WO2018068362A1

WO2018068362A1 - Deep-sea mining system

Info

Publication number: WO2018068362A1
Application number: PCT/CN2016/106337
Authority: WO
Inventors: 阳宁; 陈宇翔; 肖剑宇; 陈铭; 于春亮; 谢超; 陈为; 欧文; 熊宏; 郑金荣
Original assignee: 中国科学院深海科学与工程研究所
Priority date: 2016-10-11
Filing date: 2016-11-18
Publication date: 2018-04-19
Also published as: CN206158747U

Abstract

Disclosed is a deep-sea mining system (100), comprising a transport ship (110) shuttling on the surface of the sea, an undersea self-propelled floating body (120), a seabed mobile delivery station (130) and a seabed mineral collection machine (140). The transport ship (110) shuttling on the surface of the sea is connected to one end, far away from sea level, of the undersea self-propelled floating body (120) via a first flexible hose (n1). The end, far away from sea level, of the undersea self-propelled floating body (120) is connected to the seabed mobile delivery station (130) via a second flexible hose (n2). The seabed mobile delivery station (130) is connected to the seabed mineral collection machine (140) via a third flexible hose (n3). Minerals collected by the seabed mineral collection machine (140) are stored in the seabed mobile delivery station (130) by means of the third flexible hose (n3). The seabed mobile delivery station (130) delivers the minerals to the undersea self-propelled floating body (120) by means of the second flexible hose (n2). The undersea self-propelled floating body (120) transports, by means of the first flexible hose (n1), the minerals to the transport ship (110) shuttling on the surface of the sea. The deep-sea mining system has a simple structure and can be used and promoted on a large scale.

Description

Deep sea mining system

Technical field

This application relates to the field of deep sea exploration, and more particularly to a deep sea mining system.

Background technique

With the continuous development of the world economy, the demand for mineral resources is also growing, and the development of a large number of resources has caused the depletion of the earth's terrestrial mineral resources. Before the depletion of terrestrial mineral resources, opening up new resource supply channels as soon as possible is a common choice for all countries today. After exploration, the ocean is a rich mineral resource base. In order to meet the needs of human resources for human survival and development, countries around the world have turned their eyes to the ocean.

At present, the mining systems adopted in various countries in the world are mostly connected by hard pipes, and the surface supporting system is composed of mining ships and transport ships. However, the above scheme has the following technical defects:

(1). The impact of ocean waves and ocean currents on mining ships is also expected to be applied to underwater hard pipes and mining vehicles, affecting the production efficiency of the mining vehicles and even affecting their safety;

(2). The rigid pipe is relatively fixed in structure, has a single structure, and has great limitations in weight, and is inconvenient to install, transport and recycle;

(3). Traditional mining vessels often serve as carriers for the weight of hard pipes. In this case, in the event of waves or harsh marine environment, production may be stopped or dangers and losses may occur, and the weather at sea may be unpredictable. Operation and mining efficiency of the mining system;

(4). The surface support system of the traditional mining system is often composed of two parts: the mining ship and the transport ship. The complicated system and the large construction input cost will also affect the safety of the whole system. The impact of the marine environment and weather will be The system has a big impact.

Summary of the invention

In view of this, it is necessary to develop a mining system with simple structure, higher safety performance and better adaptability to meet the defects of existing mining systems to meet the requirements of commercial exploitation of seabed mineral resources.

To achieve the above objectives, the present application adopts the following technical solutions:

A deep sea mining system includes: a surface shuttle transport ship, an underwater self-propelled floating body, a submarine mobile transfer station, and a submarine collecting machine connected to the underwater self-propelled floating body through a first flexible hose An end away from the sea level, the end of the underwater self-propelled floating body away from the sea level is connected to the submarine mobile transfer station through a second flexible hose, and the submarine mobile transfer station is connected to the sea bottom through a third flexible hose Mining machine

The mineral collected by the subsea miner is stored in the subsea mobile transfer station by the third flexible hose, and the submarine mobile transport station transports the mineral to the water through the second flexible hose A self-propelled floating body that transports the mineral to the surface shuttle ship through the first flexible hose.

