Seabed modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining and use method

Abstract

The invention discloses a seabed modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining and a using method, and relates to the technical field of deep-sea resource development, the seabed modified gel injection vehicle comprises a vehicle body, a walking chassis, a gel injection mechanism and a driving mechanism, the vehicle body is provided with a gel storage cabin, and the gel storage cabin is used for storing a gel material; the walking chassis is arranged at the bottom of the vehicle body and used for supporting the vehicle body to walk on the seabed. The gel injection mechanism is mounted on the vehicle body, is communicated with the gel storage cabin and is used for injecting a gel material into sediment on the surface layer of the seabed; the driving mechanism is in transmission connection with the gel injection mechanism and used for driving the gel injection mechanism to execute injection action, plume generation is effectively inhibited, the overall efficiency of deep-sea mining is improved, and the marine ecological environment is protected.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of deep-sea resource development technology, and in particular to a seabed modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining and its application method. Background Technology

[0002] In current deep-sea resource extraction operations involving polymetallic nodules and cobalt-rich crusts, mining vehicles deployed on the seabed are typically used to mechanically disturb, extract, or scrape the seabed surface, and the slurry is then transported to a surface support platform via a riser system. However, this extraction process inevitably causes significant disturbance to the seabed surface sediments, resulting in fine-grained sediments becoming suspended in the water and forming plumes. These plumes spread within the bottom boundary layer along with near-bottom or mid-latitude currents, potentially causing long-term damage to the seabed ecosystem and water transparency.

[0003] To mitigate the adverse environmental impacts of plumes, existing technologies employ various measures. For example, optimizing the sampler head structure aims to reduce the resuspension of fine particles; controlling the inlet flow rate and influent volume is intended to limit the generation of fine particles; and baffles or covers are installed near the sampler head to limit the initial diffusion range of fine particles. Furthermore, some technologies propose using flocculants to accelerate plume settling. However, overall, these measures only provide simple buffering or post-plume protection in localized areas, and their effectiveness in suppressing the long-term suspension and long-distance diffusion of extremely fine sediment particles is not ideal.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an operational system that can proactively modify seabed surface sediments before collection, thereby suppressing plume generation at its source. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a seabed modified gel injection vehicle and its application method for deep-sea mining, so as to solve the problems existing in the prior art, effectively suppress plume generation, improve the overall efficiency of deep-sea mining, and protect the marine ecological environment.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following solution: This invention provides a seabed modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining, comprising: a vehicle body, a chassis, a gel injection mechanism, and a drive mechanism. The vehicle body is equipped with a gel storage chamber for storing gel materials. The chassis is located at the bottom of the vehicle body for supporting the vehicle body's movement on the seabed. The gel injection mechanism is mounted on the vehicle body and communicates with the gel storage chamber for injecting the gel materials into surface sediments on the seabed. The drive mechanism is connected to the gel injection mechanism for driving the gel injection mechanism to perform the injection action.

[0007] Preferably, the gel injection mechanism includes one or more injection needles arranged along the width of the vehicle body, and the injection needles are connected to the gel storage chamber via delivery lines.

[0008] Preferably, the injection needle includes a connecting tube, an injection cavity, a sliding joint, a sealing rubber ring, a return spring, a pressure valve, and a one-way needle tip. One end of the connecting tube is connected to and communicates with the delivery tube. The sliding joint is slidably sleeved on the outside of the connecting tube and is fixedly connected to the top end of the injection cavity. The sealing rubber ring is disposed in the injection cavity and slidably seals against the inner wall of the injection cavity, dividing the interior of the injection cavity into an upper return chamber and a lower injection chamber. The connecting tube is located away from the delivery tube. One end of the tube is sealed and fixedly connected to the sealing rubber ring, and passes through the sealing rubber ring to communicate with the injection chamber. The return spring is sleeved on the outside of the connecting pipe. One end of the return spring is fixedly connected to the sliding joint, and the other end is fixedly connected to the sealing rubber ring. The pressure valve is installed at one end of the connecting pipe that extends into the injection chamber to control the unidirectional flow of gel material into the injection chamber. The unidirectional needle is installed at the bottom of the injection cavity and communicates with the injection chamber to inject the gel material in the injection chamber unidirectionally into the seabed surface sediments.

[0009] Preferably, the pressure valve includes a valve body, a piston, and a piston spring. The top end of the valve body is fixedly connected to the sealing rubber ring, and the piston is slidably connected to the valve body. The valve body is an inverted circular cap with multiple openings on its side. The top of the piston is provided with radial arms corresponding to the number of openings in the valve body, and the radial arms are respectively inserted into the openings. The top end of the piston spring is fixedly connected to the radial arms, and the bottom end of the piston spring is fixedly connected to the valve body, so that the piston has a closed position (closing the openings of the valve body) and an open position (opening the openings of the valve body) under the action of the piston spring.

