JP7107793B2 - Underwater gravel management device, underwater grain regulating transfer device equipped with the same, and method for managing gravel supply state in water - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a technique for managing the state of gravel transported in water.

BACKGROUND ART In recent years, the prices of useful metals, which are essential metals for manufacturing various industrial equipment and whose abundance is small, are soaring. Useful metals are essential for industry, but not only are their minable quantities scarce, but the limited number of countries producing them poses geopolitical risks. Therefore, among useful metal-containing minerals, marine resources such as seabed hydrothermal deposits are attracting attention.
As a method of lifting marine resources from seabed hydrothermal deposits, etc., a pump-lift method using a pump is being tried. Until now, in this type of deposit, the ore was crushed in the sea by a mining machine equipped with a drilling head such as a drum cutter or cutter head, and the crushed ore gravel was made into slurry in the sea, and the slurry was pumped into the ore pump. A mining device has been proposed (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1).

Submarine Hydrothermal Deposit Development Plan Phase 1 Final Evaluation Report (Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation)

Here, when ore gravel is made into a slurry and the slurry is transferred by a lifting pump, in order to efficiently lift the ore to the ship without causing clogging of the transfer equipment, it is necessary to use gravel of a predetermined size or less. It is necessary to raise the slurry concentration as much as possible while reducing fluctuations in the slurry concentration of the slurry to be transferred in water as well as to the extent that gravel clogging does not occur in transfer equipment.
For example, the slurry concentration must be kept to 15 vol% or less in order to efficiently lift the ore onto the ship without clogging the transport equipment with gravel. is required to be adjusted.

However, like the mining equipment proposed in Non-Patent Document 1, a mining machine equipped with a drilling head such as a drum cutter or a cutter head crushes the ore in the seafloor hydrothermal deposit, and the crushed gravel is placed in the sea. In the mining method in which the gravel is transferred to the ore lifting pump in water, it is difficult to achieve complete grain sizing without clogging the ore pump with the transfer equipment, which is responsible for the process of transferring gravel to the ore lifting pump in water. In addition, there is a problem that it is difficult to adjust the slurry concentration of gravel to a desired value in water.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made by paying attention to such problems, and provides an underwater gravel management device and an underwater gravel management device capable of controlling the condition of the gravel supplied to a transfer device in water to a desired state. An object of the present invention is to provide an underwater grain regulating transfer device having this and a method for managing the state of gravel supply in water.

In order to solve the above problems, an underwater gravel management apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a processing unit that performs underwater processing necessary for transporting gravel mined at the bottom of the water together with water; an underwater gravel management device for use in a transport equipment, comprising: a connected transfer pipeline for transporting gravel together with water; a management unit that acquires information on the amount of gravel measured by the device, and the management unit performs processing for grasping the state of gravel in the processing unit based on the information on the amount of gravel that has been acquired. is characterized by executing

Here, in the underwater gravel management device according to one aspect of the present invention, the measuring device is an underwater load cell that measures the load as the amount of the gravel, and the weight of the gravel is measured through transfer pipelines before and after the processing unit. It is preferable that edge cutting portions are interposed in the front and rear transfer pipelines to perform load-bearing edge cutting so that the influence of the load is not transmitted.
Moreover, in the underwater gravel management device according to one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the measuring device is an ultrasonic level sensor that measures a level as the amount of the gravel.

Further, in order to solve the above-described problems, an underwater grain regulating transfer device according to one aspect of the present invention is an underwater grain regulating transfer device that transfers gravel together with water while granulating gravel to a desired grain size in water. a plurality of processing units that perform underwater processing necessary for transporting the gravel excavated from the bottom of the water together with the water; and an underwater gravel management device according to an aspect of the present invention installed in at least one processing unit.

Further, in order to solve the above problems, a method for managing an underwater gravel supply state according to one aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of processing units that perform underwater processing necessary for transporting mined gravel together with water. and a transfer pipeline connected between the plurality of processing units to transfer gravel together with water. The method is characterized by measuring the amount of gravel in the processing section underwater in a state where the influence of the amount of gravel is not transmitted through the pipeline.

According to the present invention, in a transfer device having a processing section that performs necessary processing in water to transfer excavated gravel together with water, the amount of gravel is transferred to the processing section via transfer pipelines before and after the processing section. The amount of pebbles in the treated area can be measured underwater without any influence being transmitted. Therefore, based on the information on the measured amount of gravel, the state of the gravel supplied to the transfer equipment in the water can be managed to the desired state.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a mining system using a stockpile unit, which is a first embodiment of a grain regulating transfer device equipped with a gravel management device according to one aspect of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the stockpile unit shown in FIG. 1, and in the same figure, a schematic cross-section of the main part is shown. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the stockpile unit shown in FIG. 1, and in the figure, a schematic cross-section of the main part is shown. It is a figure explaining the modification of the stockpile unit shown in FIG. 3, and its operation|movement. FIG. 4 is a partial rear view illustrating the slurry pump portion in cross section; It is a figure explaining the modification of the stockpile unit shown in FIG. 3, and its operation|movement. FIG. 4 is a partial rear view illustrating the slurry pump portion in cross section; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a stockpile unit that is a second embodiment of a grain regulating and transporting device equipped with a gravel management device according to one aspect of the present invention, and FIG. (b) is a schematic side view showing a cross section of a main part. It is a flow chart explaining the management processing in the stockpile unit of the second embodiment. It is a flow chart explaining the management processing in the stockpile unit of the second embodiment. It is a flow chart explaining the management processing in the stockpile unit of the second embodiment. It is a flow chart explaining the management processing in the stockpile unit of the second embodiment. It is a flow chart explaining the management processing in the stockpile unit of the second embodiment.