In some embodiments, the end of the underwater self-propelled floating body near sea level is 200 m from the sea level.

In some embodiments, the underwater self-propelled floating body comprises a first lift pump, a nuclear power station, a buoyancy adjusting unit and a navigation automatic positioning unit, and the lifting pump, the buoyancy adjusting unit and the navigation automatic positioning unit are respectively electrically connected The nuclear power station.

In some embodiments, the underwater self-propelled floating body has a displacement of 750 m ³ , and the tension of the first flexible hose and the second flexible hose is changed by adjusting the buoyancy adjusting unit.

In some embodiments, the first flexible hose further includes a first conveying unit disposed between the first lift pump and the surface shuttle carrier, the first lift pump passing the first A conveyor unit transports the mineral to the surface shuttle carrier.

In some embodiments, the second flexible hose further includes a first cable, and two ends of the first cable are respectively connected to the nuclear power station and the submarine mobile transport station.

In some embodiments, the third flexible hose further includes a second cable, and two ends of the second cable are respectively connected to the submarine mobile transfer station and the submarine.

In some embodiments, the subsea mobile transfer station is further provided with a second lift pump.

In some embodiments, the third flexible hose further includes a second conveying unit disposed between the second lift pump and the subsea collecting machine, and the second lifting pump passes the second a transport unit transports the mineral to the subsea mobile transport station

The advantages of the above technical solution in this application are:

The deep sea mining system provided by the present application comprises a surface shuttle carrier, an underwater self-propelled floating body, a submarine mobile transfer station and a submarine collecting machine, and the surface shuttle carrier is connected to the underwater self-propelled floating body through a first flexible hose. An end away from the sea level, the end of the underwater self-propelled floating body away from the sea level is connected to the submarine mobile transfer station through a second flexible hose, and the submarine mobile transfer station is connected to the sea bottom through a third flexible hose a collecting machine, the mineral collected by the submarine collecting machine is stored in the submarine mobile conveying station through the third flexible hose, and the submarine moving conveying station transports the mineral through the second flexible hose Up to the underwater self-propelled floating body, the underwater self-propelled floating body transports the mineral to the surface shuttle ship through the first flexible hose, and the deep sea mining system provided by the present application has a simple structure and can be large-scale Promote use.

In addition, the present application uses a flexible hose to sequentially connect the surface shuttle carrier, the underwater self-propelled floating body, the submarine mobile transfer station and the submarine collecting machine. Due to the diversity and plasticity of the flexible hose, it can be provided for different sea areas and different depths. It has strong adaptability and wide application range. At the same time, due to the flexible hose connection between the subsea collecting machine and the submarine mobile conveying station, the ocean and current on the water surface will not directly act on the submarine collecting machine, and will not affect the set. The operation of the mine car is safe and reliable, and under the connection of flexible hoses, it can not only reduce the impact of the sea on the underwater production system, but also greatly increase the mining range of the seabed mining machine.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural view of a deep sea mining system provided by an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of an underwater self-propelled floating body according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of an underwater self-propelled floating body according to an embodiment of the present application.

4 is a schematic structural view of a submarine mobile transfer station and a submarine collecting machine according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a submarine collecting machine according to an embodiment of the present application.

detailed description

The present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It is understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the application and are not intended to be limiting.

In the application documents, relational terms such as first and second are merely used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such The actual relationship or order. Moreover, the terms "include", "include" or Any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusions, such that a process, method, article, or device that comprises a plurality of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or The elements inherent in a process, method, item, or device. An element that is defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of additional equivalent elements in the process, method, item, or device that comprises the element.

Please refer to FIG. 1 , which is a deep sea mining system 100 according to an embodiment of the present application, including a surface shuttle ship 110 , an underwater self-propelled floating body 120 , a submarine mobile transfer station 130 , and a submarine collecting machine 140 . The ship 110 is connected to one end of the underwater self-propelled floating body 120 away from the sea level by a first flexible hose n1, and the end of the underwater self-propelled floating body 120 away from the sea level is connected to the sea bottom through a second flexible hose n2 A mobile transport station 130, the subsea mobile transport station 130 is coupled to the subsea miner 140 via a third flexible hose n3.

