CN103080475B - Method and apparatus for subsea mixed mining - Google Patents

Abstract

A seafloor bulk mining tool for use in the manufacture of seafloor bench fragments. The tool is moved through the seafloor bench using a tracked movement system. The power and control interface receives power and control signals from a surface source. The tool has a drum cutter for cutting the bench, and a screen grid adjacent to the drum cutter for screening cuttings produced by the drum cutter. There may also be a drum cover to help contain the fragments. The created crumb can be captured using a suction inlet, for example in combination with a shovel and an auger.

Description

Method and apparatus for subsea mixed mining

technical field

The present invention relates generally to underwater mining, and more particularly to a system and method for subsea mining and concentration using a hybrid cutting subsea tool.

Background technique

Seabed excavation is often carried out by excavation, for example to obtain valuable alluvial placers or to keep waterways navigable. Suction dredging involves placing the collecting end of a pipe or pipe adjacent to the seabed material to be excavated, and using a surface pump to create a negative pressure differential that draws water and nearby mobile seabed sediment into the pipe. Cut-suction excavation further provides cutting bits at or near the suction to break up compacted soil, gravel or even hard rock that will be sucked into the pipeline. Large cutting-suction excavators can use tens of thousands of kilowatts of cutting power. Other seabed dredging techniques include suction dredging, jet dredging, airlift dredging and bucket dredging.

Most excavating equipment typically only operate at depths of tens of meters, and even very large excavators have a maximum digging depth of only slightly more than one hundred meters. Excavation is therefore often limited to relatively shallow waters.

Subsea drilling, such as oil wells, can be performed in deeper waters up to a depth of several kilometers. However, seabed drilling mining technology cannot be used for seabed mining.

Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, literature, etc. contained in this specification is intended to provide a background to the present invention and should not be taken as an admission that any or all of the foregoing forms part of the prior art base or is an antedi common general knowledge in the field relevant to the invention as it existed before the priority date of each claim.

Throughout the specification, the word "comprise" or variations thereof such as "comprises" or "comrpising" should be understood to mean that the stated elements, integers or steps are included, or that the elements, integers or steps without excluding any other elements, integers or steps, or groups of elements, integers or steps.

Contents of the invention

According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a subsea hybrid mining tool for producing subsea bench fragments, said hybrid mining tool comprising:

a tracked mobile system moving the hybrid mining tool across the subsea bench;

a power and control interface that receives power and control signals from a surface source;

a drum cutter for cutting the stair sections; and

A screening grate adjacent to the drum cutter for sifting the pieces produced by the drum cutter.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing fragments of subsea benches, the method comprising:

Subsea hybrid mining tools receive power and control signals from surface sources;

the subsea hybrid mining tool is moved across the subsea bench; and

A drum cutter of the subsea mixed mining tool cuts the bench, and a screening grate adjacent to the drum cutter screens debris produced by the drum cutter.

Thus, the subsea mixed mining tool of the present invention advantageously provides a bench where mixed cutting occurs or is formed on the seafloor.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the subsea hybrid mining tool includes a slurry inlet proximate to the cutting drum and a slurry pump system, the slurry inlet being configured to take Fragments in slurry form. The slurry may be pumped a short distance from the subsea hybrid mining tool, for example only to one side of the path taken or to be taken by the tool or to the rear of the tool to avoid the tool being Moving on debris on the ocean floor. Alternatively, the slurry may be pumped via suitable transfer piping to a subsea storage location some distance from the subsea mining tool.

In a preferred embodiment, a capture hood partially surrounds the cutting drum to enhance containment and collection of debris by the slurry pump system.

Preferably, the screening grid screens broken pieces by crushing particles of a size larger than the distance between the grid and the drum with the cutting drum.

The subsea hybrid mining tool may be a wireless remotely operated vehicle (remotely operated vehicle, ROV) or a wireless vehicle operated by a parent connected to the ground.

