A hopper-removal tunnel structure for a trailing suction hopper dredger, the dredger and the method thereof.

Abstract

This invention discloses a hopper-extraction tunnel structure, dredger, and method for a trailing suction hopper dredger, belonging to the field of dredger technology. The hopper-extraction tunnel structure of a trailing suction hopper dredger includes a tunnel wall panel fixed to the bottom of the hopper, and further includes: a large mud gate, which is rotatably connected to the discharge port at the bottom of the hopper via a pin; the top wall of the large mud gate and the inner wall of the tunnel wall panel together form a hopper-extraction channel for extracting soil; a mud inlet, located at the top of the tunnel wall panel, with a small mud gate rotatably connected to the inlet via a pin; and a hydraulic propulsion unit. This invention utilizes the mud gate as the tunnel floor, which, together with the small mud gate and the tunnel wall panel, forms the hopper-extraction tunnel. This changes the traditional installation method where the tunnel is independently set in the triangular compartment of the hopper, instead placing it directly in the middle of the hopper, exposing the entire tunnel within the hopper. This facilitates maintenance, allows for complete soil extraction from the hopper, and significantly reduces maintenance costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of dredging technology, and more particularly to a hopper tunnel structure, dredging vessel, and method for a trailing suction hopper dredging vessel. Background Technology

[0002] The hopper removal tunnel of a trailing suction hopper dredger is a crucial structure of its shore blowing / bow spraying system. It serves as a vital channel for transporting sand and soil from the dredger to the dumping area. Essentially, the hopper removal tunnel is a closed or semi-closed passage located at the bottom of the hopper, with one (or both) end connected to the suction port of the dredger. When hopper removal is required, the dredger activates, creating negative pressure within the tunnel. The sand and soil in the hopper flow into the tunnel under the influence of gravity and pressure difference, and are then pumped out by the dredger. Therefore, the design rationality of the hopper removal tunnel directly determines the efficiency, reliability, and operating and maintenance costs of the trailing suction hopper dredger's shore blowing / bow spraying operations.

[0003] However, the existing technology for compartment removal tunnel design has many inherent flaws, becoming a bottleneck restricting the improvement of ship performance and the reduction of total life cycle costs:

[0004] Structural layout and spatial conflicts lead to extreme maintenance difficulties: In order to maximize the effective loading volume of the mud tank, traditional designs usually arrange the sump removal tunnels compactly in the triangular tank areas on both sides of the mud tank. This area is extremely narrow and structurally complex. This layout brings serious maintainability problems. When wear or blockage occurs inside the sump removal tunnel, maintenance personnel have difficulty entering this narrow space to carry out inspection and maintenance work. They often need to use special tools or disassemble part of the structure, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive.

[0005] Incomplete dredging resulted in excessive residual silt in the silt chamber: Because traditional dredging tunnels are located on both sides of the ship, their suction ports cannot effectively cover the middle of the silt chamber and the bottom area on the other side. At the end of the dredging operation, after most of the silt in the silt chamber has been removed, the silt remaining at the bottom of the silt chamber far from the suction port cannot be effectively sucked into the tunnel, forming a "dead zone". This residual silt not only directly reduces the effective earthwork volume of this dredging operation, causing economic losses, but also hardens and hardens in the silt chamber, increasing the difficulty and cost of subsequent cleaning.

[0006] There is a potential risk to the ship's balance: Traditional solutions sometimes involve symmetrically arranging two suction tunnels on either side of the mud tank to balance the suction force. However, in actual operation, the distribution of mud and sand within the mud tank is unlikely to be completely uniform, or slight differences in the tunnels themselves and the mud pumps can easily lead to inconsistent suction efficiency on both sides. This unbalanced suction will cause the mud and sand to decrease at different rates on both sides of the mud tank, thus generating a heeling moment on the hull and affecting the ship's stability. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems existing in the prior art, and to propose a hopper tunnel structure, dredger and method for a trailing suction hopper dredger.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0009] A hopper removal tunnel structure for a trailing suction hopper dredger includes tunnel wall panels fixed to the bottom of the hopper, and further includes:

[0010] The large mud gate is rotatably connected to the discharge port at the bottom of the mud chamber via a pin shaft. The top wall of the large mud gate and the inner wall of the tunnel wall panel together form a mud extraction channel for extracting mud.

[0011] The mud inlet is located at the top of the tunnel wall panel, and a small mud gate is rotatably connected to the mud inlet via a pin.

[0012] And a hydraulic propulsion unit, the hydraulic propulsion unit including a first cylinder and a second cylinder fixedly connected to the top crossbeam of the mud chamber, a first support rod movably arranged between the piston rod of the first cylinder and the large mud gate, a connecting member fixedly provided on the piston rod of the second cylinder, and a second support rod movably arranged between the connecting member and the small mud gate;

[0013] The discharge end of the extraction channel is connected to a crushed material box, the discharge port of the crushed material box is connected to an extraction pipe, and a mud pump is installed on the extraction pipe.

[0014] Preferably, a water tank is fixed at the end of the extraction channel away from the scrap box to introduce seawater from outside the mud box into the extraction channel.

