A deep sea mining relay bin and pipe-in-pipe closed loop hydrocyclical transport system

Abstract

The application provides a deep-sea mining relay bin and pipe-in-pipe closed-loop hydraulic circulation transportation system, which comprises a deep-sea mining relay bin, a deep-sea spherical pressure shell, a hydraulic lifting pump, a pipe-in-pipe conveying device and a mine-water separation system arranged on a mining ship; the pipe-in-pipe conveying device is composed of an inner pipe and an outer pipe, the inner pipe is connected with the mine-water separation system on the mining ship and the hydraulic lifting pump, and the outer pipe is connected with the deep-sea spherical pressure shell and a plurality of feeding valves of the relay bin. The application injects seawater separated from the mining ship by the mine-water separation system into the hydraulic lifting pump by the inner pipe; the hydraulic lifting pump pressurizes the seawater, and the pressurized seawater enters the outer pipe through the outlet of the deep-sea spherical pressure shell; the ore collected by the relay bin is sent into the high-pressure annulus between the outer pipe and the inner pipe through the feeding valve, mixed with the pressurized seawater to form ore slurry; and the ore slurry is conveyed along the outer pipe to the mine-water separation system on the mining ship, so that the closed-loop hydraulic circulation transportation is realized. The application has small ocean environment load of structural components, high efficiency, stability and environmental protection in the whole transportation process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of deep-sea mineral resource development, and in particular to a deep-sea mining relay warehouse and a pipe-in-pipe closed-loop hydraulic circulation transportation system. Background Technology

[0002] The continued growth in global demand for rare metals and deep-sea mineral resources has made deep-sea mining an important area of ​​global resource development. Deep-sea ores are mainly found in extreme environments at depths exceeding 4000 meters, presenting complex technological challenges during extraction. Existing deep-sea mining systems require the extraction of large quantities of seawater to provide hydraulic lifting power during ore extraction. Seawater separated from the slurry is discharged back into the ocean, severely disrupting the marine ecosystem. Hydraulic lifting systems for deep-sea ore typically employ multi-stage pumps for lifting and transporting the slurry. However, because deep-sea slurry often contains a high concentration of hard particles, these particles cause severe wear on pumps, valves, and pipe walls. This wear leads to frequent equipment failures and downtime, significantly increasing maintenance costs and reducing overall system reliability. Traditional deep-sea ore transportation systems use a dual-pipeline system—a lifting pipeline and a reinjection pipeline—to transport slurry and seawater through two independent pipelines. This dual-pipeline system occupies a large space and, compared to a pipe-in-pipe system, places a greater load on the marine environment, increasing the difficulty and cost of construction and maintenance. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned technical deficiencies, the present invention aims to utilize a pipe-in-pipe transport device to directly reinject seawater after mineral water separation into a hydraulic lift pump, forming a continuous circulating hydraulic transport loop. This provides a highly reliable, environmentally friendly, and economically efficient deep-sea mining relay warehouse and pipe-in-pipe closed-loop hydraulic circulation transport system.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a deep-sea mining relay bin and a pipe-in-pipe closed-loop hydraulic circulation transportation system, including a deep-sea mining relay bin that receives and stores ore collected by mining vehicles via flexible hoses, a deep-sea spherical pressure shell and a hydraulic lifting pump installed inside the deep-sea spherical pressure shell, a pipe-in-pipe conveying device, and a ore-water separation system installed on a mining vessel; the pipe-in-pipe conveying device consists of an inner pipe and an outer pipe, wherein the inner pipe connects to the ore-water separation system and the hydraulic lifting pump on the mining vessel, the outlet of the deep-sea spherical pressure shell is connected to the outer pipe, the pressurized outer pipe is connected to multiple feed valves of the relay bin, and the ore slurry is transported to the ore-water separation system on the mining vessel through the outer pipe.

[0005] The relay warehouse includes a storage warehouse and a feeding warehouse connected sequentially from top to bottom; there is one storage warehouse, which is installed on the upper layer of the relay warehouse frame; there are four or more feeding warehouses arranged in a redundant alternating ring structure, which are installed on the lower layer of the relay warehouse frame.

[0006] The pipe-in-pipe conveying device includes an inner pipe and an outer pipe. The inner pipe is used to inject separated seawater, and the outer pipe is used to lift slurry onto the mining vessel. The inner and outer pipes can be rigid pipes, flexible pipes, or a hybrid riser composed of rigid pipes and flexible pipes.

