Dynamic analysis and simulations of a deep-sea floating mining vehicle multi-body system under real-world operating conditions

This study proposes a novel, eco-friendly design for a deep-sea floating mining vehicle multi-body system (DFMVMS), incorporating a floating mining vehicle (FMV) as its central mining apparatus. The comprehensive system architecture encompasses a surface mother ship, a main pipe cable, an ore transit station, an umbilical pipe cable (UPC), and the FMV, engineered for deep-sea extraction activities while preserving benthic ecosystems. To investigate the interactions among the multi-body system’s components and ascertain the collective motion dynamics during operational states, initial steps involved developing mathematical models for each individual component. Subsequently, a holistic model for the entire DFMVMS was formulated by integrating these component models via coupling boundary conditions, with the model’s accuracy subsequently affirmed. Analytical scenarios, including three foundational motion states of the FMV, were structured to explore the influence of FMV dynamics on the DFMVMS’s overall behaviour. Moreover, specific operational scenarios were tailored to reflect two principal functions of the DFMVMS—production and transfer. The simulation results significant interplay among the movements of the system’s components, highlighting UPC tension as a critical consideration in devising transfer routes.