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Procedia Engineering 174 (2017) 385 – 391

13th Global Congress on Manufacturing and Management, GCMM 2016

Research on Monitoring Force of Steel Wire Rope of Grab Dredger

Base on Wireless Sensing
Chang Xua,*, Hanbin Xiaoa,Sheng Zoua,Rong Zenga
a
School of Logistics Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430063, China

Abstract

The article research on intelligent grab dredger. Work force mechanical model of steel wire is established
during dredging Grab’s flat digging working. Then, the theoretical calculation on stress of the steel wire is available.
It’s easy to get the result of dredging Grab’s steel wire. Meanwhile, a way is put forward about changing the rotating
shaft torque to the force of steel wire, which is based on detection of wireless sensor network technology in grab
dredger’s hoist. The ideal result on Real-time display of the curves of closing hoist and hoist rope’s stress. The test
result of real-time monitoring show that the theoretical calculation on stress of the steel wire is consistent with the
test result of real-time monitoring, which provide the basis on the application of real-time monitoring of wireless
sensor technology in the grab dredger’s steel wire’s stress.
© 2017
© 2016TheTheAuthors.
Authors. Published
Published by Elsevier
by Elsevier Ltd. Ltd.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of the 13th Global Congress on Manufacturing and Management.
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of the 13th Global Congress on Manufacturing and Management
Keywords: wireless sensing˗grab dredger˗linear excavation˗steel wire rope force˗real-time monitoring

1. Introduction

With the implementation of the “Marine potestatem” strategy, China has launched a series of significant
movements on the development of the oceans, the use of the oceans, the protection of the oceans and the control of
oceans. The construction of “Marine potestatem” has a critical impact on the healthy development of the national
economy and will promote the rapid development of marine engineering. At the moment, large grab dredgers[1-2] are
highly required to have flat digging function to excavate flat surface on the seabed for the caisson process in large -
scale offshore engineering such as South China Sea construction project, Hong Kong - Zhuhai - Macao Bridge,

* Chang Xu. Tel.:+86-13667175865.

E-mail address: xuchang12346@163.com

1877-7058 © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of the 13th Global Congress on Manufacturing and Management
doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2017.01.157
386 Chang Xu et al. / Procedia Engineering 174 (2017) 385 – 391

Nomenclature

Fi grab bucket body forceˈ i values from 1 to 4

B grab edge width(m)
D blade thickness of the grab(m)
Y the depth of grab edge cut in material(m)
T the bottom dorsal horn of grab edge ( q )
v the speed of grab edge cut in material (m/s)
s Particle size (mm)
U material density˄ t / m3 ˅
M internal friction angle of material particles˄ q ˅
f effect coefficient of the grab edge
k influence coefficient of material particle surface condition and shape on grasping resistance
Qx the weight of the material Enter inside the hopper (kN)
lQ the length aimed at A (m)
P Support force of the hoist rod (kN)
R the length of the hoist rod aimed at A (m)
GB pressure which hoist rod stay on the bucket body(kN);
G3 the weight of the bucket (kN)
S1 tension of the closing rope (kN)
S 2 tension of the hoist rope˄kN˅
G1 weight of upper sheave block (kN)
GB pressure stay on the bucket body (kN)
F1 cutting resistance on horizontal cutting edge (kN)
F2 cutting resistance on lateral cutting edge (kN)
F3 pushing resistance in Horizontal direction (kN)
F4 the side friction resistance (kN)

Seabed pipelines and tunnels constructions etc. While, existing domestic and foreign equipment is difficult to
meet the high precision construction requirements. Therefore, the flat digging process is of grab dredger is the hot
and difficult problem in the research of large ocean engineering.
The dredging grab of the grab dredger, as shown in Fig.1, transfers the forces through ropes to reels’ shafts in
processes of digging, bucket closing and hoisting [3-4]. Using Wireless Sensor Technology, torque stresses on shafts
of closing and hoisting reels are detected by the torque sensor on them which consists of resistance strain gauges.
The closing ropes and hoisting ropes’ tensions are calculated according to secondary data conversion which reflects
the loads of the grab in dredging process.

Fig. 1. the appearance of the grab dredger.