[0007] The hydraulic lift pump is a multi-stage deep-sea mining pump, installed inside a deep-sea spherical pressure shell. The inlet of the hydraulic lift pump is connected to one end of the inner pipe, and pressurized seawater is output to the outer pipe through the deep-sea spherical pressure shell.

[0008] The deep-sea spherical pressure hull is made of high-pressure resistant alloy steel and is equipped with a pressure reducing valve and a pressure monitoring device. The outlet of the deep-sea spherical pressure hull is connected to the outer pipe, and the deep-sea spherical pressure hull is installed in the lower layer of the relay cabin frame.

[0009] One end of the inner pipe of the pipe-in-pipe conveying device is connected to the inlet of the hydraulic lifting pump, and the other end is connected to the outlet of the ore-water separation system on the mining vessel.

[0010] One end of the outer pipe of the pipe-in-pipe conveying device is connected to the outer shell of the deep-sea spherical pressure vessel, and the other end is connected to the inlet of the ore-water separation system on the mining vessel; the outer pipe is connected to the multi-stage feeding valve of the feeding bin.

[0011] A packing valve is provided between the storage silo and the feeding silo; a pressure relief valve is provided on the feeding silo. When the pressure relief valve is opened, the pressure in the feeding silo and the storage silo is balanced, and the packing valve is opened to realize the packing operation.

[0012] A feeding valve is provided between the feeding bin and the outer pipe; a pressure boosting pipe is provided between the feeding bin and the outer pipe, and a pressure boosting valve is provided on the pressure boosting pipe. When the pressure boosting valve is opened, the pressure in the feeding bin and the outer pipe is balanced, and the feeding valve is opened to realize the feeding operation.

[0013] The feed valve is equipped with a metering control device; the metering control device is used to control the opening degree of the feed valve, control the slurry concentration in the outer pipe, improve flow characteristics and reduce the risk of blockage.

[0014] The relay warehouse frame installs and supports the storage silo, the feed silo, and the deep-sea spherical pressure shell from top to bottom.

[0015] The storage bin receives and stores the ore collected by the mining vehicle via a flexible hose. The mining vehicle includes a collection device, an ore particle size separation device, a plume discharge device, and a flexible hose.

[0016] The mining vessel includes a ore-water separation system and an ore storage tank. The ore-water separation system receives slurry from the outer pipe of the pipe-in-pipe conveying device and uses sedimentation filtration to separate the ore from the slurry and transport it to the ore storage tank. The separated seawater is reinjected into the pipe-in-pipe transport system through the inner pipe of the pipe-in-pipe conveying device, realizing closed-loop hydraulic circulation transport and reducing disturbance to the marine ecological environment. The ore storage tank is a storage facility for storing ore obtained from seabed mining, ensuring the safe storage and subsequent transportation of the ore.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The pipe-in-pipe conveying device of this invention reduces the pipeline installation process and the marine environmental load. The closed-loop hydraulic circulation transport system achieves minimal disturbance to the marine ecological environment. The structural components of this invention have low marine environmental load and high reliability. The technical solution of this invention effectively improves the stability and efficiency of deep-sea ore transportation, reduces the impact on the marine ecological environment, and has high environmental protection and economic benefits. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a front view partial structural cross-sectional diagram of the relay warehouse and pipe-in-pipe transportation system of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a side view of a partial cross-sectional view of the relay warehouse and pipe-in-pipe transportation system of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a partial side view of the relay warehouse and pipe-in-pipe transportation system of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a partial circular cross-sectional view of the relay warehouse and pipe-in-pipe transportation system of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the mining vehicle of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the mining vessel of the present invention.

[0025] In the diagram: 100 mining vehicles, 200 relay warehouses, 300 pipe-in-pipe transportation system, and 400 mining vessels;

[0026] Collection device 110, ore particle size separation device 120, plume discharge device 130, flexible hose 140; storage bin 210, feeding bin 220, relay bin frame 230; deep-sea spherical pressure shell 310, hydraulic lifting pump 320, pipe-in-pipe conveying device 330; ore-water separation system 410, ore storage tank 420;

