Emergency discharge unpowered anti-clogging device for deep-sea mining pump pipe conveying system

Abstract

The present application relates to underwater ore hydraulic conveying system technical field, especially to a kind of emergency discharge unpowered anti-blocking device for deep sea mining pump pipe conveying system.The side wall of the main body welding assembly is provided with valve body square flange lower cover;Valve body square flange lower cover and valve body square flange upper cover jointly constitute valve body square flange;The lower part of valve body square flange lower cover is movably assembled with baffle;Valve body square flange upper cover is fixedly assembled with push rod assembly, and the front end of push rod assembly passes through valve body square flange upper cover and is in abutment with baffle;The lower part of the outside of valve body square flange upper cover discharge port is provided with flow guide device.The technical scheme of the present application solves the problem in the prior art that when the lifting electric pump stops working due to failure or power failure, the solid materials deposited in the lifting pipeline cannot be conveyed by the pump started again, thereby causing serious blockage of the pipeline and pump body, affecting the normal operation of the whole system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of underwater ore hydraulic transportation systems, and in particular to an emergency discharge non-powered anti-clogging device for deep-sea mining pump pipe transportation systems. Background Technology

[0002] Hydraulic pipeline hoisting systems are widely regarded as the most valuable deep-sea mining solution due to their high engineering feasibility and transportation efficiency. The deep-sea hoisting pump is the core equipment of this system, responsible for transporting the collected solid nodule slurry through the hoisting pipe to the surface support platform or the next-level processing unit. Since deep-sea minerals are mostly found in seabed areas thousands of meters deep and have complex physical forms, the system often faces problems such as poor flow stability and susceptibility to blockages during long-distance vertical transportation of high-concentration, large-diameter solid particles. If the system malfunctions or experiences a sudden power outage, the hoisting pump will immediately stop working. At this time, the slurry containing large-diameter solid nodules remaining in the thousands of meters of vertical hoisting pipe will rapidly settle and accumulate, generating enormous pressure and friction. After power is restored, the pump cannot overcome the enormous starting torque to restart, resulting in a severe blockage that paralyzes the entire transportation system. This requires significant manpower and time for pipe dismantling, cleaning, and reinstallation.

[0003] Currently, dedicated emergency discharge technology for such underwater transport systems is not yet mature. There is a lack of a simple, fast-responding, and autonomous discharge device that does not rely on external power, making it difficult to guarantee the reliability and survivability of the entire underwater mining system.

[0004] In view of the problems existing in the above-mentioned existing technologies, it is necessary to study and design a new type of emergency discharge non-powered anti-clogging device for deep-sea mining pump pipe conveying system, so as to overcome the problems existing in the existing technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In existing underwater ore hydraulic conveying systems, when the lifting pump stops working due to malfunction or power outage, solid materials deposited in the lifting pipeline cannot be conveyed by the restarted pump, leading to severe blockages in the pipeline and pump body, affecting the normal operation of the entire system. This invention addresses the technical problem of providing an emergency discharge, non-powered anti-blockage device for deep-sea mining pump pipeline conveying systems. The invention aims to achieve autonomous and rapid discharge of materials from the pipeline in the event of system failure or power outage; it primarily provides a reliable device that can quickly and automatically open without an external power source to achieve emergency discharge of materials from the pipeline, and automatically close after the system restarts.

[0006] The technical means employed in this invention are as follows: An emergency discharge non-powered anti-clogging device for a deep-sea mining pump pipe conveying system includes: a main welded assembly serving as the main pressure-bearing and support structure of the valve body; Furthermore, a lower cover of a square flange of the valve body is provided on the side wall of the main welded assembly; the lower cover of the square flange of the valve body and the upper cover of the square flange of the valve body together form a square flange of the valve body, with the discharge port at its center; Furthermore, a baffle is movably mounted on the lower part of the square flange cover of the valve body. The baffle rotates around the mounting point and opens or closes relative to the square flange of the valve body.