 Chang Xu et al. / Procedia Engineering 174 (2017) 385 – 391 387

2. Force analysis of steel wire rope in dredging grabs’ flat digging

2.1 Digging mechanism of the dredging grabs

The basic structure of dredging grab is mainly composed of the upper sheave block, lower sheave block, bucket
body, bucket teeth, hoist rod, hoist rope ,closing rope and so on, which are shown in Fig. 2. Grab moment and
sinking force are produced by the dredging grab gravity which transmitted to a specific force transmission
mechanism. In the process of grasping, the sinking force can overcome the grasping resistance, grab moment
balances the grab resistance moment , this balance is dynamic ,which is established ,broken and re-established with
the change of mining depth, so as to realize the mining[5-6].

1 upper beam 2 upper sheave block 3 hoist rod 4 lower beam 5 lower sheave block
6 bucket body 7 bucket teeth 8 hoist rope 9 closing the rope

Fig. 2. structure of dredging grab.

In flat digging progress of the dredging grab, in order to ensure that the blade is always in the same level, the
closing rope must support action at the same time, hoist rope must be adjusted accordingly to compensate for the
deviation from the horizontal line., the hoist rope and closing rope moves at the same time to achieve flat digging.

2.2 Stress analysis of dredging grab’s flat digging

Grab is a symmetrical body, usually select a half grab as study object, the force of the grab as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3. flat digging force of dredging grab

In the dredging progress, dredging grab is influenced by gravity, cut resistance, friction resistance and pushing
388 Chang Xu et al. / Procedia Engineering 174 (2017) 385 – 391

resistance [7-8]. Specific forces are as follows:

Cut resistance of the grab’s horizontal cutting edge F1, Cut resistance of the grab’s lateral edge F2, Grab the
pushing resistance in horizontal direction F3; grab side friction resistance F4.
Fi F ( B, D, Y , T , v, s, U , M , f , k ) (1)

2.3 Calculation of wire rope’s force in dredging grab’s flat digging program

In the study about grab, a half grab bucket body, which is ᇞABC ,is usually selected as the research object, the
grasping force and grasping resistance on the centre of the hinge point A moment, establish the torque balance
equation of different digging depth (corresponding to each bucket opening)in digging progress, i.e. M 1 M 2 .
Grab moment is the grab digging power, which is consist of brace force, strut on the bucket body and bucket
body weight and pressure into the weight of the material hopper bottom at the Moment of the hinge point A [9].
G
M1 =Qx lQ  PR  GB r sin Z  3 r3 sin(Z  G 3 ) (2)
2
1
P [ S1 (m  1)  S2  G1  GB ] / cos\ (3)
2
1
S1  S2 Qx  G3  ( F1  F2  F4 ) cos E (4)
2
Grab resistance is the material of grab force moment, including four reaction forces, F1 – F4.
y 1
M 2 F1h0 +(F2  F4 )(h0  )  F3 (h0 sin E x  y ) (5)
2sin E x 3
By the derivation of the formula (1), (2), (3), (4), (5) shows that when the flat digging reach a certain depth ,
the force of the closing rope, hoist rope is a function about time and grab’s open condition. Select the grab which
can grab 30 cube as an example, When the flat digging depth is 100cm, force function of the closing rope and hoist
rope is shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 4. (a) force diagram of hoist rope in flat digging progress;(b)force diagram of closing rope in flat digging progress.
 Chang Xu et al. / Procedia Engineering 174 (2017) 385 – 391 389

3. Grab dredger hoist torque wireless sensor system design

3.1 Grab dredger hoist torque wireless sensing system

Grab dredger hoist torque wireless sensing system is a combination of wireless sensor network technology, a
set of drive shaft torque and wireless testing system of shaft power, as shown in Fig. 5. The system is mainly
composed by four parts: a wireless torque node (including rotational speed measurement functions), sensor element
(special strain gauge for torque test), wireless receiving gateway, data processing computer. The gateway and
wireless nodes communicating by wireless, wireless node rely on external battery, nodes and battery rotate with
drive shaft, at the nodes, process test signal amplification filtering real-time, A/D conversion data acquisition, data
transmission and the execution of test instructions.
Wireless system automatically identify every nodes, independent networking. Wireless receiving gateway
generally connected with computer USB, as shown in Fig. 6, power supply directly by computer USB. Test
instructions sent via acquisition software on the computer, receiving and storage. Complete the whole test process.

