JPS60148992A - Diving module apparatus in sea bottom mining apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a system for collecting minerals existing on the seabed, and in particular, an element including a container loaded with useful minerals collected on the seabed is submerged and floated mainly by using changes in buoyancy. This invention relates to a submersible module device in a submarine mineral mining device that efficiently guides minerals to ships in the sea.

Recently, useful seabed mineral resources such as manganese nodules (minerals produced on the seabed containing manganese and iron as main components) have been attracting attention as next-generation resources, and technological development for their utilization is being carried out. It has become. According to the results of previous studies, for example, manganese nodules are widely distributed on the deep seabed at depths of 2,000 to 4,000 meters.

However, when attempting to develop such mineral resources existing on the deep seabed, high water pressure, seawater flow due to tidal weirs, and the corrosive effect of seawater pose obstacles to equipment design. These are problems that have not been experienced when collecting minerals on the ground or in tunnels connected from the ground.

Conventionally, methods for transporting solid objects on the seabed to ships on the sea include methods that connect the sea and the seabed with continuous equipment such as pipes and ropes, and methods that use submersibles.

When connecting the seabed and the ocean with pipes, ropes, etc., it is extremely difficult to prevent them from being swept away by the horizontal flow of seawater. Especially the pipe
Sufficient strength measures are required to withstand this lateral force. Furthermore, since mining is carried out in the deep sea, huge tensile stress is generated in pipes, ropes, etc. based on their own weight, making it difficult to select materials. As a countermeasure, it is possible to install one or more floats, but if a rope is used,
This floating becomes an obstacle to hoisting the rope using a drum or the like.

Deep-sea submersibles must have thick outer walls to withstand water pressure. Particularly when loaded with minerals, the submersible must become larger to provide greater buoyancy, making it extremely difficult to develop a water pressure-resistant structure. Using power from propellers, jets, etc. to levitate can reduce the weight of a submersible, but it consumes a lot of energy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the prior art described above and to provide a diving module device for a seabed mineral mining apparatus that mines minerals existing on the seabed and efficiently guides them to ships on the sea.

In short, the present invention enables diving and diving to collect useful seabed minerals.
By using a diving/mining robot that repeatedly floats up and down, the structure essentially equalizes the pressure in the sea and inside the device, making it possible to design thin device walls.Also, by enclosing machines, equipment, and parts in capsules, seawater Based on flow, water pressure, corrosivity, etc., it solves the drawbacks of the conventional technology.

The present invention will be explained below with reference to the drawings.

The present invention basically consists of a fleet 4 consisting of at least one mother ship 1 and several work boats 2 and 3 floating on the sea, and the diving position being controlled by information exchanged with the fleet 4, and diving or diving underwater 5. A diving module 8 that floats and is equipped with a buoyancy adjustment chamber 6 and an ore storage chamber 7 that can be communicated between the inside and outside through a valve device such as a valve, and a mining module 8 that moves on the seabed 9 with the diving module 8 as the center. and a mining/transfer robot 12 that mines the mined mineral 10 and introduces the mineral 10 into the ore storage chamber 7 of the diving module 8 via a transfer system member 11.

Detailed Description of the Invention Below, the diving module 8 is formed by connecting three module bodies 13 to each other via a connecting beam 14. In this case, as shown in Fig. 3, the three module bodies 13 are arranged on a plane at the apex positions of a triangle to create a stable structure in which the total weight is evenly distributed. Not limited to job status.

The entire outer shape of the diving module body 13 is formed into a vertical drum with a circular cross section. This is to ensure water resistance in the sea 5 and to reduce fluid resistance during movement. Reference numeral 15 denotes a diving wing formed from a movable wing 16A and a fixed wing 16B, which are vertically attached to the outside of the module body 13 in the radial direction. If the movable wing 16A is tilted in the direction shown in FIG. If the movable wing 16A is moved in the direction fbl in FIG. 4, a force in the direction shown by the arrow is generated and the robot floats up.