Further, the present invention provides a tool suitable for deployment in extremely deep water depths in certain embodiments. For example, some embodiments operate at depths greater than about 400 meters, more preferably greater than 1000 meters, or more preferably greater than 1500 meters. It should be appreciated, however, that the tool of the present invention provides a useful subsea cutting option in waters as shallow as 100 meters or in other relatively shallow subsea applications. It should therefore be understood that reference to the seabed or seabed is not intended to exclude the invention from use in lake bottoms, estuary bottoms, bay bottoms, sound floors, beach bottoms, harbor bottoms, in saline, semi-saline or clear water. For mining or excavation, these applications fall within the scope of this specification.

In some embodiments, the hybrid mining cutter of the hybrid mining tool may include an electrically or hydraulically driven cutting drum that guides or guides the tool during movement. The cutting drum may be mounted on a boom assembly allowing a variable depth of cut, wherein the depth of cut may be selected eg to correspond to the hardness of the material in the bench being cut.

The drum cutter of the hybrid mining tool is preferably configured to produce pieces of a desired size. For example, the pieces are sized to be collected as a slurry of water and pieces. Preferably, the drum cuts to a depth greater than the width of the machine tracks.

wherein the thickness of the material to be harvested is greater than the height of the bench defined by the depth of cut of the subsea hybrid mining tool, the hybrid mining tool of the present invention performs multiple hybrid mining steps to remove the material multi-level stairs. During each move, the suction of the hybrid mining tool is utilized to collect debris produced by each move of the subsea hybrid mining tool.

The weight of the hybrid mining tool is preferably selected such that the tool is submerged with sufficient weight so that the hybrid mining tool can apply sufficient downward force to produce bench pieces.

Preferably, the subsea mixed mining tool is designed to operate on a relatively flat and relatively horizontal bench plane and to cut down into the surface to a cutting depth while reciprocating across the bench surface. The fragments are left in place for subsequent collection using a subsea collection tool, or when cut using a suction located near the cutting drum, and transported away from the tool. The subsea hybrid mining tool preferably reciprocates along one or more paths across the surface of the bench to cut substantially the entire bench. Preferably, the cutting path of the hybrid mining tool is optimized based on the particular bench size and bench shape present at the relevant subsea location to maximize ore recovery from the bench.

Preferably, the collection or storage area is located at the far end of the ore bench, and in such an embodiment, the hybrid mining tool has a slurry pump system or a side cast system (side cast system, etc.) for depositing Area of cut ore. Alternatively, the collection area where the mixed mining tool deposits debris is at the same location as the ore bench, wherein the mixed mining tool cuts the ore without substantially repositioning the ore. Such an embodiment allows the design, function and operation of the hybrid mining tool to focus on the cutting requirements of such hybrid mining, rather than complicating it with regard to repositioning pieces.

The benches may include ore benches of valuable ore to be harvested, or may include hard rock or other seabed material that needs to be removed for other purposes. The ore may include sulfides that are abundant on the seafloor.

Recognizing the complex topography of the seafloor site of interest, the present invention provides for the simultaneous operation of multiple seafloor mining tools to efficiently harvest seafloor material.

In this specification, the term "drum cutter" is not intended to include disc cutters. A disc cutter means, for example, that the incision is narrower than the diameter of the disc cutter.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a subsea hybrid mining tool for producing subsea bench fragments, said hybrid mining tool comprising:

a tracked mobile system moving the hybrid mining tool across the subsea bench;

Power and control interface to receive power and control signals from surface sources;

a drum cutter positioned behind the tool during movement and configured to cut the bench as it travels through the bench and leave pieces on the seafloor for subsequent collect.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing fragments of subsea benches, the method comprising:

Subsea hybrid mining tools receive power and control signals from surface sources;

the subsea hybrid mining tool is moved across the subsea bench; and

The bench is cut by a drum cutter of the subsea mixed mining tool which, during movement, is located behind the tool and leaves debris on the seafloor for subsequent collection.