The various components included in the deep sea mining system 100 provided by the present application are described in detail below. It is to be understood that the following description is only used to explain the present application and is not intended to limit the application.

The surface shuttle ship 110 can replace the traditional surface support ship (fpso). It can be understood that the surface shuttle ship 110 plays the role of loading, dewatering and transportation. In practice, it is often necessary to complete 2-3 surface shuttle ships 110. A complete recirculating transport system, the benefit of this design is to reduce the loss and risk of mining sites due to adverse sea conditions and to make it easier to collect deep sea mineral nodules.

Please refer to FIG. 2 , which is a schematic structural diagram of an underwater self-propelled floating body provided by an embodiment of the present application. The hovering technology of the underwater self-propelled floating body 120 can suspend the self-propelled floating body at 200 m under water, thereby avoiding ocean currents and The effect of waves on it.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of an underwater self-propelled floating body provided by an embodiment of the present application. The underwater self-propelled floating body 120 includes a first lift pump 121, a nuclear power station 122, a buoyancy adjusting unit 123, and a navigation automatic positioning unit. 124. The lift pump 121, the buoyancy adjusting unit 123, and the navigation automatic positioning unit 124 are electrically connected to the nuclear power station 122, respectively.

Preferably, the first flexible hose n1 further includes a first conveying unit (not shown) disposed between the first lift pump 121 and the surface shuttle ship 110, the first lift pump The mineral is transported to the surface shuttle ship 110 by the first transport unit.

It can be understood that by designing the nuclear power station 122, the required navigation/walking, collecting, transportation, etc. of the submarine mobile transfer station 130 and the subsea miner 140 can be required, as well as the natural protective barrier of the seawater and nuclear reactor. It is good for preventing safety hazards such as nuclear leaks.

Preferably, the underwater self-propelled floating body 120 has a displacement of 750 m ³ at a sea surface 6000 m, and the tension force of the over-the first flexible hose n1 and the second flexible hose n2 is changed by adjusting the buoyancy adjusting unit 123, This can meet the tension control requirements of flexible hoses with different working depths and different working lengths.

Preferably, the underwater self-propelled floating body 120 has a navigation automatic positioning unit 124, so that the movement of the subsea mobile transfer station 130 can be followed during mining operations to achieve coordinated work of the overall movement of the mining system.

Please refer to FIG. 4 , which is a schematic structural diagram of a submarine mobile conveying station and a submarine collecting machine according to an embodiment of the present application.

The subsea mobile transport station 130 has a subsea self-function that improves the stability of the mining system. It can be understood that the submarine mobile transport station 130 can be used as an underwater equipment installation platform such as a relay mine bin, a feeder and a transfer pump. The function of the relay mine bin is to temporarily store and alleviate the change of the combined collection amount of the seabed miner. The impact on the parameters of the mining operation and the effective isolation of the disturbance from the mining vessel and the underwater self-propelled floating body on the operation of the subsea miner 140.

Preferably, the second flexible hose n2 further includes a first cable (not shown), and two ends of the first cable are respectively connected to the nuclear power station 122 and the submarine mobile transport station 130. It will be appreciated that the working power can be provided to the subsea mobile transfer station 130 by designing a first cable coupled to the nuclear power plant 122 and the subsea mobile transport station 130.

Preferably, the third flexible hose n3 further includes a second cable (not shown), and two ends of the second cable are respectively connected to the submarine mobile transport station 130 and the submarine miner 140, It will be appreciated that the power of the nuclear power plant 122 can be delivered to the subsea miner 140 by designing a second cable coupled to the subsea mobile transport station 130 and the subsea miner 140.

