DEEP-SEA MINING COMPLEX AND TELECONTROLLED UNDERWATER ROBOT Russian patent published in 2003 - IPC

FIELD: underwater equipment for mining of placer minerals from bottoms of seas and oceans. SUBSTANCE: deep-sea mining complex includes mining vessel connected by means of hoisting rope with float in which vessel stabilizer is mounted and hydrostat with own float and habitable gondola is suspended from vessel stabilizer. Connected to gondola are box-garage for remote-controlled mobile research module and box with electric power source for gondola. Secured to hydrostat are robot provided with manipulator, load container and container with storage batteries for robot supply. Robot is furnished with means for buoyancy control and vessel for light fluid pumped from hydrostat float through wound hose. Complex has fiber-optic transmission system. Mining complex is designed for gathering of bottom polymetallic concretions. Telecontrolled underwater robot includes flexible bag mounted on vertically located electrically driven drum for rotation together with bag connected with hose wound on drum and serving for supply of light fluid from external vessel to bag. Hose also provides for mechanical connection of robot with controlling member. Mounted under drum is electrically driven manipulator. Positioning propulsive devices are made in form of water- jet propellers whose nozzles are provided with controlling valves oriented in different directions relative to horizontal circular supplying chamber. Sustainer propeller is hinged for control of its position. Exploration- navigational equipment includes scanning solid-state laser, television sonar and digital video chamber forming together three-dimensional television scanning system. Robot is supplied with power by external source. EFFECT: higher efficiency and operate reliability of deep-sea mining complex and telecontrolled underwater robot. 15 cl, 7 dwg