JP6954771B2 - Underwater mining base and method of excavating submarine deposits using this - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a technique for mining seabed minerals.

In recent years, the prices of useful metals, which are indispensable for manufacturing various industrial equipment and whose abundance is small, have been rising. Although useful metals are industrially essential, they pose geopolitical risks due to their low yields and limited producing countries. Therefore, among the seafloor minerals, useful metal-containing minerals existing under the seafloor are attracting attention.
Various surveys have revealed that there are useful metals in the seafloor minerals at a higher concentration than the minerals currently mined on the ground. Therefore, in recent years, trial excavation surveys have been conducted by various institutions, and various mining methods and mining systems for seafloor minerals have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent Document 1 discloses a seafloor mineral mining system. The mining system described in the same document includes a seafloor moving device having a grinding tool capable of grinding the surface of a seafloor deposit. The seafloor moving device grinds the surface of the seafloor deposit with an open grinding tool while moving on the seafloor by receiving electric power and control signals from a source on the sea surface side. The ground product produced by grinding is classified by a classification means so as not to exceed a predetermined size, and the classified ground product is transported to the sea.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-528726

However, there are seamounts and flat land in the submarine deposits, and the seamount has a large inclination angle, its surface is covered with gravel having a size of about 1 m, and the flat land is soft sedimentary ground. Therefore, as in the technique described in Patent Document 1, it is difficult for the crawler type excavator to have sufficient climbing ability corresponding to the inclination angle, and mining from the foot of the seamount may damage the mining machine due to falling rocks. In addition, since the cutter horizontal method holds the vehicle against the excavation reaction force, the weight of the vehicle increases according to the production amount, which may hinder the running on soft ground.

Further, in the crawler type excavator, the operation according to the undulations of the seafloor topography is complicated, and the movement of the excavator requires a high operation technique. In addition, during excavation, the excavated powder soars into the sea, so the environment cannot be recognized due to suspension, which hinders the positioning of the excavator. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to automate the operation of the excavator.
Therefore, the present invention has been made by paying attention to such a problem, and uses a soft ground deposited on a flat land of a seabed deposit, an underwater mining base capable of dealing with the slope and undulation of a seamount, and the like. The subject is to provide a method for excavating the existing seafloor deposits.

In order to solve the above problems, the underwater mining base according to one aspect of the present invention includes a mining device for mining a submarine deposit and a platform equipped with the mining device and erected on the seabed. The mining device is a drive that rotationally drives a housing that is hung from the platform side by a wire so as to be able to move up and down, at least a pair of drum cutters that are provided in the lower part of the housing and face each other, and the pair of drum cutters. It has a section and a mining section for mining the excavated material excavated by the drum cutter, the platform has a plurality of support legs, and each support leg is via a vertical movement mechanism. It is characterized in that it is configured so that the relative slide movement can be individually performed in the Z direction.

According to the undersea mining base according to one aspect of the present invention, the platform erected on the seabed is equipped with a mining device and has a plurality of support legs, and each support leg has a vertical movement mechanism. Since it is configured so that it can be slid individually in the Z direction via the seabed, it can cope with the soft ground deposited on the flat land of the seafloor deposit and the slope and undulation of the seamount.
The mining equipment includes a housing that is hung up and down by a wire, at least a pair of drum cutters that are provided at the bottom of the housing and face each other, and a drive unit that rotationally drives the pair of drum cutters. Since it has a mining section for mining excavated excavated by a drum cutter, it can provide an underwater mining base suitable for mining submarine deposits.

Further, in order to solve the above problems, the underwater mining base according to another aspect of the present invention is equipped with a mining device for mining a seabed deposit and a mining device equipped with the mining device and erected on the seabed, and each other on a horizontal surface. The mining apparatus includes a platform that can move by itself in at least one of the X and Y directions that are orthogonal to each other, and the mining device is provided in a housing that hangs up and down with a wire from the platform side and a housing that is lower than the housing. It is characterized by having at least a pair of drum cutters facing each other, a driving unit for rotationally driving the pair of drum cutters, and a mining unit for mining the excavated material excavated by the drum cutter.

According to the undersea mining base according to another aspect of the present invention, the platform erected on the seabed is equipped with a mining device and can move by itself in at least one of the X direction and the Y direction. It can handle slopes and undulations.
The mining equipment includes a housing that is hung up and down by a wire, at least a pair of drum cutters that are provided at the bottom of the housing and face each other, and a drive unit that rotationally drives the pair of drum cutters. Since it has a mining section for mining excavated excavated by a drum cutter, it can provide an underwater mining base suitable for mining submarine deposits.

Here, in the underwater mining base according to another aspect of the present invention, the platform has an upper platform, a lower platform, and an intermediate frame arranged between the upper and lower platforms, and the intermediate frame and the above-mentioned intermediate frame. The upper platform is configured to allow relative sliding movement in one direction via a horizontal movement mechanism, and the intermediate frame and the lower platform are described via a horizontal movement mechanism. Each of the upper and lower platforms has a plurality of support legs, and each support leg is Z via a vertical movement mechanism. It is preferable that the relative slide movement is possible individually in the direction. Such a configuration is more suitable for dealing with the slope and undulation of the submarine deposit.

Further, in the underwater mining base according to another aspect, the mining apparatus can slide vertically along the surface of the slide guide and a slide guide supported by the upper platform or the lower platform and extending in the vertical direction. The housing is configured to move up and down along the slide guide from the initial position in the raising and lowering direction by winding the wire to a predetermined lowering position. That is preferable.
Furthermore, it is preferable that the housing is configured to move up and down integrally with the slide guide in response to the raising and lowering operation of the platform itself by driving the vertical movement mechanism of the support legs.

The method for excavating a submarine deposit according to one aspect of the present invention is a method for excavating a submarine deposit using any one of the preferred aspects of the undersea mining base, and is described in accordance with the elevating operation of the platform itself. A process of feeding a mining device to excavate a submarine deposit (cutting excavation process), and a process of feeding the mining device to excavate a submarine deposit in response to an ascending / descending operation by winding the wire (hanging excavation). Step).
With such a configuration, it is possible to perform stable excavation while firmly holding the vertical posture of the mining device with respect to the platform by the mouth-cutting excavation process, and it is planned to extend the wire in the drooping excavation process. Can be excavated to the depth of. Therefore, it is an excellent method for excavating submarine deposits while dealing with the soft ground that accumulates on the flat land of submarine deposits and the slopes and undulations of seamounts.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to cope with the soft ground deposited on the flat land of the submarine deposit and the slope and undulation of the seamount.