[0010] Preferably, the driving mechanism includes two injection slide rails, a first bracket, a second bracket, a return arm, and a driving component. The two injection slide rails are arranged parallel to each other on both sides of the vehicle body. Each injection slide rail includes a first groove and a second groove. The first bracket is fixedly connected to each of the connecting pipes, and both ends of the first bracket are slidably connected to the first groove. The second bracket is fixedly connected to the outer wall of each injection cavity, and both ends of the second bracket are slidably connected to the second groove. The driving component is driven to the second bracket. One end of the return arm is hinged to the first bracket, and the other end is rotatably connected to the vehicle body. The driving component is used to drive the second bracket to slide along the second groove at intervals to realize the lifting and lowering of the injection cavity to complete the feeding of the injection chamber, and to drive the first bracket to slide along the first groove so that the injection needle moves down to a preset depth of the seabed surface sediment and completes the injection of gel material. The return arm is used to drive the first bracket to return to the initial position.

[0011] Preferably, the first slide is an arc-shaped slide, with the center of the first slide on the rotation axis of the return arm. The second slide includes a first vertical segment, a first arc segment, a second vertical segment, and a second arc segment that are connected in sequence to form a closed annular slide. The first vertical segment and the second vertical segment have the same length, and the first arc segment, the second arc segment, and the first slide have the same radius.

[0012] Preferably, the driving component includes a driving source, a driving gear, a driven gear, and multiple injection cams. The driving source is fixedly connected to the injection slide rail, the driving gear is fixedly connected to the output end of the driving source, the driving gear meshes with the driven gear, and both ends of the axle of the driven gear are rotatably connected to the corresponding injection slide rail. Multiple injection cams are fixedly arranged on the axle of the driven gear. Each injection cam is used to abut against the top of the corresponding second bracket to drive the second bracket to slide along the first vertical segment and the first arc segment. When the first bracket slides to the bottom of the first arc segment, the injection cam disengages from the second bracket.

[0013] Preferably, it also includes a depth adjustment mechanism. The delivery pipe is a gel output hose. The depth adjustment mechanism includes a depth adjustment groove, a depth adjuster, and a depth adjustment arm. The depth adjustment groove is disposed on the vehicle body. One end of the depth adjustment arm is slidably connected to the depth adjustment groove, and the other end is fixedly connected to the injection slide rail. The fixed end of the depth adjuster is fixedly connected to the vehicle body, and the output end of the depth adjuster is fixedly connected to the depth adjustment arm to adjust the height position of the depth adjustment arm.

[0014] Preferably, the system also includes multiple gel storage capsules. The gel storage chamber comprises multiple capsule placement stations. Each gel storage capsule includes a capsule body and a self-sealing interface located at the bottom of the capsule body. The capsule body is used to store high-concentration gel mother liquor or powdered gel raw materials. The capsule body can be placed in each capsule placement station. Each capsule placement station is provided with an injection port. The vehicle body is provided with multiple gel output ports. One end of each gel output port is used to connect and communicate with the corresponding gel output hose, and the other end is connected to the injection port. The bottom of each gel storage capsule is provided with a self-sealing interface, which is detachably connected to the injection port in the capsule placement station.

[0015] The present invention also provides a method for using a seabed modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining as described in any of the preceding claims, comprising the following steps: The seabed environment is explored using multiple multi-view vision lenses from a vision system to obtain information on the topography and properties of surface sediments. Based on the topographic and property information of the seabed surface sediments, the vehicle body is controlled to move to the preset gel injection area. Then, the drive mechanism is activated, driving the gel injection mechanism to perform the injection action to inject the gel material in the gel storage tank into the seabed surface sediments.

