Van Oord dredge trio will have Damen steering and rudder systems

Van Oord trailing suction hopper dredge

Damen Marine Components (DMC) has won an order for three sets of steering and rudder systems for the three dual-fueled trailing suction hopper dredges (TSHDs) currently being built at Keppel Offshore & Marine’s Keppel FELS shipyard in Singapore for Van Oord (see earlier story).

The vessels will be 138 meters in length and have a hopper capacity of 10,500 cu.m.

Each will have two Van der Velden Commander piston-type steering systems and two Van der Velden Master Rudders with fish-tail design bulb.

DMC says that the Commander piston-type guarantees reliability and high quality thanks to its in-house cylinder design and is available in a range of options related to rudder stock connections, rudder angles and cylinders. This makes the installation process efficient and reduces the amount of space required.

The Master Rudder offers high maneuverability and has a specifically designed, high performance, fish tail profile that can be optimized to suit a wide range of vessels. In addition, the absence of movable parts makes it well-suited for vessels operating in shallow waters. The rudders for Van Oord’s TSHDs will have an area of approximately 14 sq.m. Class approved by Bureau Veritas for speeds of up to 15 knots, they will generate a torque of 270 kNm.

With rudder angles of up to 65º, Master Rudders offer high lift and the fish tail design can be optimized to the purpose of the vessel. Each rudder will be executed with a rudder bulb. This improves the propeller wake field, thereby saving energy and reducing fuel consumption, and also increases thrust at higher loads.

The robust design and manufacturing ensures uninterrupted operation despite the harsh environment where it operates. The rudder profile has been optimized during model tests for best maneuvering performance at low speed and shallow water says Mr. Bogdan Mocanu, Area Sales Manager of DMC.