A undisturbed suspended seabed mining vehicle and its working method

Abstract

This invention discloses a undisturbed suspended seabed mining vehicle and its operating method, belonging to the field of deep-sea mineral mining equipment technology. The system includes a buoyancy adjustment device, a suspended mining head, and a relay cabin. The buoyancy adjustment device integrates three types of supply tanks: oil, gas, and high-density brine. The buoyancy of the suspended mining head is remotely adjusted via a transmission hose with an electronically controlled valve. The suspended mining head is equipped with three sets of functionally graded sealed buoyancy units, dynamically calibrating the operating height using an acoustic altimeter. A flexible annular partition forms a closed collection chamber, which, combined with a negative pressure delivery pump, completes non-destructive ore body collection. The displacement propulsion device can adaptively adjust the travel speed. The relay cabin integrates flocculant dosing and water quality testing units, ensuring wastewater is purified to meet standards before discharge. This invention adopts a fully suspended operation mode, reducing seabed environmental disturbance from the source and achieving efficient, environmentally friendly, and continuous mining of deep-sea polymetallic nodules.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of deep-sea mineral resource mining equipment technology, and in particular to a undisturbed suspended seabed mining vehicle suitable for deep-sea polymetallic nodules and its working method. Background Technology

[0002] Deep-sea polymetallic nodules are widely distributed in the surface layer of the ocean floor at depths of 4000-6000 meters. They are rich in strategic metals such as nickel, cobalt, manganese, and copper, making them a core target for future deep-sea mineral development. Current deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining technologies are mainly divided into two categories: tracked ore collection and hydraulic pumping ore collection. The mainstream equipment generally adopts a ground-based operating structure, which has several technical shortcomings. First, traditional tracked ore collection machines rely on tracks to move along the seabed, and the equipment itself can weigh hundreds of tons. This directly crushes unmined nodules, causing ore damage and loss, and severely destroying the original seabed topography and benthic habitats. Second, existing hydraulic jet collection methods are open operations, and the high-pressure water flow violently churns up seabed surface sediments, forming a plume of sediment that can spread over several kilometers, causing long-term and irreversible damage to the deep-sea ecosystem. Third, some floating ore collection equipment uses a single-medium buoyancy adjustment scheme, which has low buoyancy adjustment accuracy and slow response speed, making it unable to adapt to the complex seabed topography with its uneven surface. This can easily lead to problems such as the mining head hitting the bottom or missed mining due to excessive collection distance. Fourth, existing mining systems generally lack a closed-loop wastewater treatment process, and mining wastewater carrying large amounts of sediment is directly discharged, further aggravating marine environmental pollution and failing to meet the environmental protection requirements of green deep-sea mining.

[0003] Therefore, developing a undisturbed suspended seabed mining vehicle that can achieve full-process suspended operation, precise distance control, closed collection, and wastewater discharge in compliance with standards is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing seabed mining equipment, such as easy crushing of ore bodies, disturbance of seabed ecosystems, low buoyancy adjustment accuracy, and serious wastewater pollution, this invention provides a undisturbed suspended seabed mining vehicle and its working method. Through the synergistic design of a suspended operation architecture, graded buoyancy control, closed negative pressure collection, and closed-loop wastewater purification, it achieves efficient and environmentally friendly mining of deep-sea nodules, reducing the disturbance of mining operations to the seabed environment from the source.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a undisturbed suspended seabed mining vehicle, comprising a buoyancy adjustment device, a suspended mining head, and a relay cabin.

[0006] The buoyancy adjustment device includes an oil supply tank, a gas supply tank, and a high-density brine supply tank. Each supply tank has an outlet connected to a transmission hose, and each transmission hose is connected in series with an electronic control valve. Each transmission hose is connected to one of the three sets of sealed buoyancy units of the suspended mining head. By inputting or outputting the corresponding medium to each sealed buoyancy unit, the floating and sinking of the suspended mining head is controlled. The electronic control valve is connected to the control system of the mother ship via a signal transmission line.

