The invention relates to a cutter head for removing a mixture comprising water and solid materials from a water bottom, comprising rotating blades each provided with cutting means on a leading edge thereof, said cutter head being rotatably coupled to a tube for transporting said mixture, the shape of the leading edge of said rotating blades being defined by substantially fitting a rounded cone with a rotation axis, wherein each rotating blade at a middle part is coupled to a connecting ring and at a top part is linked to a top part of another rotating blade. The cutter head is characterized in that the rotation axis of said blades is substantially aligned with a rotation axis of said ring; in that a trailing edge of part at least one of said blades is positioned closer to said rotation axis than a leading edge of said blades so as to provide a suction function towards said tube upon rotation of said cutter head; and in that said blades as viewed from said top part at a bottom part of said blades extend to a position beyond said connecting ring. A preferred embodiment comprises a method for using the cutter head according to the invention.

A method for deep sea mining includes generating an upward flow of valuable matter in a riser line from the bottom of a body of water to a matter processing platform; processing the matter at the processing platform; generating a return flow in a return pipe of a mixture of seawater and a non-valuable part of the matter from the processing platform towards the bottom of the body of water; and controlling the pressure in the return pipe for avoiding collapse of the return pipe and/or cavitation of the return pipe, in particular for avoiding collapse of or cavitation in an upper part of the return pipe.

A strongarm device for use with a hydro excavation hose includes a support frame configured to carry hydro excavation equipment, a support post having first and second ends, the first end being secured to the support frame, and a boom having a first end and a second end, where the first end is pivotally connected to the second end of the support post and configured for the second end of the boom to rotate relative thereto. In addition, the strongarm device includes a bracket secured to and suspended from the second end of the boom, and a roller secured to the bracket and configured for the hydro excavation hose to roll back and forth over an upper surface of the roller.

A method and apparatus for digging and removing excavated material from a selected site provides a mobile device having a chassis that is movable or self-propelled. The mobile device has an elongated, preferably articulated boom with a free end portion having a digging implement that can include a digging tool, excavating tool or jetting tool. The boom preferably comprises at least three sections. The boom sections are foldable to a storage position on the chassis wherein one boom section stacks upon or is aligned with another boom section. The vacuum line is supported upon the boom wherein the vacuum line extends between the free end portion of the boom and the chassis. The boom attaches to the chassis at a base that can include a rotary or pivotal connection. The vacuum line supported by the boom extends along the boom and above the earth's surface. A selected material is excavated with the excavating implement (e.g., jetting tool or digging tool). The excavated material is vacuumed with the vacuum line into a collection vessel or tank that can be a part of a wheeled vehicle thus enabling transport to a disposal site. A separate vacuum truck can provide a vacuum to a selected collection tank.

A mineral lifting system, S includes a seabed working machine 13, having an excavator 131, excavating minerals at a seabed, and a slurry pump 132, sucking in and pumping a solid-liquid mixture of the minerals and seawater, a generator, supplying electric power to the seabed working machine 13 by an electric power cable 12, a main float 20, a mineral lifting pipe 21, conveying the solid-liquid mixture to the main float 20 side, auxiliary floats 22, mounted Co the mineral lifting pipe 21 at predetermined intervals and imparting a buoyancy, and a sorting unit 3, sorting and collecting the minerals from the solid-liquid mixture conveyed to the main float 20 side.

A suction excavator includes a suction hose with a suction opening for pneumatically receiving solid or liquid suction material using a fast-flowing air stream. The suction excavator has a separator for separating the suction material from the air stream, a filter unit for cleaning the air stream, a fan unit for generating the air stream, and a recirculation channel that is connected to the pressure side of the fan unit via a volume-controllable recirculation opening. A volume-controllable secondary air opening allows secondary air from the surroundings to be supplied to the suction side of the fan unit, downstream from the filter unit in the flow direction. The recirculation channel is fluidically coupleable to the suction hose to generate a positive pressure in the recirculation channel to blow out recirculation air through the suction hose.

A spud system for a dredging vessel with a longitudinal direction includes a spud carrier for mounting a spud therein in a generally vertical stance and a spud carrier cable driving device coupled with the dredging vessel and the spud carrier for driving the spud carrier with respect to the dredging vessel. The spud carrier is moveable with respect to a longitudinal direction of the dredging vessel for advancing the dredging vessel. The spud carrier cable driving device comprises at least an aft cable drive system which extends at an aft side of the spud carrier, and a fore cable drive system separate from the aft cable drive system. The fore cable drive system extends at a fore side of the spud carrier, and each of the aft cable drive system and the fore cable drive system is coupled with the dredging vessel and the spud carrier

A system for seafloor mining comprising a vertical riser anchored to the seafloor; a mining machine to deliver seafloor ore to the vertical riser; a lifting system to pass the ore through the vertical riser; and a transport vessel removably connected to the vertical riser to receive ore from the vertical riser.

A subsurface mining vehicle and a method are used for collecting mineral deposits from a sea bed at great depths and transporting the deposits to a floating vessel. The vehicle has a load-bearing structure having an arrangement for advancing the vehicle on the sea bed, and a pick-up unit for the deposits. A lifting frame is also provided and at one end equipped with a connector to connect to a suspension cable provided between the floating vessel and the vehicle. The lifting frame is at another end connected to the load-bearing structure by a hinged connection, that is actuated by an actuator such that the angular position of the load-bearing structure can be fixed in a number of different angular positions relative to the lifting frame while the vehicle is suspended. The lifting frame allows to launch and position the submarine vehicle in a controlled manner.

A dredging system for removing submerged granular material from a bottom surface is presented. The dredging system comprises a dredging robot for removing granular material and a docking station for offloading removed granular material from the dredging robot. The docking station is attached and fixed in connection to the bottom. The dredging system further comprises a riser pipe for transporting removed granular material from the docking station to a remote location. A method for dredging of submerged granular material is also presented.