It is a schematic diagram explaining one Embodiment of the whole structure of the seabed mineral mining system which concerns on one aspect of this invention. It is a schematic explanatory view of the underwater mining base of FIG. 1, FIG. The same applies to)) are schematically shown. It is a schematic perspective view explaining the 1st Embodiment of the underwater mining base of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the 1st Embodiment of an underwater mining base, FIG. 3A is a schematic plan view thereof, and FIG. 4 (b) is an explanatory view of the main part, FIG. 5 (a) is an enlarged plan view of the main part of FIG. 4 (b), and FIG. 5 (b) is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 4 (b). Front view). It is a schematic plan view of the platform of the underwater mining base of the first embodiment. It is a schematic front view of the platform of the underwater mining base of the first embodiment. It is a schematic plan view of the intermediate frame of the underwater mining base of the first embodiment. It is a figure ((a)-(f)) explaining an example of the procedure of mining the submarine deposit by the undersea mining base of the 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic perspective view ((a) to (d)) explaining the walking operation of the underwater mining base of the first embodiment (note that only the platform part is shown in the figure). It is explanatory drawing of the 2nd Embodiment of an underwater mining base, FIG. 3A is a schematic plan view thereof, and FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. This embodiment is an example of a mining system using a mining station that excavates a deposit with a mining device and is configured to be able to mine the excavated minerals together with seawater.
The drawings are schematic. Therefore, it should be noted that the relationship, ratio, etc. between the thickness and the plane dimension are different from the actual ones, and there are parts where the relationship and ratio of the dimensions are different between the drawings. In addition, the embodiments shown below exemplify devices and methods for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the technical idea of the present invention describes the material, shape, structure, and arrangement of constituent parts. Etc. are not specified in the following embodiments.

First, the overall configuration of the mining system of the present embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, this mining system has a mining mother ship 1 arranged on the offshore SL as a offshore mining base, a mining station 20 arranged on the seabed SB, and a mining unit 4. In this mining system, a plurality of mining stations 20 are used as underwater mining bases. Each mining station 20 is equipped with a mining device 30.

Each mining station 20 excavates a deposit with a pair of drum cutters 32 equipped in each mining device 30 for the submarine hydrothermal deposit OD, which is a submarine deposit on which useful metal-containing minerals are deposited, and excavates the excavated minerals. It is constructed so that it can be mined together with seawater. Then, this mining system transfers gravel or slurry-like minerals mined by each mining device 30 from each mining station 20 to a mining unit 4 in the sea via a suction pipe 5, and the mining unit 4 transfers the mining unit 4. It is configured to be mined on the mining mother ship 1 via the mining pipe 6.

Specifically, in the example of the present embodiment, the mining mother ship 1, the erection mother ship 2 and the carrier ship 3 are anchored at the marine SL in the target sea area. The erection mother ship 2 is a erection mother ship for transporting the mining unit 4 and a plurality of mining stations 20 and erectionly arranging them on the seabed SB.
The erection mother ship 2 is equipped with a working machine 11 such as a crane for erectionly arranging the mining unit 4 and the mining station 20 on the seabed SB. The erection mother ship 2 transports the mining station 20 to a predetermined position of the seabed hydrothermal deposit OD, and the mining station 20 is hung down by the wire 11w of the working machine 11 and erected on the seabed SB. Similarly, the erection mother ship 2 arranges the mining unit 4 at an appropriate position on the seabed SB.

The mining mothership 1 is equipped with a generator 12, a storage device 13, and a management computer (not shown). The storage device 13 is mounted on the ship so as to be replaceable. The management computer and the generator 12 are connected to the mining station 20 and the mining unit 4 arranged on the submarine SB via the umbilical cable 8 and are required for the operation of the mining station 20, the mining device 30, and the mining unit 4. It is possible to supply power and control signals.

The mine unit 4 includes a mine pump 25 and a classifier 27 having a cyclone device. The discharge side of the classifier 27 is connected to the suction side of the mine pump 25 inside the mine unit 4. The suction side of the classifier 27 is connected to the mining station 20 via a suction pipe 5. The suction pipe 5 is filled with seawater. One end of the discharge pipe 7 is connected to the classifier 27, and the other end of the discharge pipe 7 is piped to a mineral return storage place that is no longer needed in the classification. Flexible pipes are used for the suction pipe 5, the lifting pipe 6 and the discharge pipe 7.

The mining pump 25 is connected to the mining mother ship 1 via the mining pipe 6. The mining pipe 6 is a cylindrical pipe having flexibility for mining gravel or slurry-like minerals mined at the mining station 20 to the mining mother ship 1. The lifting pipe 6 is filled with seawater. The upper part of the mining pipe 6 reaches the mining mother ship 1 of the marine SL and is connected to the storage device 13 via the bottom of the mining mother ship 1. The reservoir 13 stores the minerals that have been mined from the mining pipe 6 by the mining pump 25. The carrier 3 replaces the storage device 13 with the mining mother ship 1 and transfers the minerals lifted by the mining mother ship 1 to a required place.

Next, the mining station 20 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 8 as appropriate.
As shown in FIG. 2, the mining station 20 includes a platform 21 composed of a plurality of rectangular frames serving as a base frame. In the platform 21, the four corners of the upper and lower frames are supported by a plurality of support legs 26 (8 legs in this example). Each support leg 26 is fixed to the platform 21 via a jack mechanism 49.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of the entire mining station. As shown in the figure, the mining station 20 is a self-propelled vertical mining system for developing seafloor mineral resources, which includes the mining device 30 and a platform 21 capable of self-propelling in the X and Y directions. , A self-propelled submarine mining machine. The platform 21 of the present embodiment is located between the upper platform 21X having a rectangular frame shape in a plan view, the lower platform 21Y having a rectangular frame shape in a plan view, and the platforms 21X and 21Y. It has an intermediate frame (Middle frame) 21M that is provided and has a rectangular frame shape in a plan view.

In this example, the upper platform 21X is stretched with two X moving frames 43 along the Y direction, as shown in FIG. The X moving frame 43 has, for example, a truss structure. Both ends of each X moving frame 43 are supported on the upper surface of the upper platform 21X via the moving mechanism 53 for the X direction. The movement mechanism 53 for the X direction has a motor, a reduction mechanism, and a rack and pinion mechanism (not shown), and the two X movement frames 43 are mounted on the upper platform by driving the rack and pinion mechanism via the reduction mechanism by the motor. It is possible to slide and move in the X direction at the same time along 21X.

