Unloading type sinking rescue device of subsea mining vehicle and use method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11525357-B2
Application number	US-202217728996-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2022
Priority date	Feb 2, 2021
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

An unloading type sinking rescue device of a subsea mining vehicle and a use method thereof are provided. The unloading type sinking rescue device includes an assembly support, an unloading system, an ejection system and a control system. The assembly support is box-shaped, fixed to a subsea mining vehicle, and provided with a plurality of enclosed cavities. The unloading system includes a counterweight, a counterweight cable, a counterweight fixing bracket and a counterweight recovery cavity. The ejection system includes an anchor, an ejection cavity, an anchor cable, an anchor recovery shaft, a pulley, a spring and a boosting device. The control system controls the operation of the unloading system and the ejection system. The use method includes: (1) unloading; (2) ejection; (3) recovery of a part of counterweights; (4) recovery of the anchor; and (5) recovery of remaining counterweights.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unloading type sinking rescue device of a subsea mining vehicle, comprising an assembly support, an unloading system, an ejection system and a control system; wherein
the assembly support is box-shaped, fixed to the subsea mining vehicle, and provided with a plurality of enclosed cavities;
the unloading system, the ejection system and the control system are arranged on the assembly support;
the unloading system comprises a counterweight, a counterweight cable, a counterweight fixing bracket and a counterweight recovery cavity; wherein
four counterweight recovery cavities are arranged at four corners of the assembly support;
the counterweight winding shaft and the counterweight fixing bracket are arranged in the counterweight recovery cavity;
the counterweight winding shaft is connected to the counterweight through the counterweight cable; and
the counterweight is configured to be stored in the counterweight recovery cavity;

the ejection system comprises an anchor, an ejection cavity, an anchor cable, an anchor recovery shaft, a pulley, a spring and a boosting device; wherein
the anchor comprises two anchor plates and an anchor controller, wherein the two anchor plates are provided with built-in electromagnets;
first ends of the two anchor plates are movably connected by an anchor shaft, and the anchor controller opens and closes the built-in electromagnets, wherein the two anchor plates rotate around the anchor shaft to open and close;
second ends of the two anchor plates are respectively provided with a barb;
three ejection cavities are respectively arranged at front, left and right sides of the assembly support;
the anchor recovery shaft, the spring and the boosting device are arranged in the ejection cavity;
the anchor recovery shaft is connected to the anchor shaft on the anchor through the anchor cable;
the anchor is configured to be stored in the ejection cavity; and
the pulley is provided at an edge of the ejection cavity; and

the control system controls an operation of the unloading system and the ejection system.

2. The unloading type sinking rescue device according to claim 1 , wherein
the counterweight cable is connected to the counterweight through a hook.

3. The unloading type sinking rescue device according to claim 1 , wherein
the counterweight is a high-mass pressure-resistant object shaped as a large-bottomed cone.

4. The unloading type sinking rescue device according to claim 1 , wherein
the counterweight fixing bracket is composed of two semi-ring brackets.

