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Pinch valves ensure shipping channels are kept free in harbours and shallow waters

A charter company for luxury sailing yachts uses pinch valves from the VF series to remove sedimentary deposits from harbours and areas near to the coast. The extraction system fitted to a floating platform has five DN 50 and five DN 100 AKO pinch valves working in parallel.

Sediment often accumulates due to tidal currents at the entrances to harbours or in shallow waters near to the coast. This can subsequently become a problem for shipping traffic because the shipping channels no longer have the required depths. The shipping channels are usually cleared using a floating dredger in order to restore the original or required depth.


Do you already use suction technology to remove sediment?
Our pinch valves have already proven themselves in this area!

 

This was precisely the problem facing a charter company for luxury yachts. However, the company did not place its trust in traditional floating dredgers but rather in an alternative solution that involved sucking the sediment from the seabed or bottom of the harbour and then removing it. The extraction of the sediment flows is controlled by pinch valves from AKO Armaturen. Ten pipelines working in parallel that are fitted with DN 50 and DN 100 pinch valves ensure that the shipping lanes are kept at the desired depth.

Incidentally, this technology is also used for land reclamation by depositing earth in coastal areas, for reclaiming land after storm floods or natural erosion and for filling sandy beaches. For this purpose, certain areas of the seabed are pumped onto special cargo ships and then pumped or tipped onto the coastline.

The operator of the extraction system is totally satisfied with the AKO pinch valves. They are easy to operate and “simply do their job!”. The currently installed pinch valves have now been in operation for more than five years and only the internal sleeves made out of abrasion-resistant natural rubber will need to be replaced due to wear every couple of years.

VF050.03X.31.30LA & VF100.03X.31.30LA pinch valves used as control valves in the extraction of sediment underwater
VF050.03X.31.30LA & VF100.03X.31.30LA pinch valves used as control valves in the extraction of sediment underwater

Requirements:

  • Resistant to the abrasive properties of the sediment.
  • It must be possible to independently maintain / repair the installed valves.

Goals achieved:

  • The internal sleeve made out of natural rubber is ideally suited for use with sediment.
  • The company's own employees are able to independently maintain and repair the valves on-site thanks to the simple design and separately available maintenance & installation sets.

Medium:
Seawater & sediment

Processing temperature:
Temperature of the seawater

Opening and closing cycles:
Approx. 100 per use
(depending on duration)

Control pressure:
Approx. 4.0 bar

Experience with pinch valves:
More than 5 years

Valve configuration:
Nominal size: DN 50 & DN 100
Series: VF
Housing: Aluminium (painted)
Connections: Flange, aluminium (painted)
Sleeve: Natural rubber, abrasion-resistant

Valve designation:
VF050.03X.31.30LA
VF100.03X.31.30LA

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