Deep-sea mineral collection device and collection method

Abstract

The present application belongs to the technical field of deep-sea mining, and discloses a deep-sea mineral collection device and a collection method. The present application provides a deep-sea mineral collection device, which comprises a polymetallic nodule mineral collection assembly and a rare earth mineral collection assembly, realizes independent collection of two kinds of deep-sea minerals, i.e. polymetallic nodule minerals and rare earth minerals, and the collection feasibility of deep-sea mining areas where the two kinds of minerals coexist, and improves the collection versatility of deep-sea minerals. The polymetallic nodule collection harrow head is provided with multiple screening channels, which improves the collection net concentration of polymetallic nodule minerals. The rare earth collection shovel head is provided with multiple filtering barrier holes for preventing polymetallic nodule minerals from entering, which improves the collection net concentration of rare earth minerals. The present application also provides a deep-sea mineral collection method. The mineral collection operation of a deep-sea mining area is divided into zones, the travel path is highly controllable, the influence of single collection operation on the marine environment of the deep-sea mining area is reduced, and the collection flexibility of deep-sea minerals is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of deep-sea mining technology, and particularly relates to a deep-sea mineral collection device and collection method. Background Technology

[0002] With the long-term development of terrestrial mineral resources, these resources are gradually being depleted, and the difficulty and cost of extraction are constantly increasing, making it difficult to meet the growing demand for mineral resources from various industries. Compared to terrestrial mineral resources, deep-sea mining areas offer a rich variety of mineral resources with total reserves far exceeding those of terrestrial mineral resources. They also have high development and utilization value and great potential for resource replenishment, effectively filling the supply gap of terrestrial mineral resources.

[0003] The disclosed technologies include various deep-sea mining devices such as deep-sea mining vehicles and deep-sea mining robots, used for efficient deep-sea mineral extraction. In deep-sea mining areas, various mineral resources often coexist, but existing deep-sea mining devices typically only extract a single mineral type, lacking the ability to extract multiple types simultaneously, resulting in poor versatility. While some mining devices can simultaneously extract multiple minerals by modifying their extraction pipes—for example, rare earth mining equipment can extract multiple minerals without gangue barriers—the high impurity content in the extracted mixed minerals necessitates additional sorting processes, increasing energy consumption, raising extraction costs, and reducing energy efficiency.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need to propose a deep-sea mineral extraction device and extraction method to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a deep-sea mineral collection device and method that can improve the versatility and efficiency of collection in deep-sea mining areas that are rich only in polymetallic nodules, rich only in rare earth minerals, and where both coexist, reduce collection costs, and improve the energy utilization efficiency of deep-sea minerals.

[0006] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention proposes a deep-sea mineral extraction device, comprising:

[0008] The main body of the device is equipped with independent polymetallic nodule collection chambers and rare earth mineral collection chambers.

[0009] The walking drive module is configured to drive the main body of the device to move.

[0010] A polymetallic nodule mineral collection component includes a polymetallic nodule collection rake head and a first digging drive unit. The polymetallic nodule collection rake head is installed on the bottom surface of the main body of the device and is connected to the drive end of the first digging drive unit. The polymetallic nodule collection rake head is provided with multiple screening channels. The first digging drive unit is used to drive the polymetallic nodule collection rake head to rotate, so as to collect polymetallic nodule minerals in deep-sea mining areas and separate rare earth minerals through multiple screening channels.

[0011] The rare earth mineral extraction assembly includes a rare earth extraction shovel head and a second digging drive unit. The rare earth extraction shovel head is installed on the bottom surface of the main body of the device and is connected to the drive end of the second digging drive unit. The rare earth extraction shovel head is provided with multiple filter and barrier holes, which are used to prevent polymetallic nodules from entering the rare earth extraction shovel head. The second digging drive unit is used to drive the rare earth extraction shovel head to rotate in order to extract rare earth minerals from deep-sea mining areas.

[0012] The suction assembly, installed on the main body of the device, includes a first suction component and a second suction component. The first suction component is used to connect the polymetallic nodule collection chamber and the polymetallic nodule collection rake head, and the second suction component is used to connect the rare earth mineral collection chamber and the rare earth collection shovel head.

[0013] Optionally, the polymetallic nodule mineral collection component includes multiple polymetallic nodule collection rakes. These rakes are arranged in a V-shape on the bottom surface of the main body of the device and are all connected to the drive end of the first excavation drive unit. The multiple polymetallic nodule collection rakes can together with the seabed of the deep-sea mining area to form a V-shaped plume suppression collection space.

[0014] Optionally, the polymetallic nodule mineral collection assembly also includes a collection guide unit, which includes a guide drive and a collection guide. Each polymetallic nodule collection rake head is rotatably equipped with a collection guide, which is connected to the drive shaft of the guide drive. The guide drive is used to drive the collection guide to rotate so that the polymetallic nodule minerals collected by multiple polymetallic nodule collection rake heads are gathered at the V-shaped end of the V-shaped plume flow collection space. The first suction component is connected to the polymetallic nodule collection chamber and the polymetallic nodule collection rake head at the V-shaped end.

[0015] Optionally, the deep-sea mineral extraction device also includes a lifting adjustment assembly, which includes a first lifting adjustment component and a second lifting adjustment component spaced apart on the bottom surface of the main body of the device. The polymetallic nodule extraction rake head is driven and connected to the lifting adjustment end of the first lifting adjustment component, and the rare earth extraction shovel head is driven and connected to the lifting adjustment end of the second lifting adjustment component.