[0027] Feeding bins 220a-d, packing valves 221a-d, feeding valves 222a-d, pressure boosting valves 223a-d, pressure relief valves 224a-d, pressure boosting pipes 225, metering control devices 226; pressure reducing valves 311, inner pipes 331, outer pipes 332. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The specific embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, a deep-sea mining relay warehouse and a pipe-in-pipe closed-loop hydraulic circulation transportation system include a deep-sea mining relay warehouse 200, which receives and stores ore collected by a mining vehicle 100 through a flexible hose 140, a deep-sea spherical pressure shell 310 and a hydraulic lifting pump 320 installed inside the deep-sea spherical pressure shell 310, a pipe-in-pipe conveying device 330, and a mineral-water separation system 410 installed on a mining vessel 400. The pipe-in-pipe conveying device 330 consists of an inner pipe 331 and an outer pipe 332, wherein the inner pipe 331 connects the mineral-water separation system 410 and the hydraulic lifting pump 320 on the mining vessel 400, the outlet of the deep-sea spherical pressure shell 310 is connected to the outer pipe 332, the pressurized outer pipe 332 is connected to multiple feed valves 222 of the relay warehouse 200, and the slurry is transported to the mineral-water separation system 410 on the mining vessel 400 through the outer pipe 332.

[0030] like Figure 2 As shown, the relay bin 200 includes a storage bin 210 and a feeding bin 220 connected sequentially from top to bottom; there is one storage bin 210, installed on the upper layer of the relay bin frame 230; there are four or more feeding bins 220 arranged in a redundant alternating ring structure, installed on the lower layer of the relay bin frame 230. The pipe-in-pipe transport system 300 includes a deep-sea spherical pressure vessel 310, a hydraulic lift pump 320, and a pipe-in-pipe conveying device 330, forming a pipe-in-pipe closed-loop hydraulic circulation transport system. The pipe-in-pipe conveying device 330 includes an inner pipe 331 and an outer pipe 332. The inner pipe 331 is used to inject separated seawater, and the outer pipe 332 is used to lift the slurry onto the mining vessel 400. The inner and outer pipes can be rigid pipes, flexible pipes, or a hybrid riser composed of rigid pipes and flexible pipes.

[0031] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the hydraulic lift pump 320 is a multi-stage deep-sea mining pump, installed inside the deep-sea spherical pressure tank 310. The inlet of the hydraulic lift pump 320 is connected to one end of the inner pipe 331, and pressurized seawater is output to the outer pipe 332 through the deep-sea spherical pressure tank 310. The deep-sea spherical pressure tank 310 is made of high-pressure resistant alloy steel and is equipped with a pressure reducing valve 311 and a pressure monitoring device. The outlet of the deep-sea spherical pressure tank 310 is connected to the outer pipe 332, and the deep-sea spherical pressure tank 310 is installed in the lower layer of the relay compartment frame 230.

[0032] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, one end of the inner pipe 331 of the pipe-in-pipe conveying device 330 is connected to the inlet of the hydraulic lifting pump 320, and the other end is connected to the outlet of the ore-water separation system 410 on the mining vessel 400. One end of the outer pipe 332 of the pipe-in-pipe conveying device 330 is connected to the outer shell of the deep-sea spherical pressure vessel 310, and the other end is connected to the inlet of the ore-water separation system 410 on the mining vessel 400; the outer pipe 332 is connected to the multi-stage feed valve 222 of the feed bins 220a-d.

[0033] like Figure 5 As shown, a packing valve 221a-d is installed between the storage silo 210 and the feeding silo 220a-d; a pressure relief valve 224a-d is installed on the feeding silo. When the pressure relief valve 224a-d is opened, the pressure in the feeding silo 220a-d and the storage silo 210 is balanced, and the packing valve 221a-d opens to realize the packing operation. A feeding valve 222a-d is installed between the feeding silo 220a-d and the outer pipe 332; a pressure boosting pipe 225 is installed between the feeding silo 220a-d and the outer pipe 322, and a pressure boosting valve 223a-d is installed on the pressure boosting pipe 225. When the pressure boosting valve 223a-d is opened, the pressure in the feeding silo 220a-d and the outer pipe 332 is balanced, and the feeding valve 222a-d opens to realize the feeding operation. The feed valves 222a-d are equipped with a metering control device 226; the metering control device 226 is used to control the opening degree of the feed valves 222a-d, control the slurry concentration in the outer pipe 332, improve the flow characteristics and reduce the risk of blockage.

[0034] like Figure 6 As shown, the storage bin 210 receives and stores the ore collected by the mining vehicle 100 through the flexible hose 140. The mining vehicle 100 includes a collection device 110, an ore particle size separation device 120, a plume discharge device 130, and a flexible hose 140.

[0035] like Figure 7 As shown, the mining vessel 400 includes a mineral-water separation system 410 and an ore storage tank 420. The mineral-water separation system 410 receives slurry from the outer pipe 332 of the pipe-in-pipe conveying device 330 and uses a sedimentation filtration method to separate the ore from the slurry and transport it to the ore storage tank 420. The separated seawater is reinjected into the pipe-in-pipe conveying device 330 through the inner pipe 331, realizing closed-loop hydraulic circulation transportation and reducing disturbance to the marine ecological environment. The ore storage tank 420 is a storage facility for storing ore mined from the seabed, ensuring the safe storage and subsequent transportation of the ore.