[0007] The suspended mining head comprises three independent sealed buoyancy units: an oil-sealed float, a gas-sealed float, and a high-density brine-sealed float. It also includes a displacement propulsion device, an acoustic altimeter, a flexible annular baffle, a negative pressure pump, and a mining pipeline. The gas-sealed float provides basic buoyancy, the oil-sealed float is used for minor buoyancy adjustments, and the high-density brine-sealed float is used for major buoyancy adjustments. The displacement propulsion device is installed on the outer periphery of the suspended mining head, generating thrust through directional water jets to drive the equipment. The acoustic altimeter is located at the bottom of the suspended mining head to detect the vertical distance between the equipment and the seabed nodule ore body. The flexible annular baffle surrounds the lower outer end of the mining pipeline, forming a closed collection chamber. The negative pressure pump is located inside the suspended mining head, creating negative pressure within the collection chamber to draw in and transport the nodule ore body.

[0008] The relay compartment is connected to the suspended mining head via a mining pipeline. The relay compartment integrates a flocculant dosing device and a water quality testing unit. The side wall of the relay compartment is equipped with a filtered wastewater discharge pipe. The flocculant dosing device is used to add flocculant to the mining wastewater to achieve flocculation and sedimentation of impurities. The water quality testing unit is used to test the water quality indicators of the purified wastewater. The qualified wastewater is discharged through the filtered wastewater discharge pipe.

[0009] Furthermore, the three sets of sealed buoyancy units adopt a symmetrical arrangement structure, with the gas-sealed float in the center and the oil-sealed float and high-density brine-sealed float symmetrically arranged on both sides of the gas-sealed float, ensuring the attitude balance of the suspended mining head and avoiding tilting during operation.

[0010] Furthermore, the electronic control valve is a stepless pressure regulating electric control valve, which can receive control signals from the mother ship to achieve continuous and precise adjustment of medium flow and pressure; the buoyancy adjustment device is deployed underwater synchronously with the suspended mining head, and the transmission hose is 5~20m long, which realizes short-distance medium replenishment, shortens the buoyancy adjustment response time, and reduces pressure loss in long-distance pipelines.

[0011] Furthermore, the detection data from the acoustic altimeter is transmitted back to the mother ship's control system in real time via a signal transmission line. Combined with the buoyancy adjustment device, this forms a closed-loop control system, enabling dynamic calibration of the working height of the suspended mining head and ensuring the stability of the working distance.

[0012] Furthermore, the flexible annular baffle is made of polyurethane wear-resistant rubber, and the bottom of the baffle is provided with an outward-turned sealing lip. The sealing lip can conform to the seabed topography to achieve cavity sealing, effectively isolating external mud and sand and preventing sediment from overflowing during the collection process. The displacement propulsion device has a built-in speed adjustment module, which can adjust the jet water flow power according to the distribution density of the nodule ore body, thereby adjusting the equipment's travel speed. When the ore body abundance is high, the speed is reduced to ensure the collection rate, and when the abundance is low, the speed is increased to improve the operation efficiency.

[0013] Furthermore, the relay compartment is also equipped with a slurry settling and separation chamber, a flocculant dosing device is installed at the upper part of the slurry settling and separation chamber, and a water quality detection unit is installed at the outlet end of the slurry settling and separation chamber; a filter screen is installed at the inlet of the filtered wastewater discharge pipe to further intercept unsettled impurity particles.

[0014] The present invention also provides a method for operating the above-mentioned undisturbed suspended seabed mining vehicle, comprising the following steps: S1. Equipment Deployment and Commissioning: The undisturbed suspended seabed mining vehicle is deployed to the deep-sea nodule mining area via the mother ship. Gas at a preset pressure is injected into the gas-sealed float to provide basic buoyancy. The buoyancy is then adjusted by the coordinated action of the oil-sealed float and the high-density brine-sealed float to make the suspended mining head suspend at a preset height above the nodule ore body, thus completing the equipment suspension attitude calibration.

