US 12,461,086 B1
Method for delineating ore body of deep-sea polymetallic nodules based on coverage data
Xiangwen Ren, Qingdao (CN); Shijuan Yan, Qingdao (CN); Yuxue Zhang, Qingdao (CN); Yue Hao, Qingdao (CN); Yiping Luo, Qingdao (CN); and Dalong Liu, Qingdao (CN)
Assigned to The First Institute of Oceanography, MNR, Qingdao (CN)
Filed by The First Institute of Oceanography, MNR, Qingdao (CN)
Filed on Mar. 15, 2025, as Appl. No. 19/080,811.
Claims priority of application No. 202410993819.6 (CN), filed on Jul. 24, 2024.
Int. Cl. G01N 33/24 (2006.01); G06Q 50/02 (2024.01)
CPC G01N 33/24 (2013.01) [G06Q 50/02 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for delineating an ore body of deep-sea polymetallic nodules based on coverage data, comprising:
obtaining ore body data of the deep-sea polymetallic nodules, wherein the ore body data comprises: mining site production scale parameters, mining system parameters, and ore body geological characteristic parameters;
calculating, based on the mining site production scale parameters, the mining system parameters, and the ore body geological characteristic parameters, a boundary coverage rate and a cumulative weighted average coverage rate;
delineating, based on the boundary coverage and the cumulative weighted average coverage, the ore body of the deep-sea polymetallic nodules through a principle of ore body boundary range delineation to obtain an ore body range; and
planning an annual production of a nodule mine, constructing a mining system, based on the ore body range by delineating the ore body on ocean floor, and using mining machines, through the mining system, to collect nodules on deep-sea floor, thereby yielding production of nodules complying the planned annual production of the nodule mine;
wherein the mining site production scale parameters comprise: an annual production of dry nodules, a water content of nodules, and production days per year;
wherein the mining system parameters comprise: a quantity of the mining machines, a collection head width of each of the mining machines, a collection surface overlap, a width of collection operation surface of each of the mining machines, a daily operation distance of each of the mining machines, a recovery rate, a first travel speed of each of the mining machines during collection operation, a first total distance, a first duration, a second travel speed of each of the mining machines during no-load operation, a second total distance, and a second duration;
wherein the ore body geological characteristic parameters comprise: longitudes and latitudes of camera coverage data points, a spacing of adjacent two of the camera coverage data points, a measured coverage, a proportion of mineable area of the ore body, a coverage of mining blank area, a prediction average abundance, and a water content of nodule;
wherein a formula of the boundary coverage rate is expressed as follows:

OG Complex Work Unit Math
where

OG Complex Work Unit Math
 li represents the spacing of adjacent two of the camera coverage data points; L represents the daily operation distance of each of the mining machines; L1 represents the first total distance; V1 represents the first travel speed; V2 represents the second travel speed; r represents the proportion of the mineable area of the ore body; W′ represents the width of the collection head of each of the mining machines; ol represents the collection surface overlap; N represents number of mining machines; R represents the recovery rate; T′ represents the annual production of dry nodules; h represents the water content of nodules; C represents the boundary coverage rate; and D represents the production days per year;
wherein a formula of the cumulative weighted average coverage is expressed as follows:
the cumulative weighted average coverage rate C being calculated from C1, C2, . . . , Cn,

OG Complex Work Unit Math
where li represents the spacing of adjacent two of the camera coverage data points; Covi represents the measured coverage rate; C0 represents a lower limit of mineable coverage rate of the mining system.