Biomimetic robot and system for deep sea mining

Abstract

This invention discloses a biomimetic robot and system for deep-sea mining. The biomimetic robot includes: a biomimetic shell, a docking and gripping mechanism, a control unit, an energy module, a buoyancy adjustment mechanism, and a power unit. The energy module is located in the body and supplies power to the control unit, docking and gripping mechanism, buoyancy adjustment mechanism, and power unit. The control unit is located in the body and is responsible for receiving feedback from the docking and gripping mechanism and issuing control commands. The buoyancy adjustment mechanism includes a pressure-resistant buoyancy adjustment chamber on the outside of the body, which can adjust the water volume inside the chamber according to control signals to achieve buoyancy adjustment. The power unit consists of biomimetic wave-shaped fins symmetrically arranged on both sides of the body and a water jet propulsion unit built into the body with its outlet located at the tail, providing propulsion for the device. The docking and gripping mechanism is installed on the outer wall of the body and can grip the mineral load chamber according to control commands and report the gripping status to the control unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of deep-sea engineering equipment and marine resource development technology, and in particular to a biomimetic robot and system for deep-sea mining. Background Technology

[0002] The deep sea is rich in mineral resources, which can provide key raw materials for emerging industries. The deep-sea mining system mainly consists of three parts: the seabed ore collection vehicle responsible for mineral collection, the ore lifting subsystem responsible for vertical transportation, and the surface mining vessel responsible for receiving and processing. Among them, the ore lifting subsystem is the key link connecting the seabed and the sea surface, and the technology is very difficult. Traditional ore lifting technology mainly relies on rigid pipeline pneumatic / hydraulic lifting systems. This system requires the deployment of giant risers thousands of meters long, and the slurry is continuously lifted to the sea surface by pumps or high-pressure gas. Its disadvantages are very obvious: (1) The system is huge and fragile. The pipeline thousands of meters long generates huge vortex-induced vibrations under the action of ocean currents, and is very prone to fatigue failure. (2) The energy consumption is huge. Maintaining the continuous fluid transport in the pipeline requires huge pumping power. (3) Deployment and recovery are difficult. It requires high-specification engineering vessels to carry out long-term offshore operations, and is greatly restricted by weather windows. (4) The environmental risk is high. Once the pipeline is broken, it may cause a large amount of slurry to leak into the middle layer of water. (5) Poor flexibility, it can only carry out continuous operations at a fixed point, making it difficult to adapt to uneven distribution of mining areas. In order to overcome the above shortcomings, some studies have proposed a non-continuous transportation scheme based on autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). However, traditional torpedo-shaped AUVs have low vertical transportation efficiency, small load ratio, and insufficient mobility for precise docking and loading / unloading on the seabed and sea surface. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a biomimetic robot and system for deep-sea mining, so as to solve the problem of limitations in the transportation of deep-sea minerals in the prior art.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0005] A biomimetic robot for deep-sea mining includes: Bionic shell, docking and gripping mechanism, control unit, energy module, buoyancy adjustment mechanism and power unit; The bionic shell is a pressure-resistant shell based on bionics and the structure of a squid. The bionic shell is divided into a bionic squid head, a bionic squid body, and a bionic squid tail. The energy module is located inside the body of the biomimetic squid and is used to provide electrical energy to the control unit, the docking and gripping mechanism, the buoyancy adjustment mechanism and the power unit. The control unit is located inside the body of the bionic squid and is used to receive feedback information from the docking and gripping mechanism, as well as to provide control information to the docking and gripping mechanism, the buoyancy adjustment mechanism and the power unit. The buoyancy adjustment mechanism includes a pressure-resistant buoyancy adjustment chamber disposed on the outer surface of the bionic squid's body. The buoyancy adjustment mechanism also includes a high-pressure seawater pump group and a control valve group disposed inside the bionic squid's body. The high-pressure seawater pump group and the control valve group respond to the control signal issued by the control unit for controlling buoyancy, so as to adjust the liquid volume in the pressure-resistant buoyancy adjustment chamber. The power unit includes biomimetic wave fins symmetrically arranged on the outer wall of the biomimetic squid's body and a water jet propulsion unit disposed inside the biomimetic squid's body. The water jet propulsion unit's outlet is located at the tail of the biomimetic squid, so that when the water jet propulsion unit sprays water, the biomimetic shell is subjected to a thrust parallel to the biomimetic shell. The docking and gripping mechanism is located on the outer wall of the biomimetic squid's body. It is used to respond to the gripping information from the control unit to grip the load chamber carrying the minerals, and to send feedback information to the control unit after completing the gripping action.

