Deep-sea mining circulating seawater ore conveying system

Abstract

A deep-sea mining circulating seawater ore conveying system comprises a mother ship, a material tank, a water pressing pump, a relay station, a hydraulic oil cylinder, a water inlet pipe, a water outlet pipe and a supporting base. Wherein the material tank and the water pressing pump are arranged in the mother ship; a water inlet pipe is arranged at the lower part of the material tank and communicated with a water inlet of the water pressing pump; the water outlet pipe extends towards the seabed, penetrates through the bottom of the relay station, turns back upwards, returns to the mother ship and is communicated with a discharge hole formed in the upper part of the material tank; in the relay station, a feeding cylinder, a first watertight culvert, a second watertight culvert, a crushing and feeding device and a material guiding opening are sequentially arranged from top to bottom, and the adjacent components are fixedly connected in a sealed mode. The relay station is fixed on a supporting seat at the seabed; the lower end of the material guide opening is communicated with the water outlet pipe; a hydraulic station is arranged in the relay station; the water outlet pipe operates in a closed mode on the seabed, and meanwhile seawater in ore pulp on the mother ship is separated out and used as inlet water of the water pressing pump to be recycled.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a deep-sea mining circulating seawater conveying ore system; it belongs to the technical field of deep-sea mining equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, ore transportation in deep-sea mining mainly employs a combination of lifting pipes and slurry pumps to transport seabed ore to the mother ship. The slurry pumps are installed underwater and connected to the lifting pipes, as illustrated in patent application number 202411490465.X, entitled "A Crushing Feeding Device and Deep-Sea Mining Transportation System." Because the slurry pumps are worn down by the ore during operation, they frequently need to be disassembled underwater from the lifting pipes for repair, and then reconnected. This not only increases construction difficulty and time consumption, reducing the efficiency of the deep-sea ore transportation system, but also increases the upward resistance of the slurry by installing one or more slurry pumps in the lifting pipeline, increasing the risk of pipeline blockage.

[0003] To address the aforementioned issues, the patent titled "A Novel Deep-Sea Mining Hoisting System," publication number CN109611097B, describes an embodiment 2 in which the ore hoisting pipeline utilizes a water pump 5 on the mother ship. This pump, via a water pipe 7, provides energy for hoisting the ore stored in the intermediate bin 11, lifting it through the ore mixing inlet 22 and the hoisting main pipe 6 to the mother ship's ore storage tank 1. This avoids the maintenance difficulties associated with underwater slurry pumps. Simultaneously, in this embodiment, the ore supply pipeline for the intermediate bin 11 utilizes an ore conveying pump 18 on the mining vehicle, employing an ore suction inlet 19 and a flexible hose 16 to transport seabed ore to the intermediate bin 11. In other words, the ore hoisting pipeline and the ore supply pipeline are connected within the intermediate bin 11, resulting in an unsealed connection between the water pipe 7 and the hoisting main pipe 6 within the ore hoisting pipeline. This leads to the following problems:

[0004] First, the water pressure in the intermediate chamber 11 of the ore hoisting pipeline is greater than that in the intermediate chamber 11 of the ore supply pipeline. When the high-pressure water from the pump 5 in the ore hoisting pipeline reaches the intermediate chamber 11, some of it is diverted to the hose 16 in the ore supply pipeline and the ore conveying pump 18 on the mining vehicle. This causes the ore conveying pump 18 to be unable to convey ore normally, and the high-pressure water leaks, resulting in a loss of pressure in the ore hoisting pipeline and causing the deep-sea mining hoisting system to fail.

[0005] Second, the water pressure in the intermediate chamber 11 of the ore hoisting pipeline is lower than that in the intermediate chamber 11 of the ore supply pipeline; this causes the high-pressure slurry delivered to the intermediate chamber 11 by the hose 16 to be forcibly flushed into the intermediate chamber water inlet 21 and ore inlet 22. Since the slurry concentration cannot be controlled, the ore forms arches at the intermediate chamber water inlet 21 and ore inlet 22, and the ore is blocked in the hoisting main pipe 6, causing the deep-sea mining hoisting system to malfunction.