The subsea mobile transfer station 130 is further provided with a second lift pump (not shown), and the third flexible hose inner n3 further includes a second lift pump (not shown) and the sea bottom set. A second transport unit (not shown) between the miners 140, the second lift pump transports the mineral to the subsea mobile transport station 130 via the second transport unit.

Please refer to FIG. 5 , which is a schematic structural diagram of a submarine collecting machine provided by an embodiment of the present application. The mineral collected by the subsea miner 140 is stored in the subsea mobile transfer station 130 through the third flexible hose n3, and the subsea mobile transfer station 130 passes the mineral through the second flexible hose n2 Delivered to the underwater self-propelled floating body 120, the underwater self-propelled floating body 120 transports the mineral to the surface shuttle ship 110 through the first flexible hose n1, it can be understood that the deep sea provided by the present application The mining system has a simple structure and can be widely used.

The deep sea mining system 100 provided by the present application uses a flexible hose to sequentially connect the surface shuttle ship 110, the underwater self-propelled floating body 120, the subsea mobile transfer station 130 and the subsea collecting machine 140, due to the diversity and plasticity of the flexible hose. It has strong adaptability to different sea areas and different depths, and has a wide range of applications. At the same time, due to the flexible hose connection between the subsea miner 130 and the submarine mobile transfer station 140, the ocean and current on the water surface will not directly act. On the submarine collecting machine 140, it will not affect the operation of the collecting car, it is safe and reliable, and under the connection of the flexible hose, it can not only reduce the impact of the sea on the underwater production system, but also greatly increase the submarine collecting machine. The scope of mining.

Of course, the deep sea mining system of the present application may have various transformations and modifications, and is not limited to the specific structure of the above embodiment. In conclusion, the scope of the present application should include such alterations or substitutions and modifications as would be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

A deep sea mining system, comprising: a surface shuttle transport ship, an underwater self-propelled floating body, a submarine mobile transfer station, and a submarine collecting machine, wherein the surface shuttle ship is connected to the water through a first flexible hose An end of the submerged floating body away from the sea level, the end of the underwater self-propelled floating body away from the sea level is connected to the submarine mobile conveying station through a second flexible hose, and the submarine mobile conveying station is connected by a third flexible hose In the seabed mining machine;

The mineral collected by the subsea miner is stored in the subsea mobile transfer station by the third flexible hose, and the submarine mobile transport station transports the mineral to the water through the second flexible hose A self-propelled floating body that transports the mineral to the surface shuttle ship through the first flexible hose.
The deep sea mining system according to claim 1, wherein one end of said underwater self-propelled floating body near sea level is 200 m from a sea level.
The deep sea mining system according to claim 1, wherein the underwater self-propelled floating body comprises a first lift pump, a nuclear power station, a buoyancy adjusting unit and a navigation automatic positioning unit, the lift pump, a buoyancy adjusting unit and The navigation automatic positioning unit is electrically connected to the nuclear power station.
The deep sea mining system according to claim 3, wherein said underwater self-propelled floating body has a displacement of 750 m 3 , and said super-first flexible hose and said second flexible soft are changed by adjusting said buoyancy adjusting unit The tension of the tube.
The deep sea mining system according to claim 3, wherein said first flexible hose further comprises a first conveying unit disposed between said first lift pump and said surface shuttle ship, said A first lift pump transports the mineral to the surface shuttle ship through the first conveyor unit.
The deep sea mining system according to claim 3, wherein said second flexible hose further comprises a first cable, two ends of said first cable being respectively connected to said nuclear power station and said submarine movement Transfer station.
The deep sea mining system according to claim 6, wherein the third flexible hose further comprises a second cable, and two ends of the second cable are respectively connected to the submarine mobile transfer station and the sea bottom Mining machine.
The deep sea mining system of claim 1 wherein said subsea mobile transfer station is further provided with a second lift pump.
A deep sea mining system according to claim 8 wherein said third flexible hose further comprises a second delivery unit disposed between said second lift pump and said subsea concentrator, said A second lift pump transports the mineral to the subsea mobile transfer station via the second transport unit.