pipeline 61. The suction end of the suction pump 12 is connected to a tee pipe 62. The other two ends of the tee pipe 62 are respectively connected to the plume suction port 110 and the impurity suction pipeline 61.

[0053] Ore collected by the pneumatic collection head 50 enters the screening and cleaning chamber 60, where impurities on the manganese nodules are separated from the nodules. The impurities are then drawn into the impurity extraction line 61 by the suction pump 12. The impurity extraction line 61 is located at the rear of the vehicle body 30 and runs along the frame. The suction pump 12 is mounted on the vehicle body.

[0054] The suction pump 12 connects the impurity suction pipeline 61 with the pipeline of the plume collection device through the tee pipe 62, and transports the plume and impurities discharged from the ore screened and cleaned in the screening and cleaning chamber 60 to the solid-liquid separation device 13 for treatment through the plume suction pipeline 14.

[0055] This solution can avoid the problem of secondary plume formation caused by direct discharge of impurity wastewater discharged from the screening and cleaning chamber 60 into seawater by sending the impurities discharged from the screening and cleaning chamber 60 to the solid-liquid separation device 13 for treatment.

[0056] The other structures of the plume collecting device are described in Example 1 and will not be elaborated here.

[0057] Of course, the above description is not a limitation of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above examples. Changes, modifications, additions or substitutions made by ordinary technicians in this technical field within the essential scope of the present invention should also fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A plume collection device for a deep-sea mining vehicle, characterized in that: include: A plume collection hood is provided near the tracks of the deep-sea mining vehicle, and a plume suction port is provided at one end of the plume collection hood; a suction pump, one end of which is connected to the plume suction port, and the other end of which is connected to the solid-liquid separation device through a plume suction pipeline, the suction pump being used to generate negative pressure by suction, so that the plume is sucked and discharged into the solid-liquid separation device through the plume suction port; The solid-liquid separation device has a filter cake release port and a liquid discharge port. The solid-liquid separation device is used to separate the incoming solid-liquid mixture, and the filtered solid impurities are discharged through the filter cake release port, and the filtered water is discharged through the liquid discharge port.

2. The plume collection device according to claim 1, characterized in that The solid-liquid separation device comprises: The box body has the filter cake release port and the liquid discharge port provided on it, and the box body is also provided with a flocculant injection port; a flocculant delivery device, which is provided on one side of the box body and is used to deliver flocculant into the box body through the flocculant delivery port; The filtering and compressing device is arranged in the box body and is located below the flocculant delivery port. It is used to receive and compress the sediment. The filter cake formed by compression is discharged to the outside of the box body through the filter cake release port.

3. The plume collection device according to claim 2, characterized in that The filtering and compressing device comprises: A compression section, comprising a conveyor belt and a compression drive mechanism, wherein the compression section is used to receive the sediment and convey it toward a conveying end thereof; The filter part is arranged below the compression part and includes a filter cloth and a filter cloth driving mechanism. The filter cloth is used to receive the sediment transported from the compression part and to filter the sediment. A first material guide plate is provided between the conveying end of the conveyor belt and the conveying head end of the filter cloth, for receiving the sediment conveyed by the conveyor belt and conveying it to the filter cloth. The gap between the return section of the conveyor belt and the filter cloth gradually decreases from the conveying head end to the conveying end end of the filter cloth. During the conveying process, the sediment on the filter cloth is compressed by the return section of the conveyor belt to form a filter cake, and the filter cake is discharged to the outside of the box through the filter cake release port, which is located near the conveying end end of the filter cloth.

4. The plume collection device according to claim 3, characterized in that The filtering part and the compressing part are respectively arranged along the length direction of the box body, and the filter cake releasing port is opened at the front end of the box body.

5. The plume collection device according to claim 3, characterized in that A second material guide plate is provided between the conveying end of the filter cloth and the filter cake release port.

6. The plume collection device according to claim 2, characterized in that The flocculant delivery device comprises: A flocculant storage tank, in which flocculant is stored; a spray pump, the inlet of which is inserted into the flocculant storage tank and the outlet of which is connected to a spray pipe; The spraying pipe is inserted into the flocculant feeding port, and a plurality of spraying ports are provided on the spraying pipe.

7. The plume collection device according to claim 1, characterized in that The plume suction port is in a trumpet shape, and is fixed to the rear end portion of the plume collecting cover and extends obliquely upward.

8. The plume collection device according to claim 2, characterized in that The drainage port is connected to a circulation pipeline, and the circulation pipeline is connected to the ore storage box.

9. A deep-sea mining vehicle comprising a vehicle body and crawler tracks arranged at the bottom of the vehicle body, characterized in that: It also includes the plume collection device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the plume suppression device is installed above the crawler.

10. The deep sea mining vehicle according to claim 9, characterized in that: It also includes a pneumatic collection head and a screening and cleaning cabin connected to the collection head. The screening and cleaning cabin is connected to an impurity suction pipeline. The suction end of the suction pump is connected to a tee pipe. The other two ends of the tee pipe are respectively connected to the plume suction port and the impurity suction pipeline.

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