A Y moving frame 44 is stretched and placed on the upper part of the two X moving frames 43. The Y moving frame 44 is supported on the upper surface of the X moving frame 43 via a moving mechanism 54 for the Y direction, and constitutes a feeding mechanism in the Y direction of the mining device 30. The Y-direction moving mechanism 54 has a motor, a deceleration mechanism, and a rack and pinion mechanism (not shown), and the rack and pinion mechanism is driven by the motor via the deceleration mechanism to move the mining device 30 to the X moving frame 43. It can be slid along the extending direction (that is, along the Y direction).

Further, a base control unit 46 is provided above the Y moving frame 44. The umbilical cable 8 and the suction pipe 5 are connected to the base control unit 46. One end of a suction pipe 5 for sucking minerals mined by the operation of the mining device 30 is connected to the side surface of the base control unit 46 via a winder 51 of the mining pipe. The other end of the suction pipe 5 is connected to the classifier 27.

As shown in FIG. 5, the base control unit 46 includes a controller 45, which is a control unit that controls the operation of the entire mining station 20 in order to drive the mining station 20 and the mining device 30, and a wire 33 for winding. The winch 47, the high-pressure pipe winder 48, the supply pump 40 for supplying high-pressure seawater, and the mining pipe winder 51 are built-in.

As a result, each mining station 20 receives the necessary electric power and control signals from the mining mother ship 1 via the umbilical cable 8 to the base control unit 46. The controller 45 of the base control unit 46 functions as a control unit that controls the attitude of the mining station 20 by driving each jack mechanism 49 based on the command of the management computer on the mining mother ship 1 side.

Further, each mining station 20 controls the mining device 30 in the predetermined section of the platform 21 by driving and controlling the X-direction moving mechanism 53 and the Y-direction moving mechanism 54 by the controller 45 under the control of the management computer. In addition to moving in the direction, the drive of the supply pump 40 makes it possible to supply the taken seawater as high-pressure seawater from the high-pressure pipe 39 to the mining device 30.

Next, the mining device 30 installed in the mining station 20 will be described in detail.
As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 5, a housing 31 of the mining device 30 is vertically hung below the Y moving frame 44 via a wire 33. A slide guide 38 is provided on the upper part of the housing 31 to guide the mining device 30 at the initial position in the Z direction along the side portion of the housing 31. The initial position of the mining device 30 in the Z direction is regulated by the stopper 38s provided on the inner surface of the slide guide 38.

The wire 33 is wound around the wire drum 47r of the winch 47 provided in the base control unit 46, and is unwound and wound by the drive of the winch 47 in the initial range in the Z direction along the slide guide 38. The mining device 30 can be raised and lowered while guiding the side portion of the housing 31. The X and Y moving frames 43 and 44 and the winch 47 constitute a so-called overhead crane. The connecting portion of the pipeline accompanied by the rotational drive is connected via a swivel joint.

Next, the configuration of the excavation section main body of the mining device 30 will be described in more detail.
The mining device 30 of the present embodiment is a so-called trench cutter, and is used to excavate the seabed together with lifting equipment such as winders 48, 51 and winch 47 provided in the upper base control unit 46. It has an excavation part main body such as a housing 31 that is raised and lowered. The main body of the excavation part is configured to be able to be fed in the excavation direction by landing on the seabed at the planned excavation position and by raising and lowering the housing 31 by the wire 33 and raising and lowering the platform 21 by the jack mechanism 49. ing.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the excavation part main body of the mining device 30 rotates on a housing 31 that is hung up and down by a wire 33 and a pair of horizontal shafts 32g provided in the lower part of the housing 31, respectively. It has a pair of drum cutters 32 that are freely supported, and a fluid drive motor (for example, a mud motor) 35 that is provided in the lower part of the housing 31 and constitutes a drive unit that rotationally drives the pair of drum cutters 32.

The housing 31 is provided with guide portions 31a and 31b on both sides in the traveling direction to hold the housing 31 so that it can be slidably moved in the excavation groove excavated by the drum cutter 32 and in the restraining portion of the slide guide 38. ..
Further, in the lower part of the housing 31, a suction box 34 and a mining pump 37, which are mining / suction parts for mining gravel or slurry-like minerals including excavated earth and sand, are located above the drum cutter 32. Is equipped. The mine pipe 36 is connected to the mine pump 37. The connecting portion with rotational drive is connected via a swivel joint.

The controller 45 of the base control unit 46 raises and lowers the excavation part main body by the wire 33 wound around the wire drum 47r of the winch 47 by the operator's operation or automatic control, and raises and lowers the driving fluid according to the raising and lowering operation. The high-pressure pipe 39 to be supplied is wound around the winder 48 of the high-pressure pipe, and the lifting pipe 36 is wound around the winding device 51 of the lifting pipe.

In the first embodiment, an example is shown in which the base control unit 46 is provided with an elevating equipment unit for winding and feeding the wire 33, the high-pressure pipe 39, and the crane pipe 36, but the present invention is not limited to this. As in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 11, which will be described later, the wire 33, the high pressure pipe 39, and the lifting pipe 36 are supported by the sheaves at the boom tip of the crane, respectively, while maintaining the vertical posture of the excavation part main body. It may be configured to move up and down.

The upstream side of the fluid drive motor 35 is connected to the high pressure pipe 39 of the base control unit 46. The high pressure pipe 39 is connected to the discharge side of the supply pump 40 provided in the base control unit 46. Further, the upper end of the mine pipe 36 communicates with the suction pipe 5 connected to the side portion of the base control unit 46 via the winder 51 of the mine pipe, and the mine pump 25 sucks in. It is connected to the discharge side of the winder 51 via a pipe 5.

The fluid drive motor 35 is rotationally driven, for example, by the reverse operation of the operating principle of the uniaxial eccentric screw pump, and the rotational driving force is applied to the pair of drum cutters 32 via the power transmission unit of the suction box 34 provided at the lower part. Each horizontal shaft 32 g is configured to be rotatable. Further, the suction box 34 is configured with a reflux circuit so that the working fluid (that is, seawater) after driving the fluid drive motor 35 is returned only to the lifting pipe 36 side.
As a result, the mining device 30 sucks the minerals excavated by the drive of the paired drum cutters 32 from the suction box 34, and can mine the mining mother ship 1 at sea via the mining pump 25. ing. The connecting portion with rotational drive is connected via a swivel joint.

