Systems, modules, and submersible vehicles for collecting material from a seafloor

Abstract

A submersible vehicle for collecting material from a seafloor includes a chassis. A module may be supported on the chassis, the module including an electric power supply. A drive system may be supported on the chassis, the drive system including a battery, and a propulsion assembly, the battery in electrical communication with the electric power supply and the propulsion assembly, and the propulsion assembly operable to locate the chassis relative to a seafloor. A power tool may be coupled to the chassis, the power tool operable to collect material from the seafloor. A reactor may be supported on the chassis, the reactor defining a reaction chamber. A valve assembly may be actuatable to move a hydrogen-containing gas from the reaction chamber and direct the hydrogen-containing gas to one or more of the electric power supply or the power tool.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A module for generating pressurized hydrogen, the module comprising:
 a lift structure defining a buoyancy volume;   a reactor coupled to the lift structure, the reactor defining a reaction chamber in fluid communication with the buoyancy volume; and   an inlet valve in fluid communication with the reaction chamber, the inlet valve actuatable to open at a depth in a body of water to introduce water from the body of water into the reaction chamber in response to a command to increase buoyancy of the buoyancy volume of the lift structure at the depth in the body of water.   
     
     
         2 . The module of  claim 1 , wherein the lift structure includes at least one tank is rigid at a surface of the body of water and at the depth at which the inlet valve is actuatable. 
     
     
         3 . The module of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one tank is rigid up to a depth of 7000 m. 
     
     
         4 . The module of  claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the lift structure includes carbon fiber. 
     
     
         5 . The module of  claim 1 , wherein the reactor is releasable from the lift structure based on one or more parameters of lifting gas in the buoyancy volume. 
     
     
         6 . The module of  claim 5 , further comprising a control valve in fluid communication with the buoyancy volume and actuatable, at a predetermined threshold pressure, to release at least a portion of a lifting gas from the buoyancy volume as pressure in the buoyancy volume increases with decreasing depth of the lift structure in the body of water. 
     
     
         7 . The module of  claim 6 , wherein the control valve is spatially separated from the inlet valve. 
     
     
         8 . The module of  claim 6 , wherein the reactor is releasable from the lift structure based on actuation of the control valve. 
     
     
         9 . The module of  claim 6 , wherein the control valve is a pressure-relief valve actuatable at a predetermined threshold pressure. 
     
     
         10 . The module of  claim 1 , further comprising water-reactive aluminum disposed in the reaction chamber. 
     
     
         11 . A method of generating pressurized hydrogen, the method comprising:
 submerging a module to a depth in a body of water;   at the depth in the body of water, introducing water from the body of water to react with water-reactive aluminum in a reaction chamber defined by a reactor of the module to form a hydrogen-containing gas; and   directing the hydrogen-containing gas from the reaction chamber into a buoyancy volume defined by a lift structure coupled to the reactor, the hydrogen-containing gas in the buoyancy volume increasing buoyancy of the module.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein submerging the module to the depth in the body of water includes filling the buoyancy volume of the lift structure with water from the body of water, and directing the hydrogen-containing gas from the reaction chamber into the buoyancy volume displaces the water in the buoyancy volume. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein introducing water from the body of water to water-reactive aluminum in the reaction chamber includes, at the depth in the body of water, opening an inlet valve in fluid communication between the body of water and the reaction chamber. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising controlling pressure of the hydrogen-containing gas in the buoyancy volume via selective actuation of a pressure-relief valve in fluid communication with the hydrogen-containing gas in the buoyancy volume. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising, with the buoyancy volume filled with the hydrogen-containing gas, collecting at least the lift structure of the module at a surface of the body of water. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising, with the buoyancy volume filled with the hydrogen-containing gas, separating the reactor from the lift structure.