Fully Electric A-Frame Dredger

Bell Dredging builds a wide range of dredging equipment. Until recently these were mainly (diesel-) hydraulically driven, but recently Bell also supplied fully electric dredging equipment, including the electric version of the Bell A-Frame Dredger. Naturally, we want to know more about that.

The Bell A-Frame Dredger (dredger) consists of two pontoons with a frame between them. "The base is like a catamaran," explains Thijs van den Outenaar of Bell Dredging Pumps. "On the deck is the A-Frame, a container that serves as an engine room with above it the cabin for the operator, who in turn has a good overview of the entire A-Frame Dredger. In the A-Frame hangs the Bell dredge pump, available in various discharge pipe diameters from 100 to 400 millimeters."

Frequency inverter and transformer

In view of climate targets, among others, the demand for electric equipment is increasing, they also notice at Bell. "Our A-Frame Dredger lends itself perfectly to this," says Van den Outenaar. "In the all-electric version, the diesel technology is exchanged for variable speed drives and a transformer. It is then a matter of connecting the ship to shore power and the transformer on board takes care of the conversion to the required on-board voltage. In reservoir projects, for example, you can use the power generated from the dam. A win-win."

Deeper

Like the 'traditional' internal combustion engine version, the electric A-Frame Dredger is also available in discharge pipe diameters from 100 to 400 millimeters. "A big advantage of an A-Frame setup is that the pump lowers on a winch which means you can dredge considerably deeper than with a cutter suction dredger, for example," notes Van den Outenaar. "In standard configuration, depths of up to 100 meters can be achieved with the A-Frame. With pressure compensation, we can go even deeper, depending on the material to be dredged. Based on this, the Bell pump is equipped with a sand head or double cutting head. In addition, we use Constant Tensioning where the winches automatically wind up and down, so the operator can control the platform very easily through joysticks in the cabin."