Furthermore, the interior of the diving module body 13 is divided into three parts from above in the drawing: a buoyancy adjustment chamber 6, a machine chamber 17, and an ore storage chamber 7.
It is divided into rooms. The reason why the buoyancy adjustment chamber 6 is located at the top, the machine room 17 is located in the middle, and the ore storage chamber 7 is located at the bottom is to ensure stability during diving or ascent. . Reference numeral 18 denotes a suction/drainage valve provided in an example of the buoyancy adjustment chamber 6, and by opening and closing this suction/drainage valve 18, seawater is introduced into the buoyancy adjustment chamber 6, and seawater is drained. The wall surface a for forming the buoyancy adjustment chamber 6 by reducing the difference between the pressure in the buoyancy adjustment chamber 6 and the pressure in the buoyancy adjustment chamber 6 is formed thin. 19 is buoyancy adjustment chamber 6
As described above, this rib 19 is a rib built inside the buoyancy adjustment chamber 6 to eliminate the pressure difference between the pressure in the sea and the internal pressure of the buoyancy adjustment chamber 6 by forming the buoyancy adjustment chamber 6 into a thin wall structure. The buoyancy adjustment chamber 6 is reinforced to withstand pressure differences due to response delays in pressure equalization control. The reason why the rib 19 is not provided outside the buoyancy adjustment chamber 6 is to prevent an increase in flow resistance.

Reference numeral 20 designates several pressure accumulation tanks arranged in a well-balanced manner on all sides at the bottom of the buoyancy adjustment chamber 6;
0 are communicated with each other using a connecting pipe 21, and ultra-high pressure compressed air is pressurized inside. When the diving module 8 is submerged into the deep sea, the gas space 22 in the pressure adjustment chamber 6 is compressed by the water pressure and its volume is reduced.
When the water level rises, the water level reduction valve 24 attached to the pressure accumulator tank 2o is opened in response to a command signal transmitted by the receiving section of the control mechanism section 27, which will be described later. 6 to restore the water surface 23 and adjust the buoyancy due to the presence of the gas space 22. Reference numeral 24 designates an auxiliary tank for increasing buoyancy, which is provided at the center of the pressure adjustment chamber 6 and pressurized with a compressed inert gas such as nitrogen gas N2. It is possible. This buoyancy enhancement auxiliary tank 2
The internal pressure of the gas sealed inside 4 is set to a value intermediate between the water pressure at the seabed 9 and the atmospheric pressure. What does this mean if the internal pressure inside module 8 is atmospheric pressure? There is no problem on Fj, but on the seabed there is a water pressure of more than 300 atm, so the wall thickness of wall a must be increased, and conversely, taking into account the water pressure in the deep sea, the internal pressure inside module 8 is set to 300 atm. This guarantees water pressure resistance, but at sea there is a pressure of 300 atmospheres,
This is because in either case, the wall surface a must be made thick.

25 is an exhaust valve provided on the top surface of the diving module 8, and 26 is a screw provided in the center of the top surface of the diving module 8. This screw 26 allows the diving module 8 to be activated when the diving module 8 reaches the bottom or when it dives. When reaching the surface of the sea, the diving module 8 is decelerated to reduce the impact caused by the bottoming operation or floating operation of the diving module 8.

Reference numeral 27 denotes a control mechanism section provided in the machine room 17 whose wall surface a has a thin structure due to communication with the surrounding seawater; 28 also a pump;
a mining/transfer robot 12 for mining minerals 0 and introducing a mixture of the mined minerals and seawater into the mineral storage chamber I7 of the diving module 8; and a battery 2 as a power source.
9 are stored in each.

The control mechanism section 27 includes a transmitting mechanism for notifying the mother ship 1 or the work boats 2 and 3 of the diving position of the diving module 8 when diving or surfacing, and a transmitting mechanism for transmitting operational data to the mother ship 1. Equipment inside diving module 8, mining and
A receiving mechanism for receiving from the mother ship 1 various command signals such as starting and stopping for the submersible robot 12 and transport system member 11 (described later), and mixing the mined minerals 10 with seawater. A solid-liquid two-fluid bomb 28 (capable of simultaneously transporting solid and liquid) is used to suck the mineral from the flexible pipe 40 as a transport system and discharge it into the storage chamber 17 in the diving module 8. etc. will be equipped.