[0016] Optionally, the polymetallic nodule mining assembly also includes a limiting member, which is located at the lifting adjustment end of the first lifting adjustment member, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the limiting member is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the lifting adjustment end of the first lifting adjustment member. The polymetallic nodule mining rake head is installed on the side of the limiting member away from the first lifting adjustment member.

[0017] Optionally, a conveying auxiliary unit is installed inside the main body of the device. The deep-sea mineral collection device also includes a three-way valve, which is located at the first end of the conveying auxiliary unit, between the polymetallic nodule collection chamber and the rare earth mineral collection chamber. The three-way valve is used to connect the first end of the conveying auxiliary unit with the polymetallic nodule collection chamber or the first end of the conveying auxiliary unit with the rare earth mineral collection chamber. The second end of the conveying auxiliary unit can be connected to the conveying pipeline of an external mineral conveying equipment. The conveying auxiliary unit is used to provide conveying power for the polymetallic nodule mineral in the polymetallic nodule collection chamber or the rare earth mineral in the rare earth mineral collection chamber.

[0018] Optionally, the deep-sea mineral collection device also includes a collection auxiliary cylinder. The lower end of the collection auxiliary cylinder is connected to the second end of the conveying auxiliary unit, and the upper end is used to connect to the conveying pipeline of the external mineral conveying equipment. Along the conveying direction of polymetallic nodule minerals and rare earth minerals, the cross-sectional area of ​​the collection auxiliary cylinder gradually increases.

[0019] Optionally, the walking drive module consists of two tracked walking units spaced apart along the first horizontal direction and connected to the main body of the device. The two tracked walking units are used to drive the main body of the device to move. The rare earth collection shovel head is set on the bottom surface of the main body of the device along the second horizontal direction. The rare earth collection shovel head and the two tracked walking units can form a U-shaped plume collection space together with the seabed of the deep-sea mining area.

[0020] Optionally, the deep-sea mineral extraction device also includes multiple support and reinforcement units, each of which includes a first support and reinforcement component and a second support and reinforcement component. The first support and reinforcement component and the second support and reinforcement component are arranged crosswise and are both connected to the main body of the device.

[0021] Secondly, this invention proposes a method for deep-sea mineral extraction, which uses the deep-sea mineral extraction device described above to extract polymetallic nodules and rare earth minerals from deep-sea mining areas, including the following steps:

[0022] S1. The walking drive module drives the main body of the device to any preset data collection area;

[0023] S2. Start the first excavation drive unit and the first suction component. The first excavation drive unit drives the polymetallic nodule collection rake head to rotate to collect polymetallic nodule minerals in the deep-sea mining area. The first suction component sucks the polymetallic nodule minerals collected by the polymetallic nodule collection rake head into the polymetallic nodule collection chamber. And / or, start the second excavation drive unit and the second suction component. The second excavation drive unit drives the rare earth collection shovel head to rotate to collect rare earth minerals in the deep-sea mining area. The second suction component sucks the rare earth minerals collected by the rare earth collection shovel head into the rare earth mineral collection chamber.

[0024] S3. After the preset mineral collection in the current preset collection area is completed, the walking drive module drives the main body of the device to the next preset collection area and repeats step S2.

[0025] S4. Repeat step S3 until all preset collection areas in the deep-sea mining area are collected.

[0026] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0027] This invention proposes a deep-sea mineral extraction device, comprising a polymetallic nodule extraction component and a rare earth mineral extraction component. The polymetallic nodule extraction component includes a polymetallic nodule extraction rake and a first digging drive unit, while the rare earth mineral extraction component includes a rare earth extraction shovel and a second digging drive unit. The first digging drive unit drives the polymetallic nodule extraction rake to rotate and extract polymetallic nodule minerals from deep-sea mining areas, and the second digging drive unit drives the rare earth extraction shovel to rotate and extract rare earth minerals from deep-sea mining areas. By setting up the polymetallic nodule extraction component and the rare earth mineral extraction component, the deep-sea mineral extraction device achieves independent extraction processes for polymetallic nodule minerals and rare earth minerals, as well as the feasibility of extraction from deep-sea mining areas where both coexist. This improves the versatility of the deep-sea mineral extraction device in extracting deep-sea mining areas that are rich only in polymetallic nodule minerals, rich only in rare earth minerals, and where both coexist. The polymetallic nodule collecting rake head is equipped with multiple screening channels that can separate rare earth minerals, and the rare earth collecting shovel head is equipped with multiple filter blocking holes that prevent polymetallic nodule minerals from entering. The screening channels improve the net concentration of polymetallic nodule minerals collected, and the filter blocking holes improve the net concentration of rare earth minerals collected. The polymetallic nodule collection chamber and the polymetallic nodule collection rake are interconnected via a first suction component, while the rare earth mineral collection chamber and the rare earth mineral collection shovel are connected via a second suction component. The first suction component draws the polymetallic nodule minerals collected by the rake into the polymetallic nodule collection chamber, and the second suction component draws the rare earth minerals collected by the shovel into the rare earth mineral collection chamber. The polymetallic nodule collection chamber and the rare earth mineral collection chamber are not interconnected. The first suction component improves the collection efficiency of polymetallic nodule minerals, and the second suction component improves the collection efficiency of rare earth minerals. Furthermore, this design allows for the independent storage of collected polymetallic nodule minerals and rare earth minerals, avoiding the need for subsequent sorting before use, reducing the collection cost of a single type of deep-sea mineral, and improving the energy utilization efficiency of deep-sea minerals. The walking drive module propels the main body of the device, increasing the collection coverage area of ​​the deep-sea mineral collection device and improving collection flexibility and efficiency.