[0006] Optionally, the biomimetic wave fin consists of a flexible fin surface and a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism includes a drive motor disposed within the body of the biomimetic squid and a drive rod that is poweredly connected to the drive motor and extends out of the body of the biomimetic squid. The drive motor is signal-connected to the control unit. The flexible fin surface wraps around the drive rod so that the flexible fin surface moves in a wave-like motion under the drive rod.

[0007] Optionally, the biomimetic squid tail includes a fixed tail and a water-jetting tail, with the water outlet of the water jet propulsion device located at the water-jetting tail.

[0008] Optionally, the load compartment is equipped with an automatically opening and closing door and a gravity-assisted unloading structure.

[0009] Optionally, the docking and gripping mechanism includes an extension arm and a hook located at one end of the extension arm, the outer surface of the load chamber is provided with a groove corresponding to the hook, and the other end of the extension arm is connected to the outer wall of the bionic squid body.

[0010] Optionally, at least one end of the extension arm is provided with a pair of hooks.

[0011] Optionally, the pressure-resistant buoyancy regulating chamber is a capsule made of phase change material.

[0012] Optionally, the energy module is equipped with a contact-type or contactless inductive fast charging interface.

[0013] On the other hand, this application provides a control system for deep-sea mining, applied to a biomimetic robot for deep-sea mining as described above, comprising: The cluster collaboration algorithm unit is used to determine the number of biomimetic robots for deep-sea mining based on the amount of minerals collected, and to plan transportation paths for each of the biomimetic robots. An information sending unit is used to send the transportation path to the control unit of each of the bionic robots.

[0014] Beneficial effects: By simulating the buoyancy adjustment mechanism of a squid, the vehicle's diving and surfacing processes primarily rely on gravity and buoyancy, with the propulsion system used only for auxiliary acceleration, attitude adjustment, and overcoming drag, significantly reducing energy consumption during transportation. Combining the low-speed, high-precision control capabilities of undulating fins with the high-speed capabilities of waterjet propulsion, it solves the challenge of precise docking with seabed / surface facilities in complex deep-sea environments. Employing a multi-vehicle cluster operation mode, the failure of a single vehicle does not affect the operation of the entire system, unlike mining pipeline systems which have single points of failure. The system can flexibly increase or decrease the number of vehicles based on mining output, and requires no complex pipeline laying, making deployment and relocation extremely flexible. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is an external structural diagram of a biomimetic robot for deep-sea mining according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is an external structural diagram of another biomimetic robot for deep-sea mining according to the present invention; Figure 3 This is an internal cross-sectional view of a biomimetic robot for deep-sea mining according to the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the operation scenario of a control system for deep-sea mining according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0016] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0017] like Figures 1-3 As shown, a biomimetic robot for deep-sea mining includes: 1. Bionic shell; 2. Docking and gripping mechanism; 3. Control unit; 4. Energy module; 5. Buoyancy adjustment mechanism; and 6. Power unit; The bionic shell 1 is a pressure-resistant shell based on bionics and the structure of a squid. The bionic shell 1 is divided into a bionic squid head, a bionic squid body and a bionic squid tail. The energy module 4 is located inside the body of the bionic squid and is used to provide electrical energy to the control unit 3, the docking and gripping mechanism 2, the buoyancy adjustment mechanism 5 and the power unit 6. The control unit 3 is located inside the body of the bionic squid and is used to receive feedback information from the docking and gripping mechanism 2, and also to provide control information to the docking and gripping mechanism 2, the buoyancy adjustment mechanism 5 and the power unit 5. The buoyancy adjustment mechanism 5 includes a pressure-resistant buoyancy adjustment chamber 51 disposed on the outer surface of the bionic squid body. The buoyancy adjustment mechanism also includes a high-pressure seawater pump group and a control valve group disposed inside the bionic squid body. The high-pressure seawater pump group and the control valve group respond to the control signal issued by the control unit for controlling buoyancy to adjust the liquid volume in the pressure-resistant buoyancy adjustment chamber. The power unit 6 includes a bionic wave fin 61 symmetrically arranged on the outer wall of the bionic squid's body and a water jet propulsion unit 62 arranged inside the bionic squid's body. The water outlet 621 of the water jet propulsion unit is located at the tail of the bionic squid, so that when the water jet propulsion unit sprays water, the bionic shell is subjected to a thrust parallel to the bionic shell. The docking and gripping mechanism 2 is located on the outer wall of the bionic squid's body and is used to respond to the gripping information of the control unit to grip the load chamber 7 carrying the minerals, and to send feedback information to the control unit 3 after completing the gripping action.