Furthermore, the carrier waves of the signals transmitted from each of the transmitting mechanisms and the signals received by the receiving mechanism use, for example, sound waves.

Further, the battery 29 is connected to the screw 26, various valves, the movable wing 16A as the diving wing 15, the mining/transfer robot 12, the pump 28, the control mechanism section 27, and the like.

In addition, the ore storage chamber 7 is formed into a thin wall by conducting the surrounding seawater to equalize the pressure inside and outside, and the inside is partitioned by several dividing walls 30 to form a large number of divided chambers 31.
The mixture of minerals 10 and seawater from the distributor 32 is evenly distributed in this divided chamber 31, thereby preventing frontal slippage. 33 is an inflow control valve provided on the distributor 32, and 34 is a movable baffle provided at the bottom of the ore storage chamber 7, and this movable baffle 34 prevents the minerals from adhering to the minerals 10 or mixing into the seawater. The clay content is sieved and returned to the ocean floor. Furthermore, if the clay contains a large amount of useful minerals, the movable baffle 34 is closed to prevent the clay from flowing out. 35 is the ore storage room 1
This is a drainage adjustment valve provided in the drainage pipe 36 of No. 7.

Several bottom landing feet 37 are attached to the bottom of the diving module body 13, and strain sensors are attached to these bottom landing feet 37. When the compressive stress is large, the water level adjustment valve 24 attached to the pressure storage tank 20 is opened and the water level 23 in the buoyancy adjustment chamber 6 is pushed down by the signal from the strain sensor. By generating buoyancy, the bottoming foot 37 is prevented from sinking into the seabed 9 and becoming unstable, and the bottoming foot 37 is prevented from digging into the bottom during surfacing.Furthermore, a strain sensor prevents the bottoming foot 37 from being subjected to compressive stress. If the amount is too low and there is a risk of floating, open the exhaust valve 2.
5 is opened to reduce buoyancy and allow the diving module 8 to sit stably. In this case, the strain sensor used may be mechanical, optical, electrical, magnetic, etc., and the method is not limited. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the bottom landing foot 37 has a horizontal section shaped like a drainboard to reduce fluid resistance during movement.

In addition, among the various machines and equipment in the diving module 8, those that have an effect on seawater, such as motors, instruments, and control equipment, are housed in a capsule filled with liquid such as oil, and the outer wall of this capsule is By installing a diaphragm in a part, the diaphragm deforms in response to changes in the pressure of the surrounding seawater, creating a pressure equalization state with the liquid such as oil sealed inside, thereby preventing corrosion of the equipment stored inside. That's what I do.

Further, the mining/transfer robot 12 has a housing unit 38.
The ore storage chamber 7 in the diving module body 13 is connected to the mining site 39, and the mixture of minerals 10 and seawater mined at the mining site 39 is stored in the storage unit 38. A flexible pipe 40 as a transfer system member 11 for transporting into the chamber 7 and the flexible pipe 40 are moved to the mining site 39 by a command signal from the diving module 8.
A cutter 42 as a mining means is provided at the tip of the flexible pipe 40 to mine the mineral 10 at the mining site 39. Note that this cutter 42 may be of a known type that is directly connected to a motor, for example.

The accommodation unit 38 includes a balancing tank 43 as a buoyancy generator filled with an inert gas such as nitrogen at a pressure of about 150 atmospheres, and a balancing tank 43.
It is formed by installing screws 44 and 45 in the upper part and the example part of 3 to perform fine adjustment of vertical movement and fine adjustment of horizontal movement.

The gas pressure sealed in the balancing tank 43 is set to about 150 atmospheres for illustrative purposes only, and the point is that by filling the gas with a pressure intermediate between the water pressure of the seabed 9 and the atmospheric pressure, the storage unit 38 can be kept under the sea. It facilitates movement.