[0015] Preferably, the tunnel wall panel is provided with side inlets on both sides. The tunnel wall panel is rotatably connected to a side panel at the side inlet via a pin. The connector is used to drive the side panel to open and close. The connector includes a straight rod fixedly connected to the piston rod of the second hydraulic cylinder, a crossbar fixedly mounted on the straight rod, a swing rod slidably connected to the crossbar, a first connecting plate rotatably connected to the bottom end of the swing rod, a second connecting plate rotatably connected to the first connecting plate, and a connecting plate rotatably connected to the second connecting plate. The connecting plate is fixedly connected to the side panel. The swing rod is provided with a waist-shaped groove for the movement of the crossbar. The second support rod is movably disposed between the straight rod and the small mud gate.

[0016] Preferably, the small mud gate includes a door panel rotatably connected to the tunnel wall panel, an inclined guide frame fixed on the door panel, a slide block slidably connected to the inclined guide frame, and an elastic element disposed between the inclined guide frame and the slide block, wherein the end of the second support rod away from the straight rod is movably connected to the slide block.

[0017] Preferably, an auxiliary rod is fixed to the bottom end of the swing rod, a material-pulling rod is fixed to the bottom of the auxiliary rod, and a material guide plate is provided on the top and both sides of the tunnel wall panel, with the outer wall surface of the material guide plate being inclined.

[0018] Preferably, a rotating rod is rotatably connected inside the mud chamber, an eccentric rod is provided on the rotating rod, a movable rod is sleeved on the eccentric rod, a material-pushing plate is movably connected to the end of the movable rod away from the eccentric rod, a fixed rod is fixed inside the mud chamber and rotatably connected to the material-pushing plate, a support plate is fixed on the crushed material box, and a drive motor for driving the rotating rod to rotate is fixed on the support plate.

[0019] Preferably, the crushing bin includes an upper shell connected to the extraction chamber channel and a lower shell connected to the extraction chamber pipe. The upper shell and the lower shell are interconnected, and a filter screen is fixedly installed at the discharge port of the lower shell.

[0020] Preferably, a rotating tube is rotatably connected inside the crushing bin, and a fixed plate evenly distributed in a circle is fixed inside the lower housing of the rotating tube. A vertical rod is fixed inside the rotating tube of the lower housing, and a plurality of fixed bevel gears are fixed on the vertical rod. A rotating rod is rotatably connected to the rotating tube, and a crushing rod is fixed on the rotating rod. A driven bevel gear that meshes with the fixed bevel gears is provided at the end of the rotating rod. A secondary bevel gear is fixed at the top of the rotating tube, and a primary bevel gear that meshes with the secondary bevel gear is provided on the rotating rod.

[0021] A dredger includes the aforementioned trailing suction hopper dredger's hopper tunnel structure, wherein the tunnel wall panels are disposed in the middle of the bottom side of the hopper.

[0022] The present invention also discloses a method for using the hopper tunnel structure of the trailing suction hopper dredger described above, comprising the following steps:

[0023] S1: When the dredger is working, both the large mud gate and the small mud gate are closed, the mud chamber is in a closed state, and the mud is transported into the mud chamber.

[0024] S2: When a mud removal operation is required, control the second hydraulic cylinder to work. The piston rod of the second hydraulic cylinder applies a thrust to the second support rod through the connecting piece. The second support rod pushes the small mud gate to rotate, the mud inlet opens, and the mud chamber is connected to the mud removal channel.

[0025] When the second cylinder drives the connecting piece to move down, the crossbar on the straight rod applies force to the inner wall of the waist-shaped groove, causing the swing rod to drive the auxiliary rod to swing. The material-pulling rod at the end of the auxiliary rod disturbs the mud and sand in the mud chamber, preventing the mud and sand in the mud chamber from accumulating and hardening. During this period, the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate move with the swing rod, while the connecting plate and the side panel remain stationary.

[0026] S3: Then control the mud pump on the extraction pipe to run, and at the same time control the drive motor to work. When the drive motor runs, it drives the rotating rod to rotate. The rotating rod drives the moving rod to move through the eccentric rod. The moving rod applies force to the material-push plate and makes the material-push plate swing around the fixed rod as the center. The material-push plate frequently pushes the mud and sand, avoiding mud and sand from clumping and making mud and sand quickly enter the extraction channel from the mud inlet.

[0027] S4: Seawater is introduced into the water tank on one side of the extraction channel to dilute the mud and sand entering the extraction channel, and the mud pump extracts the mud and sand mixed with seawater.

[0028] S5: When the mud and sand enter the crushing box through the extraction channel, large pieces of mud and sand are intercepted by the filter screen plate at the bottom of the lower shell to prevent large pieces of mud and sand from affecting the operation of the mud pump.

[0029] When the rotating rod rotates, the main bevel gear meshes with the secondary bevel gear on the rotating tube for transmission. The rotating tube moves the large pieces of mud and sand stuck on the upper side of the filter screen through the fixed plate, so as to avoid the large pieces of mud and sand from hindering the extraction speed of the remaining mud and sand.

[0030] When the rotating tube rotates, it drives the rotating rod to rotate synchronously. While the rotating rod revolves around the rotating tube, the driven bevel gear at its end meshes with the fixed bevel gear on the vertical rod, causing the rotating rod to rotate relative to the rotating tube. The rotating rod drives the crushing rod to crush the large pieces of mud and sand that are pushed against the fixed plate, so that the large pieces of mud and sand are crushed into small pieces of mud and sand. Then, under the push of the fixed plate, it moves again to the discharge port of the lower shell and passes through the filter screen plate.