[0016] The present invention achieves the following technical effects compared to the prior art: This invention provides a seabed modification gel injection vehicle and its usage method for deep-sea mining. The vehicle body carries a gel storage tank for material storage during operations, and a chassis supports the vehicle body for flexible movement on the seabed, expanding the operating range. A vision mechanism obtains seabed information through multi-view vision lenses at the front of the vehicle body to ensure accurate and safe operations. The gel injection mechanism connects to the gel storage tank to inject materials into the seabed for modification. A drive mechanism drives the gel injection mechanism to precisely control injection parameters. All parts work together to achieve efficient, accurate, and safe deep-sea seabed modification gel injection operations, suppressing the generation of deep-sea mining plumes. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the oblique rear structure of the seabed modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining provided by the present invention. Figure 2A schematic diagram of the oblique front structure of the seabed modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining provided by the present invention; Figure 3 This is a partial structural diagram of the seabed modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining provided by the present invention. Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the injection needle in the seabed modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining provided by the present invention; Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of the pressure valve in a seabed modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining provided by the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the injection action process of the injection needle in Embodiment 2 of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the injection process performed by the drive mechanism in Embodiment 2 of the present invention; In the diagram: 1. Vehicle body; 101. Vision mechanism; 102. Multi-view vision lens; 2. Chassis; 3. Gel storage capsule; 301. Self-sealing interface; 4. Gel outlet; 5. Gel outlet hose; 6. First bracket; 601. First slider; 7. Second bracket; 701. Second slider; 8. Injection slide rail; 801. First groove; 802. Second groove; 9. Injection needle; 901. Sliding joint; 902. Return spring; 903. Sealing rubber ring; 904. Valve body; 905. Piston; 906. Injection chamber; 907. One-way needle; 908. Piston spring; 10. Returning rotary arm; 11. Depth adjustment arm; 1101. Third slider; 1102. Fourth slider; 12. Depth adjuster; 13. Depth adjustment groove; 14. Injection cam; 15. Driven gear; 16. Driving gear. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] The purpose of this invention is to provide a seabed modified gel injection vehicle and its application method for deep-sea mining, so as to solve the problems existing in the prior art, effectively suppress plume generation, improve the overall efficiency of deep-sea mining, and protect the marine ecological environment.

