NEW PUMP TYPES FURTHER OPTIMISING A DREDGER'S PROFITABILITY

摘要

The cost-effectiveness of dredging today depends to a great extent on the performance of pumps. Targeting the efficient transport of the dredging mixture they are critical components in almost all types of dredging systems. Their capacity has to be adapted to the task in hand and their effective operating life in often difficult operating conditions maximised. Optimal design, reducing the effects of wear, and ensuring easy repair and replacement all play key roles. In other words; upgrading pump quality to the highest level possible and minimizing overall lifetime costs.When selecting a pump for a given range of duties a balance has to be found considering characteristics like the pump's energy consumption, suction performance, maximum passing particle size, lifetime, size, weight and required investment. To optimise the match between the pump's range of duties and characteristics IHC recently added two new pump types to its pump range. On one side of the size spectrum this concerns the compact TT-Unit. This hydraulic, electric or diesel driven TT-Unit is envisaged to dredge silt and fine sands from, for instance, the end of an excavator's boom. On the other, large side, of the size spectrum the high efficiency cutter special (HRCS) type pump is introduced. The design of the HRCS type pump is typified by its large passage and optimized suction performance. These characteristics make the cutter special pump especially favourable when dredging large size materials like rock and gravels containing cobbles and boulders.Late 2006 the hydraulic design of both the latest additions were put to the test at MTI Holland's pump testing facility, this paper presents results of these tests. Furthermore we will illustrate how the availability of different pump types, as designed for various dredging conditions, help optimise a dredger's profitability.