Hybrid grab concepts for varying operational conditions

A validated co-simulation of grab and moist iron ore cargo: Replicating the cohesive and stress-history dependent behaviour of bulk solids

The traditional design approach of grabs and other bulk handling equipment consists of manufacturing and testing physical prototypes. A novel design approach is to use a co-simulation of MultiBody Dynamics (MBD) and Discrete Element Method (DEM), in which the virtual prototype of a new concept interacts with bulk solids. Therefore, this study...

Design of grabs under operational conditions (abstract)

Bulk materials such as iron ore transported by bulk carriers are commonly unloaded by the use of grabs. The unloading process is time consuming and increasing the unloading capacity is of big importance for terminals. A validated co-simulation developed by the TU Delft in cooperation with Nemag enables to test grabs in the virtual environment....

Systematic Design Optimization of grabs handling cohesive bulk materials: Systematisch ontwerp optimalisatie van overslag grijpers voor cohesive bulk materialen

Grabs are often used for unloading bulk carriers that transport iron ore cargoes around the globe. The unloading process is time-consuming, and terminals strive to maximise their turnover capacity. Grab performance is a combination of maximum crane capacity, grab design and bulk material behaviour. Due to bulk uncertainties occurred by varying...

Virtual prototyping of grabs: Co-simulations of discrete element and rigid body models

This dissertation has investigated whether a combination of DEM and MBD can be used for a reliable and accurate environment for predicting grab unloading performance. A grab is a type of bulk material handling equipment used for unloading materials such as coal and iron ore from vessel to shore. Both a grab and iron ore pellets have been...