[0021] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0022] Example 1 This embodiment provides a seabed-modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining, such as... Figures 1-5 As shown, the system includes: a vehicle body 1, a walking chassis 2, a vision mechanism 101, a gel injection mechanism, and a drive mechanism. The vehicle body 1 is equipped with a gel storage chamber for storing gel materials. The vehicle body 1 serves as the main structure of the entire injection vehicle, providing a mounting base for other components. The gel storage chamber, located on the vehicle body 1, ensures the safe and stable storage of gel materials, guaranteeing safe storage in the complex deep-sea environment and providing sufficient material reserves for subsequent injection operations, ensuring operational continuity. The walking chassis 2 is located at the bottom of the vehicle body 1, supporting the vehicle body 1 as it moves along the seabed. The walking chassis 2 provides necessary support to the vehicle body 1, enabling it to stand stably on the seabed. Meanwhile, the ability to move on the seabed allows the injection vehicle to flexibly move to different seabed areas for operation, adapting to the seabed modification needs at different locations in deep-sea mining, thus improving the equipment's operating range and flexibility. The vision mechanism 101 includes multiple multi-view lenses 102 located at the front of the vehicle body 1. These lenses constitute the vision mechanism 101, enabling the acquisition of environmental information in front of the seabed from multiple angles, such as topography and the distribution of seabed sediments. This information is crucial for operators or the automatic control system to plan the injection vehicle's route, determine the gel injection location, and avoid obstacles, effectively improving the accuracy and safety of the operation and ensuring that the injection operation can be carried out precisely in the appropriate seabed area. The gel injection mechanism is installed on the vehicle body 1 and connected to the gel storage tank. It is used to inject gel material into the surface sediments of the seabed. The connection between the gel injection mechanism and the gel storage tank enables smooth transfer of gel material from the storage location to the injection point. Mounted on vehicle 1, this device accurately injects gel material into the seabed surface sediments during vehicle 1's movement, thereby modifying the seabed and fundamentally suppressing the resuspension and plume diffusion of fine particles during deep-sea mining. It is a core component for achieving plume-free deep-sea mining operations. The drive mechanism is connected to the gel injection mechanism, providing power to enable it to perform injection actions according to a predetermined pattern and frequency. By precisely controlling the drive mechanism, key parameters such as injection depth and frequency can be adjusted, ensuring that the gel material is injected uniformly and accurately into the seabed surface sediments, meeting operational requirements under different seabed conditions, and improving the quality and efficiency of injection operations.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment, the gel injection mechanism includes one or more injection needles 9 arranged along the width of the vehicle body 1. The injection needles 9 are connected to a gel storage tank via a delivery pipeline. The injection needles 9 arranged along the width of the vehicle body 1 can inject gel over a wider area of ​​the seabed surface during a single journey, increasing the operational coverage area and improving work efficiency. The connection to the gel storage tank via the delivery pipeline ensures a stable and continuous supply of gel material to the injection needles 9, guaranteeing the continuity of the injection operation.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the injection needle 9 includes a connecting tube, an injection cavity 906, a sliding joint 901, a sealing rubber ring 903, a return spring 902, a pressure valve, and a one-way needle tip 907. One end of the connecting tube is connected to and communicates with the delivery tube. The sliding joint 901 is slidably sleeved on the outside of the connecting tube and is fixedly connected to the top end of the injection cavity 906. The sealing rubber ring 903 is disposed inside the injection cavity 906 and slidably seals against the inner wall of the injection cavity 906, dividing the inside of the injection cavity 906 into an upper return chamber and a lower injection chamber. The end of the connecting tube away from the delivery tube... A sealing rubber ring 903 is used to seal and fix the injection tube, and the tube passes through the sealing rubber ring 903 to communicate with the injection chamber. A return spring 902 is sleeved on the outside of the connecting tube. One end of the return spring 902 is fixedly connected to the sliding joint 901, and the other end is fixedly connected to the sealing rubber ring 903. A pressure valve is installed at the end of the connecting tube that extends into the injection chamber to control the unidirectional flow of gel material into the injection chamber. A unidirectional needle 907 is installed at the bottom of the injection chamber 906 and communicates with the injection chamber. It is used to unidirectionally inject the gel material in the injection chamber into the seabed surface sediment. This fine structural design of the injection needle 9 ensures the unidirectional flow of gel material and accurate injection. The return spring 902 provides the reset force for the injection action, allowing the injection process to be repeated. The sealing rubber ring 903 divides the injection chamber into two parts, ensuring the independence of the functions of the return chamber and the injection chamber, while realizing the collaborative work between the two. The pressure valve controls the unidirectional flow of gel into the injection chamber, preventing backflow and ensuring the accuracy and stability of the injection. The unidirectional needle 907 ensures that the gel can only be injected into the surface sediments of the seabed, avoiding seawater backflow that could affect the gel performance and injection effect.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the pressure valve includes a valve body 904, a piston 905, and a piston spring 908. The top of the valve body 904 is fixedly connected to a sealing rubber ring 903, and the piston 905 is slidably connected to the valve body 904. The valve body 904 is an inverted circular cap with multiple openings on its side. The top of the piston 905 is provided with radial arms corresponding to the number of openings in the valve body 904, and the radial arms are respectively inserted into the openings. The top of the piston spring 908 is fixedly connected to the radial arms, and the bottom of the piston spring 908 is fixedly connected to the valve body 904, so that the piston 905 has a closed position that closes the openings of the valve body 904 and an open position that opens the openings of the valve body 904 under the action of the piston spring 908. This structural design of the pressure valve can precisely control the inflow of gel material. By sliding the piston 905 within the opening of the valve body 904, the opening of the valve body 904 is opened and closed using the elastic force of the piston spring 908, thereby controlling the timing and flow rate of gel inflow and ensuring that the gel enters the injection chamber under appropriate conditions, providing a reliable control mechanism for accurate gel injection.