[0007] Furthermore, a push rod assembly is fixedly mounted on the square flange cover of the valve body, and the front end of the push rod assembly passes through the square flange cover of the valve body and abuts against the baffle. Furthermore, a flow guiding device is provided on the lower outer side of the discharge port of the square flange on the valve body.

[0008] Furthermore, the main welded assembly also includes a square valve body; Furthermore, conversion joint components are seamlessly welded to the upper and lower ends of the square valve body; Furthermore, the conversion joint component is a barrel-shaped structure that changes from a circular port to a square port. Its circular port is used to connect with the upstream and downstream circular pipes, while the square port is seamlessly welded to the square valve body to achieve a smooth conversion of the fluid cross-sectional shape. Furthermore, a steel pipe flange with a protruding weld is seamlessly welded to the circular port of the conversion joint component; Furthermore, a square flange cover is welded onto the side wall of the square valve body.

[0009] Furthermore, the lower cover of the square flange of the valve body is fixedly installed inside one side wall of the square valve body; Furthermore, a material discharge hole is provided in the center of the square flange lower cover of the valve body; Furthermore, the lower cover of the square flange on the valve body provides a precision sealing surface, facilitating the installation / removal of the baffle, the size of which matches the sealing surface of the sealing flange.

[0010] Furthermore, a polyurethane plate is fitted on the inner side of the square flange cover of the valve body to ensure the sealing of the square flange during normal transportation.

[0011] Furthermore, the push rod mechanism includes: a push rod, a sleeve, a sleeve end cap, and a compression spring; Furthermore, one end of the sleeve is fixedly mounted on the mounting plate provided on the square flange cover of the valve body; Furthermore, the push rod is installed inside the sleeve, and its front end abuts against the baffle; Furthermore, a compression spring is fitted at the rear of the push rod; Furthermore, a sleeve end cap is fitted at the end of the sleeve away from the square flange cover of the valve body, encapsulating the compression spring in the sleeve; Furthermore, the compression spring is located between the push rod and the sleeve end cap, and always provides a preload force to the baffle in the direction of the sealing flange; by adjusting the sleeve end cap to change the preload force, it always provides a thrust force to the baffle.

[0012] Furthermore, the push rod mechanism is completely immersed in the medium and relies on mechanical force to achieve its action, without any electrical or hydraulic control.

[0013] Furthermore, a flow guiding device is disposed outside the valve body, downstream of the baffle and sealing flange, for guiding the material when the valve is opened, so that it flows out more smoothly, including: a right baffle, a bottom plate and a left baffle; Furthermore, the base plate consists of a downwardly sloping plate surface on the side near the square flange cover of the valve body and a horizontal plate surface on the side away from the square flange cover of the valve body, with a left baffle and a right baffle fixedly mounted on both sides. Furthermore, bolt holes are provided on the left and right baffles for fixed connection with the square flange cover of the valve body.

[0014] The working process of this invention is as follows: 1. Normal Operating Condition (Valve Closed): When the lifting pump is operating normally, the high-pressure slurry generated at the pump outlet acts on the baffle. This pressure overcomes the preload of the spring in the push rod mechanism, pushing the baffle upward and causing it to fit tightly against the sealing surface of the sealing flange, thereby closing the discharge channel of the emergency discharge valve. At this time, the nodule slurry is forcibly transported to the lifting rigid pipe through the pump outlet and the main flow channel of the valve body, completing the normal hydraulic lifting operation. Simultaneously, the spring in the push rod mechanism is further compressed during this process, storing elastic potential energy.

[0015] 2. Emergency Discharge State (Valve Opening): When the booster pump stops working (e.g., due to malfunction or power failure), the pump outlet pressure disappears instantly. At this time, the fluid pressure acting on the baffle is released, and the pre-compressed spring in the push rod mechanism quickly releases its stored elastic potential energy, generating a downward elastic force that pushes the baffle to quickly reset. After resetting, the baffle disengages from the sealing flange, thereby opening the central inner hole of the sealing flange. Solid materials deposited in the upper pipeline are discharged to the external environment under gravity through the baffle, the inner hole, and the guide device, effectively preventing material from accumulating and clogging the pump body and pipeline.