Embodiments and modifications of the present invention will be described below with appropriate reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings are schematic. Therefore, it should be noted that the relationship, ratio, etc. between the thickness and the planar dimensions are different from the actual ones, and the drawings include portions where the relationship and ratio of the dimensions are different from each other. Further, the embodiments and modifications shown below are examples of devices and methods for embodying the technical idea of the present invention. The structure, arrangement, etc. are not limited to the following embodiments or modifications.

First, the overall configuration of the mining system of this embodiment will be described. The mining system of this embodiment is an example used for pumping gravel mined from a seabed hydrothermal deposit.
This mining system, as shown in FIG. 1, includes a mining mother ship 1 and a lifting mother ship 2 arranged on the sea SL, and a mining machine 8 and a stockpile unit 10 arranged on the seabed SB. A flexible transfer tube 5 is disposed between the mining machine 8 and the stockpile unit 10 from the mining machine 8 to the stockpile unit 10 . A flexible ore lifting pipe 6 is arranged between the stockpile unit 10 and the ore lifting mother ship 2 via an ore lifting pump 7 .

In the mining mother ship 1 and the ore lifting mother ship 2, in addition to a management computer 9 constituting a control means, a work machine such as a crane, a power generator, and a hydraulic pump driven by an internal combustion engine as a hydraulic source (not shown) are provided. Each is equipped with necessary equipment such as
The management computer 9 and the generator and hydraulic pump are connected to the mining machine 8 and stockpile unit 10 located on the seabed SB via umbilical cables 3 and 4, and from the mining mother ship 1 and the lifting mother ship 2 side, mining It is possible to supply electric power and control signals necessary for the operation of the machine 8 and the stockpile unit 10, as well as supply of pressure oil.

The umbilical cables 3 and 4 have a hybrid structure in which hydraulic hoses for supply and discharge, power cables, and signal cables are integrally surrounded and held by a flexible cable bear (cable bear is a registered trademark). have The hydraulic hoses for supply and discharge, the power cable, and the signal cable may be wired and piped separately.
The management computer 9 has a central processing unit (CPU), storage units such as RAM (random access memory) and ROM (read only memory) connected thereto, input/output devices, and the like.

The mining machine 8 includes a crawler device 8b provided in the lower part of the machine body and capable of traveling on the mound M of the seafloor hydrothermal deposit OD, and a digging head 8a provided in the front of the machine body and capable of excavating the ore on the surface of the mound M. have. The mining machine 8 is supplied with the necessary hydraulic oil, power and control signals from sources on the side of the mining mothership 1 via an umbilical cable 3 .
The mining machine 8 is operated from the mining mother ship 1 side, receives pressure oil, electric power and control signals from the mining mother ship 1 side, moves on the mound M on the seabed SB, and extracts ore in the sea with the drilling head 8a. After crushing, the crushed ore pebbles can be transferred under the sea to a stockpile unit 10 via a transfer pipe 5. - 特許庁

The stockpile unit 10 of the present embodiment is an apparatus for transporting ore in water, which is a particle size regulating transfer device for regulating and transferring ore gravel. The stockpile unit 10 receives the necessary pressure oil, power and control signals from the mother ship 2 side.
The stockpile unit 10 granulates the ore gravel that is primarily stored in the hopper 20 into a predetermined size, and mixes it with seawater to form a slurry of a predetermined concentration, which is discharged from the primary side pipe line 6a of the ore lifting pipe 6. It is configured to be sent out toward the ore lifting pump 7 .
The ore pump 7 receives slurry adjusted to a predetermined slurry concentration from the stockpile unit 10, and transfers the slurry of the predetermined concentration from the secondary side pipe 6b of the ore lifting pipe 6 to the ore lifting mother ship 2. is configured as

Specifically, the stockpile unit 10 of the first embodiment includes a frame-shaped housing 90 as shown in enlarged view in FIGS. 2 and 3 . The housing 90 has a rectangular base 91 in a plan view, which is placed horizontally at a suitable position on the seabed SB. A hydraulic unit 70 is fixed on the base 91 , and the necessary pressure oil, electric power and control signals are supplied to the hydraulic unit 70 via the umbilical cable 4 from the supply source on the mother ship 2 side.

A plurality of pillars 92 are erected at the corners of the base 91 . An upper frame 93 having a rectangular frame shape in plan view is fixed in a horizontal posture to the upper ends of the plurality of pillars 92 . Also, a trunk support 94 shorter than the support 92 is erected at a suitable position on the base 91 . A body frame 95 having a rectangular shape in a plan view is fixed in a horizontal posture to the upper part of the body support 94 so as to connect the upper part of the body support 94 and the substantially central position of the support 92 .
The hopper 20 is provided above the upper frame 93 of the housing 90 . The hopper 20 receives the pebbles sent from the mining machine 8 through the transfer pipe 5 through an opening 21 provided in the upper part of the hopper 20 and temporarily stores them in an inverted conical funnel 22 .

A cutout opening 23 that opens downward is provided in the lower portion of the funnel portion 22 . A belt feeder 30 serving as a first cutting section for cutting gravel received in the hopper 20 is arranged at a position facing the cutting port 23 below. The belt feeder 30 of this embodiment is placed and fixed in a horizontal posture on the trunk frame 95 of the housing 90 .
The belt feeder 30 has a frame 31 formed so as to surround the circumference along the conveying direction, and a driving roller 32 on the base end side and a driven roller 33 on the conveying end side provided in the frame 31 . A hydraulic motor 36 is attached to the drive roller 32 outside the frame 31 so as to rotate the drive roller 32 .