[0006] In summary, in one crushing and feeding device and deep-sea mining conveying system, the slurry pump is located underwater, making maintenance difficult; in another novel deep-sea mining hoisting system, the pressure pump is located above water, but the ore hoisting pipeline and the ore supply pipeline are connected in the intermediate compartment 11, resulting in the ore hoisting pipeline not being sealed on the seabed, causing the deep-sea mining hoisting system to malfunction. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the problems in the prior art where the slurry pump is installed underwater, making maintenance difficult, and the water pump is installed on the water surface, but the water outlet pipe of the water pump is not sealed at the seabed relay station. This invention provides a water-tight culvert device for the relay station and a deep-sea mining transportation system, which enables the water pump to be installed and maintained on the water surface, and the water outlet pipe to operate in a sealed manner on the seabed. At the same time, seawater is extracted from the slurry on the mother ship and used as the water intake for the water pump for recycling.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solutions.

[0009] A deep-sea mining circulating seawater ore conveying system includes a mother ship, a material trough, a pressure pump, a relay station, a hydraulic cylinder, an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, and a support base. The system is characterized in that: the material trough and pressure pump are located inside the mother ship; the material trough is equipped with a filter baffle, dividing it into a seawater trough and an ore trough; an inlet pipe is installed at the lower part of the seawater trough, connecting to the inlet of the pressure pump; the outlet of the pressure pump is connected to the outlet pipe, which extends towards the seabed, passes through the bottom of the relay station, bends upwards, returns to the mother ship, and connects to the outlet at the upper part of the ore trough; within the relay station, the components arranged sequentially from top to bottom are: a feeding cylinder, a first watertight culvert, a second watertight culvert, a crushing and feeding device, and a guide port, with adjacent components sealed and fixedly connected; the relay station is fixed to a support base on the seabed; a hydraulic station is installed within the relay station; and the lower end of the guide port is connected to the outlet pipe.

[0010] The objective of this invention can also be further achieved through the following technical solutions.

[0011] The first and second watertight culverts have the same structure and dimensions. Their structure consists of a cylindrical body with flanges on the top and bottom. The upper part of the cylindrical body is provided with a funnel-shaped discharge port and a watertight door for opening and closing the discharge port. The opening and closing of the watertight door is controlled by a hydraulic cylinder, which is controlled by the internal control system of the hydraulic station.

[0012] The relay station has three ore holding areas, labeled as: storage area, transfer area, and waiting-to-process area. Storage area: the storage space formed by the feeding hopper and the discharge port on the first watertight culvert, plus a closed watertight door. Transfer area: the storage space formed by the lower part of the first watertight culvert and the discharge port on the second watertight culvert, plus a closed watertight door. Waiting-to-process area: the storage space formed by the lower part of the second watertight culvert and the upper part of the crushing feed device roller. The maximum storage capacity of the storage area is less than or equal to the effective storage capacity of the transfer area. The effective storage capacity of the transfer area is less than or equal to the effective storage capacity of the waiting-to-process area. Effective storage capacity refers to the maximum ore storage capacity of the ore holding area without affecting the closure of the upper watertight door.

[0013] The upper end of the crushing and feeding device is equipped with a tuning fork switch.

[0014] The hydraulic station's internal control system automatically controls the opening and closing of the watertight doors on the second watertight culvert and the first watertight culvert in sequence, based on the tuning fork switch signal.

[0015] The crushing and feeding device is a roller crusher.

[0016] The water outlet pipe bends upward at the bottom of the relay station, and the bend is a U-shaped structure; the lower end of the feed inlet is connected to the water outlet pipe at the left and right symmetrical points of the U-shaped structure of the water outlet pipe, and divides the water outlet pipe into a left pipe and a right pipe.

[0017] A left balance pipe is provided between the left side pipe and the crushing and feeding device.

[0018] The filter baffle is a steel plate with many small holes, and a filter screen is installed on the steel plate.

[0019] The ore tank has a larger space than the seawater tank.

[0020] The feed cylinder is trumpet-shaped, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0022] This invention discloses a deep-sea mining circulating seawater ore transport system. A pressure pump on the mother ship forces seawater from the seawater tank into the outlet pipe. When the high-pressure water in the outlet pipe reaches the feed inlet, the ore slurry in the feed inlet dissolves into the outlet pipe in real time under the combined action of gravity and the Venturi effect of the outlet pipe, and is then transported to the material tank, thus realizing the transport of seabed ore slurry to the mother ship. A filter baffle in the material tank separates seawater from the ore slurry into the seawater tank, and the seawater in the seawater tank is then forced into the outlet pipe by the pressure pump, achieving seawater recycling.

