Deep-Sea Mining Robot With Segmented Tracks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing deep-sea manganese nodule mining technologies face challenges in maintaining suitable ground contact pressure and independent control of endless track vehicles, leading to difficulties in mining on weak sticky sea floors and varying topography.
Innovation Solution
A robot system comprising detachably connected moving apparatuses with parallel endless tracks, a mining apparatus for water jet injection, a transferring apparatus for crushing nodules, and a power control unit, allowing adjustable capacity and independent operation to manage ground contact pressure and topography.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If endless tracks are divided into two rows with a support frame, then ground contact pressure is reduced and equipment stability is improved, but ground contact pressure cannot be increased beyond a certain level
Solution Approach 1:
The robot is divided into multiple independent moving apparatuses (first, second, third moving apparatuses) that can be detached and reconfigured. Each apparatus has its own endless tracks and support structure, allowing the system to segment the total weight distribution across multiple independent units, thereby achieving both stability and adjustable ground contact pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot employs detachable connections between moving apparatuses, enabling dynamic reconfiguration of the system. The apparatuses can be connected or detached based on mining requirements, allowing the ground contact pressure to be adjusted by changing the number of active apparatuses and their arrangement on the seafloor.
2Ease of operation
If endless track vehicles operate independently, then control flexibility is improved, but mining capacity cannot be increased
Solution Approach 1:
The robot system consists of multiple independently controllable moving apparatuses (first, second, third moving apparatuses), each capable of independent operation. This segmentation allows each apparatus to be controlled separately for flexibility while the combined capacity of all apparatuses provides increased overall mining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple independent moving apparatuses are combined into a single robot system through detachable connections. The apparatuses can operate independently when needed but can also be connected to function as an integrated system, merging their individual mining capacities to achieve increased overall productivity while maintaining operational flexibility.
3Reliability
If the robot structure is reinforced for safety, then structural safety is improved, but ground contact pressure increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The robot is segmented into multiple independent moving apparatuses, each with its own support frame and endless tracks. This segmentation distributes the total weight across multiple apparatuses, reducing the ground contact pressure on each individual apparatus while maintaining overall structural safety through the combined strength of all apparatuses.
Solution Approach 2:
The detachable connection system allows dynamic adjustment of the robot's configuration. The number of active apparatuses and their arrangement can be changed based on mining conditions, enabling the system to optimize the balance between structural safety and ground contact pressure by adapting the overall system mass and distribution to the specific operational requirements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively adjusts ground contact area and traversability on deep-sea floors, enabling efficient manganese nodule mining by allowing adjustable apparatus configurations and independent control of endless tracks for improved mining capacity and adaptability.
Implementation Method 1
a floating apparatus disposed at a front end of the moving apparatus to inject water jet to seabed such that the manganese nodule placed on the seabed is floated and induced into an inside of the floating apparatus
Implementation Method 2
a buoyancy unit installed to a top end of the structure frame
Data Source
AI summary
A robot for mining a manganese nodule on a deep sea floor. The apparatus includes a plurality of moving apparatuses detachably disposed in parallel with each other; a mining apparatus installed to a front end of the moving apparatuses to mine a manganese nodule; a transferring apparatus installed to an upper portion of the moving apparatuses to crush the manganese nodule in a constant size or less such that the manganese nodule is transferred to an external; a power control measuring unit installed to an upper portion of the moving apparatuses for providing power to the moving apparatuses and controlling operations of the mining apparatus and the transferring apparatus; a structure frame for connecting the moving apparatuses to each other and for supporting the mining apparatus, the transferring apparatus and the power control measuring unit; and a buoyancy unit installed to a top end of the structure frame.