[0028] This invention also proposes a method for deep-sea mineral extraction. First, a walking drive module propels the main body of the device to any pre-defined extraction area, laying the foundation for subsequent extraction of polymetallic nodules and rare earth minerals. The walking drive module enables flexible and rapid positioning of the main body. After the main body is in place, based on pre-explored seabed geological conditions of the deep-sea mining area, at least one of the polymetallic nodule extraction component and the rare earth mineral extraction component is activated as needed, improving the flexibility and versatility of deep-sea mineral extraction. The first suction component draws the polymetallic nodule minerals into the polymetallic nodule extraction chamber, and the second suction component draws the rare earth minerals into the rare earth mineral extraction chamber. The polymetallic nodule minerals and rare earth minerals are stored independently, reducing the difficulty of subsequent energy utilization from separate polymetallic nodule minerals and rare earth minerals. After completing the sampling of minerals in the current preset sampling area, the walking drive module propels the main body of the device to the next preset sampling area, laying the foundation for repeated deep-sea mineral sampling operations. Through the repeated operation of the walking drive module and the sampling operations of the polymetallic nodule mineral sampling components and rare earth mineral sampling components, sampling operations are completed in all preset sampling areas of the deep-sea mining area. Mineral sampling operations in the deep-sea mining area are conducted in zones, with high controllability of the movement path, reducing the impact of a single sampling operation on the marine environment of the deep-sea mining area. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the deep-sea mineral harvesting device described in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the deep-sea mineral collection device described in this embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 ;

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the deep-sea mineral harvesting device described in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 ;

[0032] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the main body of the device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the polymetallic nodule mineral extraction component and the lifting and adjusting component described in the embodiments of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0034] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the polymetallic nodule mineral extraction component and the lifting and adjusting component described in the embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0035] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the polymetallic nodule mineral extraction component and the lifting and adjusting component described in the embodiments of the present invention. Figure 3 ;

[0036] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rare earth mineral mining component described in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 9 This is a partial structural diagram of the deep-sea mineral extraction device described in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0038] Figure 10 This is a partial structural diagram of the deep-sea mineral extraction device described in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0039] Figure 11 This is a partial structural diagram of the deep-sea mineral extraction device described in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 .

[0040] In the picture:

[0041] 1. Main body of the device; 11. Polymetallic nodule collection chamber; 12. Rare earth mineral collection chamber; 13. V-shaped groove; 131. First groove section; 132. Second groove section; 14. Strip groove; 2. Walking drive module; 21. Tracked walking unit; 3. Polymetallic nodule mineral collection component; 31. Polymetallic nodule collection rake head; 311. Screening channel; 32. Collection guide unit; 321. Collection guide component; 33. Limiting component; 4. Rare earth mineral collection component; 41. Rare earth collection shovel head; 411. Filter barrier hole; 5. Suction component; 51. First suction component; 52. Second suction component; 6. Lifting and adjusting component; 61. First lifting and adjusting component; 62. Second lifting and adjusting component; 7. Conveying auxiliary unit; 8. Collection auxiliary cylinder; 9. Support and reinforcement unit; 91. First support and reinforcement component; 92. Second support and reinforcement component; 10. Control module. Detailed Implementation

[0042] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar components or components having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0043] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection or a detachable connection; a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; or the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0044] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature being directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0045] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0046] like Figures 1 to 11As shown, this embodiment provides a deep-sea mineral collection device, including a main body 1, a walking drive module 2, a polymetallic nodule mineral collection component 3, a rare earth mineral collection component 4, and a suction component 5. The main body 1 is equipped with independent polymetallic nodule collection chambers 11 and 12. The walking drive module 2 is configured to drive the main body 1. The polymetallic nodule mineral collection component 3 includes a polymetallic nodule collection rake head 31 and a first digging drive unit. The polymetallic nodule collection rake head 31 is mounted on the bottom surface of the main body 1 and is connected to the drive end of the first digging drive unit. The polymetallic nodule collection rake head 31 has multiple screening channels 311. The first digging drive unit drives the polymetallic nodule collection rake head 31 to rotate, thereby collecting polymetallic nodule minerals from deep-sea mining areas and removing rare earth minerals. The soil minerals are screened by multiple screening channels 311; the rare earth mineral collection component 4 includes a rare earth collection shovel head 41 and a second digging drive unit. The rare earth collection shovel head 41 is installed on the bottom surface of the main body 1 of the device and is connected to the drive end of the second digging drive unit. The rare earth collection shovel head 41 is provided with multiple filter blocking holes 411. The filter blocking holes 411 are used to block polymetallic nodule minerals from entering the rare earth collection shovel head 41. The second digging drive unit is used to drive the rare earth collection shovel head 41 to rotate in order to collect rare earth minerals from the deep-sea mining area; the suction component 5 is installed on the main body 1 of the device and includes a first suction component 51 and a second suction component 52. The first suction component 51 is used to connect the polymetallic nodule collection chamber 11 and the polymetallic nodule collection rake head 31. The second suction component 52 is used to connect the rare earth mineral collection chamber 12 and the rare earth collection shovel head 41. It is understood that, to adapt to the respective mining requirements of polymetallic nodules and rare earth minerals, in this embodiment, the first digging drive unit can rotate and swing in one direction, and the second digging drive unit can swing with a small cutting amplitude. The first and second digging drive units can be rotary drive devices such as servo motors or hydraulic motors, and their specific structures and driving principles are all existing technologies. The screening channel 311 of the polymetallic nodule mining rake head 31 is effectively adapted to the particle size of polymetallic nodules and can effectively screen out rare earth minerals. The pore size of the filter barrier hole 411 of the rare earth mining shovel head 41 is smaller than that of the polymetallic nodule minerals. Furthermore, the first suction component 51 and the second suction component 52 can be suction pumps or other suction equipment with a pressure resistance rating of 4000-6000 meters deep in the deep sea, which can effectively adapt to the deep-sea suction requirements. Their specific structures and operating principles are all existing technologies and will not be described in detail hereafter.