[0015] S2. Precise distance control: The vertical distance between the equipment and the seabed nodule ore body is detected in real time by the sonic altimeter at the bottom of the suspended mining head. The distance data is transmitted back to the mother ship control system, which adjusts the medium capacity of the three buoyancy units in a coordinated manner to keep the mining operation distance constant within the preset standard range.

[0016] S3. Establish a negative pressure collection zone: Control the suspended mining head to descend to the working height, so that the bottom of the flexible annular partition fits the seabed topography, forming a closed collection chamber to isolate external seawater and sediment; start the negative pressure delivery pump to form a stable negative pressure inside the collection chamber, and establish a negative pressure collection zone.

[0017] S4. Undisturbed Continuous Mining: The seabed nodule ore body inside the cavity is sucked into the mining pipeline without damage by negative pressure suction to complete the ore mining in a single area; the displacement propulsion device is activated to provide directional thrust and drive the equipment to move along the preset path to complete continuous mining operations area by area; the equipment travel speed is adjusted in real time according to the distribution density of the ore body during the operation.

[0018] S5. Mineral water separation and purification: The collected mineral water mixture is transported through the mining pipeline to the slurry settling and separation chamber of the relay compartment, where ore particles settle and are collected, and the upper wastewater enters the purification stage.

[0019] S6. Wastewater Discharge Meets Standards: The flocculant dosing device is activated to quantitatively add flocculant to the wastewater, causing suspended silt and impurities to flocculate and settle. The concentration of suspended solids in the effluent is monitored in real time by the water quality testing unit. Once the indicators meet the standards, the wastewater is discharged into the ocean through the filtered wastewater discharge pipe, completing the undisturbed mining operation.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: 1. This invention adopts a suspension structure with three sets of buoyancy units working together, enabling full-process suspension and contactless operation. The mining equipment does not come into contact with the seabed throughout the process, completely avoiding the problems of traditional ground-mounted ore collection machines crushing nodules and damaging the original seabed topography. This effectively improves the ore recovery rate while protecting the deep-sea seabed ecological environment.

[0021] 2. This invention uses three media—gas, oil, and high-density brine—to form a three-media graded buoyancy adjustment system, corresponding to basic buoyancy, micro-adjustment, and large-amplitude adjustment, respectively. Combined with a buoyancy adjustment device that provides close-range replenishment, the buoyancy adjustment range is wide, the response speed is fast, and the control precision is high. It can accurately maintain the working height of the mining head and is suitable for complex seabed topography.

[0022] 3. This invention forms a closed collection chamber by enclosing a flexible annular partition. The negative pressure suction operation is carried out only inside the chamber, without mechanical agitation or high-pressure jets. This physically blocks the outward diffusion of sediments, solving the problem of mud and sand plume pollution in traditional open collection from the source, and achieving truly undisturbed mining.

[0023] 4. This invention integrates flocculation purification and water quality testing functions in the relay cabin. After flocculation sedimentation and filtration, the mining wastewater is discharged only after meeting the water quality standards, realizing closed-loop treatment of wastewater, eliminating secondary pollution of the sea area by mining wastewater, and meeting the environmental protection standards of deep-sea green mining.

[0024] 5. This invention adopts a step-by-step continuous acquisition mode. The displacement propulsion device can adaptively adjust the speed according to the abundance of the ore body. The overall system structure is simple, energy consumption is low, and reliability is high. It can be adapted to polymetallic nodule mining areas with different water depths and terrains, and has both economic and ecological value. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall working state of the suspended seabed mining vehicle of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a first cross-sectional structural diagram of the suspended mining head and buoyancy adjustment device of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a second cross-sectional structural diagram of the suspended mining head and buoyancy adjustment device of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the relay cabin in this invention.