[0018] For example, such as Figures 1-3 As shown, the biomimetic shell 1 is made of carbon fiber reinforced composite material, has a flat, squid-like streamlined shape, and is approximately 5 meters long. The shell resembles the internal shell of a squid, providing structural rigidity. The streamlined shape of the biomimetic shell 1 is designed to reduce fluid resistance during long-distance vertical navigation. The pressure-resistant shell provides an atmospheric pressure environment for the internal, non-pressure-resistant precision equipment. The shell integrates the core components of the system, including a high-energy-density battery pack (the energy module 4), a variable buoyancy engine (VBE) (the buoyancy adjustment mechanism 5), and a navigation and control system (control unit 3).

[0019] The biomimetic shell 1 has a flexible, undulating fin running the length of each side. Driven by a series of servo motors and a linkage mechanism, it generates a wave-like motion similar to a squid fin, providing fine-tuned thrust and torque in all directions to achieve six-degree-of-freedom hovering and precise positioning. A high-efficiency waterjet propulsion pump is located at the center of the tail for rapid vertical maneuvering. The intelligent variable buoyancy system (biomimetic squid skeleton) includes two pressure-resistant titanium alloy spherical tanks located at the vehicle's center of gravity and a seawater pump system capable of withstanding 60 MPa environmental pressure.

[0020] The variable buoyancy airbag (pressure-resistant buoyancy adjustment chamber 51) is located at the upper rear of the main hull. In the high-pressure environment of the deep sea, it is usually not inflated. Instead, a special hydraulic oil from the pressure hull is pumped into the external elastic bladder via an internal high-pressure hydraulic pump. When the bladder inflates with oil, the overall volume of the vehicle increases significantly, displacing more seawater and generating a huge upward net buoyancy force. This overcomes the system's own weight plus the weight of the heavy ore load, enabling unpowered ascent.

[0021] The operational process of biomimetic robots used in deep-sea mining includes: Descent: The vehicle is unloaded, hydraulic fluid is withdrawn, the capsule contracts, and buoyancy decreases. Simultaneously, the buoyancy system draws in seawater, making the overall density of the vehicle slightly greater than that of seawater, allowing for an energy-efficient descent at approximately 1.5 m / s. Utilizing its own gravity, the vehicle descends to the predetermined target point on the seabed in an efficient gliding motion.

[0022] Subsea operations: When approaching the subsea relay station, the water jet pumps are shut off, and the vehicle relies solely on its wave-like fins for precise centimeter-level positioning, enabling it to hover stably above the seabed. The vehicle then slowly approaches mineral deposits on the seabed using biomimetic tentacles on its head, and physically docks and locks onto them.

[0023] Ascent: After loading the minerals, a high-pressure pump forces the seawater out of the spherical tank or uses pre-charged high-pressure gas to assist in drainage, giving the vehicle net positive buoyancy, which is sufficient to overcome the weight of the vehicle itself plus the weight of the mineral pack. At this point, the vehicle accelerates upwards using the enormous buoyancy, and the waterjet propulsion assists it to reach an ascent speed of approximately 3 m / s or more.

[0024] Recovery: The surface support vessel lifts the vehicle and its accompanying mineral packs out of the water, completing the recovery process. After recovery, the vehicle can be recharged and maintained in preparation for its next mission.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the biomimetic wave fin consists of a flexible fin surface and a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism includes a drive motor disposed within the body of the biomimetic squid and a drive rod that is poweredly connected to the drive motor and extends out of the body of the biomimetic squid. The drive motor is signal-connected to the control unit. The flexible fin surface wraps around the drive rod so that the flexible fin surface moves in a wave-like motion under the drive of the drive rod.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the biomimetic squid tail includes a fixed tail and a water-jetting tail, with the water outlet of the water jet propulsion device located at the water-jetting tail.

[0027] For example, considering the sealing requirements of the deep-sea working environment, the water jet propulsion outlet is located at the water jet tail 8 to reduce the risk of leakage. A high-efficiency water jet propulsion pump is located at the center of the tail section, capable of providing greater thrust. In one possible implementation, the load compartment is equipped with an automatically opening and closing door and a gravity-assisted unloading structure.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the docking and gripping mechanism includes an extension arm and a hook located at one end of the extension arm, the outer surface of the load chamber is provided with a groove corresponding to the hook, and the other end of the extension arm is connected to the outer wall of the biomimetic squid body.

[0029] For example, such as Figure 2 As shown, the docking and gripping mechanism can adopt a wrist-foot gripping structure.

[0030] For example, the connection between the load chamber and the docking and gripping mechanism can be made more reliable by using the gripping hook and the corresponding groove.