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, the driving mechanism includes two injection slide rails 8, a first bracket 6, a second bracket 7, a return rotary arm 10, and a driving component. The two injection slide rails 8 are arranged parallel to each other on both sides of the vehicle body 1. Each injection slide rail 8 includes a first groove 801 and a second groove 802. The first bracket 6 is fixedly connected to each connecting pipe, and both ends of the first bracket 6 are slidably connected to the first groove 801 via a first slider 601. The second bracket 7 is fixedly connected to the outer wall of each injection cavity 906, and both ends of the second bracket 7 are slidably connected to the second groove 802 via a second slider 701. The driving component is drively connected to the second bracket 7. One end of the return rotary arm 10 is connected to the first bracket 801. The frame 6 is hinged at one end and rotatably connected to the vehicle body 1 at the other. The drive unit is used to drive the second support 7 to slide along the second slide groove 802 at intervals to realize the lifting and lowering of the injection chamber 906 to complete the feeding of the gel injection chamber, and to drive the first support 6 to slide along the first slide groove 801 to move the injection needle 9 down to the preset depth of the seabed surface sediment and complete the injection of gel material. The return arm 10 is used to drive the first support 6 back to the initial position. The drive mechanism realizes the complex movement of the injection needle 9 through two parallel and spaced injection slide rails 8 and the cooperating support, return arm 10 and drive unit, including the lifting and lowering of the injection chamber 906 for feeding and the overall downward movement and reset of the injection needle 9. This design enables the injection process to be carried out in an orderly and precise manner, meeting the gel injection needs of different depths of seabed surface sediment in deep-sea mining, and can automatically complete the feeding and reset actions, improving the automation level and work efficiency of the injection operation.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment, the first slide 801 is an arc-shaped slide, with its center on the rotation axis of the return arm 10. The second slide 802 includes a first vertical segment, a first arc segment, a second vertical segment, and a second arc segment connected sequentially to form a closed annular slide. The first and second vertical segments have the same length, and the first, second, and first arc segments have the same radius as the first slide 801. The arc-shaped design of the first slide 801 and its positional relationship with the rotation axis of the return arm 10 enable the first support 6 to move along a specific trajectory under the drive of the return arm 10, ensuring the accuracy and stability of the injection needle 9's resetting action. The closed annular design of the second slide 802 and the dimensional settings of each segment, in conjunction with the driving component, precisely control the lifting and horizontal movement of the injection cavity 906, allowing the feeding and injection actions of the injection needle 9 to be completed according to a predetermined sequence and trajectory, further improving the accuracy and controllability of the injection operation.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the driving component includes a driving source, a driving gear 16, a driven gear 15, and multiple injection cams 14. The driving source is fixedly connected to the injection slide rail 8, and the driving gear 16 is fixedly connected to the output end of the driving source. The driving gear 16 meshes with the driven gear 15 for transmission, and both ends of the axle of the driven gear 15 are rotatably connected to the corresponding injection slide rail 8. Multiple injection cams 14 are fixedly mounted on the axle of the driven gear 15. Each injection cam 14 abuts against the top of the corresponding second support 7 to drive the second support 7 to slide along the first vertical segment and the first arc segment. When the first support 6 slides to the bottom of the first arc segment, the injection cam 14 disengages from the second support 7. The driving component drives the driving gear 16 through the driving source, and then drives the second support 7 through the driven gear 15 and the injection cams 14. This transmission method has a compact structure and can accurately transmit power to the relevant components of the injection needle 9, realizing the lifting and lowering of the injection cavity 906 and the downward injection action of the injection needle 9. The cooperation between multiple injection cams 14 and corresponding second supports 7 ensures the consistency and coordination of the movements of multiple injection needles 9, thereby improving the efficiency and stability of the overall injection operation.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the seabed modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining further includes a depth adjustment mechanism. The delivery pipeline is a gel output hose 5. The depth adjustment mechanism includes a depth adjustment groove 13, a depth adjuster 12, and a depth adjustment arm 11. The depth adjustment groove 13 is mounted on the vehicle body 1. One end of the depth adjustment arm 11 is slidably connected to the depth adjustment groove 13 via a third slider 1101 and a fourth slider 1102, while the other end is fixedly connected to the injection rail 8. The fixed end of the depth adjuster 12 is fixedly connected to the vehicle body 1, and the output end of the depth adjuster 12 is fixedly connected to the depth adjustment arm 11 to adjust the height of the depth adjustment arm 11. The depth adjustment mechanism can flexibly adjust the injection depth of the injection needle 9 according to different seabed geological conditions and mining requirements. By controlling the position of the depth adjustment arm 11 within the depth adjustment groove 13 through the depth adjuster 12, the height of the injection rail 8 is changed, achieving precise adjustment of the insertion depth of the injection needle 9 into the seabed surface sediments. This allows the injection vehicle to adapt to diverse operating environments, improving the adaptability of the equipment and the accuracy of the operation.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment, the seabed modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining further includes multiple gel storage capsules 3. The gel storage compartment comprises multiple capsule placement stations. Each gel storage capsule 3 includes a capsule body and a self-sealing interface 301 located at the bottom of the capsule body. The capsule body stores high-concentration gel mother liquor or powdered gel raw materials. The capsule body can be placed in each capsule placement station. Each capsule placement station has an injection port. The vehicle body 1 has multiple gel output ports 4. One end of each gel output port 4 is connected to a corresponding gel output hose 5, and the other end is connected to the injection port. The bottom of the gel storage capsule 3 has a self-sealing interface 301, which is detachably connected to the injection port in each capsule placement station. The design of multiple gel storage capsules 3 and corresponding placement stations facilitates the storage and replacement of gel materials. The detachable connection between the self-sealing interface 301 and the injection port makes operation simple and quick when changing gel raw materials. Simultaneously, the self-sealing interface 301 ensures the sealing of the gel material during transportation and storage, preventing leakage. This design improves the efficiency of storing and using gel materials, ensuring that the injection truck can operate continuously and stably.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the seabed modification gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining further includes a vision mechanism 101. The vision mechanism 101 includes multiple multi-view vision lenses 102 disposed at the front of the vehicle body 1. The vision mechanism 101, through the multiple multi-view vision lenses 102 at the front of the vehicle body 1, enables real-time acquisition of environmental information about the seabed, such as topography and sediment distribution. This information helps operators accurately control the direction of travel and injection location of the injection vehicle, avoiding injection in unsuitable areas, improving the accuracy and safety of the operation, and also providing a basis for adjusting injection parameters according to the actual seabed conditions.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the chassis 2 is either a tracked or wheeled walking mechanism. Using either a tracked or wheeled walking mechanism allows for adaptation to different seabed topography. Tracked walking mechanisms offer better traction and maneuverability on soft seabeds, making them suitable for areas with softer seabed sediments; wheeled walking mechanisms offer higher speed and flexibility on relatively flat seabeds. This selectable design enhances the applicability of the injection vehicle in various seabed environments, ensuring its successful completion of seabed modification gel injection operations under diverse deep-sea conditions.