[0023] This invention uses a water-filtering baffle to separate the material tank into ore tanks and seawater tanks of different sizes. Due to the permeability of the water-filtering baffle, the space of the ore tank is enlarged without affecting the water storage space of the material tank, thus improving the space utilization rate of the material tank.

[0024] The relay station of this invention is equipped with two watertight culverts. The purpose of these culverts is to ensure that when the feed cylinder delivers material to the water outlet pipe, the water outlet pipe remains closed while submerged in the ocean. When the system needs to transfer ore from the transfer area to the processing area, the watertight door on the first watertight culvert must be closed before the watertight door on the second watertight culvert can be opened for unloading. Similarly, when the system needs to transfer ore from the storage area to the transfer area, the watertight door on the second watertight culvert must be closed before the watertight door on the first watertight culvert can be opened for unloading. Therefore, by alternately opening and closing the watertight doors on the first and second watertight culverts, the water outlet pipe is kept closed while submerged in the ocean.

[0025] This invention features a left balance pipe between the left-side pipe and the crushing and feeding device. Because the upper part of the feed inlet is closed to the outside, there is a water pressure imbalance between the inside of the feed inlet and the discharge pipe. To solve this problem, this invention provides a left balance pipe between the left-side pipe and the crushing and feeding device. Since the crushing and feeding device is connected to the feed inlet, the water pressure inside the feed inlet is balanced with the water pressure in the discharge pipe at the front end of the feed inlet. Under the combined action of gravity and the Venturi effect of the discharge pipe, the slurry inside the feed inlet dissolves in the water outlet pipe in real time and is transported to the material tank, thus realizing the transport of seabed slurry to the mother ship.

[0026] The crushing and feeding device crushes the ore, which is then guided into the water outlet pipe in real time through the feed inlet. This not only solves the requirement of the water outlet pipe for small ore particle size, but also eliminates the possibility of ore bridging at the feed inlet. At the same time, by controlling the crushing speed of the crushing and feeding device on the ore, the concentration of the slurry in the water outlet pipe can be controlled. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a deep-sea mining circulating seawater ore transport system;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a deep-sea circulating seawater ore transport system as shown in Example 2.

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the suction port sealing mechanism of the siphon pipe in the seawater tank 14 of Example 3.

[0030] In the diagram: 1. Material trough, 11. Discharge port, 12. Ore trough, 13. Filter baffle, 14. Seawater trough, 2. Water pump, 21. Inlet pipe, 23. Outlet pipe, 23a. Left side pipe, 23b. Right side pipe, 24a. A hose, 24b. B hose, 26. Support base, 27. Seabed, 28. Ore pile, 3. Relay station, 31. Feeding cylinder, 32. First watertight culvert, 321. First discharge port, 323. Hydraulic cylinder, 33. Second watertight culvert, 34. Crushing and feeding device, 341. Tuning fork switch, 35. Guide port, 36a. Left balance pipe, 37. Hydraulic station, 7. Mother ship;

[0031] 15. Sealing mechanism; 150. Siphon tube; 151. Float; 152. Pull wire; 153. Counterweight; 154. Lever; 155. Fulcrum; 156. Fulcrum column; 157. Displacement hinge; 158. Sealing; 159. Sealing guide frame Detailed Implementation

[0032] To make the objectives and technical solutions of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments:

[0033] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0034] In this invention, "up," "down," "left," "right," "front," and "back" refer to the positions of the reader directly facing the appendix. Figure 1 When reading, the area above the reader is called "up," the area below the reader is called "down," the area to the left of the reader is called "left," the area to the right of the reader is called "right," the area in front of the reader's paper is called "front," and the area inside the reader's paper is called "back," and this is not a specific limitation of the present invention.

[0035] Example 1

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, a deep-sea mining circulating seawater ore transport system includes a mother ship 7, a material tank 1, a water pump 2, a relay station 3, an inlet pipe 21, and an outlet pipe 23. The material tank 1 and the water pump 2 are located inside the mother ship 7. The material tank 1 is divided into two parts by a filter baffle 13, labeled as an ore tank 12 and a seawater tank 14. The space of the ore tank 12 is larger than that of the seawater tank 14. The lower part of the seawater tank 14 is provided with an inlet pipe 21 that is connected to the inlet of the water pump 2. The outlet of the water pump 2 is connected to the outlet pipe 23. The outlet pipe 23 extends to the seabed and passes through the bottom of the relay station 3 in a U-shape before turning upwards back to the mother ship 7, where it is connected to the discharge port 11 provided at the upper part of the ore tank 12.

