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Hammer less locking for the Beaver range cutter heads

A cutter suction dredger (CSD) is a stationary dredge vessel. The vessel utilizes a cutter head, to cut and suspend the soil for hydraulic transport. The hydraulic transport is arranged via one or more dredge pumps. Cut material is transported via pipelines and discharged to a deposit area, at sea or inland. In some cases, hopper barges moored alongside the cutter suction dredger transport the soil to the deposit area to unload it there.

Whilst operating, CSD are stationary dredgers. During operation, a spud(pole) on the back of the vessel is lowered in the seabed to secure the vessel. The spud acts as a rotating point, around which the vessel can sway, side to side using winches and anchors. During this sway motion the cutter head, mounted on a ladder at the front of the vessel, is lowered to the seabed. The cutter head rotates which results in cutting and removing of the soil.

Cutter head

The current locking of the cutter teeth on a cutter head body is realized by means of a press-fit spring pin. This system is manually installed, and literally “hammered” in- and out of its locking position. The current system is visualized in the figures below. A hammering system has some drawbacks in terms of safety and usability.

Assignment

To mitigate the current drawbacks IHC would like to come up with a well applicable locking system for the IHC Beaver range cutter heads (smaller size cutter heads).

The following steps are foreseen;

• Analyze
  • Create insight in the limitations of current solution, design & production methods.
• Research
  • Explore the opportunities for improving the structural design of a cutter head teeth/adapter combination and its locking.
• Design
  • Create (conceptual) design(s) of a cutter teeth/adapter combination and its locking.
  • Calculations (FEA).
• Realize
  • Validate/weigh concepts, with methods such as morphology. Considering for example producibility, cost and operational benefits.
• Advice
  • Pitch your concepts, and its benefits opposed to the current solution.

We offer

• This internship offers you a monthly salary of €350,- (based on a full-time week).
• Reimbursement of your travel costs.
• Guidance and freedom to explore different topics.
• During your internship, you will also have the opportunity to work on your assignments or thesis.
• Flexible working hours and the possibility to work partially from home.
• A great opportunity to contribute to the future of the maritime industry.