[0031] In one possible implementation, at least one end of the extension arm is provided with a pair of hooks.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the pressure-resistant buoyancy regulating chamber is a capsule made of phase change material.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the energy module is provided with a contact or non-contact inductive fast charging interface.

[0034] For example, contact or non-contact inductive fast charging interfaces enable biomimetic robots to continue operating after a short refueling on the water surface.

[0035] In one possible implementation, this application provides a control system for deep-sea mining, applied to a biomimetic robot for deep-sea mining as described above, comprising: The cluster collaboration algorithm unit is used to determine the number of biomimetic robots for deep-sea mining based on the amount of minerals collected, and to plan transportation paths for each of the biomimetic robots. An information sending unit is used to send the transportation path to the control unit of each of the bionic robots.

[0036] For example, such as Figure 4 As shown, the system is applied to polymetallic nodule mining areas at a water depth of 5000-6000 meters. The core component of the system is multiple biomimetic squid transport vehicles (bionic robots) that work together to transport minerals autonomously between the seabed and the surface in a cluster.

[0037] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A biomimetic robot for deep-sea mining, characterized in that, include: Bionic shell, docking and gripping mechanism, control unit, energy module, buoyancy adjustment mechanism and power unit; The bionic shell is a pressure-resistant shell based on bionics and the structure of a squid. The bionic shell is divided into a bionic squid head, a bionic squid body, and a bionic squid tail. The energy module is located inside the body of the biomimetic squid and is used to provide electrical energy to the control unit, the docking and gripping mechanism, the buoyancy adjustment mechanism and the power unit. The control unit is located inside the body of the bionic squid and is used to receive feedback information from the docking and gripping mechanism, as well as to provide control information to the docking and gripping mechanism, the buoyancy adjustment mechanism and the power unit. The buoyancy adjustment mechanism includes a pressure-resistant buoyancy adjustment chamber disposed on the outer surface of the bionic squid's body. The buoyancy adjustment mechanism also includes a high-pressure seawater pump group and a control valve group disposed inside the bionic squid's body. The high-pressure seawater pump group and the control valve group respond to the control signal issued by the control unit for controlling buoyancy, so as to adjust the liquid volume in the pressure-resistant buoyancy adjustment chamber. The power unit includes biomimetic wave fins symmetrically arranged on the outer wall of the biomimetic squid's body and a water jet propulsion unit disposed inside the biomimetic squid's body. The water jet propulsion unit's outlet is located at the tail of the biomimetic squid, so that when the water jet propulsion unit sprays water, the biomimetic shell is subjected to a thrust parallel to the biomimetic shell. The docking and gripping mechanism is located on the outer wall of the biomimetic squid's body. It is used to respond to the gripping information from the control unit to grip the load chamber carrying the minerals, and to send feedback information to the control unit after completing the gripping action.

2. The biomimetic robot for deep-sea mining according to claim 1, characterized in that, The biomimetic wave fin consists of a flexible fin surface and a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism includes a drive motor disposed in the body of the biomimetic squid and a drive rod that is poweredly connected to the drive motor and extends out of the body of the biomimetic squid. The drive motor is signal connected to the control unit. The flexible fin surface wraps around the drive rod so that the flexible fin surface moves in a wave-like motion under the drive rod.

3. A biomimetic robot for deep-sea mining according to claim 1, characterized in that, The biomimetic squid tail includes a fixed tail and a water-jetting tail, with the water outlet of the water jet propulsion device located at the water-jetting tail.

4. A biomimetic robot for deep-sea mining according to claim 1, characterized in that, The load compartment is equipped with an automatically opening and closing door and a gravity-assisted unloading structure.

5. A biomimetic robot for deep-sea mining according to claim 1, characterized in that, The docking and gripping mechanism includes an extension arm and a hook located at one end of the extension arm. The outer surface of the load chamber is provided with a groove corresponding to the hook. The other end of the extension arm is connected to the outer wall of the bionic squid body.

6. A biomimetic robot for deep-sea mining according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least one pair of hooks are provided at one end of the extension arm.

7. A biomimetic robot for deep-sea mining according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure-resistant buoyancy regulating chamber is a capsule made of phase change material.

8. A biomimetic robot for deep-sea mining according to claim 1, characterized in that, The energy module is equipped with a contact or non-contact inductive fast charging interface.

9. A control system for deep-sea mining, applied to a biomimetic robot for deep-sea mining as described in claim 1, characterized in that, include: The cluster collaboration algorithm unit is used to determine the number of biomimetic robots for deep-sea mining based on the amount of minerals collected, and to plan transportation paths for each of the biomimetic robots. An information sending unit is used to send the transportation path to the control unit of each of the bionic robots.

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