The third and fourth aspects of the invention allow for increased cutting efficiency and thus faster mining speeds relative to mixed cutters which collect the cut pieces themselves.

The third aspect of the invention and some embodiments of the third aspect may include a screening grid adjacent to the cutting drum for screening the pieces produced by the cutting drum, however in other embodiments the screen may be omitted Split grille.

Description of drawings

Embodiments of the present invention are now described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic view of a subsea system according to one embodiment of the present invention;

Figures 2a and 2b show operational diagrams of a hybrid mining machine according to one embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a perspective view showing a hybrid mining machine with a single cutting drum according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a front view of a hybrid mining machine according to a similar embodiment of the present invention;

5 is a perspective view showing a hybrid mining machine with two cutting drums according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram describing the deployment and operating system of a hybrid mining machine;

Figures 7a and 7b illustrate a hybrid mining tool according to another embodiment of the invention;

Figures 8a and 8b illustrate gouging and plunge cutting, respectively.

detailed description

1 is a simplified view of a subsea system 100 and a hybrid miner 112 according to one embodiment of the invention. The crane 102 and the dehydration equipment 104 are installed on a production support vessel (Production Support Vessel, PSV) 106 sailing in the ocean. The PSV 106 has an ore conveyor to facilitate loading the acquired dewatered ore onto the barge 108 . The present embodiment provides a tool 112 capable of operating at depths of 2500 meters, however alternative embodiments may be designed for operation at depths of 100 meters to 3000 meters or even deeper. During production operations, ore is mined from the seabed 110 using a Seafloor Mining Tool (SMT). The SMT includes a subsea hybrid miner 112 , a subsea collector 114 , a subsea auxiliary miner 116 and a subsea storage facility 126 .

Ore mined by Bulk Mining (BM) 112 and Auxiliary Mining (AUX) 116 is pumped to storage pile 124 via storage delivery pipeline 126 . The ore in the storage pile 124 is collected by the collector 114 and pumped to the bottom of the riser 122 in the form of slurry through a riser transfer pipe (Riser Transfer Pipe, RTP) 120 . The subsea lift pump 118 then lifts the slurry via a rigid riser 122, shown interrupted in Figure 1, which in this embodiment can be up to 2500 meters. The slurry flows to surface support vessel 106 and passes through equipment 104 for dewatering. Under pressure, the wastewater returns to the seafloor, thereby providing charge pressure to the subsea lift pump 118 . The dewatered ore is offloaded onto a transport barge 108 for transport to a storage facility and subsequently to a processing site.

The BM 112 cuts the bench while advancing through the bench, and moves across the bench one or more reciprocating movements, thereby cutting substantially the entire area of the bench. The BM 112 can further make additional moves either crosswise or perpendicular to the original back-and-forth movement to more closely trim the edge of the rung. Figure 2a shows the seabed mining environment during the first bench cutting phase.

Knowing the mixed mining action of the BM 112, it can be expected that certain portions of the bench will not be completely cut by the BM 112, especially the lateral extremities and the bottom, where the BM 112 must maintain a safe edge and There is enough room to turn around and start a new round trip for the run. Figure 2b shows that the edge of the rung is about 4 meters high after cutting the rungs.

The BM 12 is designed to be mobilized in the vicinity of a mining site and cut mineral deposits via remote operational control aboard the upper production assistance vessel 106 . In this embodiment, the BM 112 requires a minimum stair area of approximately 750 square meters for efficient operation. In alternative embodiments, the size of the BM may be slightly smaller, allowing the BM to operate on an area smaller than 750 square meters. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the BM may be a large BM and require a minimum stair size greater than 750 square meters in order to operate. The benches are then gradually removed from the high point in the manner shown in Figures 2a and 2b, thereby obtaining a heap of ore deposits.

The excavated particle size is controlled by the BM cutter configuration and advance speed. This depends on the diameter of the cutting machine, pick spacing, angle, rotational speed and machine travel speed. The parameters of the cutting system (rotational speed of the cutting machine, cutting depth, moving speed) can be controlled manually or automatically. In some embodiments, an interlock is provided as a safety measure to prevent delays in cutting operations and potential damage to the machine. In alternative embodiments, the particle size can be controlled by a crusher or screening equipment integrated into the BM.