[0037] The filter baffle 13, which is fixedly connected inside the material tank 1, is made of steel plate and is covered with holes. A filter screen is provided on the surface of the steel plate facing the ore tank 12 to prevent small ore particles from entering the seawater tank 14. The discharge port 11 is movable above the ore tank 12 so that the stacking space of the ore tank 12 can be fully utilized.

[0038] Inside relay station 3, the components arranged sequentially from top to bottom are: feeding cylinder 31, first watertight culvert 32, second watertight culvert 33, crushing and feeding device 34, and guide port 35, and adjacent components are sealed and fixedly connected; the lower end of guide port 35 is connected to water outlet pipe 23, and the connection point is at the left and right symmetrical points of the U-shape of water outlet pipe 23, dividing water outlet pipe 23 into left pipe 23a and right pipe 23b. Relay station 3 is fixed on support seat 26 of seabed 27; ore pile 28 is located next to relay station 3, and ore pile 28 provides ore to feeding cylinder 31.

[0039] The first watertight culvert 32 and the second watertight culvert 33 have the same structure and dimensions. The first watertight culvert 32 has a square cylindrical body with flanges on the upper and lower ends and a first discharge port 321 on the top. The first discharge port 321 is funnel-shaped, with a rounded top and a rounded bottom. The upper opening of the first discharge port 321 is fixedly connected to the top of the culvert body and kept flush. Below the first discharge port 321 is a watertight door of the first watertight culvert 32, which seals the first discharge port 321. The opening and closing of the watertight door of the first watertight culvert 32 is controlled by a hydraulic cylinder 323. The direction of movement of the watertight door is as follows: when the watertight door is in the upward horizontal position, it is closed and sealed, i.e., the watertight door is closed; when the watertight door is in the downward vertical position, it is opened to the maximum extent, i.e., the watertight door is open.

[0040] For ease of description, the inventors define the three locations where the ore stays in the relay station as: storage area, transfer area, and waiting-to-process area. Storage area: The feeding cylinder 31 is funnel-shaped, and together with the discharge port and the upper part of the closed surface of the watertight door on the first watertight culvert 32, it forms the ore storage area. Transfer area: The lower part of the first watertight culvert 32, together with the upper part of the discharge port and the closed surface of the watertight door of the second watertight culvert 33, forms the ore transfer area. Waiting-to-process area: The lower part of the second watertight culvert 33 and the upper part of the roller of the crushing and feeding device 34 form the ore waiting-to-process area. Furthermore, the maximum storage capacity of the storage area is less than or equal to the effective storage capacity of the transfer area; the effective storage capacity of the transfer area is less than or equal to the effective storage capacity of the waiting-to-process area; the effective storage capacity refers to the maximum ore storage capacity of the ore residence area when it does not affect the closure of the watertight door at the top of the ore residence area.

[0041] Ore supply within relay station 3. Relay station 3 is equipped with a hydraulic station 37; it provides hydraulic oil to the hydraulic cylinders within relay station 3 and controls the operation of the hydraulic cylinders; the upper end of the crushing and feeding device 34 is equipped with a tuning fork switch 341, used to set the lower height of the ore in the processing area. When the frequency of tuning fork switch 341 reaches the set value, it indicates that the ore height in the processing area has reached the lower position and ore needs to be replenished. Tuning fork switch 341 activates, the watertight door on the second watertight culvert 33 opens, and the ore in the transfer area will automatically fall from the discharge port of the second watertight culvert 33 to the processing area. After the time is set, it is determined that the ore in the transfer area has been unloaded, and the watertight door on the second watertight culvert 33 closes. After the watertight door on the second watertight culvert 33 closes, the watertight door on the first watertight culvert 32 opens, and the ore in the storage area automatically falls from the discharge port on the first watertight culvert 32 to the transfer area. After the time is set, it is determined that the ore in the storage area has been unloaded, and the watertight door on the first watertight culvert 32 closes. After the watertight door on the first watertight culvert 32 closes, the feeding cylinder is replenished to the storage area by an external mechanism. After the storage area is replenished, the processing area in relay station 3 has completed one ore replenishment. The system repeats this cycle to complete the ore lifting operation.