[0033] Example 2 This embodiment provides a method for using a seabed modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining; including the following steps: I. Preparation Stage Gel material preparation Based on the characteristics of seabed sediments in deep-sea mining areas, suitable gel materials, such as high-concentration gel mother liquor or powdered gel raw materials, are selected and filled into the capsules of gel storage capsule 3.

[0034] The gel storage capsule 3 containing gel material is placed in the capsule placement station of the gel storage compartment of the vehicle body 1 through the self-sealing interface 301 at the bottom, and it is ensured that the self-sealing interface 301 is detachably connected to the injection port in the capsule placement station to prevent gel leakage.

[0035] Equipment inspection Conduct a comprehensive inspection of the undercarriage 2. For tracked undercarriages, check for damage or looseness of the tracks and ensure the track tension is appropriate. For wheeled undercarriages, check tire pressure, wear, and the firmness of wheel hub connections to ensure that the undercarriage 2 can move stably on the seabed.

[0036] Inspect the gel injection mechanism to ensure that all components of the injection needle 9 are tightly connected, especially the connections between the connecting tubing and the delivery tubing, the injection chamber 906 and the sliding joint 901, and the sealing rubber ring 903 and the inner wall of the injection chamber 906, to prevent gel leakage. Simultaneously check the smooth sliding connection between the piston 905 and the valve body 904 in the pressure valve, and the normal elasticity of the piston spring 908, to ensure that the pressure valve can effectively control the unidirectional flow of gel into the injection chamber.

[0037] Inspect the drive mechanism, checking whether the two injection slide rails 8 are parallel, and whether their surfaces are worn or deformed. Verify that the first slide groove 801 and the second slide groove 802 are smooth. Confirm that the fixed connections between the first bracket 6 and the connecting pipe, and between the second bracket 7 and the injection cavity 906 are secure. Check whether the hinged rotation of the return arm 10 with the first bracket 6 and the vehicle body 1 is flexible. Inspect the transmission connections between the drive source, the drive gear 16, the driven gear 15, and the injection cam 14 in the drive components for proper functioning, and check for any looseness or jamming in any parts.

[0038] Check the depth adjustment mechanism to ensure that the depth adjustment groove 13, depth adjuster 12 and depth adjustment arm 11 are properly connected and that the depth adjuster 12 can smoothly adjust the height position of the depth adjustment arm 11 in the depth adjustment groove 13, thereby accurately adjusting the height of the injection slide rail 8 to control the injection depth of the injection needle 9.

[0039] The inspection vision mechanism 101 and multiple multi-view vision lenses 102 should be clean and unobstructed to ensure that they can clearly acquire information about the seabed environment and provide accurate visual support for the movement of the injection vehicle and injection operations.

[0040] System debugging Start the drive source of the drive mechanism, and drive the injection cam 14 to rotate through the drive gear 16 and the driven gear 15. Check the sliding condition of the second bracket 7 in the second slide groove 802, including whether the movement along the first vertical section, the first arc section, the second vertical section and the second arc section is smooth, and whether it can accurately drive the injection cavity 906 to complete the lifting and feeding and injection actions. At the same time, check whether the sliding of the first bracket 6 in the first slide groove 801 and the function of the return arm 10 to drive the first bracket 6 to reset are normal.

[0041] Check the gel delivery system to ensure that the gel delivery path from the gel storage capsule 3 through the injection port, gel output port 4, gel output tubing 5 to the injection needle 9 is unobstructed, and confirm that the gel can be stably delivered to the injection needle 9 under the pressure of the gel output port 4.

[0042] II. Work Phase Seabed environment detection The injection vehicle is deployed to the deep-sea mining area, and multiple multi-view vision lenses 102 of the vision unit 101 acquire real-time information on the seabed environment, including seabed topography and sediment distribution, and feed the information back to the operators or control system.

[0043] Based on seabed environmental information, plan the route and injection location of the injection vehicle to ensure that the injection operation can cover the seabed area that needs pretreatment, while avoiding obstacles or areas unsuitable for injection.

[0044] depth adjustment Depending on the characteristics of the seabed sediments and mining requirements, the position of the depth adjustment arm 11 within the depth adjustment groove 13 is adjusted by the depth adjuster 12, thereby changing the height of the injection slide rail 8 and allowing the injection needle 9 to reach the preset injection depth. For example, for softer seabed sediments, it may be necessary to insert the injection needle 9 into a deeper position to ensure that the gel can effectively modify the sediments.