Next, the moving mechanism of the mining station 20 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. 6 to 8 show the landing preparation posture of the platform 21 when the mining station 20 is landed on the submarine hydrothermal deposit OD from the mother ship 2 for erection arrangement, and the platform 21 is settled. In the preparatory posture, the centers (centers of gravity) G of the upper platform 21X, the intermediate frame 21M, and the lower platform 21Y in the horizontal plane are aligned. In FIG. 7, reference numeral CL indicates a central axis of each support leg 26.

As shown in FIG. 6, the upper platform 21X is separated from a pair of vertical girders Xb having a rectangular frame shape in a plan view and forming a rectangular cylinder provided in parallel with each other in the X direction and separated in the Y direction. It has a pair of horizontal girders Xa forming a rectangular cylinder provided in parallel with each other. On each outer surface of the two lateral girders Xa, X moving racks Rx are attached symmetrically from the center along the extending direction of the lateral girder Xa.

Further, as shown in the figure, the lower platform 21Y has a pair of horizontal girders Yb having a rectangular frame shape in a plan view and having a rectangular tubular shape provided in parallel with each other separated in the X direction and in the Y direction. It has a pair of vertical girders Ya that form a rectangular cylinder that is separated and provided in parallel with each other. On the outer surfaces of the two vertical girders Ya, Y moving racks Ry are attached symmetrically from the center along the extending direction of the vertical girders Ya.

As shown in FIG. 8, the intermediate frame 21M is separated from a pair of vertical girders Mb having a rectangular frame shape in a plan view and forming a rectangular cylindrical shape separated in the X direction and provided in parallel with each other in the Y direction. It has a pair of horizontal girders Ma that form a rectangular cylinder and are provided in parallel with each other. The X drive motors Mx are arranged in the rectangular cylinder of the horizontal girder Ma at the center position of each horizontal girder Ma of the intermediate frame 21M in the extending direction. Further, at the center position of each vertical girder Mb of the intermediate frame 21M in the extending direction, the Y drive motor My is arranged in the rectangular cylinder of the vertical girder Mb.

As shown in FIG. 6, the upper and lower platforms 21X and 21Y are jack-up platforms having four support legs 26 and a jack mechanism 49 capable of raising and lowering each support leg 26, respectively. The intermediate frame 21M and the upper and lower platforms 21X and 21Y are supported by a linear motion guide mechanism (not shown) so as to be slidable, and are engaged with each other via a rack and pinion mechanism. It is configured to be slidable relative to the direction and the Y direction.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the platform 21 has support legs 26 at each of the four corners of the rectangular frame of the upper platform 21X and each of the four corners of the rectangular frame of the lower platform 21Y. Each support leg 26 is provided with a jack mechanism 49, which is a slide moving mechanism in the Z direction, as a jacking unit for raising and lowering.
The jack mechanism 49 is equipped with two jack mechanisms 49, one on each side of each support leg 26, and each support leg 26 has a Z-moving rack Rz as a shaft of each support leg 26, as shown in FIG. They are mounted at positions facing each other in the circumferential direction along the direction.

The jack mechanism 49 includes a motor (not shown), a speed reduction mechanism, and a rack and pinion mechanism (not shown). The rack is formed along the axial direction of the support legs 26. By driving the rack and pinion mechanism with a motor via a reduction mechanism, the jack mechanism 49 can slide the support leg 26 in the vertical direction (Z direction) and can hold the moving position. The motor for driving the jack mechanism 49 may be driven by fluid pressure (for example, hydraulic drive) or driven by electric power (for example, electromagnetic motor) (hereinafter, other motors for driving). Same as above).

The jack mechanism 49 corresponding to each Z-moving rack Rz has a Z-driving motor (not shown), a pinion mounted on the output shaft of the Z-driving motor, and the Z-moving rack Rz meshed with the pinion. A rack and pinion mechanism is configured. As a result, each support leg 26 slides relative to each platform 21X, 21Y on which it is mounted in the Z direction, and the upper and lower platforms 21X, 21Y are raised and raised by the cooperation of the plurality of support legs 26. It is possible to descend.

The linear motion guidance mechanism of the upper platform 21X has a skidding rail (not shown) attached to the bottom surface of the lateral girder Xa of the upper platform 21X along the extending direction of the lateral girder Xa. The top and bottom of the skidding rail are guided by bearing plates. The skidding rails are mounted end-to-end along the lateral girder Xa of the upper platform 21X.

The bearing plate is attached to the upper surface of the corner of the lateral girder Ma of the intermediate frame 21M. In addition, a holding claw is attached at the same position as the bearing plate so as to cover the skidding rail from the left and right. The holding claw supports skidding rails from both sides to prevent the upper platform 21X from falling as it moves in the X direction.

An X-moving pinion (not shown) is mounted on the drive shaft of the X-driving motor Mx and projects at a position facing the rack surface of the X-moving rack Rx. The X-moving pinion is meshed with the X-moving rack Rx and is synchronously driven by the X-driving motor so that the upper platform 21X can be slidably moved in the X direction.

On the other hand, the linear motion guidance mechanism of the lower platform 21Y has a skidding rail (not shown) attached to the upper surface of the vertical girder Ya of the lower platform 21Y along the extending direction of the vertical girder Ya. The skidding rails are mounted end-to-end on the vertical girder Ya of the lower platform 21Y.

Similar to the upper platform 21X, the lower platform 21Y has a bearing plate (not shown) attached to the lower surface of the corner of the vertical girder Mb of the intermediate frame 21M, and the bearing plate guides the skiding rail up and down. In addition, holding claws are attached at the same position as the bearing plate so as to cover the skidding rails from the left and right, and when the lower platform 21Y moves in the Y direction, the skidding rails are placed on both sides to prevent the skid rails from falling. Support from.

A Y-moving pinion Py is mounted on the drive shaft of the Y-driving motor My, and projects to a position facing the rack surface of the Y-moving rack Ry. The Y-moving pinion Py is meshed with the Y-moving rack Ry, and is synchronously driven by the Y-driving motor My, so that the lower platform 21Y can be slidably moved in the Y direction.

As a result, the mining station 20 uses a slide movement mechanism that slides the upper and lower platforms 21X and 21Y in the X and Y directions, and a slide movement mechanism that slides each support leg 26 in the Z direction to perform walking control processing described later. According to the procedure described in the above, the planned mining area is walked in the X direction and the Y direction, respectively, and the mining device 30 is moved in the X direction and the Y direction so that the predetermined sections can be mined in sequence.

