Articulated tug barge, trailing suction hopper dredge system

摘要

An articulated tug barge hopper dredge including a tug, a barge, and a coupling system configured to interconnect the tug and the barge. The tug has a bow and the barge has a notch in a periphery of the barge. The notch is sized to receive the bow of the tug. The articulated tug barge hopper dredge further includes dredging machinery integrated with the barge and configured to excavate material dredged from the seabed. The dredging machinery includes trailing suction pipes.

主权项

1. An articulated tug barge trailing suction hopper dredge, comprising:
a tug having a bow; a barge having a notch in a periphery thereof, the notch sized to receive the bow of the tug, the barge including dredging machinery integrated with the barge and configured to excavate material dredged from the seabed, wherein the dredging machinery includes trailing suction pipes; a coupling system configured to selectively interconnect the tug and the barge; at least one draft sensor located on at least one of the tug and the barge; and a computerized system configured to:
receive, from the at least one draft sensor, information associated with a draft of the tug and a draft of the barge;determine a difference between the draft of the tug and the draft of the barge;determine whether the difference between the draft of the tug and the draft of the barge exceeds a threshold; andin response to a determination that the difference between the draft of the tug and the draft of the barge exceeds the threshold, automatically at least partially disengage the coupling system so as to permit vertical movement of the tug relative to the barge so that the draft of the tug is approximately equal to a free float draft of the tug.