Seabed Nodule Collector With Onboard Separation and Riser Latching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seabed mining apparatuses require manipulators or ROVs for connecting to jumper hoses, necessitate mechanically reinforced umbilical cables with poor heat conductivity, suffer from cable insulation overheating, and face risks of collision and operation difficulties in soft ground.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with vertical and horizontal thrusters for self-deployment, buoyancy for reduced weight, and a separator system with inclined surfaces and apertures to separate nodular from non-nodular material, minimizing the need for umbilical reinforcement and reducing environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional methods (divers, suction hoses, manual labor) are used to remove material from water bodies, then material removal is possible, but the processes are time-consuming, costly, and disruptive to traffic and local businesses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical methods (divers, suction hoses, manual labor) with an acoustic field-based system using acoustic radiation pressure to levitate and transport nodular materials. This substitution of mechanical systems with acoustic fields enables rapid, automated material removal without the time-consuming and disruptive conventional approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and position of materials by manipulating acoustic radiation pressure parameters. By adjusting acoustic field parameters, the system can selectively levitate nodular materials while leaving non-modular materials undisturbed, enabling efficient separation and removal without the time loss associated with conventional collection methods.
2Productivity
If acoustic radiation pressure is used to levitate and transport nodular materials, then separation and removal are efficient and non-disruptive, but the apparatus requires complex acoustic field generation and control systems
Solution Approach 1:
The acoustic radiation pressure apparatus serves multiple functions: it separates nodular from non-modular materials, levitates materials for transport, and removes materials from the water body floor. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate systems into a single apparatus, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining high separation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses acoustic radiation pressure as an intermediary force to indirectly manipulate and transport materials. Rather than requiring direct mechanical contact or complex grasping mechanisms, the acoustic field acts as a mediator that enables material handling through pressure gradients, simplifying the control system architecture.
3Extent of automation
If acoustic radiation pressure levitates materials for transport, then material handling is automated and efficient, but energy consumption increases compared to passive collection methods
Solution Approach 1:
The acoustic radiation pressure system enables materials to self-organize and self-transport along predetermined paths without requiring external mechanical manipulation. The acoustic field creates pressure gradients that automatically guide nodular materials from the water body floor to collection points, achieving automation while minimizing energy consumption compared to active mechanical transport systems.
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
Enables efficient nodular material collection without umbilical reinforcement, reduces non-nodular material transport, and minimizes seabed disturbance, allowing for more power delivery and easier maneuverability.
Implementation Method 1
an acoustic radiation pressure apparatus for levitating and transporting nodular materials along a predetermined path
Implementation Method 2
for removing materials from a floor of a body of water
Data Source
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AI summary
A vehicle (6) apparatus for removing material from the seabed is disclosed. The vehicle comprises first thrusters (10) for moving the vehicle vertically and second thrusters (12) for moving the vehicle horizontally. A collector unit (16) removes material from the seabed, and a latching mechanism (42) is adapted to be connected to a riser to enable removed material to be transported to a vessel on the surface.