A multi-stage seafloor mining system that has at least concentration stage, a reclamation stage, and a haulage stage. The system includes a concentrating system (50) that processes seafloor materials, a reclaimer machine (300) that collects the processed seafloor materials, and a mechanical haulage system (40) that receives the processed seafloor materials collected by the reclaimer machine (300) and conveys discrete parcels of the processed seafloor materials to a surface vessel (100).

The present invention provides a system, apparatus, and method for harvesting objects from the bottom of aquatic environments. The invention preferably provides a system, apparatus, and method for utilizing swarms of autonomous harvesting vehicles to harvest polymetallic nodules from the ocean floor.

A submersible vehicle for collecting material from a seafloor includes a chassis. A module may be supported on the chassis, the module including an electric power supply. A drive system may be supported on the chassis, the drive system including a battery, and a propulsion assembly, the battery in electrical communication with the electric power supply and the propulsion assembly, and the propulsion assembly operable to locate the chassis relative to a seafloor. A power tool may be coupled to the chassis, the power tool operable to collect material from the seafloor. A reactor may be supported on the chassis, the reactor defining a reaction chamber. A valve assembly may be actuatable to move a hydrogen-containing gas from the reaction chamber and direct the hydrogen-containing gas to one or more of the electric power supply or the power tool.

A treatment method for a river system in a reservoir area, comprising: S1. determining whether a time from a current date to the rainy season is less than a preset duration; S2. moving a pressure sensor upward; S3. determining whether the pressure data meets corresponding conditions; S4. determining whether a duration of the pressure data is less than the preset duration; S5. determining whether an interval between the current time and the time for collecting pressure/nitrogen and phosphorus is greater than a preset number of days; S6. acquiring an image information of a river bottom, and sending it to neural network model for identification to obtain a depth of a sludge; S7. determining whether the depth of a sludge has reached a dredging depth, if so, starting a sludge pump to clean up; S8. collecting nitrogen and phosphorus concentration, and removing nitrogen and phosphorus when the concentration exceeds a standard.

An environmentally-friendly semi-closed loop deep-sea ore hydraulic lifting system, comprises a water injection pump, a water injection riser, a deep-sea multiple high-pressure silo feeding device, a lifting riser, a dewatering device and a pipeline. The water injection pump and the dewatering device are fixed on a mining ship. The water injection pump is connected to the deep-sea multiple high-pressure silo feeding device through the water injection riser. The deep-sea multiple high-pressure silo feeding device is connected to the dewatering device through the lifting riser. The water injection pump is connected to the dewatering device through the pipeline. Seawater is pumped into the water injection riser by the water injection pump, then ore is fed into a high-pressure hydraulic pipeline by the deep-sea multiple high-pressure silo feeding device to be mixed with the seawater, and an obtained ore and seawater mixture is lifted to the mining ship on the sea surface.

A sediment collector assembly (100) (and associated method) includes a housing (102) dimensioned for receipt in an associated waterway. The housing has a wall (104, 106, 108, 112) forming an internal cavity (120). An opening (126) receives associated sediment from the associated waterway and temporarily stores the associated sediment in a hopper (128) received in the cavity and the associated sediment is subsequently removed therefrom. A chamber (160) in the housing includes at least one inlet port (162) extending through the wall that communicates with the chamber. A plurality of perforations (164) are spaced from the inlet port and extend through the wall. The inlet port is in selective, alternative, operative communication with an associated source of (i) pressurized fluid or (ii) pressurized air whereby when the pressurized fluid is introduced into the collector assembly chamber an overall weight of the collector increases and when ejected through the perforations, the fluid displaces associated soil from a bottom surface of the associated waterway.

A deep-sea ore hydraulic lifting system with a deep-sea single high-pressure silo feeding device, which comprises a water injection pump, a water injection riser, a deep-sea single high-pressure silo feeding device, a lifting riser, a dewatering device and a pipeline. The water injection pump and the dewatering device are fixed on a mining ship. The water injection pump is connected to the deep-sea single high-pressure silo feeding device through the water injection riser. The deep-sea single high-pressure silo feeding device is connected to the dewatering device through the lifting riser. The water injection pump is connected to the dewatering device through the pipeline. Seawater is pumped into the water injection riser by the water injection pump, then ore is fed into a high-pressure hydraulic pipeline by the deep-sea single high-pressure silo feeding device to be mixed with the seawater, and an obtained ore and seawater mixture is lifted.

A submersible vehicle for collecting material from a seafloor includes a chassis. A module may be supported on the chassis, the module including an electric power supply. A drive system may be supported on the chassis, the drive system including a battery, and a propulsion assembly, the battery in electrical communication with the electric power supply and the propulsion assembly, and the propulsion assembly operable to locate the chassis relative to a seafloor. A power tool may be coupled to the chassis, the power tool operable to collect material from the seafloor. A reactor may be supported on the chassis, the reactor defining a reaction chamber. A valve assembly may be actuatable to move a hydrogen-containing gas from the reaction chamber and direct the hydrogen-containing gas to one or more of the electric power supply or the power tool.

The present invention relates to a system and its equipments to collect mineral ores on the seabed and to float them up to the sea surface by utilizing the buoyancy of a liquid having a specific gravity less than that of water at room temperature. It is an underwater navigator capable of autonomous navigation that descends at a specific gravity of around 1.0 with a ballast that cancels buoyancy when descending from the sea surface, and ascends at a specific gravity of around 1.0 by exchanging mineral ores with the ballast on the seabed. On the seafloor, it is accompanied by a device that collects seabed mineral ores for the underwater vehicle.

A seafloor haulage system (10), for lifting seafloor materials from the seafloor to the surface, that has a line member (150), preferably synthetic rope, that extends at least partially between the seafloor and the surface and a container (400), preferably a plurality of containers, capable of carrying a load connected to the line member (150). The containers have a steerable element (410), such as a rudder, that enables the container to manoeuvre as it is propelled, typically towed by the line member, through the water.