Additional excavation routes and vehicle steering steering of the BM 112 can be performed manually or through automated processes. Cutting automation is preferably maximized, and to this end, the control system of the PSV 106 has the ability to integrate automatic feedback control into the mining model so that operational parameters such as cut rate, grade of ore obtained, rock hardness, and upper bench particle size) can be automatically used to control the extraction of subsequent lower benches.

In summary, the purpose of the cutting sequence is to maximize the production rate and transport the cut ore stored on the seabed. Once the ore has been cut and left on the sea floor, it is then collected using any suitable means, preferably using a Gathering Maching (GM) 114 .

The subsea vehicle 112 for mixing mining, cutting and excavating materials will be described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 . The seafloor mining tool 112 of this embodiment provides an ore cutting/screening function. The PSV's inboard control system ensures maximum operational efficiency of the SMT while maximizing the safe working area between the machine, matrix and hoist cables to ensure continuous operation. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a BM according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a front view of a hybrid mining machine according to a similar embodiment of the invention.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, BMs are high-production cutting machines designed to excavate targeted ore and prepare it for pumping in slurry form to the PSV. The system includes a motorized cutting drum assembly 302 positioned behind the vehicle 112 . The cutting drum assembly 302 is mounted on a boom assembly 304 capable of raising or lowering the cutting drum assembly 302 . The cutting drum 302 is designed to cut benches up to 4 meters deep in multiple moves, leaving the chipped material evenly distributed in place. The fragmented material desirably has a particle size distribution that matches the slurry transfer parameters and ground recovery procedures. The cutting drum may be required to operate in an overcut or undercutting mode. In alternative embodiments, the cutting drum assembly may be hydraulically driven.

Tracked mobile system 306 is capable of driving transport 112 forward while cutting drum 302 is engaged with cutting rock or ore. After cutting, the cut ore is simply left and retained on the seafloor to be properly retrieved by the seafloor collector 114 and transported to the RALS pump system 118 . The main function of the BM 112 is to cut and screen benches up to 4 meters deep in single or multiple moves for use as a high production horizontal cutting machine. Thus, BMs are heavier tracked machines with a low center of gravity to maximize energy transfer to the rock or ore carrier. The machine of this embodiment delivers about 900kW to the rock surface, requiring a total machine power of 2MW to 3MW.

In an alternative embodiment shown in Figure 5, the hybrid miner includes two booms mounted on the cutting drum, one boom at each end of the transport. In this embodiment, the vehicle does not need to turn on each move through the stair, as whichever cutting drum follows the vehicle can instead simply engage. In the embodiment of Figures 3-5, the cutting width is greater than the machine track width.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram describing the deployment and operating system of a hybrid mining machine. Here, a Production Support Vessel (PSV) 106 has a control room to operate the BM 112 along with the winches including the parent body and hoist cables and the A-Frame for deployment and acquisition of the BM 112 . The BM 112 is connected to the vessel 106 by parent cables and main hoist cables. The parent cables provide power to drive the track drive motors, hydraulic system drive motors and cutting system drive motors. The matrix also provides multiple fiber optic communication links between the BM 112 and the operations control room.

The BM 112 is lowered from the PSV 106 to the seafloor via the main lift cable. When the BM 112 is landed on the seafloor, the hoist line can be disconnected and the hoist line can then be returned to the PSV 106 or to a safe altitude where it tangled with the parent during the bench cutting operation. When the BM 112 is ready to return to the PSV 106, the lift cables can be reconnected.