The intermediate frame 21M and the upper and lower platforms 21X and 21Y show an example in which they can be moved in the horizontal direction via a rack and pinion mechanism, but the moving mechanism is not limited to this, and the movement in the horizontal direction is possible. As long as it is a possible moving mechanism, various moving mechanisms can be adopted.
For example, a moving mechanism that slides in a hydraulic cylinder system can be used. Similarly, each support leg 26 shows an example in which relative slide movement is possible in the Z direction via a rack and pinion mechanism, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a movement mechanism that slides by a hydraulic cylinder method may be used. can. Further, the drive system is not limited to the hydraulic drive system, and may be an electric drive system.

Further, the mining station 20 of the present embodiment has an inertial sensor in which the base control unit 46 detects the attitude of the platform 21. Further, in the present embodiment, the jack mechanism 49 for driving each support leg 26 is equipped with a torque detector (not shown). Each torque detector is a torque meter capable of detecting the torque of each drive motor that drives the pinion of the rack & pinion mechanism of each corresponding jack mechanism 49. Each torque detector detects the motor torque of each drive motor at any time, and can output the detected torque information to the controller 45 of the base control unit 46.

The controller 45 is a control unit of the mining station itself, which includes a computer and a program for executing the attitude stability control process. The controller 45 executes the walking control process of the mining station 20, the mining control process of the mining station 20, the attitude control of the mining station 20, and other necessary processes.
When the attitude control process of the mining station 20 is executed, the controller 45 determines the degree of attitude imbalance of the mining station 20 itself based on the output of the inertial sensor, and drives the pinion of the rack and pinion mechanism. Attitude stability control that maintains attitude stability is performed by adjusting the drive motor.

In particular, since the mining station 20 of the present embodiment walks on a pile of large gravel, the dynamic attitude change caused by collapse or the like is measured by an inertial sensor including an accelerometer and an angular accelerometer such as a gyroscope. Is preferable. An inclination sensor for measuring the static posture can also be used together. Further, for attitude control, a thruster or a water jet may be used to control the attitude to maintain stability.

Further, the controller 45 uses the tilt information detected by the inertial sensor and the motor torque information detected by the torques of the motors of the plurality of support legs 26 as a management computer equipped on the erection mother ship 2 which is a towed ship at sea. Output to. The management computer is configured to be able to display tilt information and motor torque information at any time on the display for the operator.

The controller 45 adjusts the leg length of each support leg 26 so that the attitude of the mining station 20 becomes horizontal based on the attitude detection information of the inertial sensor. As a result, the mining station 20 can land on the seabed in a stable posture.

Next, the procedure for mining minerals from the submarine hydrothermal deposit OD by the above-mentioned mining system, and the action / effect of the mineral mining method by this mining system and the mining apparatus 30 will be described.
First, as shown in FIG. 1, the mining mother ship 1 and the erection placement mother ship 2 are anchored at the marine SL in the target sea area. Next, using a working machine 11 such as a crane installed on the erection mother ship 2, the mining station 20 and the mining unit 4 are lowered into the sea, and the seabed SB is arranged so that these devices are arranged as shown in FIG. Install in an appropriate position. Before or after the installation of these equipment, necessary piping and wiring such as suction pipe 5, lifting pipe 6, discharge pipe 7, and umbilical cable 8 are performed, and each pipe is filled with seawater.

In the present embodiment, when the mining station 20 is arranged on the seafloor hydrothermal deposit OD, the support legs 26 at the four corners of the platform 21 are jacked with the jack mechanism 49 so that the posture of the platform 21 becomes horizontal according to the uneven shape of the seabed SB. Slide up and down with. After the installation of each equipment, the mining mother ship 1 supplies the necessary power and control signals to the controller 45 and the mining unit 4 via the umbilical cable 8 to drive the mining station 20, the mining device 30, and the mining unit 4. Aspirate the mined minerals with seawater.

Next, the mining process by the mining station 20 will be described with reference to FIG.
When the controller 45 of the mining station 20 receives a mining start command from the management computer, the controller 45 mines a predetermined area (for example, 10 m × 10 m) inside the intermediate frame 21M by the mining device 30. Hereinafter, the predetermined area inside the intermediate frame 21M is also referred to as "one section".

In the present embodiment, first, as shown in FIG. 9A, all the support legs 26 are relatively raised in a state where the housing 31 of the mining device 30 is stored in the slide guide 38 of the mining station 20. As a result, the platform 21 is lowered as a whole while maintaining the horizontal posture of the platform 21 (reference numeral D1 in FIG. 3A).
As a result, the excavation can be started stably while the vertical posture of the mining device 30 with respect to the platform 21 is surely held (cutting excavation step). In the mining apparatus 30, the main body of the excavation part excavates the submarine hydrothermal deposit OD in a substantially rectangular cross section by the movement of the paired drum cutters 32, and the pit-shaped excavation ditch VH filled with suspended minerals is grounded. Formed inside.

In particular, in the submarine hydrothermal deposit OD, it is necessary to deal with the soft ground deposited on the flat land of the submarine deposit and the slope and undulation of the seamount. On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, by carrying out the mouth-cutting excavation process, the platform 21 is mined while dealing with the soft ground deposited on the flat land of the submarine deposit and the slope and undulation of the seamount. The excavation groove VH can be excavated stably while the vertical posture of the device 30 is surely held.

Here, the torque detector equipped in the jack mechanism 49 is used when determining that the soft ground in the surface layer of the ore deposit or the unstable layer such as slope or undulation has shifted to the stable layer capable of stable excavation. be able to. That is, in the mouth-cutting excavation process, the controller 45 executes the excavation state determination process and monitors the motor torque of each drive motor acquired from the torque detector at any time. Then, the controller 45 can determine the transition from the unstable layer to the stable layer from the change in the torque information based on the detected torque information.
The torque detector is not limited to the jack mechanism 49. For example, a torque detector is provided on the discharge side of the supply pump 40 that drives the fluid drive motor 35 of the mining device 30, and the information acquired from the torque detector is used. The excavation state can also be determined by obtaining the drive information of the fluid drive motor 35.

Specifically, when the detected torque value is lower than a predetermined value or when the torque fluctuation swings more than a predetermined value, it can be determined that the unstable layer is being excavated. Further, when the detected torque value exceeds a predetermined value or the torque fluctuation is less than a predetermined value, it can be determined that the stable layer is being excavated. In the excavation state determination process, and when it is determined that the stable layer is being excavated, the process can be quickly shifted to the subsequent "hanging excavation process".

