Cutter suction dredger

What is a cutter suction dredger?

A cutter suction dredger uses a rotating cutter head to loosen soil from the riverbed or seabed, mix it with cement to form slurry, which is then sucked into a pump body through a suction pipe and transported to a discharge area through a discharge pipe. During operation, dredging, conveying, and unloading are all integrated into a single process, resulting in high production efficiency. It is suitable for dredging in inland rivers and lakes with low waves and currents, as well as coastal ports. It is particularly suitable for dredging sand, sandy loam, and silt. With a toothed cutter head, it can dredge clay, but the efficiency is lower.

Configuration of this cutter suction dredger

The main unit is 735KW, the auxiliary unit is 205KW, and the dredging pump is a 300 model. The clean water flow rate is 2000m³/h, and the hourly output can reach 300m³/h.

The ship has an overall length of 42.8 meters, a width of 7.1 meters, a hull depth of 2 meters, a dredging depth of 13 meters, and a discharge distance of 2000 meters.

Advantages of cutter suction dredgers

High efficiency and continuous operation: Cutter suction dredgers achieve integrated and continuous operation of dredging, conveying, and unloading. By agitating bottom silt into a liquid state with the cutter head, and combined with a high-powered mud pump, they can complete large-scale dredging projects in a short time, significantly more efficiently than grab dredgers.

Wide applicability and strong geological adaptability: Not only suitable for dredging soft soil in rivers and lakes, their powerful cutter head can also excavate high-strength hard soil, clay, coral reefs, and even high-hardness rocks (such as rocks with a compressive strength ≤40MPa) without blasting.

High-concentration conveying and long-distance dredging: They can directly transport dredged mud to designated land reclamation sites via discharge pipelines, ensuring uninterrupted operation and effectively improving the efficiency of land reclamation.

Automated operation and environmental performance: Modern cutter suction dredgers are equipped with advanced automated control systems, reducing the difficulty of manual operation. Compared to other dredging methods, they generate less vibration and noise during operation, making them environmentally friendly.

Stable navigation and positioning: It has good operational stability and resistance to wind and waves, making it suitable for complex port and waterway operating environments.

Things to consider when choosing a dredger

Unable to operate in harsh construction environments

In construction environments with strong winds and high waves, the vessel is prone to constant rocking. When the cutter head is in hard soil, the hydraulic pressure becomes extremely unstable, potentially causing it to stall. Therefore, the construction team must first halt work and install wave-resistant hydraulic compensators on the bridge.

Secondly, the dredging depth must be controlled. Then, an anti-stalling hydraulic system should be installed. Furthermore, the mud pump’s wear varies depending on the soil hardness; its wear is directly proportional to the specific gravity of the mud particles. Harsh soil conditions severely impact the mud pump’s lifespan.

Therefore, the construction team’s solution is to apply wear-resistant welds and mesh welds to the mud pump to extend its service life. Each dredging team faces different construction environments, so understanding the environment before construction is crucial to ensuring the dredging vessel operates normally and without damage to its equipment.

Fun Facts About Using Cutter Suction Dredgers

1. After starting the dredger engine, let it idle for about 10 minutes. Once the water temperature, oil temperature, and oil pressure reach the specified requirements, production can begin.

2. Before the engine drives the sand pump, the operator in the control room should first turn on the 24V main power switch on the dredger’s control panel.

3. Lower the bridge frame and suction pipe using the dredger’s winch to submerge the cutter head in the water, then start the flushing pump.

4. Activate the gearbox and sand pump using the engagement switch on the control panel, allowing the engine to drive the gearbox and power the sand pump. Gradually increase the engine speed to the specified level.

5. When the dredger is making a fan-shaped movement during construction, the positioning stakes must never be inserted into the mud simultaneously. This is absolutely prohibited during operation.

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