[0031] S6: When the mud in the mud chamber drops to the height of the mud inlet, control the second oil cylinder to retract. The piston rod of the second oil cylinder drives the small mud gate to reset and close through the connecting piece and the second support rod.

[0032] After the small mud gate closes the mud inlet, the piston rod of the second cylinder continues to pull the connecting piece upward. The upward movement of the connecting piece causes the second support rod to drive the slide block to slide on the inclined guide frame. The elastic element is compressed, and the crossbar on the straight rod applies force to the inner wall of the waist-shaped groove. At this time, the swing rod flips upward and applies force to the connecting plate through the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate. The included angle between the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate will not change during this period. The connecting plate is forced to flip the door panel, and the side inlets on both sides of the tunnel wall panel open. The suction force generated by the mud pump sucks in the mud and sand through the side inlets, preventing the mud and sand from the top surface of the large mud gate to the mud inlet from being unable to be pumped into the extraction chamber channel, and reducing the mud and sand residue at the bottom of the mud chamber.

[0033] Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides a hopper removal tunnel structure for a trailing suction hopper dredger, a dredger and a method thereof, which have the following beneficial effects:

[0034] 1. In this invention, by using the mud gate as the tunnel floor, and then forming a sump tunnel with the small mud gate and tunnel wall panels, the traditional sump tunnel is avoided from being arranged on both sides, which causes the ship to become unbalanced when the mud is extracted in an inconsistent manner. It is directly set in the middle of the mud chamber, which solves the problem of large residual volume after sump extraction in traditional sump tunnels. The entire tunnel is exposed in the mud chamber, which makes maintenance convenient and significantly reduces maintenance costs.

[0035] 2. In this invention, by closing the side inlets when the mud inlet is open, the competition between the two side inlets and the mud inlet when they are open simultaneously is avoided. The mud will preferentially choose the path of least resistance. Since the path of the side inlets is shorter and more direct, most of the mud will enter through them. This results in the mud that is far from the side inlets and located in the middle and top of the mud chamber cannot be quickly extracted, which reduces the overall pumping efficiency. Moreover, the side inlets suck in sediment with excessively high concentrations, while the top mud inlet sucks in dilute mud. It is necessary to prioritize the extraction of mud from a larger area in the mud chamber through the mud inlet. Then, by using the side inlets on both sides of the pumping channel, the mud from the top of the large mud gate to the mud inlet can be effectively pumped in, reducing the amount of mud residue at the bottom of the mud chamber.

[0036] 3. In this invention, by using a hydraulic cylinder to control the opening and closing of the small mud gate and the side panel, the installation cost can be reduced. When the second hydraulic cylinder controls the opening and closing of the small mud gate or the side panel, the swing rod of the connecting piece drives the auxiliary rod to move, so that the auxiliary rod drives the material-pulling rod to swing in the mud and sand, thereby loosening the mud and sand accumulated at the bottom of the mud chamber, making it easier for the mud and sand to flow into the extraction channel and improving the extraction efficiency.

[0037] 4. In this invention, by controlling the operation of the drive motor, the drive motor drives the rotating rod to rotate. The rotating rod drives the movable rod to move through the eccentric rod. The movable rod applies a force to the material-push plate and causes the material-push plate to swing around the fixed rod as the center. The material-push plate frequently pushes the mud and sand, avoiding mud and sand from clumping and allowing mud and sand to quickly enter the extraction chamber channel from the feed port.

[0038] 5. In this invention, the main bevel gear meshes with the secondary bevel gear on the rotating tube when the rotating rod rotates, and the rotating tube moves the large pieces of mud and sand stuck on the upper side of the filter screen plate through the fixed plate, so as to avoid the large pieces of mud and sand from hindering the extraction speed of the remaining mud and sand. Attached Figure Description

[0039] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the small mud gate of the present invention when it is closed;

[0040] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure;

[0041] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the small mud gate of the present invention when it is opened;

[0042] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure;

[0043] Figure 5 This is a top view of the mud chamber structure of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A structural diagram from a mid-BB perspective;

[0045] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the extraction channel of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the tunnel wall panel of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the connector of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 10 For the present invention Figure 9 Enlarged structural diagram of section A in the middle;

[0049] Figure 11 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the crushing bin of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 12 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the rotating tube of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate when the small mud gate of the present invention is closed.

[0052] In the diagram: 1. Mud chamber; 2. Tunnel wall panel; 201. Mud inlet; 202. Side inlet; 3. Large mud gate; 4. Small mud gate; 401. Gate panel; 402. Inclined guide frame; 403. Slide seat; 404. Elastic element; 5. Crossbeam; 501. First hydraulic cylinder; 5011. First support rod; 502. Second hydraulic cylinder; 5021. Second support rod; 6. Connecting piece; 601. Straight rod; 602. Horizontal rod; 6021. Waist-shaped groove; 603. Swing rod; 604. First connecting plate; 605. Second connecting plate; 606. Connecting plate; 7. Crusher box; 70 1. Upper shell; 702. Lower shell; 703. Filter screen plate; 8. Extraction pipe; 9. Water tank; 10. Side panel; 11. Auxiliary rod; 111. Material-pulling rod; 12. Guide plate; 13. Rotating rod; 131. Eccentric rod; 132. Movable rod; 133. Material-pulling plate; 134. Fixed rod; 135. Main bevel gear; 14. Support plate; 141. Drive motor; 15. Rotating tube; 151. Fixed plate; 152. Secondary bevel gear; 16. Vertical rod; 161. Fixed bevel gear; 17. Rotating rod; 171. Crushing rod; 172. Driven bevel gear. Detailed Implementation