That is, in the subsequent excavation and mining, as shown in FIG. 3B, the wire 33 is unwound and excavated while hanging only the excavation portion main body of the mining device 30 (the symbol of the drooping excavation step (reference numeral (b) in the figure (b)). D2)). At this time, the pressing force of the drum cutter 32 is adjusted by the tension of the wire 33. In the drooping excavation process, the wire 33 is extended as the excavation and mining progress, and excavation and mining are performed to a planned depth (within the reach of the support legs 26 of the platform 21).

Next, the excavated portion main body of the mining device 30 is pulled up to the initial position shown in FIG. 4A, and the platform 21 is pulled up to the height at the time of landing shown in FIG. 4B by driving the jack mechanism 49. After that, by moving the mining device 30 in the X to Y directions by the X and Y moving frames 43 and 44, the mining device 30 is moved to a specific distance from the first excavation position (the position where the wall surface of the excavation groove leaves a wall residual thickness that does not collapse due to the excavation operation). Only move within one compartment (reference numeral M1 in FIG. 9C). After that, the excavation in one section is continued by repeating the same procedure as the excavation procedure in the hanging excavation step from the mouth-cutting excavation step (intra-compartment movement step).

After that, by moving within one section by the X and Y moving frames 43 and 44 (reference numeral M2 in FIG. 9 (d)), the wall remaining between the excavation grooves is excavated by the mining device 30 and collapsed (FIG. 9). (D)). The excavated pieces that have fallen into the excavation ditch are collected from the lifting pipe 36 connected to the suction box 34 between the cutters while being bitten by the pair of drum cutters 32 (step of removing the wall surface in the section).
In the section moving step, the drum cutter 32 may be set to a specific distance so that the wall thickness between adjacent excavation grooves is narrower than the center-to-center distance of the pair of drum cutters 32. Is preferable in order to make the thickness so that it can be stably bitten into the wall surface between the excavation grooves.

However, after moving in the section movement process, a "partition wall" is left between adjacent excavation ditches by excavation by the excavation procedure from the mouth-cutting excavation process to the hanging excavation process, but this partition wall is "thin" or "absent". In that case, the partition wall tends to collapse toward the excavation groove side in the step of removing the wall surface in the section. Therefore, it is necessary to manage the excavation procedure so that the partition wall does not collapse toward the excavation ditch side. This is because once the partition wall collapses, it may be difficult to perform vertical digging in the hanging excavation process from the mouth cutting excavation process.

In the excavation after the step of removing the wall surface in the section, the position where each support leg 26 is erected is appropriately raised and lowered according to the width of the excavation ditch and the condition of the seabed. That is, as shown in the figure, examples of when the groove width of the excavation groove is narrow (Fig. (E)) and when the groove width of the excavation groove is widened (Fig. (F)) are shown. Each support leg 26 is grounded so that the landing posture of each platform 21 is stable according to the width and the condition of the submarine ground.
Then, by repeating the excavation procedure from the mouth-cutting excavation process to the drooping excavation process in a state where the posture is stable, the excavation in one section can be stably continued. Further, by repeating the step of moving in the section and the step of removing the wall surface, the excavation in each of the above steps can be continued at a height one step lower.

Then, the mining pump 37 and the mining pump 25 are driven at the same time as the above-mentioned mining to generate a negative pressure inside the suction box 34 at the tip of the mining pipe 36, whereby the mined minerals are lifted. It is sucked from the tip of the mine pipe 36 and can be mined from the mine pipe 36 via the suction pipe 5. At the same time, since the feeding operation of the excavation part main body of the mining device 30 is performed by feeding out the wire 33 by the winch 47, only the excavation part main body of the mining device 30 is contained in the excavation groove VH formed by excavation and mining. Can be deeply penetrated.

Then, the mineral sucked in the suction pipe 5 is transferred to the classifier 27. The classifier 27 separates desired minerals from unnecessary minerals that are not desired by centrifugal force due to the difference in specific densities of mineral particles. Minerals that are no longer needed in the classification are guided to the seabed return storage site via the discharge pipe 7 connected to the classifier 27, as shown in FIG.
On the other hand, among the separated minerals, the mineral having a desired specific density is sent to the mining pump 25 and is mined in the reservoir 13 of the mining mother ship 1 via the mining pipe 6. In the mining mothership 1, when the minerals are stored in the storage 13, the minerals are separated from the seawater and the minerals are stored in the storage 13.

After mining to the maximum mining depth of each mining device 30, each mining station 20 retracts the main body of the excavation part of the mining device 30 and then moves the mining device 30 in the XY plane in one section to move one section. Mining is carried out in sequence so as to scan the entire XY plane in. The movement in the XY plane in one section and the mining after the movement may be automatically performed by a computer (the management computer, the controller 45, etc.) as in the present embodiment, or each mining station. The 20 situations may be manually operated by the operator while the operator monitors the mining mother ship 1 at sea.

In this way, according to the mining device 30, mining of minerals excavated from the submarine hydrothermal deposit OD can be continued in one section. Then, according to this mining device 30, since the main body of the excavation part of the mining device 30 exists in the excavation ditch VH, mining proceeds while excavating minerals while the opening side of the excavation ditch VH is closed. Can be done. Therefore, it is prevented or suppressed that the mined minerals soar into the seawater and scatter and flow out into the sea. Therefore, suspension of seawater is prevented or suppressed.

Next, the self-propelled method of the mining station 20 will be described with reference to FIG. 10 as appropriate. The self-propelled operation of the mining station 20 described below is performed based on a predetermined program executed by the controller 45 under the supervision of the management computer, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the self-propelled operation may be performed manually by the operator. ..

In the initial landing state of the mining station 20, as shown in FIG. 10A, all the support legs 26 of the upper platform 21X and the lower platform 21Y have landed. When the controller 45 receives a mining command from the management computer, first, all the support legs 26 of the upper platform 21X are once separated from the bottom, and the upper platform 21X is moved in the forward direction of X with the intermediate frame 21M and the lower platform 21Y connected. Move to full. After that, the controller 45 sets all the support legs 26 of the upper platform 21X to the bottom to start mining in the above-mentioned one section.

In one section, as described above, the controller 45 of the mining station 20 receives a mining start command from the management computer and mines a predetermined area inside the intermediate frame 21M by the series of steps described above. At the time of mining in one section, the controller 45 stops walking of the mining station 20 and sets a predetermined area inside the intermediate frame 21M in the section inside the intermediate frame 21M by the mining method shown in FIG. By moving the mining device 30 in the X and Y directions, mining and suction are performed in sequence (hereinafter, the same applies to other sections after walking).

