Dynamic simulation of Cutter Dredger at sea

• Introduction
• D’ARTAGNAN
• Simulation
• Validation
• Conclusions

Summary
For seagoing cutter dredger D’ARTAGNAN, a flexible main spud carrier system was developed by IHC Dredgers. Flexible suspension was obtained by a composition of hydraulically pre-tensioned steel wires. In order to define problems, test solutions and assist in tuning the system, a simulation research and development project accompanied actual building. Simulation involved the research of several influence factors, including the dredging process, ship- and cutter movements, spud forces and many other variables. The simulation study revealed that flexible spud suspension allows higher production and higher uptime of the dredger at rough sea state conditions. The article below is a global report on the project, including key-figures on the results. Mutatis mutandis these results are also fully valid for other types of cutter suction dredgers, including the IHC BEAVER dredgers, and open new operational perspectives for them.

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