[0029] In the diagram: 1-Mother ship, 2-Transportation pipeline, 3-Negative pressure transfer pump, 4-Disturbance-free suspended seabed mining vehicle, 5-Buoyancy adjustment device, 6-Suspended mining head, 7-Relay compartment, 8-Oil supply tank, 9-Gas supply tank, 10-High-density brine supply tank, 11-Oil-sealed float, 12-Gas-sealed float, 13-High-density brine-sealed float, 14-Displacement propulsion device, 15-Transmission hose, 16-Electronic control valve, 17-Sonic altimeter, 18-Flexible annular baffle, 19-Signal transmission line, 20-Mining pipeline, 21-Nodule ore body, 22-Flocculant dosing device, 23-Water quality testing unit, 24-Filtered wastewater discharge pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The present invention will be further described below.

[0031] Example 1: A floating seabed mining vehicle that does not disturb polymetallic nodules on a flat seabed This embodiment applies to a flat ocean floor mining area with a water depth of 4500m. The target ore body is a uniformly distributed polymetallic nodule with an ore abundance of approximately 10 kg / m³. 2 The seabed elevation difference is ≤0.3m.

[0032] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the suspended seabed mining vehicle 4 in this embodiment includes three parts: a buoyancy adjustment device 5, a suspended mining head 6, and a relay cabin 7.

[0033] The buoyancy adjustment device 5 is an overall titanium alloy pressure-resistant sealed frame structure with a rated working water depth of 5000m. Internally, it integrates three independent pressure-resistant tanks: an oil supply tank 8, a gas supply tank 9, and a high-density brine supply tank 10. The oil supply tank 8 stores deep-sea fire-resistant hydraulic oil, the gas supply tank 9 stores high-pressure nitrogen, and the high-density brine tank 10 stores saturated sodium chloride brine (density 1.2 g / cm³). 3 Each supply tank outlet is connected to a steel wire reinforced pressure-resistant transmission hose 15, and each transmission hose 15 is connected in series with an electronic control valve 16; in this embodiment, the electronic control valve 16 is a deep-sea stepless pressure regulating electric control valve, with a flow control accuracy of ±1%, and can receive control signals from the mother ship 1 to realize continuous adjustment of medium flow and pressure.

[0034] The buoyancy adjustment device 5 and the suspended mining head 6 are simultaneously lowered underwater, with a horizontal distance of 10m between them. The length of the transmission hose 15 matches this distance, enabling close-range media replenishment with a buoyancy adjustment response delay of ≤2s. Each transmission hose 15 is connected to one of the three sets of sealed buoyancy units of the suspended mining head 6. By inputting or outputting the corresponding medium to the buoyancy units, the rising and sinking of the suspended mining head 6 is controlled. The electronic control valve 16 is communicatively connected to the central control system of the mother ship 1 via the armored signal transmission line 19.

[0035] The suspended mining head 6 includes three independent sealing buoyancy units: an oil-sealed float 11, a gas-sealed float 12, and a high-density brine-sealed float 13. It also includes a displacement propulsion device 14, an acoustic altimeter 17, a flexible annular baffle 18, a negative pressure conveying pump 3, and a mining pipeline 20.

[0036] The three sets of sealed buoyancy units adopt a symmetrical arrangement. The gas-sealed float 12 is centrally located, while the oil-sealed float 11 and high-density brine-sealed float 13 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the gas-sealed float 12. This ensures that the overall center of gravity and center of buoyancy of the equipment coincide, maintaining a stable suspended posture with an inclination angle ≤1°. Among them, the gas-sealed float 12 is a fixed pressure-resistant inflatable tank, which provides 90% of the basic buoyancy, keeping the equipment in a near-neutral suspended state. The oil-sealed float 11 is a rubber bladder-type variable-volume oil chamber, which allows for small-amplitude buoyancy adjustments of ±5% by filling and emptying oil, with an adjustment accuracy of ±0.5kN, for precise control of the working height. The high-density brine-sealed float 13 is a piston-type variable-volume chamber, which allows for large-amplitude buoyancy adjustments of ±20% by filling and emptying high-density brine, for rapid ascent and descent of the equipment and adaptation to terrain undulations.