[0045] Gel Injection like Figure 7 As shown in (a), when the drive mechanism is activated, the drive source drives the driving gear 16 to rotate, and the driving gear 16 causes the injection cam 14 to rotate via the driven gear 15. Figure 7 As shown in (b), the injection cam 14 abuts against the top of the second bracket 7, causing the second bracket 7 to slide downward along the first vertical section of the second slide groove 802. The injection chamber 906 then descends. Due to the anti-backflow effect of the one-way needle 907, a vacuum is formed in the injection chamber. The piston 905 moves downward in the valve body 904, the piston spring 908 is compressed, the opening of the valve body 904 is exposed, and the gel flows into the injection chamber from the connecting pipe under negative pressure.

[0046] like Figure 7 As shown in (c), when the second support 7 slides to the first arc segment, the first support 6 slides synchronously along the first slide groove 801 with the movement of the second support 7, causing the injection needle 9 to move downward as a whole. When the first support 6 slides to the bottom of the first arc segment, the injection needle 9 reaches the preset depth of the seabed surface sediment, at which point the injection cam 14 disengages from the second support 7.

[0047] like Figure 7 As shown in (d), after the injection cam 14 disengages, the return spring 902 pushes the injection chamber 906 upward, simultaneously causing the second support 7 to move upward along the second vertical section. The gel in the injection chamber is injected into the seabed surface sediment through the one-way needle 907, completing one injection action. Subsequently, driven by the return arm 10, the first support 6 returns to its initial position along the first groove 801, and the second support 7 slides back to its initial position along the second arc section within the second groove 802, ready for the next injection.

[0048] like Figure 6As shown, when the injection needle 9 is in the ready state or in a naturally placed state, the positional relationship of each structure is as follows: Figure 6 As shown in (a), both the return spring 902 and the piston spring 908 are in a relaxed or minimum pressure state; when the gel output tubing 5 is held in a fixed position, an external force is applied to pull the injection chamber 906 downward. Due to the anti-backflow effect of the one-way needle 907, a vacuum is formed in the injection chamber, causing the piston 905 to move downward together with the injection chamber 906, further increasing the negative pressure in the chamber, as shown in (a). Figure 6 As shown in (b); as piston 905 moves downward, piston spring 908 is compressed, valve body 904 opening is exposed, and internal gel is drawn out into the injection chamber under negative pressure, as shown in (b). Figure 6 As shown in (c); as the gel is injected, the negative pressure inside the cavity decreases until it approaches the gel pressure inside the valve. The pressure of the piston spring 908 is greater than the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the valve, pushing the piston 905 upward to gradually close the opening of the valve body 904, making it tightly fit with the sealing rubber ring 903. Figure 6 As shown in (d), at this time, the injection chamber 906 continues to move downward, and the return spring 902 is continuously compressed, entering the pre-injection state; finally, the external force applied to the injection chamber 906 stops, and the injection chamber 906 moves upward under the action of the return spring 902, the cavity space between it and the piston 905 is squeezed, and the gel is injected from the one-way needle 907. The injection needle 9 completes one injection action and returns to the ready state, as shown. Figure 6 As shown in (e).

[0049] The injection vehicle moves along the planned route. The chassis 2 is tracked or wheeled. During the movement, the drive mechanism continuously drives the injection needles 9 to perform the above-mentioned injection actions. One or more injection needles 9 arranged along the width of the vehicle body 1 work simultaneously to continuously and uniformly inject gel into the seabed surface sediments.

[0050] Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this invention. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the ideas of this invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

Claims

1. A seabed-modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining, characterized in that: include: The vehicle body is provided with a gel storage chamber for storing gel materials. A walking chassis is disposed at the bottom of the vehicle body to support the vehicle body in moving on the seabed; A vision mechanism, comprising a plurality of multi-view vision lenses disposed at the front of the vehicle body; A gel injection mechanism, which is mounted on the vehicle body and communicates with the gel storage chamber, is used to inject the gel material into the surface sediments of the seabed. as well as A driving mechanism is connected to the gel injection mechanism and is used to drive the gel injection mechanism to perform injection actions.

2. The seabed modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gel injection mechanism includes one or more injection needles arranged along the width of the vehicle body, and the injection needles are connected to the gel storage chamber via delivery lines.

3. The seabed modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining according to claim 2, characterized in that: The injection needle includes a connecting tube, an injection cavity, a sliding connector, a sealing rubber ring, a return spring, a pressure valve, and a one-way needle. One end of the connecting tube is connected to and communicates with the delivery tube. The sliding connector is slidably sleeved on the outside of the connecting tube and is fixedly connected to the top end of the injection cavity. The sealing rubber ring is disposed in the injection cavity and slidably seals against the inner wall of the injection cavity, dividing the interior of the injection cavity into an upper return chamber and a lower injection chamber. The connecting tube is located away from the delivery tube. The end is sealed and fixedly connected to the sealing rubber ring, and passes through the sealing rubber ring to communicate with the injection chamber. The return spring is sleeved on the outside of the connecting pipe. One end of the return spring is fixedly connected to the sliding joint, and the other end is fixedly connected to the sealing rubber ring. The pressure valve is installed at one end of the connecting pipe that extends into the injection chamber to control the unidirectional flow of gel material into the injection chamber. The unidirectional needle is installed at the bottom of the injection cavity and communicates with the injection chamber, and is used to unidirectionally inject the gel material in the injection chamber into the seabed surface sediment.