After completing the desired mining in one compartment, the controller 45 shows a predetermined area inside the intermediate frame 21M as shown in FIGS. 10 (a) to 10 (d) so as to be in a position corresponding to the next compartment. The platform 21 is moved by driving and controlling each part as described above.
That is, in the state where the mining of one section is completed, as shown in FIG. 6A, all the support legs 26 of the upper platform 21X and the lower platform 21Y have landed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3B, the controller 45 first attaches the four support legs 26 of the lower platform 21Y to the corresponding jack mechanisms 49 while keeping the support legs 26 of the upper platform 21X landed on the ground. The bottom is released by the drive of.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6C, the controller 45 sets the lower platform 21Y and the intermediate frame 21M positively X by driving the moving mechanism in the horizontal direction in a state where the lower platform 21Y and the intermediate frame 21M are coupled. Move in all directions. After that, as shown in FIG. 3D, the controller 45 extends the four support legs 26 of the lower platform 21Y downward by the drive of the corresponding jack mechanism 49 and makes them land on the ground. As a result, the predetermined areas inside the upper and lower platforms 21X and 21Y become the next section.

In the next section, when the controller 45 of the mining station 20 receives a mining start command from the management computer, it mines a predetermined area inside the intermediate frame 21M. Then, after completing the desired mining in the next section, the controller 45 can move the upper and lower frames alternately in the same manner as described below to self-propell in the X direction. Further, in the same manner, the upper and lower frames can be moved alternately to self-propell in the Y direction.

As described above, according to the mining station 20, it is possible to cope with the soft ground deposited on the flat land of the submarine deposit, the slope and undulation of the seamount, and the mining station 20 is configured to be self-propelled for mining. It is possible to significantly reduce the need for or need to use the erection mother ship 2 which is a support ship for relocating the station. Therefore, it is easy to automate the mining operation, and the construction period and cost of the project can be significantly reduced.

In particular, according to the mining station 20 provided with the mining device 30, the seabed mineral mining system, and the mining method using these facilities, each mining station 20 has a plurality of support legs 26, and each support is provided. Since the legs 26 can be individually slid and moved in the Z direction via the jack mechanism 49, which is a vertical movement mechanism, the legs 26 can cope with the inclination and undulation of the seafloor deposit.

Even when the operator performs manual operation while monitoring with a camera or the like, the mining station 20 provided with the mining device 30 prevents or suppresses the scattering of minerals into seawater, so that the efficiency of mining work is efficient. It is suitable for improving. Further, since the mining station 20 and the mining device 30 have a relatively simple configuration, it is possible to provide a highly reliable mining system with a low risk of failure even in a harsh environment such as the deep sea.

As described above, according to the mining station 20 provided with the mining device 30 of the present embodiment, the mining system, and the mining method using these facilities, the soft ground deposited on the flat land of the submarine deposit or the seamount. It can handle slopes and undulations.
Further, since the excavated minerals are sucked into the lifting pipe 36 from the suction box 34 equipped in the excavation part main body in the excavation ditch VH, the minerals are prevented or suppressed from flying up into the seawater and scattered. .. Further, in the mining system of the present embodiment, the minerals excavated by the mining apparatus 30 are directly introduced into the suction pipe 5 from the inside of the excavation ditch VH via the excavation pipe 36, so that the minerals are also scattered into the seawater at the time of mining. Can be prevented or suppressed.

In particular, in the conventionally proposed trench cutter, since the position of the trench cutter is controlled from the ship, it is difficult to accurately control the trench cutter from the ship.
On the other hand, in the present embodiment, a trench cutter is adopted as the mining device 30 of the mining station 20, and the mining device 30 of the present embodiment can slide and move in the XY direction on the platform 21 erected on the seabed. Further, if the housing 31 is stored in the slide guide 38, the excavated portion main body of the mining device 30 can be prevented or suppressed from swinging when hanging.

Furthermore, compared to a crawler type excavator or an excavator that suspends wires from a ship on the sea, the relocation of the excavator on the seabed and the positioning of the excavator can be realized only by the mechanical operation of the mining station 20, so that the underwater mining base Is easy to automate. As a result, except for the umbilical cable and control from the maritime support vessel, it can be independent, and since an inexpensive support vessel is sufficient, the development cost can be significantly reduced. Therefore, it can be said that it is suitable for mineral mining in the submarine hydrothermal deposit OD.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.
For example, in the above embodiment, the mining mother ship 1 has been described as an example as a marine mining base, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a platform constructed on the sea may be used as long as it functions as a marine mining base.
Further, for example, in the above embodiment, the example of transporting the mined mineral to the storage device 13 provided in the mining mother ship 1 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and is not limited to this, but is limited to the vicinity of the sea or below the sea surface (for example, near the bottom of the ship). It may be mined, stored, or classified.

Further, for example, in the above embodiment, the mining unit 4 has a classifier 27, and an example of classifying minerals in the sea by the classifier 27 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the mining apparatus according to the present invention can be used. According to this, the mined minerals may be lifted without classification.
Further, for example, in the above embodiment, a plurality of mining stations 20 are used to simultaneously mine a wide area, but of course, only one can be operated. Further, as for the mining device 30 equipped in the mining station 20, various mining devices 30 can be used, from small ones to large ones.

Further, in the present invention, the number of pumps used to operate the mining / suction unit and the number of flow paths are not limited, and the pumps may be operated by a plurality of pumps, or may be operated by only one pump. It may operate in the flow path configuration of the system. However, in the present invention, since the pressure medium handled by the mining / suction unit is only "seawater", it is preferable to provide the operation mechanism unit of the mining / suction unit in only one system. With such a configuration, the operation mechanism having a complicated structure such as a pump is limited to only one unit, and the pressure medium passing through the pump is only seawater, so that the cost is suppressed and the reliability is reduced. It is suitable for improving the property.

Further, for example, in the above embodiment, the mining station 20 itself can move in the horizontal direction as an underwater mining base, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the mining station itself does not move in the horizontal direction. You can also. However, in the case of the mining station 20 having no walking function, it is necessary to re-install the mining station 20 in the next adjacent section after the mining in the first section is completed.

That is, in the case of a mining station that does not have a walking function, a ship for installation and movement (IRV) is required each time a jack-up platform is installed and moved. Therefore, as in the above embodiment, as an underwater mining base, a "self-propelled vertical mining system for developing submarine mineral resources" such as a mining station 20 that can move by itself in at least one of the X and Y directions is adopted. That is preferable.