The transport vehicle 41 has a built-in motor for providing power and driving force within its body 46, and on the left and right sides of the vehicle body 46 are several pairs of drive wheels 47, 47, 47, 47, 47, 47, 47, 47, 47, 47, 47, 47, 47, 47, 47, 47, 47, 47, 47.
47.47 is installed, and these drive wheels 47, 47
; 47, 4g of caterpillars wound around the outer circumference of 47
, 4s, and a chuck member 49 installed on the vehicle body 46 to detachably fix the flexible tube 40.

22 is a seawater space, 55 is a horizontal tidal current, 52 is a transfer pipe for transferring the minerals 10 stored in the ore storage room 7 into the hold 55, 53 is a suction pump, 54 is a distributor, and 56 is a drain A pump, 57 a charging cable, and 58 an air pipe.

The details of one embodiment of the present invention will be explained below with reference to the drawings.

First, the diving module 8 is submerged by remote control using a command signal transmitted from the mother ship 1. At this time, the diving module 8 emits a sound wave T1 as a diving position signal, and is received by the mother ship 1 and the two work boats 2 and 3. This reception is also transmitted to the mother ship 1 using radio waves S1.

These diving position signals and signals indicating underwater water pressure received by the mother ship 1 are processed by a computer installed in the mother ship 1 to determine the diving position of the diving module 8 (
The depth and distance from the mother ship 1 (%1ll) are counted.

Based on this determination of the diving position, the movable wing 11 [16A is moved relative to the fixed wing 16B to adjust its inclination angle, and the water level regulating valve 24 of the pressure accumulation tank 20 provided in the buoyancy regulating chamber 6 is opened and closed. The diving module 8 is submerged or floated by remotely controlling the rotation of the screw 26.

That is, when diving, first, the intake and discharge valve 1 is activated in response to a command signal from the mother ship 1 that is received by the receiving section of the control mechanism section 27.
8 is opened and seawater is introduced into the diving module 8 to increase the weight of the diving module 8 and equalize the water pressure in the sea and the internal pressure inside the diving module 8. Similarly, the water level adjustment valve 24 is opened in response to a command signal from the mother ship 1, and high pressure gas is generated from several pressure storage tanks 20, resulting in a change in volume between the gas space 22 and the seawater space 22A, that is, the water level. Adjust the height of 23 to adjust the buoyancy. Similarly #8. The valves are also opened in the machine room 17 and the ore storage room 7 to allow seawater to flow in, thereby increasing the weight of the diving module 8 and equalizing the pressure in the sea 5 and the pressure in the diving module 8.

Then, as shown in FIG. 14 fa), the movable blade 15 is fixed M
16, a force in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 14 (al) is generated on the diving module 8 against the horizontal current 51, and the diving module 8 dives.

Conversely, in order to surface, the water level adjustment valve 24 of the pressure storage tank 20 is opened based on a command signal from the mother ship 1, and high pressure gas is released into the diving module 8, increasing the gas space 22 and raising the water surface 23. to generate buoyancy. The reason why the buoyancy reinforcement tank 24 is provided separately from the pressure accumulation tank 20 is to reduce the capacity of the pressure accumulation tank 20.

The internal pressure of the gas sealed in the buoyancy enhancement auxiliary tank 24 is an intermediate value between the water pressure at the seabed 9 and the atmospheric pressure. this is,
For example, in a diving module 8 that performs a 3000 m class dive, the wall surface a of the diving module 8 can be made thin by setting its internal pressure to about 150 atmospheres.

That is, if the internal pressure of the diving module 8 is made equal to atmospheric pressure, there will be no problem at sea, but an internal pressure of 300 atmospheres will act under the sea, and in either case, the inner wall a must be made thick. Also, auxiliary tank 2 for pressure increase
The reason why the high-pressure gas sealed in 4 was changed to nitrogen gas is because compressed air would corrode the inner wall of this pressure-increasing auxiliary tank 24.

When the diving module 8 approaches the seabed 9, the motor is driven to rotate by a command signal from the mother ship 1, the screw 26 rotates, and the impact upon reaching the seabed 9 is buffered.

