Van der Velden delivers biggest Barke rudders thus far

Two flap-type rudders installed on the 30,000 cu.m trailing suction hopper dredge Congo River are the largest in-house designed BARKE rudders thus far delivered by Van der Velden Marine Systems.

Built for the DEME Group, the dredge was launched on January 21 at the IHC Merwede shipyard in Krimpen aan den IJssel, Netherlands.

Its two BARKE rudders were designed by the Product Design Department of Van der Velden Barkemeyer GmbH.

Each has a rudder area of 30 sq.m while each flap has an area of 7.5 sq.m. Each rudder weighs about 75 tons..Both rudders can work at an angle of 45 degrees. The dredge is driven by two propellers with a 5.4 m diameter and can reach a speed of 16.6 knots.

The high level of wear and tear, caused by maneuvering in sandy waters, is a key issue for hopper dredges. The fully enclosed housing of the original BARKE rudders reduces wear on the linkage components to a minimum while eliminating the risk of sand entry. The innovative and advanced high-lift design offers unsurpassed maneuvering and course keeping performance. Other features are a long lifespan, a reduction of cavitation to an absolute mimimum, noise and vibration-free operation, high propulsion efficiency and low fuel consumption.

CONGO RIVER Congo River will be commissioned in mid-2011. Due to her wide beam (38 m) and short length (168 m), this innovative and versatile vessel has excellent maneuverability and can be used for many purposes. When fully loaded, Congo River has a low draft (12 m), enhancing her working efficiently in harbors and fairways, on beach repletion and land reclamation projects, and with long-distance transportation. Fitted with a deep suction dredging installation, the vessel has a maximum dredging depth of over 100 meters.

January 26, 2011