[0036] The specific working process of this invention:

[0037] Before starting, the packing valves 221a-d, the feed valves 222a-d, the pressure boosting valves 223a-d, the pressure relief valves 224a-d, and the pressure reducing valve 311 on the deep-sea spherical pressure shell 310 in the relay bin 200 are in the closed state.

[0038] The pressure relief valve 311 on the deep-sea spherical pressure vessel 310 is opened, filling the pipe-in-pipe transport system 300 with seawater, and the pressure relief valve 311 is closed. Seawater is injected into the hydraulic lift pump 320 inside the deep-sea spherical pressure vessel 310 through the inner pipe 331 of the pipe-in-pipe transport device 330. The hydraulic lift pump 320 is turned on, and the pressure is increased according to the flow rate required by the slurry hydraulic lifting system. The pressurized seawater is then output through the deep-sea spherical pressure vessel 310 to the outer pipe 332.

[0039] The mining vehicle 100 collects a mixture of ore, sediment, and seawater from the seabed via the collection device 110. The collected ore, sediment, and seawater mixture is separated from the seawater and fine sediment by the ore particle size separation device 120 using gravity and cyclone separation principles. The excess seawater and fine sediment are discharged to the seabed via the plume discharge device 130, and the separated ore is transported to the storage bin 210 of the relay bin 200 via the flexible hose 140.

[0040] When the storage silo 210 stores a certain amount of ore, the pressure relief valve 224a of the feed silo 220a opens. After the pressure in the feed silo 220a and the storage silo 210 is balanced, the packing valve 221a opens, and the ore enters the feed silo 220a under the action of gravity. After the packing operation is completed, the packing valve 221a closes, and the pressure relief valve 224a closes. Then, the pressure boosting valve 223a of the feed silo 220a opens, and the high-pressure seawater in the outer pipe 332 enters the feed silo 220a through the pressure boosting pipe 225. After the pressure in the feed silo 220a and the outer pipe 332 is balanced, the feed valve 222a opens, and the ore enters the annulus of the pressure boosting outer pipe 332, realizing the feeding operation. After the feeding operation is completed, the feed valve 222a closes, and the pressure boosting valve 223a closes. The feed hopper 220a controls the opening of the feed valve 222a through the metering control device 226, thereby controlling the slurry conveying concentration, improving flow characteristics, and reducing the risk of blockage.

[0041] While feeding operations are underway in feed silo 220a, filling operations are being performed in feed silo 220b. After the pressure relief valve 224b of feed silo 220b is opened and the pressure in feed silo 220b is balanced with that in storage silo 210, the filling valve 221b opens, and ore enters feed silo 220b under gravity. After the filling operation is completed, the filling valve 221b closes, the pressure relief valve 224b closes, and the pressure boosting valve 223b opens. High-pressure seawater from outer pipe 332 enters feed silo 220b through pressure boosting pipe 225. After the pressure in feed silo 220b is balanced with that in outer pipe 332, the feed valve 222b opens, and ore is conveyed to the annulus of pressure boosting outer pipe 322. After the feeding operation is completed, the feed valve 222b closes, and the pressure boosting valve 223b closes.

[0042] Similarly, for feed hoppers 220c and 220d, with the cooperation of packing valves 221c-d, feed valves 222c-d, pressure boosting valves 223c-d, and pressure relief valves 224c-d, they work alternately to achieve uninterrupted packing and feeding. Feed hoppers 220a-d are arranged in a redundant alternating ring structure and connected to the storage hopper 210. The pressure switching of feed hoppers 220a-d is controlled by the opening and closing of pressure boosting valves 223a-d and pressure relief valves 224a-d, the packing is replaced and alternating operation is achieved by packing valves 221a-d, and the feed is fed on demand and alternating operation is achieved by feed valves 222a-d.

[0043] The ore and seawater entering the pressurized outer pipe 332 through the feed valve 222 are mixed to form a slurry, which is then transported via annular lifting through the pressurized outer pipe 332 to the ore-water separation system 410 of the mining vessel 400. On the mining vessel 400, the ore is separated from the slurry by sedimentation filtration and transported to the ore storage tank 420. The separated seawater is reinjected into the pipe-in-pipe conveying device 330 through the inner pipe 331, realizing closed-loop hydraulic circulation transportation. This avoids the impact and disturbance of additional water intake and drainage on the marine environment. The structural components of this invention have low marine environmental load, and the entire transportation process is efficient, stable, and environmentally friendly.