[0047] In this embodiment, the deep-sea mineral collection device includes a polymetallic nodule mineral collection component 3 and a rare earth mineral collection component 4. The polymetallic nodule mineral collection component 3 includes a polymetallic nodule collection rake head 31 and a first digging drive unit. The rare earth mineral collection component 4 includes a rare earth collection shovel head 41 and a second digging drive unit. The first digging drive unit is used to drive the polymetallic nodule collection rake head 31 to rotate and collect polymetallic nodule minerals in the deep-sea mining area. The second digging drive unit is used to drive the rare earth collection shovel head 41 to rotate and collect rare earth minerals in the deep-sea mining area. The polymetallic nodule mineral collection component 3 and the rare earth mineral collection component 4 realize the independent collection process of polymetallic nodule minerals and rare earth minerals by the deep-sea mineral collection device, as well as the feasibility of collecting deep-sea mining areas where the two coexist. This allows the deep-sea mineral collection device proposed in this embodiment to adapt to various collection modes in deep-sea mining areas that are only rich in polymetallic nodule minerals, only rich in rare earth minerals, and where polymetallic nodule minerals and rare earth minerals coexist, thereby improving the collection versatility of the deep-sea mineral collection device. The polymetallic nodule collecting rake head 31 is equipped with multiple screening channels 311 that can separate rare earth minerals, and the rare earth collecting shovel head 41 is equipped with multiple filter blocking holes 411 that block polymetallic nodule minerals from entering. The screening channels 311 improve the net concentration of polymetallic nodule minerals and the filter blocking holes 411 improve the net concentration of rare earth minerals. The polymetallic nodule collection chamber 11 and the polymetallic nodule collection rake head 31 are interconnected by a first suction component 51, and the rare earth mineral collection chamber 12 and the rare earth mineral collection shovel head 41 are interconnected by a second suction component 52. The first suction component 51 can suck the polymetallic nodule minerals collected by the polymetallic nodule collection rake head 31 into the polymetallic nodule collection chamber 11, and the second suction component 52 can suck the rare earth minerals collected by the rare earth mineral collection shovel head 41 into the rare earth mineral collection chamber 12. The polymetallic nodule collection chamber 11 and the rare earth mineral collection chamber 12 are not interconnected. The first suction component 51 improves the collection efficiency of polymetallic nodule minerals, and the second suction component 52 improves the collection efficiency of rare earth minerals. Furthermore, the above settings enable the independent storage of collected polymetallic nodule minerals and rare earth minerals, avoiding the sorting process before subsequent use, reducing the collection cost of a single deep-sea mineral, and improving the energy utilization efficiency of deep-sea minerals. The walking drive module 2 is used to drive the main body 1 of the device to move, which increases the collection coverage of the deep-sea mineral collection device and improves the collection flexibility and efficiency.

[0048] Optionally, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the polymetallic nodule mineral collection component 3 includes multiple polymetallic nodule collection rake heads 31. These rake heads 31 are arranged in a V-shape on the bottom surface of the main body 1 and are all connected to the drive end of the first excavation drive unit. The multiple rake heads 31, together with the seabed of the deep-sea mining area, form a V-shaped plume-suppressing collection space. Compared to a dispersed arrangement of multiple rake heads 31, this reduces the disturbance range to the seabed of the deep-sea mining area during a single collection operation, decreases the risk of plume diffusion during collection, and lowers the impact of polymetallic nodule mineral collection operations on the marine ecological environment. The polymetallic nodule mineral collection component 3 includes multiple polymetallic nodule collection rakes 31, and all multiple polymetallic nodule collection rakes 31 are driven to the drive end of the first excavation drive unit. This improves the collection efficiency of multiple polymetallic nodule collection rakes 31 in the V-shaped plume collection space, ensures the collection synchronization and consistency of multiple polymetallic nodule collection rakes 31, and also reduces the collection drive cost of multiple polymetallic nodule collection rakes 31, thus increasing the economic efficiency of collection.

[0049] Specifically, such as Figures 1 to 5As shown, the polymetallic nodule mineral collection component 3 also includes a collection guide unit 32. The collection guide unit 32 includes a guide drive and a collection guide 321. Each polymetallic nodule collection rake head 31 is rotatably equipped with a collection guide 321. The collection guide 321 is throttle-connected to the drive shaft of the guide drive. The guide drive is used to drive the collection guide 321 to rotate, so that the polymetallic nodule minerals collected by multiple polymetallic nodule collection rake heads 31 are gathered at the V-shaped end of the V-shaped plume flow collection space. The first suction member 51 is connected to the polymetallic nodule collection chamber 11 and the polymetallic nodule collection rake head 31 at the V-shaped end. In this embodiment, the bottom of the main body 1 of the device is provided with a V-shaped groove 13. The V-shaped groove 13 includes a first groove section 131 and a second groove section 132 that are arranged at an angle and interconnected. Multiple polymetallic nodule collecting rake heads 31 are installed in both the first groove section 131 and the second groove section 132. The collection guide unit 32 enables the polymetallic nodule minerals collected by the multiple polymetallic nodule collecting rake heads 31 located at opposite ends of the first groove section 131 and the second groove section 132 to be collected by the multiple polymetallic nodule collecting rake heads 31 located at opposite ends of the first groove section 131 and the second groove section 132. Compared with each polymetallic nodule collecting rake head 31 needing to be equipped with a first suction component 51, this saves suction costs and improves suction efficiency, thereby further improving the collection efficiency and economy of polymetallic nodule minerals. Each polymetallic nodule collecting rake head 31 is provided with a collection guide component 321, which ensures the continuity and efficiency of polymetallic nodule mineral collection. It is understood that the guide drive can be a rotary drive device such as an electric motor or a hydraulic motor. The specific structure and working principle of the drive acquisition guide 321 are existing technologies and will not be described in detail here.

