Largest ever BARKE® rudders for new TSHD
Van der Velden delivered the largest in-house designed BARKE® rudders
The two flap-type rudders have been installed onboard the 30,000 m³ trailing suction hopper dredger "Congo River", to be commissioned in mid-2011. Built for the DEME Group, the impressive trailing suction hopper dredger was launched on 21 January at the IHC Merwede shipyard in Krimpen aan den IJssel (NL).
Designed by the Product Design Department of Van der Velden Barkemeyer GmbH, the two BARKE® rudders each have a rudder area of 30 m2 while each flap has an area of 7.5 m2. The rudders are designed in such a way that the trailing suction hopper dredger is driven by two propellers with a 5.4 diameter. Both rudders can work at an angle of 45 degrees. The dredger "Congo River" can reach a speed of 16.6 knots.
The high level of wear and tear, caused by manoeuvring in sandy waters, is a key issue for hopper dredgers. As Van der Velden states, the fully enclosed housing of the original BARKE® rudders reduce wear on the linkage components to a minimum while eliminating the risk of sand entry. The innovative and advanced high-lift design offers unsurpassed manoeuvring and course keeping performance. Other features are a long lifespan, a reduction of cavitation to an absolute minimum, noise and vibration-free operation, high propulsion efficiency and low fuel consumption.