[0042] The left balance pipe 36a is installed; the left side pipe 23a is connected to the crushing and feeding device 34. In the relay station 3, the crushing and feeding device 34 is connected to the feed inlet 35, so that the slurry pressure in the feed inlet 35 is balanced with the water pressure of the water outlet pipe 23 at the front end of the feed inlet 35. Under the combined action of gravity and the Venturi effect of the water outlet pipe 23, the slurry in the feed inlet 35 is dissolved into the water outlet pipe 23 in real time and transported to the ore trough 12.

[0043] The crushing and feeding device 34 is a double-roll crusher. In this embodiment, the crushing and feeding device is selected from "A crushing and feeding device and a deep-sea mining conveying system, application number: 202411490465.X". The ore crushed by the crushing and feeding device 34 is guided into the water outlet pipe 23 in real time by the feed inlet 35. This not only ensures that the ore conveyed by the right pipe 23b meets its size requirements, but also eliminates the possibility of ore arching at the feed inlet 35. At the same time, by controlling the crushing speed of the crushing and feeding device 34 on the ore, the concentration of the slurry in the water outlet pipe 23 is controlled.

[0044] Example 2

[0045] A deep-sea circulating seawater ore transport system is provided with a conversion connector. The outlet of the pressure pump is connected to the upper port of the left pipe via the conversion connector, and the discharge port is connected to the upper port of the right pipe via the conversion connector; or the outlet of the pressure pump is connected to the upper port of the right pipe via the conversion connector, and the discharge port is connected to the upper port of the left pipe via the conversion connector.

[0046] A right balance pipe is provided between the right-side pipe and the crushing and feeding device, and is symmetrical to the left balance pipe provided between the left-side pipe and the crushing and feeding device; a left check valve and a right check valve are respectively provided on the left balance pipe and the right balance pipe, and the conduction of the left and right check valves both points to the crushing and feeding device.

[0047] The conversion connector is a flexible hose; the conversion connector connected to the outlet of the water pump is denoted as: Flexible Hose A, and the conversion connector connected to the discharge port is denoted as: Flexible Hose B;

[0048] The rest is the same as in Example 1.

[0049] like Figure 2 This embodiment describes a deep-sea circulating seawater ore transport system. One end of hose A 24a is connected to the outlet of the water pump 2; one end of hose B 24b is connected to the outlet 11; the other end of hose A 24a is connected to the left pipe 23a, and the other end of hose B 24b is connected to the right pipe 23b; or the other end of hose A 24a is connected to the right pipe 23b, and the other end of hose B 24b is connected to the left pipe 23a.

[0050] A right balance pipe 36b is provided between the right-side pipe 23b and the crushing and feeding device 34, and is symmetrical to the left balance pipe 36a provided between the left-side pipe 23a and the crushing and feeding device 34. A left check valve 38a and a right check valve 38b are respectively provided on the left balance pipe 36a and the right balance pipe 36b, and the conduction direction of the left check valve 38a and the right check valve 38b both point towards the crushing and feeding device 34.

[0051] When the deep-sea circulating seawater ore transport system is working, the connecting pipe between the outlet of the pressure pump 2 and the feed inlet 35 transports high-pressure seawater; this section of the connecting pipe is called the pressure pipe. The connecting pipe between the outlet 11 and the feed inlet 35 transports high-pressure slurry; this section of the connecting pipe is called the feed pipe. The feed pipe wall is worn and corroded by the high-pressure slurry at a faster rate. Therefore, the service life of the pressure pipe and the feed pipe are not synchronized. Once the feed pipe fails, the outlet pipe 23 is scrapped. To improve the utilization rate of pipeline resources, this embodiment sets up a conversion connector. According to the conversion connector, the left pipe 23a and the right pipe 23b are connected differently, so that the left pipe 23a and the right pipe 23b can switch functions between the pressure pipe and the feed pipe. This makes the wear and corrosion rates of the left pipe 23a and the right pipe 23b similar, extending the service life of the outlet pipe 23.