The hydraulic motor 36 includes a primary passage and a secondary passage (not shown) for supplying and discharging hydraulic oil. These primary and secondary passages are connected to a hydraulic unit 70 to form a closed circuit. The working oil is circulated between 36 . Inside the frame 31 , an endless conveying belt 35 is wound around the rollers 32 and 33 at both ends. The conveying belt 35 has an upper surface on the base end side facing the cut-out opening 23 .
A plurality of guide rollers 34 are arranged in the middle of the conveying belt 35 along the conveying direction. As a result, by driving the hydraulic motor 36, the gravel placed on the conveying belt 35 can be conveyed from the side of the drive roller 32 toward the side of the driven roller 33 from the cutout opening 23. FIG.

At the driven roller 33 side of the cutting opening 23, a limiting plate 24 for limiting the cutting height is suspended downward from the cutting opening 23 side, and the gravel cut out on the driven roller 33 side is leveled to a predetermined height. It is possible to send one by one.
The conveying belt 35 is arranged so that the end on the conveying end side communicates with the upper end of the first transfer pipe line 11 following the downstream process. The discharge side of the first transfer pipe line 11 is bent downward at 90 degrees, and when gravel conveyed horizontally by the conveyor belt 35 is introduced, the introduced gravel is sent downward by free fall. formed as possible.

In the present embodiment, an example of having the belt feeder 30 as the first cutting-out unit is shown, but the cutting-out means in the first cutting-out unit is not limited to the belt feeder. Other feeders such as feeders and screw feeders may be used. Further, a stirrer (for example, a rake) may be provided inside or near the cut-out port 23 of the hopper 20 to prevent bridging of gravel during storage.

Downstream of the belt feeder 30 , a crusher 40 for crushing gravel cut out by the belt feeder 30 is arranged via the first transfer pipe line 11 . Furthermore, downstream of the crusher 40, a screw feeder 50 as a second cutting unit for cutting out the gravel crushed by the crusher 40 toward the downstream transfer process is arranged via the second transfer pipe line 12. there is Further, downstream of the screw feeder 50, a submersible slurry pump 60 as a transfer section for transferring slurry containing gravel to the ore lifting pump 7 is arranged via a third transfer pipe line 13.

The crusher 40 is a crushing unit that crushes gravel cut out from the belt feeder 30 . The crusher 40 of this embodiment employs a twin-screw crusher that crushes by a slit cutter method. The crusher 40 has a pair of drum cutters 46, 46 which have a fine crushing function by means of twin slit cutters for finely crushing pebbles to a size equal to or smaller than a predetermined size.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the crusher 40 of this embodiment has a frame 45 provided below the belt feeder 30 and integrally with the lower end portion of the first transfer pipe line 11 . The frame 45 is supported on the upper surface of the base 91 by a plurality of crushing section struts 41 .

A pair of horizontal rotating shafts 47 that are parallel to each other are supported in the frame 45 , and a pair of cylindrical drum cutters 46 are mounted on each of the horizontal rotating shafts 47 . The ends of both rotary shafts 47 are rotatably supported by the frame 45 via bearings 48 .
A hydraulic motor 49 is attached to the proximal end of the rotary shaft 47 to drive both rotary shafts 47 to rotate. The hydraulic motor 49 includes a primary passage and a secondary passage (not shown) for supplying and discharging hydraulic oil. The primary and secondary passages are connected to the hydraulic unit 70 to form a closed circuit, and hydraulic oil circulates between the hydraulic unit 70 and the hydraulic motor 49 .

A pair of drum cutters 46, 46 each compresses and crushes the pebbles that have been raked into the frame 45 by the rotational driving of both rotating shafts 47, in the gap between the two rolls that bite each other inward. In the crusher 40 of the present embodiment, the dimensions of each part of the pair of drum cutters 46, 46 are set so as to crush the pebbles to a size smaller than a predetermined size.
Here, the crusher 40 of this embodiment is equipped with a first underwater gravel management device.
The first gravel management device is installed in the front and rear transfer pipes 11 and 12 so that the crusher 40 serving as the processing unit is not affected by the amount of gravel through the front and rear transfer pipes 11 and 12. and a plurality of underwater load cells 42 for underwater measurement of the amount of gravel in the crusher 40 that has been cut off by the edge cuts 43 and 44 .

Each underwater load cell 42 is interposed between the lower end of each crushing section column 41 and the upper surface of the base 91 . The underwater load cell 42 is a waterproof load cell that can be used underwater. As the edge cuts 43 and 44, elastic pipes formed in a bellows shape or flexible pipes made of rubber or the like can be used (the same applies to the edge cuts of the second gravel management device to be described later). ).
As a measuring device used for managing the amount of gravel received from the belt feeder 30 to the crusher 40, it is desirable to measure the load with the underwater load cell 42 as in the first gravel management device of this embodiment. However, instead of the underwater load cell 42, a laser type level sensor, a reflection type ultrasonic wave level sensor, or a γ-ray level sensor may be used (the same applies to the underwater load cell of the second gravel management device described later).

The screw feeder 50 serves as a second cutting section that transfers gravel crushed by the crusher 40 to the underwater slurry pump 60 . As shown in FIG. 3, the screw feeder 50 under the crusher 40 is configured as a shaftless feeder that is less likely to clog.
The screw feeder 50 of this embodiment includes a hollow cylindrical frame 55 whose axis is horizontal and is supported by a plurality of feeder struts 51 , a hydraulic motor 59 attached to the outer surface of the upstream end of the frame 55 , and a and a shaftless screw vane 56 that is arranged substantially coaxially with and driven by a hydraulic motor 59 . The shaftless screw blade 56 has a rotating shaft 57 coaxially formed at both end portions and a screw portion 58 coaxially connected between the rotating shafts 57 .