[0016] 3. Resumption of operation (valve closed): After the fault is cleared and the electric pump is restarted, the pump outlet pressure is re-established, and the slurry pressure will automatically push the baffle upward, overcome the spring force and re-tighten the sealing flange, the valve returns to the closed state, and the system can immediately switch to normal lifting operation.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: 1. The emergency discharge anti-clogging device for deep-sea mining pump pipeline conveying systems provided by this invention features automatic control without power: This invention utilizes the dynamic balance between the pump's working pressure and the spring's stored energy to achieve valve opening and closing, without relying on any external electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic control systems. This ensures reliable operation even under the most unfavorable conditions such as power outages, greatly simplifies the control system, significantly improves the system's inherent safety, and enhances reliability in the high-pressure, high-humidity environment of the deep sea. 2. The emergency discharge non-powered anti-clogging device for deep-sea mining pump pipeline conveying systems provided by this invention has a fast response speed: When the pump stops, due to the absence of complex control logic and actuator delays, the valve opens instantly by relying on the elastic potential energy stored in the spring. The opening time is extremely short, enabling rapid discharge before serious sedimentation of solid materials occurs, minimizing the risk of material settling and clogging. 3. The emergency discharge non-powered anti-clogging device for deep-sea mining pump pipeline conveying systems provided by this invention has a simple structure and high reliability: the overall structure consists of only a few core components such as a valve body, sealing flange, baffle, and mechanical push rod mechanism, without complex hydraulic or pneumatic pipelines or easily damaged electrical components. Its simple and compact structure, with few parts, significantly reduces potential failure points in high-pressure and corrosive underwater environments, exhibiting extremely high operational reliability, and is easy to manufacture and maintain underwater. 4. The emergency discharge non-powered anti-blocking device for deep-sea mining pump pipe conveying system provided by the present invention has an autonomous reset function: After the system restores power and pressure, the valve can automatically close without manual intervention, ensuring the continuity and automation of the production process.

[0018] In summary, the technical solution of this invention solves the problem in the existing underwater ore hydraulic conveying system where, when the lifting electric pump stops working due to malfunction or power failure, the solid material deposited in the lifting pipe cannot be conveyed by the pump that is restarted, resulting in severe blockage of the pipe and pump body, which affects the normal operation of the entire system. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 For the present invention Figure 1 Side view; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the main welding assembly structure of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the flow guiding device of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the present invention in normal operation; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the pump shut-off and backflow process according to the present invention.

[0021] In the diagram: 1. Polyurethane board; 2. Push rod; 3. Baffle; 4. Main welding assembly; 4-1. Lower cover of square flange of valve body; 4-2. Transformer joint component; 4-3. Square valve body; 4-4. Steel pipe flange with protruding face weld; 5. Sleeve; 6. Sleeve end cover; 7. Compression spring; 8. Upper cover of square flange of valve body; 9. Flow guiding device; 9-1. Right side baffle; 9-2. Base plate; 9-3. Left side baffle. Detailed Implementation

[0022] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present invention can be combined with each other. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0023] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present invention or its application or use. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of exemplary embodiments according to the invention. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0025] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0026] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is generally based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention. The directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0027] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "over," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation besides the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is inverted, a device described as "above" or "above" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0028] Furthermore, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define components is merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this invention.

[0029] As shown in the figure, the present invention provides an emergency discharge non-powered anti-clogging device for a deep-sea mining pump pipeline conveying system, comprising: a main welded assembly 4 serving as the main pressure-bearing and supporting structure of the valve body; a valve body square flange lower cover 4-1 provided on the side wall of the main welded assembly 4; the valve body square flange lower cover 4-1 and the valve body square flange upper cover 8 together form a valve body square flange, the center of which is the discharge port; a baffle 3 is movably mounted on the lower part of the valve body square flange lower cover 4-1, and the baffle 3 rotates around the mounting point; a push rod assembly is fixedly mounted on the valve body square flange upper cover 8, the front end of the push rod assembly passing through the valve body square flange upper cover 8 and abutting against the baffle 3; a flow guiding device 9 is provided on the lower outer side of the discharge port of the valve body square flange upper cover 8.

