New Automation / Instrumentation Systems for Dredges

Category:

Dredge Plant

Production Monitoring

Description:

New developments in dredging instrumentation include:

Developments in dredge sensor technology:

1) Contactless magnetic angle detector, to determine the position of dragarm on trailing suction

hopper dredges.

2) Ceramic capacitive pressure transducer for load and draft measurement.

3) Dredge process pressure measuring special vacuum and pressure transducers to measure

draghead depth and the size of the vacuum over the draghead (delta p).

4) High-impact, abrasion-resistant velocity meter liners.

Developments in Stand-Alone and Integrated System:

1) Circuitry improvements for improved reliability.

2) Simulators, for design, testing, and training on dredge instrumentation and operations.

3) Hydrographic and survey systems, as dredge track presentation systems (DTPS) integrated

with dredge instrumentation.

4) Integrated control chair.

5) Dredge support computers, which interactively provide production-related answers to "what

if" scenarios.

6) Fuzzy control, provides benefit of fine-tuning or "human feeling" in dredge automation

design.

Dredging efficiency can be increased 3 to 7 percent by application of the above instrumentation

and automation technology. Since the costs represent 5 to 10 percent of the dredge's capital costs,

a quick return on the initial investment can be realized.

With the possible exception of the ESSAYONS, the Corps' monitoring and control systems for

dredges are approaching 20 years old and require replacement. These developments should be

considered when replacement becomes necessary.

Reviewer:

C. Woolley

Company / Organization(s):

Access Restricted to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Information Sources:

Literature:

Title:

"An Update on Dredge Instrumentation and Automation"

Author:

Arie Korevaar

Month:

Year:

1994

LitType:

Report/Proceedings

Publisher:

Dredging 94

Publication

ASCE New York, New York

Address:

Page:

764

Chapter 5 Other Technologies Reviewed