The screw feeder 50 rotates a shaftless screw blade 56 by driving a hydraulic motor 59, and feeds the crushed gravel introduced from an introduction port 53 provided in the upper part of the middle portion of the frame 55 to the downstream side of the frame 55. It is configured so that the sheet is conveyed toward and cut out to the cut-out chute 63 .
The screw feeder 50 of this embodiment has a discharge port 62 provided on the opposite side of the cutting chute 63 . The discharge port 62 is provided with a discharge plate 96 projecting obliquely downward from the discharge port side toward the outside of the machine (a position outside the outer edge of the base 91).
As for the feeder employed in the second cutting part, a screw feeder without a shaft is preferable as in the present embodiment, but it is not limited to this, and a screw feeder with a shaft may be used. In addition, it is not limited to the screw feeder, and other feeders such as a vibration feeder and a belt feeder may be used as long as they are capable of cutting.

Here, the screw feeder 50 of this embodiment is equipped with a second underwater gravel management device. The second gravel management device is installed in the front and rear transfer pipes 12 and 13 so that the screw feeder 50 serving as the processing unit is not affected by the amount of gravel through the front and rear transfer pipes 12 and 13. and a plurality of underwater load cells 52 for measuring the amount of gravel in the screw feeder 50 cut by the edge cuts 44, 54 underwater. Each underwater load cell 52 is interposed between the lower end of each feeder column 51 and the upper surface of the base 91 . The underwater load cell 52 is a waterproof load cell that can be used underwater.

The submerged slurry pump 60 arranged in the downstream process includes a hydraulic motor 69 housed in a cylindrical casing, a pump chamber 68 provided below the hydraulic motor 69, and a hydraulic motor 69 protruding into the pump chamber 68. and an impeller 64 connected to the tip of the drive shaft.
When pressure oil from the hydraulic unit 70 is supplied to the hydraulic motor 69 of the underwater slurry pump 60 , the drive shaft is rotationally driven at a predetermined speed, and the impeller 64 rotates within the pump chamber 68 . As a result, the slurry is sucked from the suction port formed in the center of the lower surface of the pump chamber 68 , discharged from the discharge port formed on the side surface of the pump chamber 68 to the ore lifting pipe 6 , and discharged to the ore pump 7 . can be transported.

In this embodiment, an auxiliary water flow supply pump 65 having a nozzle 66 is provided below the cutting chute 63 of the screw feeder 50 at a position facing the suction pipe 61 of the underwater slurry pump 60 . As a result, the auxiliary water stream generated by the auxiliary water stream supply pump 65 and the nozzle 66 can reliably push the gravel slurry toward the underwater slurry pump 60 .
When the auxiliary water flow supply pump 65 is provided, it is also necessary to cut off the auxiliary transfer pipe 14 so that the influence of the amount of gravel is not transmitted. In the present embodiment, the load is cut off by interposing the auxiliary channel edge cutting part 67 in the transfer auxiliary channel 14 .

Here, the management computer 9 of the ore-lifting mother ship 2 includes a program for executing processing necessary for granulation and transportation control of the gravel mined from the seafloor hydrothermal deposit OD, and each processing unit of the stockpile unit 10 It is configured to be able to execute the processing necessary for grading transportation while grasping the condition of the gravel in the granule.
In particular, the management computer 9 of the mother ship 2 acquires information on the amount of gravel in the crusher 40 measured by the underwater load cell 42 in the first underwater gravel management device, and Based on this information, a process of grasping the condition of gravel in the crusher 40 is executed. Then, based on the acquired information on the amount of gravel, the amount of gravel supplied to the crusher 40 is managed to be an appropriate amount.

The management computer 9 of the mother ship 2 drives and controls the hydraulic motor 36 of the belt feeder 30 based on information on the amount of gravel measured by the underwater load cell 42 . In this embodiment, the amount of gravel supplied from the belt feeder 30 to the crusher 40 is adjusted to a desired amount by controlling the cutting speed of the belt feeder 30 or ON/OFF control of the hydraulic motor 36 .
In addition, in the second underwater gravel management device, the management computer 9 of the mother ship 2 acquires information on the amount of gravel in the screw feeder 50 measured by the underwater load cell 52, and Based on this information, the process of grasping the condition of gravel in the screw feeder 50 is executed. In this embodiment, based on the acquired information on the amount of gravel, the amount of gravel stored in the screw feeder 50 is managed to be an appropriate amount.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the management computer 9 of the mother ship 2 determines the amount of gravel supplied from the crusher 40 to the screw feeder 50 based on the information on the amount of gravel measured by the underwater load cell 52. By controlling the drive of the hydraulic motor 49 of 40, the crushing speed of the crusher 40 is controlled, or by ON/OFF control of the hydraulic motor 49, the desired amount is adjusted.
Further, the management computer 9 of the mother ship 2 adjusts the rotation of the shaftless screw blade 56 of the screw feeder 50 by controlling the rotation speed of the hydraulic motor 59 to control the feed amount of gravel. In this embodiment, the management computer 9 of the mine lifting mother ship 2 monitors the pressure of the pressure oil of the hydraulic motor 59 that drives the screw feeder 50 . When the pressure of the hydraulic motor 59 is less than a predetermined pressure, normal feed control is performed to drive the shaftless screw blades 56 forward. Execute the process to drive.

As a result, the management computer 9 of the mother ship 2 can manage the occurrence of gravel biting or gravel clogging based on the pressure of the hydraulic motor 59 that drives the screw feeder 50 . That is, when the pressure of the pressure oil of the hydraulic motor 59 is higher than a predetermined pressure, the screw feeder 50 is reversed. Can clear jams and jams. The gravel discharged from the discharge port 62 is sent out of the machine along the discharge plate 96 .