[0030] The main welding assembly 4 also includes a square valve body 4-3; the upper and lower ends of the square valve body 4-3 are respectively fixed with conversion joint components 4-2 by seamless welding; the conversion joint component 4-2 is a barrel-shaped structure that changes from a circular port to a square port. Its circular port is used to connect with the upstream and downstream circular pipes, and the square port is seamlessly welded to the square valve body 4-3 to achieve a smooth conversion of the fluid cross-sectional shape; a protruding welded steel pipe flange 4-4 is seamlessly welded to the circular port of the conversion joint component 4-2; a valve body square flange lower cover 4-1 is welded to the side wall of the square valve body 4-3.

[0031] The lower cover 4-1 of the square flange of the valve body is fixedly installed inside one side wall of the square valve body; a material discharge hole is opened in the center of the lower cover 4-1 of the square flange of the valve body; the lower cover 4-1 of the square flange of the valve body provides a precision sealing surface, which facilitates the installation / removal of the baffle 3.

[0032] A polyurethane plate 1 is installed on the inner side of the square flange cover 8 of the valve body to ensure the sealing of the square flange during normal transportation.

[0033] The push rod mechanism includes: a push rod 2, a sleeve 5, a sleeve end cap 6, and a compression spring 7; one end of the sleeve 5 is fixedly mounted on a mounting plate provided on the square flange cover 8 of the valve body; the push rod 2 is installed inside the sleeve 5, and its front end abuts against the baffle 3; the rear part of the push rod 2 is fitted with a compression spring 7; the end of the sleeve 5 away from the square flange cover 8 of the valve body is fitted with a sleeve end cap 6, which encapsulates the compression spring 7 in the sleeve; the compression spring 7 is located between the push rod 2 and the sleeve end cap 6, and the preload is changed by adjusting the sleeve end cap 6 to always provide a thrust to the baffle 3.

[0034] The flow guiding device 9 includes: a right baffle 9-1, a base plate 9-2, and a left baffle 9-3; the base plate 9-2 consists of a downwardly inclined plate surface near the valve body square flange cover 8 and a horizontal plate surface away from the valve body square flange cover 8, and the left baffle 9-3 and the right baffle 9-1 are fixedly assembled on both sides of it; the left baffle 9-3 and the right baffle 9-1 are provided with bolt holes for fixed connection with the valve body square flange cover 8.

[0035] When the electric pump is operating normally, high-pressure slurry enters the main welded assembly 4 from the pump outlet connection end, and its pressure acts on the lower surface of the baffle 3. When the thrust generated by the slurry pressure exceeds the preload of the compression spring 7, the baffle 3 is pushed upward and rotates until it comes into tight contact with the square flange cover 8 of the valve body, sealing the discharge port. At this time, the slurry can only pass through the flow channel between the main welded assembly 4 and the baffle 3, entering the lifting rigid pipe from the electric pump outlet end pipe to complete the transportation. At the same time, the rotation of the baffle 3 compresses the compression spring 7, allowing it to store energy.

[0036] When the booster pump stops working due to a malfunction or power outage, the pump outlet pressure disappears. The hydraulic pressure acting on baffle 3 also disappears. At this time, the compressed spring 7 quickly releases its elastic potential energy, driving the push rod 2 and baffle 3 to rotate downwards and reset. Baffle 3 disengages from the square flange cover 8 of the valve body, and the discharge port opens. Under the action of gravity, solid materials in the booster pipe and pump chamber are quickly discharged into the external underwater environment through the open discharge port and the guide device 9, thus preventing material deposition and blockage in the pipe and pump body.