When the diving module 8 reaches the seabed 9 in this way, the accommodation unit 38 of the mining/transfer robot 12 receives a command signal from the mother ship 1, and the screws 44 and 45 rotate, causing the machine room 17 of the diving module 8 to He uses his own blade to reach the ocean floor. At this time, movement on the seabed 9 is easy because the balancing tank 43 of the accommodation unit 38 is filled with gas at a pressure intermediate between the water pressure on the seabed 9 and the atmosphere.

In this way, several accommodation units 38 descend from the machine room 17 of the diving module 8 and move near the mining site 39 where useful minerals 10 are buried, centering on the diving module 8, and then the transport vehicle 41 is flexible tube 40
The transport system members 11 such as the above are transported to the mining site 39 based on the detection results of the amount of ore investigated in advance. after that,
A cutter 42 as a mining means attached to the tip of the flexible pipe 40 performs mining in response to commands from the mother ship 1.

The mined mineral 10 is introduced into the mineral storage chamber 7 of the diving module 8 through the flexible pipe 40 together with seawater. At this time, the mineral 10 introduced from the flexible pipe 40
The mixture of water and seawater is distributed by a distributor 32 into a number of divided chambers 31 partitioned by several dividing walls 30.

As a result, the mined useful minerals 10 can be stored in the ore storage chamber 7 in a stable state without any lag. At this time, since a strain sensor is installed on the bottom landing foot 37 of the diving module 8, when the compressive stress acting on the bottom landing foot 37 is large based on the signal from this strain sensor, the water level adjustment valve 24 is opened. Since buoyancy can be generated by pushing down the water surface 23 in the buoyancy adjustment chamber 6, the bottom landing foot 37 is prevented from sinking into the seabed 9 and becoming unstable, and the bottom landing foot 37 is prevented from digging into the bottom when floating. On the other hand, if the compressive stress on the bottom foot 37 is too small and there is a risk of floating, the diving module 8 opens the exhaust valve 25 to exhaust the gas in the buoyancy adjustment chamber 6 and reduce the buoyancy.
will reach the bottom stably. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, the bottom landing foot 37 has a horizontal section shaped like a drainboard, so that fluid resistance during movement is reduced.

When mining is finished and the ore storage chamber 7 is full, a signal from the diving module 8 is received by the mother ship 1, and a command signal from the mother ship 1 is transmitted to the diving module 8 in response. In response to this command signal, the flexible pipe 40 is moved by the carrier 41, and the cutter 42 as a mining means is moved to the accommodation unit 3.
8 and stored. After that, screw 44,4
5 rotates, the storage unit 38 is stored in the machine room 17 of the diving module 8.

Then, the water level adjustment valve 24 of the pressure accumulator tank 20 is opened by a command signal from the mother ship 1, and high pressure gas is released into the diving module 8 to increase the gas space 50 and generate buoyancy, and the movable wing 16A moves as shown in FIG. Since the diving module 8 is tilted as shown in bl, it floats up. At this time, the mineral storage chamber 7 at the bottom contains minerals 10, and the machine room 17 is located above it to absorb the weight of the diving module 8. Since the diving module 8 is concentrated downward, it floats stably without shaking.Before reaching the sea surface, the screw 26 rotates to soften the impact.

The diving module 8 rises to the sea surface and removes the minerals 1 in the ore storage chamber 7.
0 to the mother ship 1, a transfer pipe 52 as a transfer system means is sucked by a suction pump 53 of the mother ship 1, and is stacked in a hold 55 in the mother ship 1 via a distributor 54 to prevent early loading. Ru. Seawater in the hold 55 is drained away by a drainage pump 56 during and after loading. In addition, by connecting the charging cable 57 between the mother ship (■) and the diving module 8 during shipping of the minerals 10, the battery 29 in each diving module body 13 and the accommodation unit 3
8 and the battery in the transport vehicle 41 are charged respectively. In addition, the compressor and diving module 8 installed inside the mother ship 1
By connecting the air supply pipe 58 to the pressure accumulator tank 20 in the diving module 8, ultra-high pressure air is supplied to the diving module 8
The pressure is supplied to several pressure storage tanks 20 within the tank. Further, the connection work for connecting the charging cable 57 and the air pipe 58 to the mother ship 1 and the diving module 8 is performed by the work boats 2 and 3.