Here, the slurry concentration of the slurry supplied from the submerged slurry pump 60 to the ore lifting pump 7 is determined by the discharge flow rate of the submerged slurry pump 60 and the screw feeder 50 which is the second slicing unit. It is determined by the amount of pebbles. Also, the discharge flow rate of the submersible slurry pump 60 is determined from the discharge flow rate of the ore lifting pump 7 .
Therefore, in the present embodiment, the management computer 9 of the mother ship 2 determines the preset slurry concentration from the value of the slurry concentration measured by the gamma-ray density meter 80 provided at the discharge part of the underwater slurry pump 60. The slurry concentration is adjusted by controlling the amount of gravel supplied to the injection chute 51 by the feeder of the second cutting part 50 so that

As a density detector for measuring the slurry concentration in the pumping pipe 6, for example, a γ-ray density meter can be used as in the present embodiment. In this embodiment, a γ-ray density meter 80 is provided in the detection portion of the primary pipe line 6 a of the lifting pipe 6 . The management computer 9 of the mother ship 2 is connected to a γ-ray density meter 80 so that the measurement output of the γ-ray density meter 80 is fed back to the management computer 9 of the mother ship 2 .
The γ-ray density meter 80 uses a transmission type density meter having a γ-ray source and a detector (for example, a scintillator and its converter) (not shown). are sandwiched from both sides in the radial direction. As a result, when the gamma rays pass through the primary pipe line 6a of the lifting pipe 6, they are attenuated by the density of the slurry inside and the distance.

By using the γ-ray density meter 80, the intensity and the facing distance of the γ-ray source are adjusted, and based on the amount of γ-rays that have passed through the primary side pipe 6a of the lifting pipe 6, Slurry concentration can be calculated continuously and automatically. In this embodiment, a transmission-type γ-ray densitometer is used, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a differential-type densitometer can also be used according to the reproducibility and resolution required for control.

Then, the management computer 9 of the ore-lifting mother ship 2 adjusts the slurry concentration in the primary-side pipe line 6a of the ore-lifting pipe 6 based on the slurry density information obtained from the measurement output of the gamma-ray density meter 80 to standardize it. set the value. As a result, even if the slurry concentration in the lifting pipe 6 fluctuates during the cutting operation, it is possible to relatively calculate the cutting amount at any time. Therefore, the management computer 9 of the mother ship 2 can respond to the measurement output of the gamma ray density meter 80 instantaneously and control the rotation speed of the screw feeder 50 to appropriately control the cutting amount.

Next, the operation and effects of the stockpile unit 10 described above will be described.
The stockpile unit 10 receives ore gravel mined by the mining machine 8 into the hopper 20 via the transfer pipe 5 . Then, the stockpile unit 10 cuts out the gravel received in the hopper 20 by the belt feeder 30 as the first cutting part, and supplies the cut gravel to the crusher 40 below. Here, in order for the crusher 40 to stably crush gravel, it is important to manage the amount of gravel supplied to the crusher 40 in accordance with the crushing capacity of the crusher 40 .

On the other hand, in the stockpile unit 10 of the present embodiment, the crusher 40 is equipped with the first underwater gravel management device so that the amount of gravel in the crusher 40 can be measured independently. The amount of gravel supplied from the feeder of the first cutting unit 30 to the crusher 40 can be controlled according to the crushing capacity of the machine 40 .
In other words, in this embodiment, as described above, as the first underwater gravel management device, the edge cut portions 43 and 44 are arranged in the transfer pipe line 11 before and after the crusher 40 so as not to be affected by the amount of gravel. 12 and under each crushing section column 41 supporting the crusher 40, an underwater load cell 42 for the crushing section is provided.

The management computer 9 of the mother ship 2 adjusts the initial load of each of the first and second underwater gravel management devices in a state in which the crusher 40 and the second cutting section 50 are filled with seawater and no gravel is introduced. (Calibration) is performed, and the initial load value at that time is set to "zero". After adjusting the initial load, the process of adjusting the amount of gravel supplied in the crusher 40 and the screw feeder 50 is started.
As a result, the management computer 9 of the ore-lifting mother ship 2 measures the amount of gravel cut out from the belt feeder 30 to the crusher 40 by the underwater load cell 42 for the crushing unit, and controls the variable transfer speed of the belt feeder 30 or turns it ON/OFF. The supply amount of gravel can be adjusted by OFF control.

The gravel supplied to the crusher 40 is crushed by the crusher 40 to a predetermined size or less. When a double roll crusher is used as the crushing blade, the size of the crushed gravel can be adjusted to a desired size by adjusting the gap between the pair of drum cutters 46, 46 facing each other.
As for the crushing blades employed in the crusher 40, a double roll crusher is preferable as in the present embodiment. However, other crushing blades such as a single roll crusher, a cutter mill, and a cone crusher may be used.

Then, the gravel crushed to a predetermined size or less by the crusher 40 is cut out to the cutting chute 63 by the screw feeder 50 which is the second cutting part, and by the suction of the underwater slurry pump 60 and the auxiliary water flow supply pump 65, Auxiliary water flow jetted from a nozzle 66 arranged on the lower side surface of the cut-out chute 63 stably supplies it toward the suction pipe 61 of the underwater slurry pump 60 .
At that time, in the stockpile unit 10 of the present embodiment, the screw feeder 50, which is the second cutting part provided in the lower part of the crusher 40, is equipped with the second underwater gravel management device. At 50, the amount of crushed pebbles can be properly managed.

In other words, the stockpile unit 10 of the present embodiment also includes the screw feeder 50, so that the amount of gravel can be measured by the feeder alone. and are provided. Therefore, the amount of gravel in the screw feeder 50 is measured at any time by the underwater load cell 52, and the crusher 40 upstream is controlled ON/OFF as desired so that the amount of gravel in the screw feeder 50 is within an appropriate range. can be managed to

As described above, according to the stockpile unit 10 of the present embodiment, the crusher 40 and the screw feeder 50 are provided as processing units for underwater processing necessary for transporting mined gravel together with water. Since the crusher 40 is equipped with a first gravel management device and the screw feeder 50 is equipped with a second gravel management device for these processing units, these processing units are front and rear. The amount of gravel in each processing section can be measured in water without the influence of the amount of gravel being transmitted through the transfer pipeline. Then, based on the information on the measured amount of gravel, the condition of the gravel supplied in water from the upstream process to each processing section of the transfer equipment can be controlled to the desired state.

