Particle Trajectories along a Cutter Head Blade, Using the Results of a CFD Model for the Flow

Particle trajectories along a cutter blade have been determined for several rotational velocities of the cutter head and a constant suction flow. The initial positions of the particles were varied in the simulations as were their initial velocity. Simulation results seem contradictory to the test results at first notice. The lower the rotational velocities, the more the particles seem to move towards the suction mouth. Examining the flow fields determined by a CFD model showed that the water velocities were relatively low resulting in a large difference in velocity between the blade and the water. Furthermore, the pumping effect of the cutter head could have been underestimated in the CFD model. A thorough validation of this model is needed. The simulation model for the particle trajectories should be extended by implementing the trajectories of particles in the free flow.