Furthermore, if minerals 10 are abundant on the seabed 9 and there is no need to make a major change to the diving location of the diving module 8 next time, the mining/transfer robot 12 is separated from the diving module 8 when the diving module 8 ascends to the surface. Leave it behind and use it when mining Mineral 10 again. In this embodiment, the command signal was transmitted from the mother ship l, but this command signal may also be transmitted from a base on land.

As mentioned above, the present invention has a structure that equalizes the pressure inside the diving/mining robot that repeats diving and surfacing with the sea.
The walls are thin and lightweight, making it highly resistant to water pressure even in the deep sea.In addition, large buoyancy can be easily obtained, making it possible to increase the loading capacity of minerals and reduce energy consumption, making it possible to efficiently mine useful minerals from the seabed. It can be collected by

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a slope view showing one embodiment of the present invention that performs mining work on the seabed, Fig. 2 is an explanatory side view showing the two sides of diving or floating work, and Fig. 3 is the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example of a diving module, FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway side view, FIG. The A-A arrow view in Figure 5, the same <BB-B arrow view in Figure 7, the C7C arrow view in Figure 8, the D-D arrow view in Figure 9, and the same mining in Figure 10.・The side showing an example of the transfer robot is also a front view, and Fig. 14 fa) (bl is a side view showing the diving module in a submerged or surfacing state, and Fig. 15 is a side view showing the state where the diving module is submerged or floating, and Fig. It is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing a state in which high-pressure gas, etc. are being supplied. 1... Mother ship, 2, 3... Work boat, 4
...fleet, 6...buoyancy adjustment room, 7...
... Mine storage room, 8... Diving module, 9...
...sea floor, 10...minerals, 12...
・Mining/transfer robot, 13... Diving module body, 17... Machine room, 20... Pressure storage tank, 22... Seawater space, 23...・・・
...Gas space, 24...Auxiliary tank for buoyancy enhancement, 31...Divided chamber, 32...Distributor, 34...Divided chamber, 37.・
...Foot landing. Patent Applicant Teru Miura Figure 5 26 Procedure NeiFt Author (spontaneous) ゛ February 22, 1980 Director General of the Patent Office Masao Wakasugi, Indication of Case 1982 Patent Application No. 002567 3. Person who makes corrections. Name: Kenji5! i! ! 4 Imperial Order 1 4, Agent 5, Date of amendment order ■Total■ Year, month, day 6, Number of inventions increased by amendment 7, Subject of amendment 8, Contents of amendment Contents of amendment as attached (Patent application 1982- 002567) 1. The full text of the claims on pages 1 to 3 of the specification is amended as follows. (1) Ukinozuki 1&l is equipped with a receiving unit that receives command signals, a pressure accumulation tank with a valve, and a water level adjustment valve.
A water borrowing module device in a seabed mineral mining device, characterized in that it is formed of a holding room and an ore storage room, and the opening and closing of both valves are controlled in response to a command received by the receiving section. . (2) The water outlet module device in the 1lij bottom mineral mining device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is formed by connecting a plurality of module bodies. (3) The interior consists of the buoyancy adjustment room, the machine room, and the ore storage room.
The buoyancy adjustment chamber is equipped with the plurality of pressure storage tanks, and the pressure storage tanks are filled with pressure gas that can be adjusted to a pressure difference of 100 atmospheres or less with the water pressure in the sea. *m described in claim 1, which is characterized by
Diving module device in mineral mining equipment. (4) The ore storage chamber is divided into a plurality of divided chambers by dividing walls, and excavated minerals can be introduced into the ore storage chamber via a distributor. The diving module device in the seabed mineral mining device according to item 3. 15) A bottom landing foot having a strain sensor is attached to the lower bottom, and the buoyancy is adjusted by opening and closing the valve of the pressure storage tank in response to a signal from the sensor. Diving module device for undersea mineral mining equipment. (6) A diving module device in a seabed mineral mining device according to claim 1, wherein a mining/transfer robot 7) is accommodated in the machine room. (7) A diving module according to claim 1, characterized in that the diving machine is housed in a capsule filled with liquid, and a part of the outer wall of the capsule is provided with a pressure-equalizing element constituted by a diaphragm. Device. (8) A patent claim characterized in that an auxiliary tank for increasing buoyancy is provided in the buoyancy adjustment chamber, and a compressed gas having an internal pressure intermediate between seabed water pressure and atmospheric pressure is inserted into the auxiliary buoyancy increasing tank. Scope No. 1, a diving module device in the seabed mineral mining device according to item 1. 2. In the specification, page 5, line 12, the statement "inside the capsule" is amended to "into the capsule." 3. In the specification, page 7, line 5, the statement "Fig. 4" is amended to "Fig. 14." 4. In the specification, page 9, line 7, the statement "in the module 8" is corrected to "in the buoyancy enhancement auxiliary tank 24." 5. In the specification, page 9, line 9 and page 13, “Wall surface a
" has been corrected to "buoyancy enhancement auxiliary tank 24." 6. In the specification, page 9, line 10, the statement "module 8" is corrected to "auxiliary tank for buoyancy enhancement 24." 7. In the specification, page 10, line 12, the statement "to" is amended to "to". 8. In Specification-1, page 12, lines 16 to 19, the statement ``In this case, there is no limitation...'' is deleted. 9. Specification, page 8, line 16, page 12, line 9, page 16, line 8
In line 17, page 17, line 10, page 20, line 2, and page 21, line 3, "24" is corrected to "20a". 10. Specification, page 17, line 18 to page 20, “30
00m class diving...Can be made thinner. ” will be deleted. 11. In the specification, page 18, line 1, the statement "that is, diving module 8" is replaced by "auxiliary buoyancy reinforcement tank 24".
Correct to. 12. In the specification, page 18, line 3, the statement "internal pressure" is corrected to "external pressure." 13. In the specification, page 18, line 4, the statement "inner wall a" is corrected to "thickness of the buoyancy enhancement auxiliary tank 24." 14. In the specification, page 18, lines 7 and 8, the statement "is." is amended to "the purpose is to prevent this." 15, Mei 4 “Book, page 21, lines 5 and 6, “Movable wing 16
The statement "Because A is tilted as shown in FIG. 14 fbl" is deleted. 16. Correct Figure 5 as shown in the attached sheet. Patent applicant 3a Lighting

