A piece of submarine mining equipment comprises an equipment body, a plurality of adaptive submarine mining collectors and respective mineral delivery pipes. The equipment body and the adaptive submarine mining collectors are connected through the mineral delivery pipes. The lengths, stretching out of the equipment body, of the mineral delivery pipes can be adjusted under control. The adaptive submarine mining collectors are provided with tracked traveling mechanisms and can autonomously travel under control. An underwater detector is used for detecting the submarine topography and mineral distribution in the vicinity of an operation area, and the traveling path of the submarine mining collectors and a mineral storage vehicle is reasonably planned according to detected information. The multiple adaptive submarine mining collectors simultaneously and independently work and are made light and small, thus reducing damage of mining operations to the submarine ecological environment. The equipment body can travel along flat submarine paths and avoid rough paths. Horizontal vortexes induced by the mining collectors can enhance the mining effect and improve the collecting power under unit power consumption so that fewer water pumps with smaller sizes can be configured, and the mining collectors have a smaller principle dimension, thereby greatly reducing energy consumption and being more environmentally friendly.

The present invention is directed to a drilling fluid reclaimer. The reclaimer has at least one adjustable screen assembly for providing a leveling filter for reclaimed drill fluid. Used drill fluid is placed at the screen assembly at the front the of the screen assembly. The at least one screen is vibrated to separate large particulate matter from liquid drilling fluid. A second screen is provided for additional filtering. Large particulate matter is expelled by a chute at the back of the screen assembly. Drilling fluid passing through the screen is reclaimed for use with a drilling system.

A method of dredging a bottom of a body of water is provided. Winching stations are positioned around the perimeter of an area to be dredged and a cable from each winching station is connected to a float. The cables pass through a variable resistance pulley assembly attached to a submersible assembly having a cutter and a submersible pump and are tensioned to suspend the submersible assembly. The cutter and submersible pump are activated and the winches are controlled to move the submersible assembly in a dredging pattern. When an obstacle is encountered the resistance of the pulley assembly is decreased and sufficient tension is applied to the cables to lift the submersible assembly toward the float.

A device for the removal of a layer of sludge and/or sand from the bottom of a wetland includes: a diving bell with an open bottom and a lower free edge; a unit for driving the diving bell with its lower edge into the layer of sludge to be removed; a dredge pump installed in the space of the diving bell and provided with an inlet for pumping up the sludge and/or an outlet to which a pipe is connected for pumping the pumped up sludge and/or sand to a collector; and a compressor for pumping gas under pressure into the space of the diving bell during dredging. The diving bell is also provided with a gas outlet for the compressed gas, the gas outlet being adjustable in height in the diving bell because the outlet is attached to a float that can float on the sludge.

Device for removing alluvial deposits (24) from the bed (29) of a body of water, whereby the device (1) consists of a bell (2) with an open bottom (3), whereby this device (2) is provided with means to control the water level (30) in the bell (2) and with suction means to suck up alluvial deposits (24), whereby a section of the sidewall (8) of the bell (2) is open at the bottom, whereby the opening (10) can be closed by a partition (12) that can be moved between a raised and a lowered position, and that the device (1) is provided with a drive (13) to be able to drive the partition (12) into the alluvial deposits (24).

An impeller for a centrifugal pump comprises a rotor; a shaft shield connected to the rotor and having an axial supply; a suction shield connected to the rotor and axially set apart from the shaft shield; and a plurality of blades between the shaft shield and suction shield and connected to the rotor. Each blade comprises a leading edge and a trailing edge connecting between the shaft shield and the suction shield and a suction side and a pressure side, wherein each blade cross-section is thicker near the leading edge on the suction and pressure sides, and tapers to a thinner cross-section near the trailing edge. Each blade connects to the suction shield at the leading edge with an extensive fillet providing curvature toward the suction shield along the leading edge.

An impeller for a centrifugal pump comprises a rotor; a shaft shield connected to the rotor and having an axial supply; a suction shield connected to the rotor and axially set apart from the shaft shield; and a plurality of blades between the shaft shield and suction shield and connected to the rotor. Each blade comprises a leading edge and a trailing edge connecting between the shaft shield and the suction shield and a suction side and a pressure side, wherein each blade cross-section is thicker near the leading edge on the suction and pressure sides, and tapers to a thinner cross-section near the trailing edge. Each blade connects to the suction shield at the leading edge with an extensive fillet providing curvature toward the suction shield along the leading edge.

Microdredging systems comprising a pumping platform and loading platform are described. In certain embodiments, system operates autonomously and is adapted to allow the loading platform undock from the pumping platform for disposal of the removed sediment.

A seabed trenching plow has a chassis, a sled and a towing assembly. The towing assembly has a pair of wings extending laterally from each side of the chassis. The wings are aligned on an axis transverse to the chassis and adapted for connection to a towing line. The transverse axis is forward of the center of gravity of the plow and rearward of the sled, affording an over the stern releasable and retrievable trenching plow of sufficient weight and strength to excavate a three meter trench in a single pass. To assess the protective capabilities of the trench, a threshold signal indicative of a desired composition of seabed-trench soil is compared with a real-time data signal indicative of the actual to produce an alarm signal when the real-time data signal is not protective-capability compliant with the threshold signal.

The present invention is directed to a drilling fluid reclaimer. The reclaimer has at least one adjustable screen assembly for providing a leveling filter for reclaimed drill fluid. Used drill fluid is placed at the screen assembly at the front the of the screen assembly. The at least one screen is vibrated to separate large particulate matter from liquid drilling fluid. A second screen is provided for additional filtering. Large particulate matter is expelled by a chute at the back of the screen assembly. Drilling fluid passing through the screen is reclaimed for use with a drilling system.