[0052] Left and right balancing pipes are installed. In the relay station, the crushing feed device and the feed inlet are connected but closed to the outside. To balance the pressure of the slurry inside the feed inlet with the pressure of the hydraulic pipe at the front end of the feed inlet, and to ensure the slurry flows smoothly to the hydraulic pipe, the hydraulic pipe needs to be connected to the crushing feed device. Since the left pipe 23a and the right pipe 23b are not fixed during operation, this invention symmetrically provides left balancing pipes 36a and right balancing pipes 36b on the crushing feed device 34 corresponding to the left and right pipes 23a and 23b, respectively. To avoid direct connection between the left and right pipes 23a and 23b and the crushing feed device 34, affecting the output of slurry from the feed inlet 35, the left and right balancing pipes 36a and 36b need to be automatically switched on and off.

[0053] Left and right check valves are installed; since the energy of the feed pipe is provided by the water pressure pipe, the water pressure of the water pressure pipe is higher than that of the feed pipe at the same horizontal level, and the pressure difference is approximately the difference between the pump pressure and the atmospheric pressure at the outlet 11. Utilizing this pressure difference, this embodiment sets a left check valve 38a and a right check valve 38b on the left balance pipe 36a and right balance pipe 36b respectively, and the conduction direction of the left check valve 38a and right check valve 38b both point towards the crushing and feeding device 34; therefore, when the left pipe 23a is a water pressure pipe, the water pressure in the left pipe 23a is higher than the water pressure in the right pipe 23b, the left check valve 38a opens, so that the water pressure in the crushing and feeding device 34 is balanced with the water pressure in the left pipe 23a, and at the same time, the water pressure in the crushing and feeding device 34 is higher than the water pressure in the right pipe 23b (i.e., the feeding pipe), the check valve 38b closes; conversely, when the right pipe 23b is a water pressure pipe, the right check valve 38b opens automatically, and the left check valve 38a closes; thus, the autonomous selection of the on / off state of the left balance pipe 36a and right balance pipe 36b is completed.

[0054] Example 3

[0055] This embodiment discloses a seawater ore transport system, comprising a siphon and a sealing mechanism; the siphon's intake and the sealing mechanism are both located inside a seawater tank; the sealing mechanism can automatically open and close the siphon's intake; the siphon's outlet extends into the sea.

[0056] The sealing mechanism includes a lever, a float, a counterweight, a fulcrum, a seal, and a sealing guide frame. The fulcrum is fixedly connected inside the seawater tank, and the fulcrum of the lever is hinged to the upper part of the fulcrum. The left end of the lever is equipped with a counterweight and a float connected by a pull line. The right end of the lever is hinged to the sealing guide frame using a sealing hinge, and the hinge hole of the sealing hinge on the lever is an oblong hole. The upper end of the sealing guide frame is clearance-fitted with the outer diameter of the siphon pipe's suction port, and the lower end is fixedly connected to the seal.

[0057] The sealing material is silicone.

[0058] The rest is the same as in Example 1.

[0059] like Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment of a seawater ore conveying system includes a siphon 150 and a sealing mechanism 15. The siphon 150's intake port and the sealing mechanism 15 are both located within a seawater tank 14. The sealing mechanism 15 can automatically open and close the siphon 150's intake port. The siphon 150's outlet extends into the sea. The sealing mechanism 15 includes: a lever 154, a float 151, a counterweight 153, a fulcrum 156, a seal 158, and a sealing guide frame 159. The fulcrum 156 is fixedly connected to... The lever 154 is connected to the upper part of the fulcrum column 156 via the fulcrum hinge 155 inside the seawater tank 14; the left end of the lever 154 is provided with a counterweight 153 and a float 151 connected by a pull line 152; the right end of the lever 154 is hinged to the sealing guide frame 159 via the sealing hinge 157, and the hinge hole of the sealing hinge 157 on the lever 154 is an oblong hole; the upper end of the sealing guide frame 159 is clearance-fitted with the outer diameter of the siphon pipe 150's suction port, and the lower end is fixedly connected to a silicone sealant.

[0060] When the sealing mechanism 15 is working, when the water level in the seawater tank 14 exceeds the set value, the float 151 overcomes the weight of the counterweight 153 and pulls the left end of the lever 154 upward, causing the right end of the lever 154 to sink, pulling out the inlet seal 158 of the siphon pipe 150, and the siphon pipe works, causing the water level in the seawater tank 14 to drop; when the water level in the seawater tank 14 is lower than the set value, the float 151 sinks with the water level, causing the upward pull of the pull line 152 on the lever to gradually decrease. As the counterweight 153 at the left end of the lever 154 gradually overcomes the buoyancy of the float 151 and sinks, the lever... The right end of lever 154 tilts up, pushing the sealing guide frame 159 to move the sealing block 158 upward in a straight line. When the water level drops to the point where the pull line 152 exerts no force on the lever, the sealing block 158, under the action of lever 154 and counterweight 153, seals the water inlet of siphon pipe 150. To ensure the sealing of the water inlet of siphon pipe 150, the water level of seawater tank 14 is higher than the water inlet of siphon pipe 150 before the water inlet of siphon pipe 150 is sealed by sealing block 158. Automatic control of the upper water level of seawater tank 14 is achieved through siphon pipe 150 and sealing mechanism 15.

