Discharging system for a hopper

Abstract

The invention provides a method and system for discharging dredged material stored within a hopper. The discharging system comprising a plurality of sensors on at least one bottom wall of the hopper for acquiring information over a dredged material stored within the hopper; an outlet on a lower part of the hopper for discharging the dredged material; and at least one water jet valve for fluidizing the dredged material while discharging; wherein a quantity of water flowing out of the at least one water jet valve is based on the acquired information from the plurality of sensors.

1 . A discharging system for a hopper, the discharging system comprising:
 a plurality of sensors on at least one bottom wall of the hopper for acquiring information over a dredged material stored within the hopper;   an outlet on a lower part of the hopper for discharging the dredged material; and   at least one water jet valve for fluidizing the dredged material while discharging;   wherein a quantity of water flowing out of the at least one water jet valve is based on the acquired information from the plurality of sensors.   
     
     
         2 . The discharging system of  claim 1 , comprising a water level measurement system for acquiring a water level information of a water level within the hopper and wherein the acquired information from the plurality of sensors is corrected based on the water level information. 
     
     
         3 . The discharging system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least one of: a pressure sensor, a density sensor, and a concentration sensor. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The discharging system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least four sensors. 
     
     
         6 . The discharging system of  claim 1 , wherein the hopper comprises a number of hopper sections, and at least one hopper section comprises a sensor of the plurality of sensors as well as at least one water jet valve both associated with the hopper section, and wherein the quantity of water flowing out of the at least one water jet valve and into the hopper section is based on the acquired information from the sensor. 
     
     
         7 . The discharging system of  claim 1 , wherein adjacent sensors among the plurality of sensors in a row are separated by a first distance, wherein the first distance is 55 mm or greater. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The discharging system of  claim 1 , wherein adjacent rows are spaced apart by a second distance, wherein the second distance can be 110 mm or greater. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The discharging system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least a pair of sensors, each pair of sensors comprising a pressure sensor and a density sensor. 
     
     
         12 . The discharging system of  claim 11 , wherein the pressure sensor and the density sensor in each pair of sensors are spaced apart by a third distance, wherein the third distance is 20 mm or greater. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The discharging system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein a position of each sensor of the plurality of sensors is different than a position of each of the at least one water jet valve,   wherein the position of each sensor is not in-line with a direction of water flowing out of the at least one water jet valve.   
     
     
         15 . The discharging system of  claim 1 , wherein a direction of water flowing out of the at least one water jet valve is adjusted based on the acquired information from the plurality of sensors. 
     
     
         16 . The discharging system of  claim 1 , further comprising a control system for obtaining the acquired information over a dredged material from the plurality of sensors, and controlling the quantity of water flowing out of the at least one water jet valve based on the acquired information. 
     
     
         17 . The discharging system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one wall has a slope (θ), wherein the slope is 30 degrees or less. 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The discharging system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one bottom wall comprises:
 a first bottom wall and a second bottom wall, such that the first bottom wall and the second bottom wall slope downwardly to the lower part of the hopper where the outlet is.   
     
     
         20 . The discharging system of  claim 1 , further comprising a discharging pump for controlling a quantity of dredged material discharged through the outlet on the lower part of the hopper, and/or a jet pump for controlling the quantity of water flowing out of the at least one water jet. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A dredging vessel comprising a hopper containing dredged material and a discharging system according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         23 . A method of discharging dredged material from a hopper of a vessel within which the dredged material is stored, the method comprising, while the dredging material is being discharged through an outlet on a lower part of the hopper:
 acquiring, from at least one sensor, information of the dredged material; and   fluidizing the dredging material by opening at least one water jet valve based on the acquired information of the dredged material such that the dredging material is discharged,   wherein a quantity of water flowing out of the at least one water jet valve is based on the acquired information from the plurality of sensors.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 obtaining, by a control system, the acquired information over a dredged material from the plurality of sensors; and   controlling the quantity of water flowing out of the at least one water jet valve based on the acquired information.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 measuring a water level within the hopper; and   correcting the acquired information from the plurality of sensors based on the measured water level.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of: a pressure sensor, a density sensor, and a concentration sensor. 
     
     
         27 . (canceled)