[0037] Four sets of displacement propulsion devices 14 are evenly installed on the outer periphery of the suspended mining head 6. They adopt a duct-type water jet propulsion structure and generate thrust through directional water jet to drive the equipment to move horizontally. The displacement propulsion device 14 has a built-in variable frequency speed adjustment module, which can adjust the power of the water jet according to the distribution density of the nodule ore body 21. The travel speed adjustment range is 0.1~2m / s.

[0038] The acoustic altimeter 17 is installed on the bottom end face of the suspended mining head 6. There are 3 sets in total, arranged in an equilateral triangle. It is used to detect the vertical distance between the equipment and the seabed nodule ore body 21. The detection accuracy can reach ±1cm. The detection data of the acoustic altimeter 17 is transmitted back to the control system of the mother ship 1 in real time at a frequency of 1Hz through the signal transmission line 19. Combined with the buoyancy adjustment device 5, it forms a height closed-loop control to realize the dynamic calibration of the working height of the suspended mining head 6.

[0039] The flexible annular baffle 18 is fixed around the lower outer flange of the mining pipe 20. It is made of 20mm thick polyurethane wear-resistant rubber and has a designed service life of ≥500 hours. The bottom of the baffle is provided with an outward-turned sealing lip with a sealing lip width of 15cm. It can conform to the flat seabed terrain to achieve cavity sealing, effectively isolate external mud and sand, and prevent sediment from overflowing during the collection process. The collection cavity formed by the baffle has a diameter of 3m and covers the single-step operation area.

[0040] The negative pressure conveying pump 3 is installed in the internal flow channel of the suspended mining head 6, and adopts a deep-sea wear-resistant centrifugal slurry pump with a rated flow rate of 200 m³ / h. 3 / h is used to create a stable negative pressure in the collection chamber, and to draw in the nodule ore body 21 and transport it to the relay chamber 7 through the mining pipeline 20.

[0041] The relay compartment 7 is connected to the suspended mining head 6 through a rigid mining pipe 20. The relay compartment 7 is equipped with a two-stage slurry settling and separation chamber. The chamber is equipped with a flocculant dosing device 22 and a water quality testing unit 23. The upper side wall of the relay compartment 7 is equipped with a filtered wastewater discharge pipe 24. The flocculant dosing device 22 is located at the top of the primary settling chamber. It can quantitatively add polyaluminum chloride flocculant according to the wastewater flow rate. The dosage can be steplessly adjusted within the range of 10~50mg / L, so that the suspended silt and impurities in the wastewater can quickly form flocs and settle. The water quality detection unit 23 is located at the outlet of the secondary settling chamber. It can detect the concentration of suspended solids in the effluent in real time, with a detection range of 0~100mg / L and a detection accuracy of ±0.1mg / L. A 100-mesh stainless steel filter screen is installed at the inlet of the filtered wastewater discharge pipe 24 to further intercept fine impurities that have not settled. When the water quality detection unit 23 detects that the concentration of suspended solids in the effluent is ≤10mg / L, it controls the electric discharge valve to open, and the qualified wastewater is discharged through the filtered wastewater discharge pipe 24. Otherwise, the valve is closed and the purification continues.

[0042] The specific steps of the operation method of the suspended seabed mining vehicle in this embodiment are as follows: S1. Equipment Deployment and Commissioning: The undisturbed suspended seabed mining vehicle 4 is uniformly deployed to a simulated nodule mining area with a water depth of 4500m via the armored umbilical cable of the mother ship 1. First, high-pressure nitrogen gas at a preset pressure is injected into the gas-sealed float 12 to provide basic buoyancy, so that the entire equipment is in a near-neutral suspended state. Then, the buoyancy is adjusted by the oil-sealed float 11 and the high-density brine-sealed float 13 to make the suspended mining head 6 suspend 50cm above the nodule ore body 21. The medium capacity of the three sets of buoyancy units is adjusted to calibrate the horizontal attitude of the equipment, with an inclination of ≤1°, and the deployment and commissioning are completed.

