Working Principle of the Bucket-Wheel Dredger

The bucket-wheel dredger is a type of cutter-suction dredger equipped with a bucket-wheel excavation unit; it represents a new class of dredging equipment developed internationally in the 1980s. A hydraulic system drives the bucket-wheel to rotate and cut into the soil layer; bucket teeth slice the soil into fragments, which then mix with water to form a slurry. The bucket-wheel performs continuous, uniform, and efficient cutting and excavation as the vessel swings laterally during dredging operations, maintaining a relatively steady production rate. A combination of underwater and inboard slurry pumps-operating in a three-stage boosting configuration-transports the slurry through discharge pipelines to the reclamation area or disposal site. Driven by the pressure differential between atmospheric pressure and the suction inlet of the operating underwater pump, the slurry enters the pump's impeller; centrifugal force generated by the rotating impeller then propels the slurry into the pump volute, thereby increasing its energy. Spuds and lateral winches work in concert to position the vessel and facilitate its longitudinal advancement and lateral swinging; this coordinated action enables continuous excavation of the riverbed and a "stepping" movement of the hull, ensuring uninterrupted coverage of the work area. Through the continuous lateral swinging and longitudinal advancement of the vessel, the ceaseless rotation and excavation by the bucket-wheel, and the constant operation of the slurry pumps, a continuous dredging and reclamation production process is achieved.