Claims

1. A deep-sea mining relay warehouse and a pipe-in-pipe closed-loop hydraulic circulation transportation system, comprising a deep-sea mining relay warehouse, a deep-sea spherical pressure vessel, a hydraulic lift pump installed inside the deep-sea spherical pressure vessel, a pipe-in-pipe transportation device, and a mineral-water separation system installed on a mining vessel; the pipe-in-pipe transportation device consists of an inner pipe and an outer pipe, one end of the inner pipe of the pipe-in-pipe transportation device is connected to the inlet of the hydraulic lift pump, and the other end is connected to the outlet of the mineral-water separation system on the mining vessel; one end of the outer pipe of the pipe-in-pipe transportation device is connected to the outlet of the deep-sea spherical pressure vessel, and the other end is connected to the inlet of the mineral-water separation system on the mining vessel; The relay warehouse includes a storage warehouse and a feeding warehouse connected sequentially from top to bottom; there is one storage warehouse, which is installed on the upper layer of the relay warehouse frame; there are four feeding warehouses arranged in a redundant alternating ring structure, which are installed on the lower layer of the relay warehouse frame; a deep-sea spherical pressure shell is installed on the lower layer of the relay warehouse frame. A packing valve is provided between the storage bin and the feeding bin; a pressure relief valve is provided on the feeding bin. When the pressure relief valve is opened, the pressure in the feeding bin and the storage bin is balanced, and the packing valve is opened to realize the packing operation. The outer pipe is connected to the multi-stage feeding valve of the feeding bin; the inner pipe is used to inject separated seawater into the hydraulic lift pump. The hydraulic lift pump pressurizes the seawater and enters the outer pipe through the feeding valve. The ore and pressurized seawater are mixed to form a slurry, and the slurry is transported to the mineral water separation system on the mining ship through the outer pipe.

2. The deep-sea mining relay warehouse and pipe-in-pipe closed-loop hydraulic circulation transportation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner and outer pipes are rigid pipes, flexible pipes, or a mixture of rigid pipes and flexible pipes.

3. The deep-sea mining relay warehouse and pipe-in-pipe closed-loop hydraulic circulation transportation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hydraulic lift pump is a multi-stage deep-sea mining pump.

4. The deep-sea mining relay warehouse and pipe-in-pipe closed-loop hydraulic circulation transportation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The deep-sea spherical pressure vessel is made of high-pressure resistant alloy steel and is equipped with a pressure reducing valve and a pressure monitoring device.

5. The deep-sea mining relay warehouse and pipe-in-pipe closed-loop hydraulic circulation transportation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A pressure boosting pipe is provided between the feeding bin and the outer pipe. A pressure boosting valve is provided on the pressure boosting pipe. When the pressure boosting valve is opened, the pressure between the feeding bin and the outer pipe is balanced, and the feeding valve is opened to realize the feeding operation.

6. The deep-sea mining relay warehouse and pipe-in-pipe closed-loop hydraulic circulation transportation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feed valve is equipped with a metering control device; the metering control device is used to control the opening degree of the feed valve, control the slurry concentration in the outer pipe, improve flow characteristics and reduce the risk of blockage.

7. The deep-sea mining relay warehouse and pipe-in-pipe closed-loop hydraulic circulation transportation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The relay warehouse frame installs and supports the storage silo, the feed silo, and the deep-sea spherical pressure shell from top to bottom.

8. The deep-sea mining relay warehouse and pipe-in-pipe closed-loop hydraulic circulation transportation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The storage bin receives and stores the ore collected by the mining vehicle via a flexible hose. The mining vehicle includes a collection device, an ore particle size separation device, a plume discharge device, and a flexible hose.

9. The deep-sea mining relay warehouse and pipe-in-pipe closed-loop hydraulic circulation transportation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mining vessel includes a ore-water separation system and an ore storage tank. The ore-water separation system receives slurry transported from the outer pipe of the pipe-in-pipe conveying device and uses a sedimentation filtration method to separate the ore from the slurry and transport it to the ore storage tank. The separated seawater is reinjected into the hydraulic lift pump through the inner pipe of the pipe-in-pipe conveying device, realizing closed-loop hydraulic circulation transportation and reducing disturbance to the marine ecological environment. The ore storage tank is a storage facility for storing ore mined from the seabed, ensuring the safe storage and subsequent transportation of the ore.

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