[0053] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0054] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0055] like Figures 1 to 7 As shown, this embodiment proposes a hopper-lifting tunnel structure for a trailing suction hopper dredger, including a tunnel wall panel 2 fixed to the bottom of the hopper 1, and further including: a large hopper gate 3, a hopper inlet 201, and a hydraulic propulsion unit; the large hopper gate 3 is rotatably connected to the discharge port at the bottom of the hopper 1 via a pin, and the top wall of the large hopper gate 3 and the inner wall of the tunnel wall panel 2 together form a hopper-lifting channel for extracting soil; the hopper inlet 201 is opened at the top of the tunnel wall panel 2, and a small hopper gate 4 is rotatably connected to the hopper inlet 201 via a pin; the hydraulic propulsion unit includes... The top crossbeam 5 of the mud chamber 1 is fixedly connected to the first hydraulic cylinder 501 and the second hydraulic cylinder 502. The piston rod of the first hydraulic cylinder 501 is movably connected to the large mud gate 3. The piston rod of the second hydraulic cylinder 502 is fixedly connected to the connecting piece 6. The connecting piece 6 is movably connected to the small mud gate 4. The discharge end of the extraction channel is connected to the crushed material box 7. The discharge port of the crushed material box 7 is connected to the extraction pipe 8. The extraction pipe 8 is equipped with a mud pump. The mud pump is existing technology and will not be described in detail here.

[0056] Specifically, the large mud gate 3 serves as the bottom plate of the sludge extraction channel, forming a sludge extraction channel with the tunnel wall panel 2 for extracting mud. The sludge extraction channel is located in the middle of the bottom side of the mud chamber 1, avoiding the imbalance of the hull caused by inconsistent mud extraction when the traditional sludge extraction tunnel is arranged on both sides. When sludge extraction is required, the second hydraulic cylinder 502 is controlled to work. The piston rod of the second hydraulic cylinder 502 applies thrust to the second support rod 5021 through the connecting piece 6. The second support rod 5021 pushes the small mud gate 4 to rotate, opening the mud inlet 201 and connecting the mud chamber 1 with the sludge extraction channel. The mud pump is controlled to run, and the suction of the mud pump is transmitted to the inside of the sludge extraction channel through the sludge extraction pipe 8, so that the mud and sand in the mud chamber 1 are discharged. This solves the problem of large residual volume in traditional sludge extraction tunnels. By exposing the entire tunnel in the mud chamber 1, it is easier to repair and install, and maintenance is convenient, significantly reducing maintenance costs.

[0057] It should be noted that a water inlet tank 9 is fixed at the end of the sludge extraction channel away from the sludge bin 7, which is used to introduce seawater from outside the mud bin 1 into the sludge extraction channel. When the mud pump is working, seawater is introduced through the water inlet tank 9 to dilute the mud and sand in the sludge extraction channel, enhance the fluidity of the mud and sand, and prevent the mud pump from being blocked, thus ensuring the orderly progress of the sludge extraction operation.

[0058] like Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 , Figure 10 and Figure 13 As shown, in a preferred embodiment, based on the above method, the tunnel wall panel 2 is further provided with side inlets 202 on both sides. The tunnel wall panel 2 is rotatably connected to the side panel 10 at the side inlets 202 via a pin. The connecting member 6 is used to drive the side panel 10 to open and close. The connecting member 6 includes a straight rod 601 fixedly connected to the piston rod of the second oil cylinder 502, a cross rod 602 fixedly mounted on the straight rod 601, a swing rod 603 slidably connected to the cross rod 602, a first connecting plate 604 rotatably connected to the bottom end of the swing rod 603, a second connecting plate 605 rotatably connected to the first connecting plate 604, and a connecting plate 606 rotatably connected to the second connecting plate 605. The connecting plate 606 is fixedly connected to the side panel 10. The swing rod 603 is provided with a waist-shaped groove 6021 for the movement of the cross rod 602. The second support rod 5021 is movably arranged between the straight rod 601 and the small mud gate 4.

[0059] Furthermore, the small mud gate 4 includes a gate panel 401 rotatably connected to the tunnel wall panel 2, an inclined guide frame 402 fixed on the gate panel 401, a slide block 403 slidably connected to the inclined guide frame 402, and an elastic element 404 disposed between the inclined guide frame 402 and the slide block 403. The elastic element 404 can be configured as an elastic telescopic tube sleeved on the rod of the inclined guide frame 402. A dynamic sealing ring is provided at the contraction point of the elastic telescopic tube to prevent mud from entering. The end of the second support rod 5021 away from the straight rod 601 is movably connected to the slide block 403.

[0060] Furthermore, an auxiliary rod 11 is fixed at the bottom of the swing rod 603, and a material-pulling rod 111 is fixed at the bottom of the auxiliary rod 11. A guide plate 12 is provided on the top and both sides of the tunnel wall panel 2. The outer wall surface of the guide plate 12 is inclined. The inclined surface of the guide plate 12 can guide the flow direction of the mud and sand in the mud chamber 1.

