Research and development

MTI has built up an extensive expertise and experience through numerous research- and development-projects carried out for its parent company, IHC Holland. We contributed intensively to the development of essential dredge components and developed the basic knowledge in order to be able to predict dredger behaviour and dredger output. We also carried out numerous tests in our laboratory and in actual operating conditions to develop and verify our knowledge. MTI not only performs R&D projects for IHC Holland but it also carries out confidential desk research and tests on behalf of third parties. In this respect, we can also support our clients by improving system and component concepts, by helping to improve knowledge levels and by assisting in business development.

Some examples of recent research and development are listed
below:

Pump design and optimisation
Hopper research program
Wear management
Oil removal equipment

Pump design and optimisation

One example of our activities is the design of new and the optimisation of existing pumps. In co-operation with IHC Parts & Services, which designs the mechanical parts and will build the actual pumps, MTI designs the shape and size of the pump parts that determine the hydraulic performance of the pump. These parameters are the results of theoretical calculations combined with empirical knowledge, to determine whether or not the pump part will achieve the desired performance, model tests are carried out in our components and systems laboratory .

Hopper research program

As a part of this program MTI has carried out series of tests to study the loading and unloading processes that take place on board trailing suction hopper dredgers. To this end a 54000-litre test rig, a 1:4 scale model of an existing dredger, was built in our systems laboratory. This test rig is also used to study the effects of various arrangements and working methods so as to determine the important parameters influencing the loading and unloading of hoppers. Finally a new type of loading box was developed and installed on a trailing suction hopper dredger. Field measurements were carried out for the verification of the design.

Related article: Research on Hopper Settlement
[Ports & Dredging 157]

Wear management
The wear management project will result in wear prediction tools for pumps and pipelines. For this purpose many wear data have been analysed and will further be analysed. Moreover, a method will be developed to determine financial consequences of wear in order to support decision making regarding repair or replacement of parts. MTI and a big Dutch contractor are working together on this project.

Oil removal equipment

Another example is the development of specialised instruments for the clean up of oil spills. This was a direct result of the large spills that accompanied the tanker disasters of the seventies and early eighties.

Related Article: Applied Research Oil Combat [Ports & Dredging 143]