[0050] In this embodiment, the walking drive module 2 consists of two tracked walking units 21 spaced apart along the first horizontal direction and connected to the main body 1 of the device. The two tracked walking units 21 drive the main body 1 forward. The rare earth mining shovel head 41 is located on the bottom surface of the main body 1 along the second horizontal direction. The rare earth mining shovel head 41 and the two tracked walking units 21 together form a U-shaped plume-suppressing mining space with the seabed of the deep-sea mining area. This arrangement enables semi-enclosed space mining operations for rare earth minerals, reducing the disturbance range to the seabed of the deep-sea mining area during rare earth mineral mining operations, decreasing the risk of plume diffusion during rare earth mineral mining, and reducing the impact of rare earth mineral mining operations on the marine ecological environment. The walking drive module 2 includes two drive-connected tracked walking units 21, which, compared to other wheeled walking units, increases the contact area with the seabed of the deep-sea mining area, improves walking stability, and ensures the mining stability of the deep-sea mining area. It is understood that in this embodiment, a strip groove 14 is provided at the bottom of the main body 1 along the second horizontal direction, and the strip groove 14 extends along the first horizontal direction. The rare earth mining shovel head 41 is installed in the strip groove 14. The specific structural composition and transmission operation principle of the tracked walking unit 21 are all prior art and will not be described in detail here.

[0051] Optionally, such as Figures 5 to 9 As shown, the deep-sea mineral extraction device also includes a lifting and adjusting assembly 6. The lifting and adjusting assembly 6 includes a first lifting and adjusting component 61 and a second lifting and adjusting component 62 spaced apart on the bottom surface of the main body 1. A polymetallic nodule extraction rake head 31 is driven to the lifting and adjusting end of the first lifting and adjusting component 61, and a rare earth extraction shovel head 41 is driven to the lifting and adjusting end of the second lifting and adjusting component 62. The first lifting and adjusting component 61 enables independent adjustment of the height of the polymetallic nodule extraction rake head 31, and the second lifting and adjusting component 62 enables independent adjustment of the height of the rare earth extraction shovel head 41. The use of the first and second lifting and adjusting components 61 enhances the versatility of the polymetallic nodule extraction rake head 31 and the rare earth extraction shovel head 41 for mineral extraction at different seabed heights.

[0052] Understandably, when mining polymetallic nodules alone, the first lifting adjustment component 61 can be used to lower the polymetallic nodule mining rake head 31, and the second lifting adjustment component 62 can be used to raise the rare earth mining shovel head 41, thereby reducing the interference of the rare earth mining shovel head 41 with the polymetallic nodule mining rake head 31 in mining polymetallic nodules. Similarly, when mining rare earth minerals alone, the second lifting adjustment component 62 can be used to lower the rare earth mining shovel head 41, and the first lifting adjustment component 61 can be used to raise the polymetallic nodule mining rake head 31, thereby reducing the interference of the polymetallic nodule mining rake head 31 with the rare earth mining shovel head 41 in mining rare earth minerals. When mining in deep-sea areas where polymetallic nodules and rare earth minerals coexist, the polymetallic nodule mining rake head 31 can be lowered via the first lifting adjustment component 61, and the rare earth mining shovel head 41 can be lowered via the second lifting adjustment component 62. This allows for the synchronous operation of the polymetallic nodule mining rake head 31 and the rare earth mining shovel head 41. These various operating modes ensure the versatility and reliability of the deep-sea mineral mining device for different types of deep-sea mining areas. The first lifting adjustment component 61 and the second lifting adjustment component 62 can be linear drive devices such as linear motors or hydraulic cylinders. Their specific structures and operating principles are existing technologies and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0053] Specifically, the polymetallic nodule mining component 3 also includes a limiting member 33, which is located at the lifting adjustment end of the first lifting adjustment component 61. The cross-sectional area of ​​the limiting member 33 is larger than that of the lifting adjustment end of the first lifting adjustment component 61. The polymetallic nodule mining rake head 31 is installed on the side of the limiting member 33 away from the first lifting adjustment component 61. The limiting member 33 reduces structural interference between the fixed housing (excluding the lifting adjustment end) of the first lifting adjustment component 61 and the polymetallic nodule mining rake head 31 caused by excessive lifting or lowering. This improves the lifting adjustment safety of the first lifting adjustment component 61, extends the service life of both the first lifting adjustment component 61 and the polymetallic nodule mining rake head 31, and prevents direct contact between the polymetallic nodule mining rake head 31 and the lifting adjustment end of the first lifting adjustment component 61, ensuring the lifting accuracy and reliability of the first lifting adjustment component 61.

