A Study on the Performance Modeling Method for a Deep-Sea Cobalt-Rich Crust Mining Vehicle

Abstract

To mine the cobalt-rich crust deposits at the substrate of the slope of the seamount, the mining vehicle needs to walk on the slope and strip the cobalt-rich crust from the substrate. To achieve safety and control, the vehicle needs to stably walk on the slope. In this paper, we propose a modeling method for mining vehicle performance based on slope stability and antislip and antiskid conditions. The specific energy of three types of mining vehicles is compared based on dimensionless parameters. The dual-drum type is determined to be the best choice in terms of energy costs, followed by the down-milling type. The performance of the compact mining vehicle based on different slope angles and two sea trial results in the South China Sea indicate that the slope angle, substrate, and crust have significant effects on the stability. The modeling method proposed in this paper can help designers estimate the structure and power of mining vehicles based on mining stability.