Skirted Cutter Head Channels for Dredging Spillage Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cutter suction dredgers experience material spillage during excavation, leading to reduced production rates and increased time due to the influx of water, which dilutes the material density and requires additional sweeps to remove spilled material.
Innovation Solution
A cutter head design featuring a base ring, hub, and arms with integrated or separately connected skirts that form closed channels between the arms and hub, reducing spillage by directing cut material towards the suction opening and minimizing water ingestion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional cutter head design without skirts is used, then the structure is simpler and easier to manufacture, but material spillage increases and production rate decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The cutter head is segmented into multiple sections by dividing the space between arms into separate channels using skirts. Each channel is bounded by skirts extending from the hub to the arms, creating distinct compartments that prevent material spillage between channels and improve overall productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
Skirts are introduced as intermediary elements between the arms and hub to form closed channels. These skirts act as mediators that guide cut material along defined paths toward the suction opening, preventing spillage and improving material transport efficiency without requiring complete redesign of the cutter head structure.
2Quantity of substance
If cutter head rotates without closed channels, then the structure is simpler, but water influx increases and mixture density decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The cutter head interior is segmented into separate channels by skirts, creating closed pathways that prevent water from mixing with cut material. This segmentation maintains higher mixture density by keeping water and material separate until the suction point.
Solution Approach 2:
Skirts function as thin wall structures that form closed channels while allowing the cutter head to maintain its rotational motion. These thin film-like structures effectively separate water and material without adding significant weight or complexity to the overall structure.
3Loss of time
If open channels between arms and hub are used, then material flow is more free, but spillage increases and excavation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The space between arms is segmented into separate channels by skirts, creating defined flow paths that guide material efficiently toward the suction opening. This segmentation prevents material from spilling outside the channels while maintaining smooth flow within each compartment.
Solution Approach 2:
The closed channels formed by skirts ensure continuous and efficient transport of cut material from the cutting zone to the suction opening. Material flows continuously through the enclosed channels without interruption or spillage, maximizing the useful action of the cutter head rotation.
Data Source
AI summary
A cutter head arranged to rotate about an axis of rotation for removing material from a water bed comprises a base ring positioned respect to the axis of rotation; a hub positioned with respect to the axis of rotation; a plurality of arms extending between the base ring and the hub, the arms comprising a plurality of cutting tools; and a plurality of skirts, each skirt extending from one of the plurality of arms to the hub to form a closed surface between the arm and the hub from a distal end of the cutter head toward the base ring and ending with a side configured to be parallel to a backplate, leaving an open channel between the skirt and the backplate.