[0054] In this embodiment, a conveying auxiliary unit 7 is installed inside the main body 1 of the device. The deep-sea mineral collection device also includes a three-way valve, which is located between the first end of the conveying auxiliary unit 7, the polymetallic nodule collection chamber 11, and the rare earth mineral collection chamber 12. The three-way valve connects the first end of the conveying auxiliary unit 7 to the polymetallic nodule collection chamber 11 or the rare earth mineral collection chamber 12. The second end of the conveying auxiliary unit 7 can be connected to the conveying pipeline of an external ore conveying equipment. The conveying auxiliary unit 7 provides conveying power for the polymetallic nodule minerals in the polymetallic nodule collection chamber 11 or the rare earth minerals in the rare earth mineral collection chamber 12. The conveying auxiliary unit 7 provides conveying power for the conveying operations of polymetallic nodule minerals and rare earth minerals, reducing the difficulty of conveying deep-sea minerals and improving the conveying efficiency of deep-sea minerals. The three-way valve enables independent transportation of polymetallic nodules and rare earth minerals, reducing the sorting process after deep-sea minerals are transported to external conveying equipment, saving the extraction cost of a single deep-sea mineral, and improving the energy utilization efficiency of deep-sea minerals. In this embodiment, the conveying auxiliary unit 7 can be a booster pump or other equipment used for conveying minerals in the prior art, and is not specifically limited here.

[0055] Optionally, such as Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, the deep-sea mineral collection device also includes a collection auxiliary cylinder 8. The lower end of the collection auxiliary cylinder 8 is connected to the second end of the conveying auxiliary unit 7, and the upper end is used to connect to the conveying pipeline of the external ore conveying equipment. Along the conveying direction of polymetallic nodule minerals and rare earth minerals, the cross-sectional area of ​​the collection auxiliary cylinder 8 gradually increases, that is, the collection auxiliary cylinder 8 is inverted conical. The inverted conical shape of the collection auxiliary cylinder 8 reduces the difficulty of conveying polymetallic nodule minerals from the polymetallic nodule collection chamber 11 to the external ore conveying equipment and the difficulty of conveying rare earth minerals from the rare earth mineral collection chamber 12 to the external ore conveying equipment, thereby improving the conveying efficiency of polymetallic nodule minerals and rare earth minerals.

[0056] For example, the deep-sea mineral extraction device also includes multiple support and reinforcement units 9. Each support and reinforcement unit 9 includes a first support reinforcement member 91 and a second support reinforcement member 92. The first support reinforcement member 91 and the second support reinforcement member 92 are arranged crosswise and are both connected to the device body 1. The arrangement of the first support reinforcement member 91 and the second support reinforcement member 92, which are arranged crosswise and are both connected to the device body 1, improves the structural strength of the device body 1, enhances the bending resistance and load-bearing reliability of the device body 1, and improves the structural durability of the device body 1.

[0057] Furthermore, the deep-sea mineral extraction device also includes a control module 10. The control module 10 is electrically connected to the walking drive module 2, the first digging drive unit, the second digging drive unit, the first suction component 51, the second suction component 52, the guide drive component, the first lifting adjustment component 61, the second lifting adjustment component 62, and the conveying auxiliary unit 7. This facilitates flexible operation of the aforementioned components by the operator. The control module 10 reduces the difficulty of operation for the operator, improving the convenience and efficiency of operation. The specific structure of the control module 10 and its working principle for coordinating the control of the various components are existing technologies and will not be elaborated further here.

[0058] This embodiment also proposes a deep-sea mineral extraction method, which uses the deep-sea mineral extraction device described above to extract polymetallic nodules and rare earth minerals in deep-sea mining areas, including the following steps:

[0059] S1. The walking drive module 2 drives the main body 1 of the device to move to any preset collection area;

[0060] S2. Start the first excavation drive unit and the first suction component 51. The first excavation drive unit drives the polymetallic nodule collection rake head 31 to rotate to collect polymetallic nodule minerals in the deep-sea mining area. The first suction component 51 sucks the polymetallic nodule minerals collected by the polymetallic nodule collection rake head 31 into the polymetallic nodule collection chamber 11. And / or, start the second excavation drive unit and the second suction component 52. The second excavation drive unit drives the rare earth collection shovel head 41 to rotate to collect rare earth minerals in the deep-sea mining area. The second suction component 52 sucks the rare earth minerals collected by the rare earth collection shovel head 41 into the rare earth mineral collection chamber 12.

[0061] S3. After the preset mineral collection in the current preset collection area is completed, the walking drive module 2 drives the main body 1 of the device to the next preset collection area, and repeats step S2.

[0062] S4. Repeat step S3 until all preset collection areas in the deep-sea mining area are collected.

[0063] In this embodiment, the walking drive module 2 first moves the main body 1 to any preset collection area, laying the foundation for subsequent collection of polymetallic nodule minerals and rare earth minerals. The walking drive module 2 enables the main body 1 to be positioned flexibly and quickly. After the main body 1 is in place, based on the pre-exploration of the seabed geology of the deep-sea mining area, at least one of the polymetallic nodule mineral collection component 3 and the rare earth mineral collection component 4 is activated as needed, improving the flexibility and versatility of deep-sea mineral collection. The first suction component 51 sucks the polymetallic nodule minerals into the polymetallic nodule collection chamber 11, and the second suction component 52 sucks the rare earth minerals into the rare earth mineral collection chamber 12. The polymetallic nodule minerals and rare earth minerals are stored independently, reducing the difficulty of subsequent energy utilization of the polymetallic nodule minerals and rare earth minerals separately. After the pre-set mineral collection in the current pre-set collection area is completed, the main body 1 of the walking drive module 2 moves to the next pre-set collection area, laying the foundation for repeated deep-sea mineral collection operations. Through the repeated movement of the walking drive module 2 and the mineral collection operations of the polymetallic nodule mineral collection component 3 and the rare earth mineral collection component 4, the collection operations in all pre-set collection areas of the deep-sea mining area are completed. Mineral collection operations in the deep-sea mining area are carried out in sections, with high controllability of the movement path, reducing the impact of a single collection operation on the marine environment of the deep-sea mining area. It is understood that in this embodiment, whether the pre-set mineral collection in the pre-set collection area is completed is determined by a comprehensive consideration of factors such as the actual required collection volume and the collection threshold feedback from geological exploration results, and is not specifically limited here.