[0043] S2. Precise Distance Control: Activate the three sets of acoustic altimeters 17 at the bottom of the suspended mining head 6 to detect the vertical distance between the equipment and the seabed nodule ore body 21 in real time, and transmit the distance data back to the control system of the mother ship 1 at a frequency of 1Hz; when the distance is detected to deviate from the preset value of ±2cm, the control system will adjust the hydraulic oil capacity of the oil-sealed float 11 for slight correction; when the distance deviates from ±10cm, the high-density brine-sealed float 13 will be activated simultaneously for large-scale adjustment to keep the mining operation distance constant within the standard range of 48~52cm.

[0044] S3. Establish a negative pressure collection zone: Control the suspended mining head 6 to slowly descend to the working height at a speed of 0.05m / s, so that the sealing lip at the bottom of the flexible annular partition 18 is evenly attached to the flat seabed, forming a closed collection chamber with a diameter of 3m, isolating the external seawater from the surface sediment; start the negative pressure delivery pump 3 to adjust the pressure inside the collection chamber to a stable negative pressure state that is 0.05MPa lower than the external seawater, thus establishing a negative pressure collection zone.

[0045] S4. Undisturbed Continuous Acquisition: The polymetallic nodule ore body inside the cavity is non-destructively sucked into the mining pipe 20 by negative pressure suction. The acquisition time for a single area is 30 seconds, and the ore body acquisition rate can reach more than 95%. After acquisition, the suspended mining head is controlled to rise slightly by 10cm to make the partition detach from the seabed. Four sets of displacement propulsion devices 14 are activated to provide directional thrust, driving the equipment to move forward 3m along the preset acquisition path and then descend again to re-form a closed cavity for acquisition in the next area. Continuous mining operations are completed area by area. During the operation, the equipment travel speed is adjusted in real time by the pre-stored ore body abundance data of the mining area. In this embodiment, the travel speed is maintained at 0.3m / s to ensure a balance between acquisition efficiency and recovery rate.

[0046] S5. Mineral water separation and purification: The collected mineral water mixture is transported through the mining pipeline 20 to the primary slurry settling and separation chamber of the relay compartment 7. The denser nodular ore particles quickly settle to the bottom of the chamber for collection, while the upper overflow carrying fine particles of mud and sand enters the secondary settling chamber for purification.

[0047] S6. Wastewater Discharge Meets Standards: Start the flocculant dosing device 22 and quantitatively add polyaluminum chloride flocculant to the upper layer of wastewater at a dosage of 20 mg / L to form dense flocs and allow suspended silt and impurities to settle rapidly. The concentration of suspended solids in the effluent from the secondary settling chamber is monitored in real time by the water quality detection unit 23. When the concentration is ≤10 mg / L, the electric valve of the filtered wastewater discharge pipe 24 is opened, and the qualified wastewater is discharged into the ocean after being filtered through a stainless steel filter screen. If the concentration exceeds the standard, the discharge valve is closed, and flocculation and purification continue until the standard is met, completing the entire process of undisturbed green mining operation.

[0048] Example 2: Adaptive and Undisturbed Suspended Subsea Mining Vehicle for Complex Rippling Terrain This embodiment is applicable to mining areas with complex terrain at a water depth of 4000m. The target mining area has a seabed elevation difference of up to ±1.5m, uneven ore body distribution, and an abundance range of 5~15kg / m³. 2 .

[0049] The main structure of the suspended seabed mining vehicle in this embodiment is basically the same as that in Embodiment 1, with the following optimization design: Optimized buoyancy adjustment performance: The volume of the high-density brine sealed float 13 is increased by 30%, and the buoyancy adjustment range is improved to ±30%, which can adapt to a greater range of terrain undulations; the response speed of the electronic control valve 16 is improved to 0.5s, ensuring rapid buoyancy adjustment when the terrain changes suddenly; the sampling frequency of the acoustic altimeter 17 is improved to 5Hz, realizing millisecond-level recognition of terrain changes.