5. A use method of the unloading type sinking rescue device according to claim 1 , comprising the following steps:
(1) unloading: the control system issues a first instruction, wherein the counterweight winding shafts in the counterweight cavities rotate respectively, and the counterweight fixing brackets are opened; the counterweight cables are subjected to a gravitational action of the counterweights and driven by the counterweight winding shafts to extend downward; due to a weak soil strength in a sinking area, the counterweights sink below a soil surface until an equilibrium state; the counterweight cables continuously extend for a certain distance to ensure that the counterweight cables with high strength are in a slack state, and a length equivalent to a floating distance of the subsea mining vehicle is reserved; as designed, due to a downward throwing of the counterweights, a gravity of the subsea mining vehicle equipped with the unloading type sinking rescue device is reduced, and buoyancy of the subsea mining vehicle is greater than the gravity of the subsea mining vehicle, wherein the subsea mining vehicle moves upward to escape the sinking area; and when the subsea mining vehicle rises to a certain height, the counterweight cables enter a stretched state, and the subsea mining vehicle is in a new equilibrium state under the buoyancy, the gravity and a cable tension;
(2) ejection: a detection system detects data, and determines a direction for the subsea mining vehicle to move in, and the anchors at different positions are determined to be ejected; the control system issues a second instruction to release the anchor cable of a corresponding ejection cavity; the anchor is ejected in the direction to move in under the action of an elastic force, and inserted into soil in the direction to move in to complete the ejection; and the anchor is in a closed state;
(3) recovery of a part of the counterweights: according to the direction to move in, the counterweight at a corresponding position is recovered;
(4) recovery of the anchor: the anchor ejected in step (2) is recovered; when the anchor leaves the soil, the built-in electromagnets in the anchor are controlled by the control system to allow the anchor plates to rotate around the anchor shaft to be in an open state; during the recovery of the anchor, due to a reaction force of the anchor pulling out of the soil and a reaction force of water to the anchor in the open state, the subsea mining vehicle generates an initial velocity in the direction to move in; when the anchor reaches the edge of the ejection cavity, the anchor is gradually closed under a constraint of the edge of the ejection cavity; and the anchor compresses the spring under a tension of the anchor cable, and is recovered and fixed in the ejection cavity; and
(5) recovery of remaining counterweights: the remaining counterweights are recovered while the anchor is recovered; due to the gravity of the subsea mining vehicle greater than the buoyancy, plus the initial velocity generated in step (4) in the direction to move in, the subsea mining vehicle makes an oblique downward motion like a horizontal projectile motion; and the subsea mining vehicle finally leaves the sinking area and falls on a soil layer in the direction to move in, thereby achieving the sinking rescue of the subsea mining vehicle.

6. The use method according to claim 5 , wherein in step (2), different anchors are ejected according to different directions for the subsea mining vehicle to move in;
(A) to move in front, left and right directions: when the soil in front of the sinking area has a satisfactory strength and the subsea mining vehicle is able to run normally in a front area, the subsea mining vehicle is allowed to move forward; the control system issues a third instruction, wherein the front ejection cavity releases the anchor cable; the anchor is ejected to the area in front of the sinking area under the action of an elastic force, and is inserted into the soil in the direction to move in to complete the ejection; and the anchor is in a closed state;
similarly, when the soil on a left side of the sinking area has a satisfactory strength, the left anchor is ejected; and
similarly, when the soil on a right side of the sinking area has a satisfactory strength, the right anchor is ejected; and
(B) to move in front left and front right directions: when the soil on a front left side of the sinking area has a satisfactory strength and the subsea mining vehicle is able to run normally in a front left area, the subsea mining vehicle is allowed to move in the front left direction; the control system issues a fourth instruction, wherein the front and left ejection cavities release the anchor cables; the anchors are respectively ejected to areas in front of and to the left of the sinking area under the action of an elastic force, and are inserted into the soil to complete the ejection; and the anchors are in a closed state; and
similarly, when the soil on a front right side of the sinking area has a satisfactory strength, the front and right anchors are correspondingly ejected.

7. The use method according to claim 5 , wherein in step (3), different counterweights a

Assignees

• Ocean Univ China

Inventors

• Chen Xuguang
• Niu Xiaodong
• Wang Lizhen
• Lu Guangkun

Classifications

• E21C50/00 Primary

  Obtaining minerals from underwater, not otherwise provided for (suction dredgers or component parts thereof E02F3/88; equipment for conveying or separating excavated material E02F7/00; dippers G01N1/12) · CPC title

• B62D55/065

  Multi-track vehicles, i.e. more than two tracks {(soil-shifting machines E02F; mining machines E21C)} · CPC title

• B63C7/06

  in which lifting action is generated in or adjacent to vessels or objects · CPC title

• B63B21/50

  Anchoring arrangements {or methods} for special vessels, e.g. for floating drilling platforms or dredgers · CPC title

• B63G8/24 Primary

  Automatic depth adjustment; Safety equipment for increasing buoyancy, e.g. detachable ballast, floating bodies · CPC title