[0061] Specifically, when performing the pumping operation on mud chamber 1, the second hydraulic cylinder 502 is first controlled to work. The piston rod of the second hydraulic cylinder 502 applies a thrust to the second support rod 5021 through the connecting piece 6. The second support rod 5021 pushes the small mud gate 4 to rotate, opening the mud inlet 201 and connecting mud chamber 1 with the pumping channel. When the second hydraulic cylinder 502 moves the connecting piece 6 downward, the horizontal bar 602 on the straight rod 601 applies a force to the inner wall of the waist-shaped groove 6021, causing the swing rod 603 to drive the auxiliary rod 11 to swing. The material-pulling rod 111 at the end of the auxiliary rod 11 disturbs the mud and sand in mud chamber 1 to prevent the mud and sand in mud chamber 1 from accumulating and hardening. During this period, the first connecting plate 604 and the second connecting plate 605 move with the swing rod 603. The connecting plate 606 and the side panel 10 remain stationary. The mud pump runs to perform the pumping operation.

[0062] When the mud in mud chamber 1 drops to the height of mud inlet 201, the second hydraulic cylinder 502 is controlled to retract. The piston rod of the second hydraulic cylinder 502 drives the small mud gate 4 to reset and close via the connecting piece 6 and the second support rod 5021. After the small mud gate 4 closes the mud inlet 201, the piston rod of the second hydraulic cylinder 502 continues to pull the connecting piece 6 upward. The upward movement of the connecting piece 6 causes the second support rod 5021 to drive the slide block 403 to slide on the inclined guide frame 402. The elastic element 404 is compressed, buffering the pulling force of the second support rod 5021 on the small mud gate 4. The horizontal bar 602 on the straight rod 601 is aligned with the waist. When the inner wall of the groove 6021 is subjected to force, the swing rod 603 flips upward and applies force to the connecting plate 606 through the first connecting plate 604 and the second connecting plate 605. The included angle between the first connecting plate 604 and the second connecting plate 605 will not change during this period. The connecting plate 606 is subjected to force and drives the door plate 401 to flip. The side inlets 202 on both sides of the tunnel wall 2 open. The suction force generated by the mud pump sucks in the mud and sand through the side inlets 202, which prevents the mud and sand from the top surface of the large mud door 3 to the mud inlet 201 from being unable to be pumped into the mud chamber channel, thereby reducing the mud and sand residue at the bottom of the mud chamber 1.

[0063] By closing the side inlet 202 when the mud inlet 201 is open, the competition between the two side inlets 202 and the mud inlet 201 when they are open simultaneously is avoided. The mud will preferentially choose the path of least resistance. Since the path of the side inlet 202 is shorter and more direct, most of the mud will enter through it. As a result, the mud far away from the side inlet 202 and located in the middle and top of the mud chamber 1 cannot be quickly extracted, which reduces the overall pumping efficiency. Moreover, the side inlet 202 sucks in sediment with excessively high concentration, while the top mud inlet 201 sucks in dilute mud. The mud inlet 201 should be used first to extract the mud from a larger area in the mud chamber 1. Then, by using the side inlets 202 on both sides of the pumping channel, the mud from the top surface of the large mud gate 3 to the mud inlet 201 can be effectively pumped in, effectively reducing the mud residue at the bottom of the mud chamber 1.

[0064] like Figure 7 , Figure 9 , Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, in a preferred embodiment, based on the above method, a rotating rod 13 is rotatably connected inside the mud chamber 1, an eccentric rod 131 is provided on the rotating rod 13, a movable rod 132 is sleeved on the eccentric rod 131, a material-pushing plate 133 is movably connected to the end of the movable rod 132 away from the eccentric rod 131, a fixed rod 134 is fixed inside the mud chamber 1 and rotatably connected to the material-pushing plate 133, a support plate 14 is fixed on the crushed material box 7, and a drive motor 141 for driving the rotating rod 13 to rotate is fixed on the support plate 14.

[0065] Specifically, during the sludge removal operation, the drive motor 141 is simultaneously controlled to operate. When the drive motor 141 is running, it drives the rotating rod 13 to rotate. The rotating rod 13 drives the movable rod 132 to move through the eccentric rod 131. The movable rod 132 applies a force to the material-push plate 133 and causes the material-push plate 133 to swing around the fixed rod 134. The material-push plate 133 frequently moves the mud and sand, preventing the mud and sand from clumping and allowing the mud and sand to quickly enter the sludge removal channel from the mud inlet 201.

[0066] like Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, in a preferred embodiment, based on the above method, the crushing box 7 further includes an upper shell 701 connected to the extraction channel and a lower shell 702 connected to the extraction pipe 8. The upper shell 701 and the lower shell 702 are interconnected, and a filter screen plate 703 is fixed at the discharge port of the lower shell 702.

[0067] Furthermore, a rotating tube 15 is rotatably connected inside the crushing box 7. The rotating tube 15 is fixed with a fixed plate 151 evenly distributed in a circle inside the lower housing 702. A vertical rod 16 is fixed inside the rotating tube 15 in the lower housing 702. Several fixed bevel gears 161 are fixed on the vertical rod 16. A rotating rod 17 is rotatably connected to the rotating tube 15. A crushing rod 171 is fixed on the rotating rod 17. A driven bevel gear 172 that meshes with the fixed bevel gears 161 is provided at the end of the rotating rod 17. A secondary bevel gear 152 is fixed at the top of the rotating tube 15. A main bevel gear 135 that meshes with the secondary bevel gear 152 is provided on the rotating rod 13.