[0064] Specifically, before step S1, the following steps are also included: dividing the deep-sea mining area into zones and grids based on the exploration results, marking polymetallic nodule mineral enrichment areas, rare earth mineral enrichment areas, and polymetallic nodule mineral and rare earth mineral coexistence areas, so that when collecting polymetallic nodule mineral enrichment areas, only the first excavation drive unit and the first suction component 51 are activated as needed to achieve independent collection of polymetallic nodule minerals. When collecting rare earth mineral enrichment areas, only the second excavation drive unit and the second suction component 52 are activated as needed to achieve independent collection of rare earth minerals. When collecting polymetallic nodule mineral and rare earth mineral coexistence areas, the first excavation drive unit, the first suction component 51, the second excavation drive unit, and the second suction component 52 are activated to achieve synchronous collection of polymetallic nodule minerals and rare earth minerals.

[0065] More specifically, in step S2, when only polymetallic nodule minerals are collected, multiple polymetallic nodule collection rake heads 31 can be lowered to form a V-shaped plume suppression collection space together with the seabed of the polymetallic nodule mineral enrichment area using the first lifting adjustment component 61. The rare earth collection shovel head 41 is then raised using the second lifting adjustment component 62. This reduces the risk of plume diffusion during the polymetallic nodule mineral collection process and also reduces the degree of interference of the rare earth collection shovel head 41 with the polymetallic nodule collection rake head 31 in collecting polymetallic nodule minerals, thus ensuring the safety and efficiency of polymetallic nodule mineral collection. When collecting rare earth minerals only, the second lifting adjustment component 62 can be used to lower the rare earth collection shovel head 41 to form a U-shaped plume suppression collection space together with the seabed and tracked walking unit 21 in the rare earth mineral enrichment area. Meanwhile, the first lifting adjustment component 61 can be used to raise multiple polymetallic nodule collection rake heads 31. This reduces the risk of plume diffusion during rare earth mineral collection and also minimizes the interference of the polymetallic nodule collection rake heads 31 with the rare earth collection shovel head 41, ensuring the safety and efficiency of rare earth mineral collection. When collecting polymetallic nodule minerals and rare earth minerals in a co-existing area, the first lifting adjustment component 61 lowers multiple polymetallic nodule collection rake heads 31, and the second lifting adjustment component 62 lowers the rare earth collection shovel head 41. The polymetallic nodule collection rake heads 31 and the rare earth collection shovel head 41 operate synchronously, ensuring the versatility and efficiency of the deep-sea mineral collection device in collecting minerals in co-existing polymetallic nodule minerals and rare earth minerals.

[0066] For example, after the pre-selected mining of polymetallic nodule mineral-rich areas in step S3 is completed, the first lifting adjustment component 61 raises multiple polymetallic nodule mining rake heads 31, and then the main body 1 of the driving device 2 continues to move, in order to reduce the risk of collision between the polymetallic nodule mining rake heads 31 and the surrounding environment during the movement. After the pre-selected mining of rare earth mineral-rich areas is completed, the second lifting adjustment component 62 raises the rare earth mining shovel head 41, and then the main body 1 of the driving device 2 continues to move, in order to reduce the risk of collision between the rare earth mining shovel head 41 and the surrounding environment during the movement. After the pre-selected mining of polymetallic nodule mineral and rare earth mineral coexistence areas is completed, the first lifting adjustment component 61 raises multiple polymetallic nodule mining rake heads 31 and the second lifting adjustment component 62 raises the rare earth mining shovel head 41. After the raising is completed, the main body 1 of the driving device 2 continues to move, in order to reduce the risk of collision between the polymetallic nodule mining rake heads 31 and the rare earth mining shovel head 41 and the surrounding environment during the movement.

[0067] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make other variations or modifications based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively describe all embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A deep-sea mineral extraction device, characterized in that, include: The main body of the device (1) is equipped with a polymetallic nodule collection chamber (11) and a rare earth mineral collection chamber (12) that are independent of each other. The walking drive module (2) is configured to drive the main body of the device (1) to move; The polymetallic nodule mineral collection component (3) includes a polymetallic nodule collection rake head (31) and a first digging drive unit. The polymetallic nodule collection rake head (31) is installed on the bottom surface of the main body (1) of the device and is connected to the drive end of the first digging drive unit. The polymetallic nodule collection rake head (31) is provided with multiple screening channels (311). The first digging drive unit is used to drive the polymetallic nodule collection rake head (31) to rotate, so as to collect polymetallic nodule minerals in the deep-sea mining area and screen out rare earth minerals through the multiple screening channels (311). The rare earth mineral collection component (4) includes a rare earth collection shovel (41) and a second digging drive unit. The rare earth collection shovel (41) is installed on the bottom surface of the main body (1) of the device and is connected to the drive end of the second digging drive unit. The rare earth collection shovel (41) is provided with a plurality of filter blocking holes (411). The filter blocking holes (411) are used to block polymetallic nodule minerals from entering the rare earth collection shovel (41). The second digging drive unit is used to drive the rare earth collection shovel (41) to rotate in order to collect rare earth minerals in the deep-sea mining area. The suction assembly (5) is installed on the main body (1) of the device and includes a first suction component (51) and a second suction component (52). The first suction component (51) is used to connect the polymetallic nodule collection chamber (11) and the polymetallic nodule collection rake head (31). The second suction component (52) is used to connect the rare earth mineral collection chamber (12) and the rare earth collection shovel head (41).