It should be noted that the underwater gravel management device and the underwater granule transfer device according to the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are of course possible without departing from the gist of the present invention. is.
For example, in the above embodiments, the underwater gravel management device and the underwater grain regulating transfer device according to the present invention are used for pumping gravel mined from seabed hydrothermal deposits. Without limitation, the underwater gravel management device and the underwater grain regulating transfer device according to the present invention can be used for gravel management and grain regulating transfer in fresh water such as ponds and lakes, especially dam lakes.

Further, the equipment attached to the underwater gravel management device and the underwater grain regulating and transferring device according to the present invention can be appropriately added or deleted without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in this modification, a transfer pipe connecting the discharge port of the gravel from the screw feeder 50, which is the second cutting part, and the suction pipe 61 of the underwater slurry pump 60 A hydraulic cylinder 83, a swing valve 82 driven by the hydraulic cylinder 83, and an auxiliary water jet pump capable of injecting water from a nozzle 66 at its tip toward the suction pipe 61 of the submerged slurry pump 60 are attached to the passage. 65;

The swing valve 82 incorporates a rotating arm 82a rotatable about a rotating shaft 82j and a switching elbow pipe 61j. The pipe 61j is rotated to switch the state of connection with the underwater slurry pump 60 between the connection position (FIG. 4(b)) and the discharging position (FIG. 5(b)).
At the connection position with the underwater slurry pump 60 , the end opening of the switching elbow pipe 61 j is connected to a position coaxially communicating with the suction port of the underwater slurry pump 60 . At the discharge position, the suction port of the underwater slurry pump 60 is opened downward, and the end opening of the switching elbow pipe 61j is also opened sideways.

Then, the management computer 9 of the ore-lifting mother ship 2 detects the state of gravel clogging in the suction pipe 61 based on the slurry concentration measured by the gamma-ray density meter 80 and the load fluctuation of the submerged slurry pump 60, When it is determined that the suction pipe 61 is clogged with gravel, the hydraulic cylinder 83 for the swing valve 82 is driven to switch the switching elbow pipe 61j of the swing valve 82 from the connection position to the discharge position, and the auxiliary water jet pump 65 is driven and a water flow ejected from the nozzle 66 is used to perform a process of removing gravel clogging of the suction pipe 61 .

With such a configuration, the management computer 9 of the mother ship 2 detects clogged gravel in the suction pipe 61 based on the slurry concentration measured by the γ-ray density meter 80 and the load fluctuation of the underwater slurry pump 60. can.
Since the swing valve 82 is provided at the pipe connecting portion between the gravel injection chute 51 and the submerged slurry pump 60, when the management computer 9 of the mother ship 2 determines that the suction pipe 61 is clogged with gravel, The hydraulic cylinder 83 switches the swing valve 82 from the connection position with the underwater slurry pump 60 to the discharge position, drives the auxiliary water flow supply pump 65, and the water flow jetted from the nozzle 66 more reliably clogs the suction pipe 61 with gravel. can be released.

At this time, at the discharge position, the suction port of the underwater slurry pump 60 is opened downward, and the end opening of the switching elbow pipe 61j is also opened laterally. The pebbles are discharged downward by free fall, and the pebble clogging of the suction pipe 61 can be discharged out of the machine from the end opening of the switching elbow pipe 61j by the auxiliary water flow created by the auxiliary water flow supply pump 65 and the nozzle 66. .

Next, the stockpile unit 10 of the second embodiment will be described.
Here, in the stockpile unit 10 of the above-described first embodiment, an edge cut portion is provided to prevent the effect of the amount of gravel from being transmitted to the processing portion via the front and rear transfer pipes. An example using an underwater load cell for measuring the load is shown.
On the other hand, the stockpile unit 10 of the second embodiment is different in that it does not have a load-bearing edge cut-off portion, and an ultrasonic level sensor is used instead of the underwater load cell to measure the amount of gravel.
In addition, since other configurations except for the differences described below are common to the stockpile unit 10 of the first embodiment, the same or corresponding configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. .

Specifically, in the stockpile unit 10 of the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. A level sensor 85 is attached.
The ultrasonic level sensor 85 of this embodiment is of a reflective type, and transmits an ultrasonic pulse from an ultrasonic wave transmitting portion toward the inside of the inlet 53 filled with seawater. It measures the time it takes for the pebbles to reflect from the surface of the stored gravel and return to the receiver.
As a result, the chute level of the stored gravel is obtained from the propagation speed of the ultrasonic wave in the seawater, and information on the amount of gravel is obtained from the known volume of the reverse truncated conical inlet 53 and the specific gravity of the gravel. Acts as a measuring instrument. Therefore, since the effect of the amount of gravel is not substantially transmitted to the processing section via the front and rear transfer pipelines, the load-bearing hemming section as in the first embodiment is not required.

In the second embodiment, the gravel receiving chute level measured by the ultrasonic level sensor 85 is sent to the management computer 9 of the mother ship 2 .
The management computer 9 of the ore-lifting mother ship 2 acquires information on the level of gravel acceptance chute as information on the amount of gravel in the screw feeder 50 measured by the ultrasonic level sensor 85, and monitors the state of gravel in the screw feeder 50. Based on the information about the amount of gravel that has been grasped and acquired, management processing is executed to manage the amount of gravel in each processing unit so that it is an appropriate amount.