Further, for example, in the above embodiment, the example in which the mining device 30 is provided on the Y moving frame 44 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the mining device 30 can be provided on the side of the X moving frame 43. Further, the mining device 30 may be fixed to the intermediate frame 21M. In this case, without providing the X and Y moving frames 43 and 44, the intermediate frame 21M is made into a single plate, and the mining device 30 is directly fixed to the intermediate frame 21M. In this configuration, the excavation operation can be performed by using the lowering of the support legs 26 or the elevating mechanism on the intermediate frame 21M (corresponding to the above reference numerals 47, 48, 51, etc.) and the sliding mechanism of the intermediate frame 21M. can.

Further, in the above embodiment, an example in which a winch 47 for raising and lowering and X and Y moving frames 43 and 44 are provided on the platform 21 together with the base control unit 46 like an overhead crane has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the mining device 30 may be suspended by a crane.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, the mining station 120 of the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the crane 147 is provided on the platform 21. Since the structure is the same as that of the first embodiment except that the crane 147 is provided instead of the winch 47 for raising and lowering, other description will be omitted.

In the second embodiment, as shown in the figure, a crane 147 capable of undulating, expanding and contracting and turning the boom 147b is mounted on the upper platform 21X of the platform 21, and a mining device is mounted from the tip of the boom 147b of the crane 147. 30 is hanging down. In this example, the other functional parts of the base control unit 46 other than the winch 47 for raising and lowering are mounted near the base end of the crane 147 on the upper platform 21X and at a position that does not interfere with the operation of the crane 147. .. Further, the mine pipe 36 and the high pressure pipe 39 are connected to the mining device 30 by hanging a pipe sheave at the tip of the boom 147b of the crane 147.

Even with the configuration as in this second embodiment, the mining device 30 can be moved more accurately in the X and Y directions by the underwater crane 147 as compared with the operation from the sea, and the platform 21 is on the seabed. Minerals can be mined while forming an excavation ditch VH by excavation and mining by the excavation device 30 while responding to the inclination and undulation of the ore deposit, and the mineral can be recovered from the inside of the excavation ditch VH.
With such a configuration, the mining device 30 can be positioned inside and outside the frame constituting the platform 21 within the range of undulation, expansion / contraction, and turning operation of the boom 147b of the crane 147. In particular, in the submarine hydrothermal deposit OD, a high chimney T (for example, a high one is about 30 m) exists as shown in the figure, but in the configuration of the second embodiment, the high chimney T is present. However, it is possible to excavate from the upper part. Further, it is easier to control than controlling the position and attitude of the mining device 30 such as a trench cutter from the ship.

1 Mining mother ship (marine mining base)
2 Mother ship for erection arrangement 3 Transport ship 4 Lifting unit 5 Suction pipe 6 Lifting pipe 7 Discharge pipe 8 Umbilical cable 11 Working machine 11w Working machine wire 12 Generator 13 Reservoir 20, 120 Mining station (underwater mining base)
21 Platform 21M Intermediate Frame 21X Upper Platform 21Y Lower Platform 25 Pumping Pump 26 Support Leg 27 Classifier 30 Mining Equipment (Trench Cutter)
31 Housing 31a, 31b Guide part 32 Drum cutter 32g Horizontal axis 33 Wire 34 Suction box 35 Fluid drive motor (drive part)
36 Lifting pipe (mining department)
37 Lifting pump 38 Slide guide 39 High-pressure pipe 40 Supply pump 43 X moving frame 44 Y moving frame 45 Controller 46 Base control unit 47r Wire drum 47 winch 48r High-pressure pipe drum 48 High-pressure pipe winder 49 Jack mechanism (vertical direction) Movement mechanism)
51 Winder for lifting pipes 53 Moving mechanism for X direction 54 Moving mechanism for Y direction SL Marine SB Submarine OD Submarine hydrothermal deposit (submarine deposit)
VH pit (excavation ditch)

Claims (8)

It is equipped with a mining device for mining submarine deposits and a platform equipped with the mining device and erected on the seabed and capable of moving in at least one of the X and Y directions orthogonal to each other in the horizontal plane.
The mining apparatus rotationally drives a housing that is hung up and down by a wire from the platform side, at least a pair of drum cutters that are provided in the lower part of the housing and face each other, and a pair of drum cutters. a driving unit, and a mining unit for mining excavation matter excavated by the drum cutter possess,
The platform has an upper platform, a lower platform, and an intermediate frame placed between these upper and lower platforms.
The intermediate frame and the upper platform are configured to be relatively slidable in one direction via a horizontal movement mechanism.
The intermediate frame and the lower platform are configured to allow relative slide movement in the other direction orthogonal to the one direction via a horizontal movement mechanism.
Each of the upper and lower platforms has a plurality of support legs, and each support leg is configured to be individually slidable in the Z direction via a vertical movement mechanism .
The mining apparatus has a slide guide that is supported by the upper platform or the lower platform and extends in the vertical direction, and the housing that can slide and move in the vertical direction along the surface of the slide guide.
The slide is extended from the initial position in the ascending / descending direction due to the winding of the wire, and is retracted in a state of being pulled by the wire and in contact with the stopper at the upper part of the slide guide. A second descending position, which is guided by a guide and hung by the wire, is extended from the first descending position, and is hung by the wire without being guided by the slide guide. is configured to lift between the lowered position,
In the first lowering position, the housing is at least until the lower end of the housing is lowered to a position lower than the lower end of the support leg in the Z-direction movement range of the platform by the vertical movement mechanism. sea mining base the body and wherein Rukoto being guided by the slide guide. The underwater mining according to claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to move up and down integrally with the slide guide in response to the raising and lowering operation of the platform itself by driving the vertical movement mechanism of the support legs. base. The underwater mining base according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the mining device is fixed to the intermediate frame. Further equipped with a moving frame equipped on the upper platform and movable by the in-frame moving mechanism of the intermediate frame.
3 . The underwater mining base described in any one item. The moving frames include a plurality of frames that are combined so as to be slidably movable in the horizontal direction, and an X-moving mechanism and a Y-moving mechanism that slide and move the plurality of frames in the horizontal direction within the frame of the intermediate frame. The underwater mining base according to claim 4. The underwater mining base according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the support leg is fixed to the platform via a jack mechanism capable of sliding the support leg up and down and holding the moving position thereof. .. The underwater mining base according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the means for raising and lowering the mining device with a wire from the platform side is a winch. A method of excavating a submarine deposit using the underwater mining base according to claim 2.
A process of excavating a submarine deposit by feeding the mining device according to the elevating operation of the platform itself.
A process of excavating a submarine deposit by feeding the mining device in response to an ascending / descending operation by winding the wire.
A method of excavating a submarine deposit, which comprises.

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