2. The deep-sea mineral extraction device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The polymetallic nodule mineral collection component (3) includes multiple polymetallic nodule collection rakes (31). The multiple polymetallic nodule collection rakes (31) are arranged in a V-shape on the bottom surface of the main body (1) of the device and are all connected to the drive end of the first excavation drive unit. The multiple polymetallic nodule collection rakes (31) can form a V-shaped plume suppression collection space together with the seabed of the deep-sea mining area.

3. The deep-sea mineral extraction device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The bottom of the main body (1) of the device is provided with a V-shaped groove (13). The V-shaped groove (13) includes a first groove section (131) and a second groove section (132) that are arranged at an angle and are interconnected. Multiple polymetallic nodule collecting rake heads (31) are installed in both the first groove section (131) and the second groove section (132). The polymetallic nodule mineral collecting assembly (3) also includes a collecting guide unit (32). The collecting guide unit (32) includes a guide drive and a collecting guide (321). Each polymetallic nodule collecting rake head (31) is rotatably equipped with a collecting rake head. The guide member (321) is connected to the drive shaft of the guide drive member. The guide drive member is used to drive the collection guide member (321) to rotate. The collection guide unit (32) causes the polymetallic nodule minerals collected by the multiple polymetallic nodule collection rakes (31) located at opposite ends of the first trough section (131) and the second trough section (132) to aggregate towards the polymetallic nodule minerals collected by the multiple polymetallic nodule collection rakes (31) located at opposite ends of the first trough section (131) and the second trough section (132).

4. The deep-sea mineral extraction device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The deep-sea mineral collection device also includes a lifting adjustment component (6), which includes a first lifting adjustment member (61) and a second lifting adjustment member (62) spaced apart on the bottom surface of the main body (1) of the device. The polymetallic nodule collection rake head (31) is driven to the lifting adjustment end of the first lifting adjustment member (61), and the rare earth collection shovel head (41) is driven to the lifting adjustment end of the second lifting adjustment member (62).

5. The deep-sea mineral extraction device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The polymetallic nodule mineral collection component (3) also includes a limiting member (33), which is located at the lifting adjustment end of the first lifting adjustment member (61), and the cross-sectional area of ​​the limiting member (33) is greater than the cross-sectional area of ​​the lifting adjustment end of the first lifting adjustment member (61). The polymetallic nodule collection rake head (31) is installed on the side of the limiting member (33) away from the first lifting adjustment member (61).

6. The deep-sea mineral extraction device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main body (1) of the device is equipped with a conveying auxiliary unit (7). The deep-sea mineral collection device also includes a three-way valve. The three-way valve is located between the first end of the conveying auxiliary unit (7), the polymetallic nodule collection chamber (11), and the rare earth mineral collection chamber (12). It is used to connect the first end of the conveying auxiliary unit (7) and the polymetallic nodule collection chamber (11) or to connect the first end of the conveying auxiliary unit (7) and the rare earth mineral collection chamber (12). The second end of the conveying auxiliary unit (7) can be connected to the conveying pipeline of an external mineral conveying equipment. The conveying auxiliary unit (7) is used to provide conveying power for the polymetallic nodule mineral in the polymetallic nodule collection chamber (11) or the rare earth mineral in the rare earth mineral collection chamber (12).

7. The deep-sea mineral extraction device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The deep-sea mineral collection device also includes a collection auxiliary cylinder (8), the lower end of which is connected to the second end of the conveying auxiliary unit (7), and the upper end is used to connect to the conveying pipeline of the external mineral conveying equipment. Along the conveying direction of polymetallic nodule minerals and rare earth minerals, the cross-sectional area of ​​the collection auxiliary cylinder (8) gradually increases.

8. The deep-sea mineral extraction device according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The walking drive module (2) consists of two tracked walking units (21) spaced apart along the first horizontal direction and connected to the main body of the device (1). The two tracked walking units are used to drive the main body of the device (1) to move. The rare earth collection shovel (41) is located on the bottom surface of the main body of the device (1) along the second horizontal direction. The rare earth collection shovel (41) and the two tracked walking units (21) can form a U-shaped plume collection space together with the seabed of the deep-sea mining area.

9. The deep-sea mineral extraction device according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The deep-sea mineral collection device also includes multiple support and reinforcement units (9), each of which includes a first support reinforcement component (91) and a second support reinforcement component (92). The first support reinforcement component (91) and the second support reinforcement component (92) are arranged crosswise and are both connected to the main body of the device (1).

10. A method for deep-sea mineral extraction, characterized in that, The process of collecting polymetallic nodules and rare earth minerals in deep-sea mining areas using the deep-sea mineral collection device as described in any one of claims 1-9 includes the following steps: S1, Walking drive module (2) Drive device body (1) moves to any preset collection area; S2. Start the first excavation drive unit and the first suction component (51). The first excavation drive unit drives the polymetallic nodule collection rake head (31) to rotate to collect polymetallic nodule minerals in the deep-sea mining area. The first suction component (51) sucks the polymetallic nodule minerals collected by the polymetallic nodule collection rake head (31) into the polymetallic nodule collection chamber (11). And / or, start the second excavation drive unit and the second suction component (52). The second excavation drive unit drives the rare earth collection shovel head (41) to rotate to collect rare earth minerals in the deep-sea mining area. The second suction component (52) sucks the rare earth minerals collected by the rare earth collection shovel head (41) into the rare earth mineral collection chamber (12). S3. After the preset mineral collection in the current preset collection area is completed, the walking drive module (2) drives the main body (1) of the device to the next preset collection area and repeats step S2. S4. Repeat step S3 until all preset collection areas in the deep-sea mining area are collected.

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