Internship and graduationThesis ProjectBack Are you looking for a thesis project? Then check our job selector for the current possibilities. Here are two examples of thesis projects for the Department Engineering & Estimating Dredging Research.MSc Thesis Project: Bulldozer Forces acting on a TSHD draghead A trailing suction hopper dredger uses one or two dragheads to excavate sediment from the seabed. Often this exaction process is the limiting factor during the dredging cycle. Therefore the draghead is many times the subject for research projects at dredging contractors and manufacturers. In order to influence (and optimize) the excavation process some dragheads are equipped with active visor control. The position of the visor is in that case controlled with hydraulic cylinders The control of the visor position is not an easy task because it is influenced by the changing soil conditions and excavation process (jetproduction, cutting forces, pressure difference over the draghead etc). These influences will have a direct or indirect effect on the forces acting on the draghead and visor and hence will have an effect on the control stategy. One of the influences not yet fully understood and quantified is the bulldozer force acting on the draghead. The draghead is supported by the seabed and due to the considerable weight some penetration into the seabed will occur. Because the draghead is pulled over the bed, the suction head cuts more or less through the soil and the excavated sediment will pile up in front of the draghead (like a bulldozer). The subject is approached in four steps: Review available literature on the subject where at least the following subjects are studied: Performing scale tests at the research laboratory of Van Oord to get more insight in the process and especially the influence of pore water pressure. The findings from literature together with the scale test observations will be used to develop a model to calculate the dimensions of the heap of sediment forming in front of the draghead and to compute the forces acting on the draghead. Depending of the progress of the project and the availability of equipment with dedicated sensors, a full scale validation of the model on board of a TSHD belongs to the possibilities. Bsc/Msc Thesis Project: Self emptying process on a TSHD Rainbowing and pumping ashore are methods for emptying a hopper dredger. During these discharge methods the mixture will be brought in suspension by jetting water into the hopper and pumping the suspended mixture out of the hopper. During the process of emptying the hopper physical phenomena occur that cannot be explained at this moment and additional research should be performed. Performing tests at full scale in a TSHD is difficult and very expensive therefore Van Oord has set up and experimental arrangement in their Research Laboratory. The assignment consists of a literature review, performing scale tests and modelling the fluidisation and emptying process. The first step is a literature review to get familiar with the processes that will occur. Secondly laboratory tests will be carried out. During these tests many process parameters will be measured. Performing the tests, analysing the results and developing new measurement techniques will demand an independent working attitude. You will process and analyse the measured data using Matlab. You will extend an existing numerical model to simulate the emptying process. The measured data will be used to calibrate and validate the numerical model. Depending on the results full scale validation of the model is a possibility. The subject is approached in four steps: |