During the cutting operation, the cutting drum 302 is lowered and a force is applied to the rock surface while cutting according to the hardness of the rock and the desired breakage rate. The vehicle moves forward along the tracks and the cutting drums 302 cut at a controlled rate and force. The automatic process suitably maintains a constant cutting force, and the force of the boom 304 and the speed of propulsion along the track automatically adjusts in response to changes in cutting force requirements. In single or multiple moves, ore is cut and rested in benches up to 4 meters deep. The BM 112 proceeds along the plan developing strip where the ore is cut until the location or bench is fully cut to the depth of cut in a single pass and the ore is collected using a separate machine.

At the end of the cutting path, the BM equipped with a double cutting roller device as shown in Figure 5 will raise the cutting roller at the rear, move to the next cutting path (parallel to the path just completed), and lower the cutting roller at the front Drum, and continue to operate (this time effectively reversing so that the cutter boom is always on the rear side in the direction of travel).

With a BM configured with a single cutting drum as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the transport lifts the drum 302 and then turns substantially 180 degrees to begin a new cutting path.

Optionally, a water spray system is installed in the BM 112 to clean the cutting drum excavations when they become clogged, and to flush when the vehicle tracks are covered with material.

Figures 7a and 7b show a hybrid cutter 700 according to another embodiment of the invention. Hybrid cutter 700 includes a motorized cutting drum assembly 702 located at the front of vehicle 700 . The cutting drum assembly 702 is mounted on a boom assembly 704 capable of raising and lowering the cutting drum assembly 702 . The cutting drum assembly 702 is designed to cut benches up to 4 meters deep in multiple passes. A screening grid 708 is provided adjacent to the cutting drum 702, the screening grid 708 is mounted on the boom assembly 704, although in an alternative embodiment the grid 708 is mounted on a vehicle chassis similar to the shovel 710. The screening grid screens the pieces produced by the drum 702 to a size suitable for transport in slurry form. As the tool 700 moves forward, the shovel 710 separates the debris from the seabed and the auger 712 pushes the debris in the shovel towards the suction inlet, which is typically located at 714 although not shown in FIG. place.

Thus, the mixer cutter 700 cuts, sieves and sucks up the pieces in a single pass. In this embodiment, the fragments captured by the suction port 714 are pumped through a transfer pipeline to a selected subsea storage location.

The embodiment of FIG. 7 recognizes the particular benefit of using the suction port 714 to capture debris comprising a larger proportion of fine particles. In water, such fine particles cannot be effectively captured by mechanical means, however a properly configured and operated slurry inlet provides an efficient means of collecting all size fragments produced by the cutting drum 702 . Containment and retrieval of fragments is assisted by a capture hood 716 .

The embodiment of Figure 7 includes a suction port, but alternative embodiments (such as the embodiment of Figures 3 and 5) may omit such a suction port.

Hybrid cutting machines according to some embodiments of the present invention may adopt overcutting, wherein the cutting drum is positioned in front of the tool 700 at a fixed height relative to the tool 700, and the tool 700 moves through the ladder, as shown in Figure 8a . In some embodiments, such as shown in Figure 8b, a hybrid cutting machine can be used in plunge cutting, where the machine is stationary during the cutting and the cutting drum is moved along the rock wall while cutting it. Descend until a height of about 4 meters and reach a cutting depth of about half the diameter of the cutting drum. After each such plunge cut, the machine moves forward in the depth of cut to make another plunge cut.

It should be understood that certain terms used herein may have the same meaning as other terms, which equally describe the invention, and thus the scope of the present application is not limited by any such synonyms. For example, seabed mining tools may also be referred to as seabed machines, production support vessels may also be referred to as surface vessels and/or surface equipment, and ore may equally or alternatively be referred to as rock, solidified sediment, unsolidified sediment, soil, seabed material , mining may involve cutting, digging, or removing material.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and/or alterations may be made to the invention as described in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as broadly described. Therefore, the embodiments herein should be considered in all respects as illustrative rather than restrictive.

