Page 13: of Marine Technology Magazine (May 2015)

New Subsea Dredger

Trials of a new subsea dredging system, which can move one ton of rocks on the seabed per minute, re- portedly exceeded all expectations in terms of ef? cien- cy and performance. The Predator Subsea Dredger, a new concept, underwent a number of trials while ? tted to the Triton XL26 work class ROV used for training and trials at The Underwater Center’s Loch Linnhe site in Fort William.

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Nine tons of 50-60 mm rocks were placed on areas

Connect of the seabed to recreate a range of terrains typical of

Expertise Reliability Innovation the offshore subsea environment to be dredged dur- ing the trial, and the task was completed in between eight and nine minutes. Further trials designed to test the integrity of the system, including the dredging of 100-130mm rocks in an attempt to break the machine and to identify any weak spots, highlighted the robust- ness of the product. A ? nal test of the agitator system, which shoots out jets of water at the suction head end directly onto the seabed, breaking up the peat at the bottom of Loch Linnhe and dredging it at the same time, worked exceptionally well and did not affect the performance of the dredger. It can also be recon? gured subsea, with the use of a second work class ROV or diver. The Predator Subsea Dredger was designed by

Subsea Tooling Services (STS), based in Oldmeldrum,

Aberdeenshire, which offers a diverse range of subsea equipment.

Get the right solution

STS Business Development Manager Billy Milne said the main objective was to prove that it was as ef? cient,

Proven, reliable connectors and if not more so, than other dredgers currently on the cable assemblies are here market. “We wanted to prove the dredger’s capabilities to our clients, as well con? rm our development tests by ? lming it in action in conditions close to those it will be used in offshore.” www.? scherconnectors.com

Headquarters

Fischer Connectors SA

Saint-Prex - Switzerland

Phone +41 21 800 95 95 mail@? scherconnectors.ch www.marinetechnologynews.com

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