[0050] Flexible baffle adaptation optimization: The height of the flexible ring baffle 18 has been increased to 80cm, and a 6-segment independent segmented flexible structure has been adopted. Each segment of the baffle can be independently deformed to fit the terrain and adapt to uneven seabed topography; the sealing lip adopts a three-maze sealing structure to further improve the sealing effect under complex terrain and prevent mud and sand from overflowing from the terrain depressions.

[0051] Optimized travel control: The displacement propulsion device 14 is equipped with an auxiliary nozzle in the vertical direction, which can realize fine adjustment of the pitch and roll attitude of the equipment; the control system has a built-in terrain adaptive algorithm, which can dynamically adjust the attitude and travel path of the equipment according to the real-time terrain data of the acoustic altimeter, ensuring the sealing stability of the acquisition cavity.

[0052] The core difference between the working method of this embodiment and that of Embodiment 1 is: In step S2, the acoustic altimeter collects real-time data on the simulated seabed topography within a 5m range ahead. When the topography ahead rises by more than 0.5m, the buoyancy is increased by sealing the float 13 with high-density salt water in advance, gradually raising the height of the equipment. When the topography drops by more than 0.5m, the high-density salt water is released to reduce buoyancy, allowing the equipment to descend with the topography and always maintaining the working distance within the preset range, adapting to complex undulating terrain.

[0053] In step S4, the control system dynamically adjusts the travel speed based on the real-time detected ore body abundance data, with the speed adjusted when the abundance is higher than 12 kg / m³. 2 When the travel speed drops to 0.2 m / s, the collection time in a single area is extended to ensure the recovery rate; when the abundance is below 6 kg / m 2 At the same time, the travel speed is increased to 0.6m / s, improving the overall operation efficiency; at the same time, the horizontal attitude of the equipment is adjusted in real time according to the terrain undulations to ensure the fit between the flexible annular partition and the seabed and maintain the sealing of the collection chamber.

[0054] This embodiment can adapt to complex seabed topography with an elevation difference of ±1.5m, with an ore body recovery rate of ≥90%. During operation, the sediment disturbance depth outside the cavity is ≤5cm, which is far lower than the disturbance level of traditional mining equipment, realizing undisturbed and environmentally friendly mining in complex terrain.

[0055] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A undisturbed, suspended seabed mining vehicle, characterized in that, Includes buoyancy adjustment devices, suspended mining heads, and relay cabins; The buoyancy adjustment device includes an oil supply tank, a gas supply tank, and a high-density brine supply tank. Each supply tank corresponds to three sets of sealed buoyancy units connected to the suspended mining head, which are used to control the floating and sinking of the suspended mining head. The suspended mining head comprises three independent sealed buoyancy units: an oil-sealed float, a gas-sealed float, and a high-density brine-sealed float. It also includes a displacement propulsion device, an acoustic altimeter, a flexible annular baffle, a negative pressure pump, and a mining pipeline. The gas-sealed float provides basic buoyancy, the oil-sealed float is used for fine-tuning buoyancy, and the high-density brine-sealed float is used for significant buoyancy adjustment. The displacement propulsion device is installed around the periphery of the suspended mining head, generating thrust through directional water jets to drive the equipment. The acoustic altimeter is located at the bottom of the suspended mining head to detect the vertical distance between the equipment and the seabed nodule ore body. The flexible annular baffle surrounds the lower end of the mining pipeline, forming a closed collection chamber. The negative pressure pump is located inside the suspended mining head, creating negative pressure within the collection chamber to draw in and transport the nodule ore body. The relay compartment is connected to the suspended mining head via a mining pipeline. The relay compartment integrates a flocculant dosing device and a water quality testing unit. The side wall of the relay compartment is equipped with a filtered wastewater discharge pipe. The flocculant dosing device is used to add flocculant to the mining wastewater to achieve flocculation and sedimentation of impurities. The water quality testing unit is used to test the water quality indicators of the purified wastewater. The qualified wastewater is discharged through the filtered wastewater discharge pipe.

