Experimental Study on Rock Cutting with a Pickpoint
Type:
Presented during:
CEDA Dredging Days 2019
Authors:
T. Rutten, X. Chen, G. Liu, G. Hong and S.A. Miedema
Abstract: Excavation of rock is one of the major engineering practices in dredging operations. Accurate predictions of the required force to excavate a certain type of rock are important to determine the method of dredging and the type of equipment. In the past, several analytical models have been developed to predict the cutting forces. However, research has shown that, in some scenario’s, these models are not capable to predict the cutting forces with an acceptable error margin. The analytical models are derived based on a static process while in reality cutting into rock is quite dynamic. Consequently, not all physical phenomena that occur during cutting are included in the calculation models. Which could result in major inaccuracies in the force predictions. After conducting a series of linear rock cutting experiments with a pickpoint blade, the inaccuracies and observed physical phenomena are quantified. Are these left-out phenomena the missing link for accurately predicting the cutting forces?
Keywords: Experimental study, rock cutting, pickpoint