Next, the management processing executed by the management computer 9 of the mother ship 2 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "management computer 9") will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11 as appropriate.
When the management process is executed by the management computer 9, first, the process moves to steps S11 to S14 shown in FIG. 40 and belt feeder 30 are operated. The processing set values at the start of operation of each processing unit are, for example, 110 m ³ /h for the underwater slurry pump 60, 70 m ³ /h for the auxiliary water supply pump 65, 60 t/h for the crusher 40, and 60 t/h for the belt feeder. 30 is 40t/h.

Next, in step S15, information on the gravel acceptance chute level is acquired from the ultrasonic level sensor 85, and whether or not the gravel acceptance chute level to the introduction port 53 of the screw feeder 50 exceeds the low level L. determine whether If the accepted gravel shoot level exceeds the low level L, the process proceeds to step S16. At step S16, the screw feeder 50 is operated. In addition, the processing set value at the start of operation of the screw feeder 50 is, for example, 40 t/h.

When the screw feeder 50 is operated, subsequent processing A1 and processing A2 are executed concurrently.
That is, in the process A1, as shown in FIG. 8, the process proceeds to step S21, and measurement of the slurry concentration by the γ-ray density meter 80 is started after a predetermined time (for example, 1 minute) from the start of operation of the screw feeder 50. In the subsequent step S22, it is determined whether or not the slurry concentration measured by the γ-ray density meter 80 is within a predetermined concentration range. Transition. In this embodiment, the predetermined concentration range is, for example, 8.5 vol % or more and 10 vol % or less.

In step S23, the number of revolutions of the screw feeder 50 is maintained at the current processing set value for a predetermined time (for example, 2 minutes), and then processing B is performed.
In step S24, it is determined whether or not the slurry concentration measured by the γ-ray density meter 80 exceeds a predetermined upper limit concentration. Move to S27. Note that the predetermined upper limit concentration is, for example, 10 vol % in this embodiment.

In step S25, the number of revolutions of the screw feeder 50 is decreased by a predetermined percentage (eg, 10%) from the current processing set value, and in subsequent step S26, the operation is performed at the set value decreased by the predetermined percentage for a predetermined time (eg, 2 minutes) and proceed to the following treatment B.
In step S27, it is determined whether or not the slurry concentration measured by the γ-ray density meter 80 is less than a predetermined lower limit concentration (for example, 8.5 vol%). If so, the process returns to step S22.

In step S28, the number of revolutions of the screw feeder 50 is increased by a predetermined rate (eg, 10%) from the current processing set value, and in subsequent step S29, the operation is performed at the set value increased by the predetermined rate for a predetermined time (eg, 2 minutes) and proceed to the following treatment B.
Then, in process A2, the gravel receiving chute level at the introduction port 53 of the screw feeder 50 is monitored, and as shown in FIG. It is determined whether or not the level is within a predetermined level range, and if it is within the predetermined level range, the process proceeds to step S32, and if not, the process proceeds to step S33. In this embodiment, the range of the predetermined level is a range from a preset low level L or higher to a high level H or lower.

In step S32, the number of revolutions for cutting out the belt feeder 30 is maintained at the current processing set value for a predetermined time (for example, one minute), and then processing B is performed.
In step S33, it is determined whether or not the gravel acceptance chute level measured by the ultrasonic level sensor 85 exceeds a predetermined high level H. If it exceeds the predetermined high level H, the process proceeds to step S34. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S36.

In step S34, the rotation speed for cutting out the belt feeder 30 is decreased by a predetermined percentage (for example, 10%) from the current processing set value. for example, for 1 minute), and then proceed to the subsequent process B.
In step S36, it is determined whether or not the gravel acceptance chute level measured by the ultrasonic level sensor 85 is less than a predetermined low level L. If it is less than the low level L, the process proceeds to step S37. The process proceeds to step S39 of C.

In step S37, the number of revolutions for cutting out the belt feeder 30 is increased by a predetermined percentage (for example, 10%) from the current processing set value. for example, for 1 minute), and then proceed to the subsequent process B.
In step S39, it is determined whether or not the gravel acceptance chute level measured by the ultrasonic level sensor 85 exceeds a predetermined limit upper limit level HH. If it exceeds the predetermined limit upper limit level HH, the process proceeds to step S40. If not, the process returns to step S21 and step S31 to continue parallel processing of processes A1 and A2.

In step S40, the cutting operation of the belt feeder 30 is stopped. h) (step S42), the operating state is maintained for a predetermined time (for example, one minute) (step S43), and the process proceeds to the subsequent process B. FIG.
In the process B, as shown in FIG. 11, the process proceeds to step S50 to monitor whether or not there is an operation stop command for the stockpile unit 10 . If there is an operation stop command, the process proceeds to step S51; otherwise, the process returns to steps S21 and S31 so as to continue the parallel processing of the processes A1 and A2.

In step S51, first, the cutting operation of the belt feeder 30 on the most upstream side of the processing process is stopped. In the following step S52, information on the gravel acceptance chute level is acquired from the ultrasonic level sensor 85, and whether or not the gravel acceptance chute level to the introduction port 53 of the screw feeder 50 is lower than the low level L is determined. If the gravel acceptance chute level is lower than the low level L, the process proceeds to step S53.
In step S53, after waiting until a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) elapses, the operation stop processing of steps S54 to S60 is executed in order, and the crusher 40 and the screw feeder are sequentially executed from the processing unit on the upstream side of the processing process. 50, stop the operation of the auxiliary water supply pump 65 and the submersible slurry pump 60;

When stopping the operation of each processing unit, after waiting until a predetermined waiting time elapses, the operation of the processing unit on the downstream side is stopped. In the example of the present embodiment, after stopping the crusher 40, wait for 5 minutes (step S55), then after stopping the screw feeder 50, wait for 1 minute (step S57), and then stop the auxiliary water supply pump 65. After that, it waits for one minute (step S59), and then the underwater slurry pump 60 is stopped.