2. The suspended seabed mining vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The three sets of sealed buoyancy units adopt a symmetrical arrangement structure, with the gas-sealed float in the center and the oil-sealed float and high-density brine-sealed float symmetrically arranged on both sides of the gas-sealed float.

3. The suspended seabed mining vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each supply tank outlet is connected to a transmission hose, and each transmission hose is connected in series with an electronic control valve. Each transmission hose corresponds to and connects to three sets of sealed buoyancy units of the suspended mining head. The electronic control valve is a stepless pressure regulating solenoid valve, which is connected to the control system of the mother ship via a signal transmission line to receive control signals from the mother ship and realize continuous and precise adjustment of medium flow and pressure. The buoyancy adjustment device is deployed underwater synchronously with the suspended mining head. The transmission hose is 5-20m long, realizing short-distance medium replenishment.

4. The undisturbed suspended seabed mining vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The detection data from the acoustic altimeter is transmitted back to the mother ship's control system in real time via a signal transmission line. Combined with the buoyancy adjustment device, dynamic control is achieved, enabling dynamic calibration of the working height of the suspended mining head.

5. The suspended seabed mining vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible annular partition is made of polyurethane wear-resistant rubber, and the bottom of the partition is provided with an outward-turned sealing lip. The sealing lip conforms to the seabed topography to achieve cavity sealing. The displacement propulsion device has a built-in speed adjustment module, which adjusts the jet water flow power according to the distribution density of the nodule ore body, thereby adjusting the equipment's travel speed.

6. The suspended seabed mining vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The relay compartment is also equipped with a slurry settling and separation chamber, a flocculant dosing device is installed at the upper part of the slurry settling and separation chamber, and a water quality testing unit is installed at the outlet of the slurry settling and separation chamber; a filter screen is installed at the inlet of the wastewater discharge pipe.

7. A method for operating a undisturbed suspended seabed mining vehicle as described in any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Equipment Deployment and Debugging: The undisturbed suspended seabed mining vehicle is deployed to the deep-sea nodule mining area via the mother ship. Gas at a preset pressure is injected into the gas-sealed float to provide basic buoyancy. The buoyancy is then adjusted by the oil-sealed float and the high-density brine-sealed float in coordination to make the suspended mining head suspend at a preset height above the nodule ore body, thus completing the equipment suspension attitude calibration. S2. Precise distance control: The vertical distance between the equipment and the seabed nodule ore body is detected in real time by the sonic altimeter at the bottom of the suspended mining head. The distance data is transmitted back to the mother ship control system, which adjusts the medium capacity of the three buoyancy units in a coordinated manner to keep the mining operation distance constant within the preset standard range. S3. Establish a negative pressure collection zone: Control the suspended mining head to descend to the working height, so that the bottom of the flexible annular partition fits the seabed topography and forms a closed collection chamber to isolate external seawater and silt. Start the negative pressure delivery pump to create a stable negative pressure inside the collection chamber and establish a negative pressure collection zone; S4. Undisturbed Continuous Mining: The seabed nodule ore body inside the cavity is non-destructively sucked into the mining pipeline by negative pressure suction to complete the ore mining in a single area; the displacement propulsion device is activated to provide directional thrust, driving the equipment to move along a preset path and complete continuous mining operations area by area; the equipment speed is adjusted in real time according to the distribution density of the ore body during the operation. S5. Mineral water separation and purification: The collected mineral water mixture is transported through the mining pipeline to the slurry settling and separation chamber of the relay compartment, where ore particles are collected and the upper wastewater enters the purification stage. S6. Wastewater Discharge Meets Standards: The flocculant dosing device is activated to quantitatively add flocculant to the wastewater, causing suspended silt and impurities to flocculate and settle. The concentration of suspended solids in the effluent is monitored in real time by the water quality testing unit. Once the indicators meet the standards, the wastewater is discharged into the ocean through the filtered wastewater discharge pipe, completing the undisturbed mining operation.

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