4. The seabed modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining according to claim 3, characterized in that: The pressure valve includes a valve body, a piston, and a piston spring. The top end of the valve body is fixedly connected to the sealing rubber ring, and the piston is slidably connected to the valve body. The valve body is an inverted circular cap with multiple openings on its side. The top of the piston is provided with radial arms corresponding to the number of openings in the valve body, and the radial arms are respectively inserted into the openings. The top end of the piston spring is fixedly connected to the radial arms, and the bottom end of the piston spring is fixedly connected to the valve body, so that the piston has a closed position (closing the openings of the valve body) and an open position (opening the openings of the valve body) under the action of the piston spring.

5. The seabed-modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining according to claim 4, characterized in that: The driving mechanism includes two injection slide rails, a first bracket, a second bracket, a return arm, and a driving component. The two injection slide rails are arranged parallel to each other on both sides of the vehicle body. Each injection slide rail includes a first groove and a second groove. The first bracket is fixedly connected to each of the connecting pipes, and both ends of the first bracket are slidably connected to the first groove. The second bracket is fixedly connected to the outer wall of each injection cavity, and both ends of the second bracket are slidably connected to the second groove. The driving component is driven to the second bracket. One end of the return arm is hinged to the first bracket, and the other end is rotatably connected to the vehicle body. The driving component is used to drive the second bracket to slide along the second groove at intervals to realize the lifting and lowering of the injection cavity to complete the feeding of the gel injection chamber, and to drive the first bracket to slide along the first groove so that the injection needle moves down to a preset depth of the seabed surface sediment and completes the injection of gel material. The return arm is used to drive the first bracket to return to the initial position.

6. The seabed-modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first slide is an arc-shaped slide, and the center of the first slide is on the rotation axis of the return arm. The second slide includes a first vertical segment, a first arc segment, a second vertical segment, and a second arc segment that are connected in sequence to form a closed annular slide. The first vertical segment and the second vertical segment have the same length, and the first arc segment, the second arc segment, and the first slide have the same radius.

7. The seabed-modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining according to claim 6, characterized in that: The driving component includes a driving source, a driving gear, a driven gear, and multiple injection cams. The driving source is fixedly connected to the injection slide rail, and the driving gear is fixedly connected to the output end of the driving source. The driving gear meshes with the driven gear, and both ends of the axle of the driven gear are rotatably connected to the corresponding injection slide rail. Multiple injection cams are fixedly arranged on the axle of the driven gear. Each injection cam is used to abut against the top of the corresponding second bracket to drive the second bracket to slide along the first vertical segment and the first arc segment. When the first bracket slides to the bottom of the first arc segment, the injection cam disengages from the second bracket.

8. The seabed-modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining according to claim 7, characterized in that: It also includes a depth adjustment mechanism. The delivery pipe is a gel output hose. The depth adjustment mechanism includes a depth adjustment groove, a depth adjuster, and a depth adjustment arm. The depth adjustment groove is set on the vehicle body. One end of the depth adjustment arm is slidably connected to the depth adjustment groove, and the other end is fixedly connected to the injection slide rail. The fixed end of the depth adjuster is fixedly connected to the vehicle body, and the output end of the depth adjuster is fixedly connected to the depth adjustment arm to adjust the height position of the depth adjustment arm.

9. The seabed-modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes multiple gel storage capsules. The gel storage chamber has multiple capsule placement stations. Each gel storage capsule includes a capsule body and a self-sealing interface located at the bottom of the capsule body. The capsule body is used to store high-concentration gel mother liquor or powdered gel raw materials. The capsule body can be placed in each capsule placement station. Each capsule placement station is provided with an injection port. The vehicle body is provided with multiple gel output ports. One end of each gel output port is used to connect and communicate with the corresponding gel output hose, and the other end is connected to the injection port. The bottom of each gel storage capsule is provided with a self-sealing interface, which is detachably connected to the injection port in the capsule placement station.

10. A method of using a seabed modified gel injection vehicle for deep-sea mining as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The seabed environment is explored using multiple multi-view vision lenses from a vision system to obtain information on the topography and properties of surface sediments. Based on the topographic and property information of the seabed surface sediments, the vehicle body is controlled to move to the preset gel injection area. Then, the drive mechanism is activated, driving the gel injection mechanism to perform the injection action to inject the gel material in the gel storage tank into the seabed surface sediments.

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