As described above, according to the stockpile unit 10 of the second embodiment, instead of the underwater load cell, the ultrasonic wave level sensor 85 is used to measure the amount of gravel underwater. Edge cuts are not required to prevent the influence of the amount of gravel from being transmitted through the road.
The management computer 9 of the second embodiment is capable of executing the above-described management processing program, so that similar to the first embodiment, based on the information on the amount of gravel measured by the ultrasonic level sensor 85, , the state of the gravel supplied in water from the upstream process to each processing section of the transfer equipment can be managed in a desired state.

1 mining mother ship 2 lifting mother ship 3 umbilical cable 4 umbilical cable 5 transfer pipe 6 lifting pipe 7 lifting pump 8 mining machine 9 management computer (management department)
10 Stock pile unit (granule regulating transfer device: transfer equipment)
11 first transfer line 12 second transfer line 13 third transfer line 14 auxiliary transfer line 20 hopper 30 belt feeder (first cutting section)
40 crusher (crushing section)
41 Crushing section strut 42 Underwater load cell for crushing section (measuring device)
43 Edge cutting part 44 Edge cutting part 45 Frame 46 Drum cutter 47 Horizontal rotary shaft 48 Bearing 49 Hydraulic motor 50 Screw feeder (second cutting part)
51 Feeder strut 52 Underwater load cell for feeder (measuring device)
53 Inlet 54 Edge cut portion 55 Frame 56 Shaftless screw blade 57 Rotating shaft 58 Screw portion 59 Hydraulic motor 60 Underwater slurry pump (transfer portion)
61 Suction pipe 62 Discharge port 63 Cut-out chute 64 Impeller 65 Auxiliary water flow supply pump 66 Nozzle 67 Auxiliary pipe edge cut part 68 Pump chamber 69 Hydraulic motor 70 Hydraulic unit 80 γ-ray density meter 82 Swing valve 83 Hydraulic cylinder 90 Housing 91 Base 92 Column 93 Upper frame 94 Body column 95 Body frame 96 Discharge plate M Mound OD Seabed hydrothermal deposit SL Sea SB Seabed

Claims (2)

An underwater grain regulating transfer device for regulating gravel mined at the bottom of the water to a desired grain size and transferring it together with water,
A hopper into which gravel is thrown from above underwater,
a first cut-out portion provided at the bottom of the hopper;
a crushing unit that is connected to the downstream side of the first cutting unit via a first transfer pipeline that transfers gravel together with water and that crushes the thrown gravel underwater;
a second cutting section connected to the downstream side of the crushing section through a second transfer pipeline for transferring gravel together with water and cutting out the crushed gravel underwater by a feeder driven by a hydraulic motor;
an underwater slurry pump that is connected to the downstream side of the second cut-out portion via a third transfer line that transfers gravel together with water and that transfers gravel together with water as slurry;
It is provided in the portion of the third transfer pipeline that connects the discharge port of gravel from the feeder of the second cutting part and the suction port of the underwater slurry pump, and is driven by a hydraulic cylinder to be connected to the underwater slurry pump. a swing valve capable of switching between a connection position and a discharge position;
an auxiliary water jet pump attached so as to be able to inject a water jet from a nozzle at its tip toward the underwater slurry pump;
an underwater gravel management device for controlling the slurry concentration of gravel in water as desired,
The underwater gravel management device includes:
An edge cutting portion that is interposed in the front and rear transfer pipelines so as to prevent the influence of the load from being transmitted to the crushing portion and the second cut-out portion through the front and rear transfer pipelines and performs load-based edge cutting;
an underwater load cell for measuring the load underwater as the amount of gravel in the crushing section and the second cutting section;
an ultrasonic level sensor that measures the level as the amount of gravel in the crushing section and the second cutting section;
a γ-ray density meter that is provided at the discharge part of the underwater slurry pump and measures the concentration of the slurry that is transferred by the underwater slurry pump;
a management computer that acquires information on the amount of gravel measured by the underwater load cell and the ultrasonic level sensor and information on the slurry concentration measured by the gamma-ray density meter;
The management computer is
Monitor the measured value with the gamma-ray density meter, and from the underwater load cell and the ultrasonic level sensor so that the slurry has a predetermined concentration based on the slurry concentration measured with the gamma-ray density meter Based on the acquired information on the amount of gravel, the state of supply of gravel in the crushing section and the second cutting section is grasped, and the supply amount of gravel cut out from the first cutting section to the crushing section is determined by the second cutting section. The amount of gravel supplied from the crushing unit to the second cutting unit is adjusted to the desired amount by controlling the cutting speed of the first cutting unit or by ON/OFF control, and the crushing speed in the crushing unit is controlled or While adjusting to the desired amount by ON/OFF control,
The pressure of the pressure oil of the hydraulic motor of the second cutting part is monitored, and when the pressure is less than a predetermined pressure, normal feed control is performed to drive the feeder in the normal direction, and when the pressure is the predetermined pressure or more, the feeder is turned off. drive in reverse,
Furthermore, based on the slurry concentration measured by the γ-ray density meter and the load fluctuation of the underwater slurry pump, the clogged state of the transfer pipe connecting the discharge port and the suction port is detected. , when it is determined that the gravel clogging has occurred, the hydraulic cylinder for the swing valve is driven to switch the swing valve from the connection position to the discharge position, and the auxiliary water jet pump is driven to drive the nozzle An underwater grain regulating and transferring device characterized in that the processing for releasing the clogging with gravel is executed by a water flow ejected from the granule. 2. The underwater grain regulating and transferring apparatus according to claim 1 , which is used for pumping gravel mined from seabed hydrothermal deposits.

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