[0068] Specifically, when the rotating rod 13 rotates, the main bevel gear 135 meshes with the secondary bevel gear 152 on the rotating tube 15. The rotating tube 15, through the fixed plate 151, moves the large pieces of mud and sand stuck on the upper side of the filter screen plate 703, preventing the large pieces of mud and sand from hindering the subsequent extraction speed of the remaining mud and sand. When the rotating tube 15 rotates, it drives the rotating rod 17 to rotate synchronously. While the rotating rod 17 revolves around the rotating tube 15, the driven bevel gear 172 at its end meshes with the fixed bevel gear 161 on the vertical rod 16, causing the rotating rod 17 to rotate relative to the rotating tube 15. The rotating rod 17 drives the crushing rod 171 to crush the large pieces of mud and sand moved by the fixed plate 151, breaking the large pieces of mud and sand into small pieces, preventing the large pieces of mud and sand from accumulating and clogging the lower shell 702. Subsequently, the small pieces of mud and sand, under the movement of the fixed plate 151, move again to the discharge port of the lower shell 702 and pass through the filter screen plate 703 into the extraction tube 8, thereby improving the extraction efficiency.

[0069] The present invention discloses a dredger, including the aforementioned trailing suction hopper dredger with a hopper tunnel structure, wherein the tunnel wall panel 2 is located in the middle of the bottom side of the dredger 1.

[0070] The present invention also discloses a method for using the aforementioned hopper tunnel structure of a trailing suction hopper dredger, comprising the following steps:

[0071] S1: When the dredger is working, both the large mud gate 3 and the small mud gate 4 are closed, the mud chamber 1 is in a closed state, and the mud is transported into the mud chamber 1.

[0072] S2: When it is necessary to perform the mud removal operation, control the second oil cylinder 502 to work. The piston rod of the second oil cylinder 502 applies a thrust to the second support rod 5021 through the connecting piece 6. The second support rod 5021 pushes the small mud gate 4 to rotate, the mud inlet 201 opens, and the mud chamber 1 is connected to the mud removal channel.

[0073] When the second cylinder 502 drives the connecting piece 6 to move down, the crossbar 602 on the straight rod 601 applies a force to the inner wall of the waist-shaped groove 6021, causing the swing rod 603 to drive the auxiliary rod 11 to swing. The material-pulling rod 111 at the end of the auxiliary rod 11 disturbs the mud and sand in the mud chamber 1, preventing the mud and sand in the mud chamber 1 from accumulating and hardening. During this period, the first connecting plate 604 and the second connecting plate 605 move with the swing rod 603, while the connecting plate 606 and the side panel 10 remain stationary.

[0074] S3: Then control the mud pump on the extraction pipe 8 to run, and at the same time control the drive motor 141 to work. When the drive motor 141 runs, it drives the rotating rod 13 to rotate. The rotating rod 13 drives the movable rod 132 to move through the eccentric rod 131. The movable rod 132 applies a force to the material-push plate 133 and makes the material-push plate 133 swing around the fixed rod 134. The material-push plate 133 frequently pushes the mud and sand, avoiding mud and sand from clumping and allowing mud and sand to quickly enter the extraction channel from the mud inlet 201.

[0075] S4: Seawater is introduced into the water tank 9 on one side of the extraction channel to dilute the mud and sand entering the extraction channel, and the mud pump extracts the mud and sand mixed with seawater.

[0076] S5: When the mud and sand enter the crushed material box 7 through the extraction channel, large pieces of mud and sand are intercepted by the filter screen plate 703 at the bottom of the lower shell 702 to prevent large pieces of mud and sand from affecting the operation of the mud pump.

[0077] When the rotating rod 13 rotates, the main bevel gear 135 meshes with the secondary bevel gear 152 on the rotating tube 15 for transmission. The rotating tube 15 moves the large pieces of mud and sand stuck on the upper side of the filter screen plate 703 through the fixed plate 151 to avoid the large pieces of mud and sand from hindering the extraction speed of the remaining mud and sand.

[0078] When the rotating tube 15 rotates, it drives the rotating rod 17 to rotate synchronously. While the rotating rod 17 revolves around the rotating tube 15, the driven bevel gear 172 at its end meshes with the fixed bevel gear 161 on the vertical rod 16, causing the rotating rod 17 to rotate relative to the rotating tube 15. The rotating rod 17 drives the crushing rod 171 to crush the large pieces of mud and sand that are pushed by the fixed plate 151, so that the large pieces of mud and sand are crushed into small pieces of mud and sand. Then, under the push of the fixed plate 151, it moves again to the discharge port of the lower housing 702 and passes through the filter screen plate 703.

[0079] S6: When the mud and sand in the mud chamber 1 drop to the height of the mud inlet 201, control the second oil cylinder 502 to retract. The piston rod of the second oil cylinder 502 drives the small mud gate 4 to reset and close through the connector 6 and the second support rod 5021.