[0061] The upper water level of the seawater tank 14 is controlled by adjusting the height of the fulcrum of lever 154 and the length of the pull line 152, thereby controlling the buoyancy of the float 151 relative to lever 154 and setting the upper limit water level of the seawater tank 14. The lower water level of the seawater tank 14 is controlled by a level switch to ensure the normal operation of the pressure pump 2.

Claims

1. A deep-sea mining circulating seawater ore conveying system, comprising a mother ship, a material tank, a pressure pump, a relay station, hydraulic cylinders, an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, and a support base; characterized in that: The material trough and water pump are located inside the mother ship. The material trough is equipped with a filter baffle, dividing it into a seawater trough and an ore trough. A water inlet pipe is installed at the bottom of the seawater trough, connecting to the water inlet of the water pump. The water pump outlet is connected to an outlet pipe, which extends towards the seabed, passes through the bottom of the relay station, turns upward, and returns to the mother ship, connecting to the discharge outlet at the top of the ore trough. Inside the relay station, the components arranged sequentially from top to bottom are: a feeding cylinder, a first watertight culvert, a second watertight culvert, a crushing and feeding device, and a guide port, with adjacent components sealed and fixedly connected. The relay station is fixed to a support base on the seabed. A hydraulic station is installed inside the relay station. The lower end of the guide port is connected to the water outlet pipe.

2. The deep-sea mining circulating seawater ore conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first and second watertight culverts have the same structure and dimensions. Their structure consists of a cylindrical body with flanges on the top and bottom. The upper part of the cylindrical body is provided with a funnel-shaped discharge port and a watertight door for opening and closing the discharge port. The opening and closing of the watertight door is controlled by a hydraulic cylinder, which is controlled by the internal control system of the hydraulic station.

3. A deep-sea mining circulating seawater ore conveying system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The relay station has three ore holding areas, which are marked as: storage area, transfer area and waiting-to-process area; Storage area: The storage space formed by the feeding cylinder and the discharge port on the first watertight culvert plus the closed watertight door; Transfer area: The storage space formed by the lower part of the first watertight culvert and the discharge port on the second watertight culvert plus the closed watertight door; Processing area: The storage space formed by the lower part of the second watertight culvert and the upper part of the crushing and feeding device roller; The maximum storage capacity of the storage area is less than or equal to the effective storage capacity of the transfer area; The effective storage capacity of the transfer area is less than or equal to the effective storage capacity of the processing area; The effective storage capacity refers to the maximum storage capacity of the ore in the ore residence area when the watertight door at the top of the ore residence area is closed without affecting the ore residence area.

4. A deep-sea mining circulating seawater ore conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end of the crushing and feeding device is equipped with a tuning fork switch.

5. A deep-sea mining circulating seawater ore conveying system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The hydraulic station's internal control system automatically controls the opening and closing of the watertight doors on the second watertight culvert and the first watertight culvert in sequence, based on the tuning fork switch signal.

6. A deep-sea mining circulating seawater ore conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The crushing and feeding device is a roller crusher.

7. A deep-sea mining circulating seawater ore conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water outlet pipe bends upward at the bottom of the relay station, and the bend is a U-shaped structure; the lower end of the feed inlet is connected to the water outlet pipe at the left and right symmetrical points of the U-shaped structure of the water outlet pipe, and divides the water outlet pipe into a left pipe and a right pipe.

8. A deep-sea mining circulating seawater ore conveying system according to claim 7, characterized in that: A left balance pipe is provided between the left side pipe and the crushing and feeding device.

9. A deep-sea mining circulating seawater ore conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The filter baffle is a steel plate with many small holes, and a filter screen is installed on the steel plate.

10. A deep-sea mining circulating seawater ore conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feed cylinder is trumpet-shaped, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom.

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