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] fil It is formed of a receiving unit that receives a command signal, a buoyancy adjustment chamber that is provided with a pressure accumulation tank having a valve, and a water level adjustment valve, and an ore storage chamber, and that both of the valves A diving module device for a seabed mineral mining device, characterized in that opening and closing thereof are controlled based on a command received by the receiving section. (2) A diving module device in a seabed mineral mining device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is formed by connecting a plurality of module bodies. (3) The interior consists of the buoyancy adjustment room, the machine room, and the ore storage room.
The buoyancy adjustment chamber is equipped with the plurality of pressure storage tanks, and the pressure storage tanks are filled with pressure gas that can be adjusted to a pressure difference of 100 atmospheres or less with the water pressure in the sea. The feature set forth in claim 1, i.
Diving module device in bottom mineral mining equipment. (4) The ore storage chamber is divided into a plurality of divided chambers by a dividing wall, and excavated minerals can be introduced into the ore storage chamber via a distributor, Or the diving module device in the seabed mineral mining device according to item 3. (5) A bottom foot with a strain sensor is attached to the bottom bottom,
Claim 1, characterized in that the buoyancy is adjusted by opening and closing the valve of the pressure accumulation tank based on a signal from the sensor.
A diving module device in the seabed mineral mining device described in 2. (6) A diving module device in a seabed mineral mining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a mining/transfer robot is accommodated in the machine room. (7) A patent claim characterized in that a buoyancy enhancement auxiliary tank is provided in the buoyancy adjustment chamber, and the buoyancy enhancement auxiliary tank is filled with compressed gas having an internal pressure that is intermediate between seabed water pressure and atmospheric pressure. A diving module device in the seabed mineral mining device according to item 1.