[0080] After the small mud gate 4 closes the mud inlet 201, the piston rod of the second cylinder 502 continues to pull the connecting piece 6 upward. The upward movement of the connecting piece 6 causes the second support rod 5021 to drive the slide block 403 to slide on the inclined guide frame 402. The elastic element 404 is compressed, and the crossbar 602 on the straight rod 601 applies force to the inner wall of the waist-shaped groove 6021. At this time, the swing rod 603 flips upward and applies force to the connecting plate 606 through the first connecting plate 604 and the second connecting plate 605. The included angle between the first connecting plate 604 and the second connecting plate 605 will not change during this period. The connecting plate 606 is forced to drive the door plate 401 to flip, and the side inlets 202 on both sides of the tunnel wall 2 open. The suction force generated by the mud pump sucks in the mud and sand through the side inlets 202, preventing the mud and sand from the top surface of the large mud gate 3 to the mud inlet 201 from being unable to be pumped into the extraction chamber channel, and reducing the mud and sand residue at the bottom of the mud chamber 1.

[0081] The accompanying drawings in this application are for illustrative purposes only. The dimensions and shapes of the components shown are not actual limitations but are merely schematic representations. In actual implementation, the components can be reasonably configured and adjusted according to specific needs and actual conditions.

[0082] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hopper-removal tunnel structure for a trailing suction hopper dredger, comprising a tunnel wall panel (2) fixed to the bottom of the hopper (1), characterized in that, Also includes: The large mud gate (3) is rotatably connected to the discharge port at the bottom of the mud chamber (1) by a pin shaft. The top wall of the large mud gate (3) and the inner wall of the tunnel wall panel (2) enclose the chamber to form a mud extraction channel. The mud inlet (201) is located on the top of the tunnel wall panel (2), and a small mud gate (4) is rotatably connected to the mud inlet (201) by a pin. And a hydraulic propulsion unit, the hydraulic propulsion unit includes a first cylinder (501) and a second cylinder (502) fixedly connected to the top crossbeam (5) of the mud chamber (1), a first support rod (5011) is movably arranged between the piston rod of the first cylinder (501) and the large mud gate (3), and a connecting member (6) is fixedly provided on the piston rod of the second cylinder (502), and a second support rod (5021) is movably arranged between the connecting member (6) and the small mud gate (4); The discharge end of the extraction channel is connected to a crushed material box (7), the discharge port of the crushed material box (7) is connected to an extraction pipe (8), and a mud pump is installed on the extraction pipe (8). The tunnel wall panel (2) is provided with side inlets (202) on both sides. The tunnel wall panel (2) is rotatably connected to a side panel (10) at the side inlet (202) by a pin. The connecting member (6) is used to drive the side panel (10) to open and close. The connecting member (6) includes a straight rod (601) fixedly connected to the piston rod of the second oil cylinder (502), a cross rod (602) fixed on the straight rod (601), a swing rod (603) slidably connected to the cross rod (602), and a swing rod (603) connected to the swing rod. The bottom end of the rod (603) is rotatably connected to a first connecting plate (604), a second connecting plate (605) rotatably connected to the first connecting plate (604), and a connecting plate (606) rotatably connected to the second connecting plate (605). The connecting plate (606) is fixedly connected to the side panel (10). The swing rod (603) is provided with a waist-shaped groove (6021) for the movement of the crossbar (602). The second support rod (5021) is movably arranged between the straight rod (601) and the small mud gate (4). The small mud gate (4) includes a door panel (401) rotatably connected to the tunnel wall panel (2), an inclined guide frame (402) fixed on the door panel (401), a slide block (403) slidably connected to the inclined guide frame (402), and an elastic element (404) disposed between the inclined guide frame (402) and the slide block (403). The end of the second support rod (5021) away from the straight rod (601) is movably connected to the slide block (403). An auxiliary rod (11) is fixed at the bottom of the swing rod (603), and a material-pulling rod (111) is fixed at the bottom of the auxiliary rod (11). A guide plate (12) is provided on the top and both sides of the tunnel wall panel (2), and the outer wall surface of the guide plate (12) is inclined.

2. The hopper removal tunnel structure of a trailing suction hopper dredger according to claim 1, characterized in that, A water tank (9) is fixed at one end of the extraction channel away from the scrap box (7) to introduce seawater from outside the mud box (1) into the extraction channel.

3. The hopper removal tunnel structure of a trailing suction hopper dredger according to claim 1, characterized in that, A rotating rod (13) is rotatably connected inside the mud chamber (1). An eccentric rod (131) is provided on the rotating rod (13). A movable rod (132) is sleeved on the eccentric rod (131). A material-pulling plate (133) is movably connected to one end of the movable rod (132) away from the eccentric rod (131). A fixed rod (134) is fixed inside the mud chamber (1) and rotatably connected to the material-pulling plate (133). A support plate (14) is fixed on the crushed material box (7). A drive motor (141) for driving the rotating rod (13) to rotate is fixed on the support plate (14).

4. The hopper removal tunnel structure of a trailing suction hopper dredger according to claim 3, characterized in that, The crushing box (7) includes an upper shell (701) connected to the extraction chamber channel and a lower shell (702) connected to the extraction chamber pipe (8). The upper shell (701) and the lower shell (702) are interconnected, and a filter screen plate (703) is fixed at the discharge port of the lower shell (702).