Claims (17)

1. a seabed mixing mining tool, for manufacturing the fragment of seafloor bench, described mixing mining tool includes:

Crawler-type mobile system, described crawler-type mobile system makes described mixing mining tool move through seafloor bench；

Power and control interface, described power and control interface receive the power from surface source and control signal；

Drum-type cutting machine, described drum-type cutting machine is used for cutting bench；

Being adjacent to the sizing grill of described drum-type cutting machine, described sizing grill is for sieving by described drum-type cutting machine system The fragment made；And

Close to slurry inlet and the shurry pump system of described drum-type cutting machine, described slurry inlet is configured to from described screening The fragment of the neighbouring acquisition slip form of grid,

Wherein, described shurry pump system is configured to via suitable conveyance conduit, slip is pumped to seabed storage location.

Instrument the most according to claim 1, wherein, described shurry pump system is configured to material pulp pumping to described instrument Used the side in path that maybe will use.

Instrument the most according to any one of claim 1 to 2, farther includes collection and obtains cover, and described collection obtains cover and partly wraps Enclose described cutting drum, to improve described shurry pump system to the receiving of fragment and collection.

Instrument the most according to any one of claim 1 to 2, wherein, described sizing grill rolls by utilizing described cut Cylinder pulverizes size and sieves fragment more than grid and the granule of the spacing of cylinder.

Instrument the most according to any one of claim 1 to 2, wherein, described cutting drum is installed on slider assembly, from And allow cylinder to regain and variable depth of cut.

Instrument the most according to claim 5, wherein, described sizing grill is installed on described slider assembly.

Instrument the most according to any one of claim 1 to 2, wherein, the width of cylinder cutting is more than the width of machine track Degree.

Instrument the most according to any one of claim 1 to 2, farther includes suction inlet, and described suction inlet is from described sieve Lattice grid obtain fragment.

Instrument the most according to claim 8, farther includes the shovel immediately preceding described drum-type cutting machine rear, described shovel Fragment is made to separate with sea bed.

Instrument the most according to claim 9, farther includes to be positioned at one or more augers of described shovel, described Auger promotes the fragment in described shovel towards described suction inlet.

The method of 11. 1 kinds of fragments manufacturing seafloor bench, described method includes:

Mixing mining tool in seabed receives the power from surface source and control signal；

Described seabed mixing mining tool moves through described seafloor bench；

The drum-type cutting machine of described seabed mixing mining tool cuts described bench, and described drum-type cutting machine has adjacent with it Near sizing grill, the fragment manufactured by described drum-type cutting machine for screening,

Utilize broken from the neighbouring acquisition of described sizing grill close to slurry inlet and the shurry pump system of described drum-type cutting machine Block, described fragment is slip form；And

Utilize shurry pump system that via suitable conveyance conduit, slip is pumped to seabed storage location,

Described mixing mining tool includes that crawler-type mobile system, described crawler-type mobile system make described mixing mining tool move Dynamic through described seafloor bench.

12. methods according to claim 11, wherein, when the thickness of material to be obtained is more than the height of bench, institute Stating mixing mining tool to pass through repeatedly to move the multilamellar bench removing described material, the height of described bench is mixed by described seabed The depth of cut of mining tool limits.

13. methods according to claim 12, wherein, in the most mobile, utilize the suction of described mixing mining tool Mouth is collected by the most mobile fragment manufactured of described seabed mixing mining tool.

14. according to the method according to any one of claim 11 to 13, and wherein, described seabed mixing mining tool is by along one Individual or multiple path round-trip move through the surface of described bench and substantially cut whole bench, at relevant sub sea location Described cutting path is optimized by existing specific bench size and bench shape, so that the Ore acquisition rate of described bench Maximize.

15. according to the method according to any one of claim 11 to 13, and wherein, described drum-type cutting machine is positioned at described instrument Front, the mistake carrying out described bench is cut.

16. according to the method according to any one of claim 11 to 13, and wherein, described drum-type cutting machine is positioned at described instrument Rear, carry out the undercutting of described bench.

17. according to the method according to any one of claim 11 to 13, and wherein, described drum-type cutting machine is positioned at described instrument Front, carry out described bench cut-in type cutting.