Automatic Operation System with Fuzzy Control for Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger
加藤英夫*福本裕哉*
Hideo Kato* Hiroya Fukumoto*
*運輸省港湾技術研究所
(Port and Harbour Research Institute Japan)
Key Words : Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger, Automation of Dredging Operation, Fuzzy Control, Artificial Intelligence Dredging System
ABSTRACT
An automation of dredging operation has been highlighted in the dredging field for a long time from the viewpoint of labor saving, improvement of efficiency and accuracy. After the various kinds of attempts, the automation for operation of drag-arm and drag-head has been achieved, and it has been performed very good so far. The control parameter, however, which is based upon the dredging environment such as the condition of sea bed, is being relied on the operator's decision at present. Under these circumstances, the study on the more advanced automatic dredging system using fuzzy con-trol has been carried out for 1700m3 trailing suction hopper dredger named 'SEIRYU MARU".
This paper introduces the newly developed concept of an advanced automatic dredging system and presents the results of dredging trial. This automation system based on fuzzy control is more ad-vanced and quite different from the existing automation system which gives only sequential control conducted by "ON-OFF" control and cannot totally and automatically perform the optimum control on whole dredging works according to various working conditions. Through this experimental dredging trial, the production improvement by about 7%〜10% in comparison with existing automatic control system was confirmed.