5. The hopper removal tunnel structure of a trailing suction hopper dredger according to claim 4, characterized in that, The crushing box (7) is rotatably connected to a rotating tube (15). The rotating tube (15) is fixed with a fixed plate (151) evenly distributed in a circle inside the lower housing (702). The lower housing (702) is fixed with a vertical rod (16) inside the rotating tube (15). Several fixed bevel gears (161) are fixed on the vertical rod (16). The rotating tube (15) is rotatably connected to a rotating rod (17). The rotating rod (17) is fixed with a crushing rod (171). The end of the rotating rod (17) is provided with a driven bevel gear (172) that meshes with the fixed bevel gear (161). The top of the rotating tube (15) is fixed with a secondary bevel gear (152). The rotating rod (13) is provided with a main bevel gear (135) that meshes with the secondary bevel gear (152).

6. A dredger, comprising the hopper tunnel structure of a trailing suction hopper dredger as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The tunnel wall panel (2) is located in the middle of the bottom side of the mud chamber (1).

7. A method of using the hopper tunnel structure of a trailing suction hopper dredger according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: When the dredger is working, both the large mud gate (3) and the small mud gate (4) are closed, the mud chamber (1) is in a closed state, and the mud is transported into the mud chamber (1); S2: When it is necessary to perform the mud removal operation, control the second oil cylinder (502) to work. The piston rod of the second oil cylinder (502) applies a thrust to the second support rod (5021) through the connector (6). The second support rod (5021) pushes the small mud gate (4) to rotate, the mud inlet (201) opens, and the mud chamber (1) is connected to the mud removal channel. When the second cylinder (502) drives the connecting piece (6) to move down, the cross bar (602) on the straight rod (601) applies force to the inner wall of the waist groove (6021), causing the swing rod (603) to drive the auxiliary rod (11) to swing. The material-pulling rod (111) at the end of the auxiliary rod (11) disturbs the mud and sand in the mud chamber (1) to prevent the mud and sand in the mud chamber (1) from accumulating and hardening. During this period, the first connecting plate (604) and the second connecting plate (605) move with the swing rod (603), and the connecting plate (606) and the side panel (10) remain stationary. S3: Then control the mud pump on the extraction pipe (8) to run, and at the same time control the drive motor (141) to work. When the drive motor (141) runs, it drives the rotating rod (13) to rotate. The rotating rod (13) drives the movable rod (132) to move through the eccentric rod (131). The movable rod (132) applies force to the material-push plate (133) and makes the material-push plate (133) swing around the fixed rod (134) as the center. The material-push plate (133) frequently pushes the mud and sand, avoiding mud and sand from clumping while making the mud and sand quickly enter the extraction channel from the mud inlet (201). S4: Seawater is introduced into the priming tank (9) on one side of the extraction channel to dilute the mud and sand entering the extraction channel, and the mud pump extracts the mud and sand after mixing with seawater. S5: When the mud and sand enter the crushed material box (7) through the extraction channel, large pieces of mud and sand are intercepted by the filter screen plate (703) at the bottom of the lower shell (702) to prevent large pieces of mud and sand from affecting the operation of the mud pump; When the rotating rod (13) rotates, the main bevel gear (135) meshes with the secondary bevel gear (152) on the rotating tube (15). The rotating tube (15) moves the large pieces of mud and sand that remain on the upper side of the filter screen plate (703) through the fixed plate (151) to avoid the large pieces of mud and sand from hindering the extraction speed of the remaining mud and sand. When the rotating tube (15) rotates, it drives the rotating rod (17) to rotate synchronously. While the rotating rod (17) revolves around the rotating tube (15), the driven bevel gear (172) at its end meshes with the fixed bevel gear (161) on the vertical rod (16), causing the rotating rod (17) to rotate relative to the rotating tube (15). The rotating rod (17) drives the crushing rod (171) to crush the large pieces of mud and sand that are pushed by the fixed plate (151), so that the large pieces of mud and sand are crushed into small pieces of mud and sand. Then, under the push of the fixed plate (151), it moves again to the discharge port of the lower shell (702) and passes through the filter screen plate (703). S6: When the mud and sand in the mud chamber (1) drop to the height of the mud inlet (201), control the second oil cylinder (502) to retract, and the piston rod of the second oil cylinder (502) drives the small mud gate (4) to reset and close through the connector (6) and the second support rod (5021); After the small mud gate (4) closes the mud inlet (201), the piston rod of the second cylinder (502) continues to pull the connecting piece (6) upward. The upward movement of the connecting piece (6) causes the second support rod (5021) to drive the slide block (403) to slide on the inclined guide frame (402). The elastic element (404) is compressed, and the cross bar (602) on the straight rod (601) applies force to the inner wall of the waist-shaped groove (6021). At this time, the swing rod (603) flips upward and passes through the first connecting plate (604) and the second connecting plate (602). 05) Apply force to the connecting plate (606). The angle between the first connecting plate (604) and the second connecting plate (605) will not change during this period. The connecting plate (606) is subjected to force and causes the door plate (401) to flip. The side inlets (202) on both sides of the tunnel wall (2) open. The suction force generated by the mud pump sucks in the mud and sand through the side inlets (202), which prevents the mud and sand from the top surface of the large mud door (3) to the mud inlet (201) from being unable to be pumped into the mud chamber channel, and reduces the mud and sand residue at the bottom of the mud chamber (1).

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