Fig. 5. Torque wireless sensor system. Fig.6. Wireless gateway with computer.

Direct measurement force in support rope (or open and close rope) is not easy to implement, it can be measured
by indirect way. A shaft torque sensor is installed on wire rope and the torque of the axis is tested by strain gauge.
Then begin the conversion of the corresponding force, that way, we can get the tension of support line and open and
close rope.

3.2 Grab dredger hoist torque testing

By surveying and mapping geometry size of the hoist drum parts, detecting the shaft torque and rotational
speed of hoist (as shown in Fig. 7), we can get the tension and power of wire rope, displaying the open and close
rope and support rope tension curve real-time, reflecting the grab’s tension change curve in the process of mining,
closing ascension, pulling up and discharge.
Testing parts: Two wireless torque sensor nodes : The first of torque speed sensor placed in the lateral of the
input big gear shaft hole of wheel hub of supporting rope hoist (2 wireless torque sensor nodes), the second position
of torque speed sensor placed in the lateral of the input big gear shaft hole of wheel hub of opening and closing rope
hoist (2 wireless torque sensor nodes).Every nodes contain a wireless torque sensor channel and a speed torque
channel, torque speed sensor (composed of torque electrical resistance strain and light electrical sensor) measure
signals through wireless transmission to the secondary measurement instrument(gateway, router, industrial
PC).Torque detection sensor layout as shown in Fig. 8.
390 Chang Xu et al. / Procedia Engineering 174 (2017) 385 – 391

Fig.7 grab dredger hoist and wire rope system.

a b

Fig. 8. (a) support rope torque detection sensor layout;(b) open and close rope torque detection sensor layout.

4. Force analysis of wire rope in flat digging of grab dredger

In the process of grab dredger’s flat digging operation, by using wireless sensor technology and real-time
monitoring, the winch can get measured torque data. Then, through the conversion of torque and wire rope’s force,
the force curve of open-close rope in a work area can be got, as shown in Fig. 9(a). And the force curve of support
rope in a work area is shown in Fig. 9(b).In the graph, the horizontal axis represents time, unit: s; the vertical axis
represents force magnitude, unit: kN.

a b

Fig. 9. (a)measured force curve of open-close rope; (b) measured force curve of support rope.

It can be seen from Fig. 9(a) and Fig. 9(b) that the open-close rope tension of the grab is gradually increased,
and the support rope is also gradually increased when the grab dredger begins digging operation. During the
excavation stage, the opening and closing rope is mainly operated, so that the average tension of the open-close rope
is larger than the average tension of the support rope. From the measured data, the average tension of the open-close
rope is 621.4KN, and the average tension of the support rope is 365.3KN. During the lifting stage, both the open-
 Chang Xu et al. / Procedia Engineering 174 (2017) 385 – 391 391

close rope and the support rope are stressed. From the measured data, the average tension of the open-close rope is
732.8KN, and the average tension of the support rope is 487.4KN.
Compared with the theoretical calculation of the grab dredger wire rope’s force in Section 2.3, it can be found
that the law of force variation of wire rope is consistent, but there is a certain error in the force magnitude. Through
analysis, it shows that the error is mainly affected by the friction between the rope and reel, and the error is within
the allowable range. Therefore, the theoretical calculation of wire rope’s force can be considered consistent with the
real-time monitoring test data.

5. Results

This article mainly researches on the experiment of theoretical calculation and Real-time monitoring in flat
digging process. The ropes force curves during flat digging process are obtained through theoretical calculation
based on dredging grab’s mechanical model. According to the detection requirements, the experiment method of
converting the shaft torque into the rope tension is creatively proposed based on Wireless Sensor Network
Technology to Real-time display tension curve of closing rope and hoisting rope. The test results are coinciding with
theoretical calculation that affirms the correctness of this research.

Acknowledgments

This research is supported by National High-tech R&D Program (863 Program) and the project of safety
performance analysis of large-scale port machinery.

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