Undersea Mining Base Platform with Slidable Support Legs
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seabed mineral mining technologies face challenges in automating operations due to seabed unevenness and the presence of seamounts with large slope angles, which complicates the movement of crawler-type cutting machines on soft ground, leading to difficulties in efficiently mining seabed ore deposits.
Innovation Solution
An undersea mining base with a platform equipped with slidable support legs and the ability to move in the X and Y directions, combined with a chimney detection system using ultrasonic waves, allows for effective navigation and avoidance of seabed obstacles, enabling efficient mining of seabed minerals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a crawler-type cutting machine is used for seabed mining, then the machine can traverse the seabed, but operation corresponding with seabed unevenness becomes complicated and automation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The platform is divided into multiple independently controllable support legs (first support leg, second support leg, third support leg, fourth support leg), each capable of individual vertical movement. This segmentation allows each leg to independently adapt to local seabed unevenness, simplifying the control system compared to a crawler that must navigate complex terrain as a single unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The support legs are equipped with vertical movement mechanisms that enable dynamic adjustment of each leg's position in the vertical direction. This dynamic capability allows the platform to continuously adapt to varying seabed topography, maintaining stability and enabling automated operation without complex manual intervention.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a crawler-type cutting machine is used for seabed mining, then the machine can traverse the seabed, but traveling on soft ground accumulated on seamounts with large slope angles becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The platform uses four independently movable support legs instead of a continuous crawler body. This segmentation allows each leg to independently adjust to local terrain variations, including slopes and soft ground, distributing the adaptation task across multiple simple units rather than requiring the entire crawler to navigate complex terrain.
Solution Approach 2:
The vertical position of each support leg can be changed independently through its vertical movement mechanism, allowing the platform to adjust its configuration to match the seabed topography. This parameter change capability enables the platform to operate on slopes and undulations without requiring complex mechanical adaptations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a platform with multiple independently movable support legs is used, then the mining base can correspond with seabed slopes and undulations, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each support leg is equipped with its own vertical movement mechanism, providing localized adaptation capability. This local quality approach allows the system to achieve high overall adaptability through simple, repeated units rather than requiring a single complex mechanism that would increase overall device complexity.
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 solution enables the mining base to correspond with seabed slopes and undulations, improve automation, and effectively avoid seabed obstacles, thereby enhancing the efficiency and safety of seabed mineral extraction.
Implementation Method 1
detecting the chimney on the seabed ore deposit on a basis of an echo obtained by underwater detection through transmission and reception of an ultrasonic wave
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an undersea mining base capable of corresponding with slopes and undulations of seabed ore deposits. The undersea mining base includes a seabed mineral mining device configured to form a pit in a seabed ore deposit and a platform equipped with the seabed mineral mining device and capable of self-traveling in at least one of an X direction and a Y direction.