Trailing suction hopper dredgers


The Efficient Dredging concept on trailing suction hopper dredgers optimises:

  • the suction process during trailing
  • the settling process in the hopper
  • the accuracy of the location to be dredged
  • the dredge cycle time in relation to sailing time
  • the pumping process during pumping ashore or rainbowing
  • the utilisation and distribution of available power
  • the relations between these processes
  • crew training with IHC Systems simulators.

A wide range of hardware and software products are available for this purpose, starting with robust pressure, production and position measurements for, among other things, pump performance, overflow ducts and suction pipes. Moving up a level, monitoring systems present the position of suction pipes and the loading status of the hopper, and include automatic controllers for this equipment and for the dredging pumps. Dredge track presentation systems supply information about the location where the dredger is working and can be used to prove that the job has been done right.


Control systems of the first level provide manual or semi-automatic control for the hydraulically or electrically operated equipment: sluice valves, bottom doors, winches and so on.


However, these systems can be expanded and combined with the functionality of the monitoring systems to produce fully integrated presentation, control, automation and simulation systems. This is the third application level for Efficient Dredging. It serves the total dredge and sailing process, including navigation, engine room monitoring and automation, power management, one-man-operated bridges and class-approved DP/DT systems.

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