[0037] Once the electric pump resumes operation, the pump outlet pressure is re-established, which will push baffle 3 to close the discharge port again, and the system will automatically return to normal transport status. Throughout the process, the opening and closing of the valve relies entirely on the automatic balance of hydraulic and spring forces, requiring no external control signals or power sources. The structure is simple and the operation is reliable.

[0038] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An emergency discharge non-powered anti-clogging device for a deep-sea mining pump pipe conveying system, characterized in that: The emergency discharge non-powered anti-clogging device for deep-sea mining pump pipe conveying system includes: a main welded assembly (4) that serves as the main pressure-bearing and support structure of the valve body; The main welding assembly (4) is provided with a valve body square flange lower cover (4-1) on its side wall; the valve body square flange lower cover (4-1) and the valve body square flange upper cover (8) together form a valve body square flange, with the discharge port at its center; The lower part of the square flange cover (4-1) of the valve body is movably fitted with a baffle (3), and the baffle (3) rotates around the assembly point; A push rod assembly is fixedly mounted on the square flange cover (8) of the valve body. The front end of the push rod assembly passes through the square flange cover (8) of the valve body and abuts against the baffle (3). A flow guide device (9) is provided on the lower outer side of the discharge port of the square flange cover (8) of the valve body.

2. The emergency discharge non-powered anti-clogging device for deep-sea mining pump pipe conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main welding assembly (4) also includes a square valve body (4-3); The upper and lower ends of the square valve body (4-3) are respectively equipped with conversion joint components (4-2) by seamless welding. The aforementioned conversion connector component (4-2) is a barrel-shaped structure that changes from a circular port to a square port. Its circular port is used to connect with the upstream and downstream circular pipes, while the square port is seamlessly welded to the square valve body (4-3) to achieve a smooth conversion of the fluid cross-sectional shape. The circular port of the aforementioned conversion joint component (4-2) is seamlessly welded with a protruding welded steel pipe flange (4-4). The square valve body (4-3) is welded to the side wall with a square flange lower cover (4-1).

3. The emergency discharge non-powered anti-clogging device for deep-sea mining pump pipe conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower cover (4-1) of the square flange of the valve body is fixedly installed inside one side wall of the square valve body; The valve body square flange lower cover (4-1) has a material discharge hole in the center; The valve body square flange lower cover (4-1) provides a precision sealing surface, which facilitates the installation / removal of the baffle (3).

4. The emergency discharge non-powered anti-clogging device for deep-sea mining pump pipe conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner side of the square flange cover (8) of the valve body is fitted with a polyurethane plate (1) to ensure the sealing of the square flange during normal transportation.

5. The emergency discharge non-powered anti-clogging device for deep-sea mining pump pipe conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The push rod mechanism includes: a push rod (2), a sleeve (5), a sleeve end cap (6), and a compression spring (7); One end of the sleeve (5) is fixedly mounted on the mounting plate provided on the square flange cover (8) of the valve body; The push rod (2) is installed inside the sleeve (5), and its front end abuts against the baffle (3); The push rod (2) is fitted with a compression spring (7) at its rear. The sleeve (5) is fitted with a sleeve end cap (6) at the end away from the square flange cover (8) of the valve body, and the compression spring (7) is encapsulated in the sleeve; The compression spring (7) is located between the push rod (2) and the sleeve end cap (6). By adjusting the sleeve end cap (6), the preload is changed, and the spring always provides thrust to the baffle (3).

6. The emergency discharge non-powered anti-clogging device for deep-sea mining pump pipe conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flow guiding device (9) includes: a right side baffle (9-1), a bottom plate (9-2), and a left side baffle (9-3). The base plate (9-2) consists of a downwardly inclined plate surface on the side near the square flange cover (8) of the valve body and a horizontal plate surface on the side away from the square flange cover (8) of the valve body. A left baffle (9-3) and a right baffle (9-1) are fixedly installed on both sides of the base plate. The left baffle (9-3) and right baffle (9-1) are provided with bolt holes for fixed connection with the square flange cover (8) of the valve body.

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