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Jeffboat Launches The Alco-Powered 'Volunteer State' Jeffboat, Inc., Jeffersonville, Ind., has launched the 145-foot by 48- foot, twin-screw towboat M /V Volunteer State for service on the Ohio and Mississippi River Systems. Nashville-based H & S Transportation will be operating the vessel. The vessel carries over 100,000 gallons of fuel oil, 3,000 gallons of lube oil, and 10,000 gallons of potable water. Its twin, 16-cylinder Alco engines are coupled with Lufkin reverse reduction gears to turn the 110-inch propellers at 215 rpm. Its layout includes permanent quarters for a crew of 12, a lounge, radio room, galley, and laundry room. A new type of cutter/dredge developed in Australia and now marketed worldwide by Neumann Equipment Marketing Co. Pty. Ltd. has been hailed by engineers as a breakthrough in its field. Australian Design Called Breakthrough In Dredges A new dredge, developed in Australia, has been termed by engineers as a breakthrough in its field. This hydraulic bucket wheel cutter/dredge was pro- duced after two years of testing, proving, and modifying the pro- totype under actual working con- ditions, according to the Aus- tralian Trade Commission. Operated by one man, the dredge is said to have production capabilities superior to more ex- pensive equipment. Powered by an underwater hydraulic motor of high horsepower and torque, the bucket wheel is capable of cut- ting material previously regarded as undredgeable by a conventional suction/cutter dredge. The cutter wheel is so designed that once material is cut, it can escape only through the suction pipe and de- livery line. for free fall of the spud. This achieves maximum penetration. Rams and spuds are pivoted to enable horizontal positioning for transportation. Water at high pressure is in- troduced through nozzles into the suction pipe so that the dredge pump is primed, cavitating in the dredge pump is eliminated, and greater lifting power to the suc- tion line is achieved. Specially designed swing winch- es are made of high-quality com- ponents and feature automatic reel-on and reel-off controls for ease of operation. Winch ropes operate through balanced sheaves positioned at the bottom of the ladder. The dredge is demount- able into five separate components which ensure ease of shipping and transport. Two Caterpillar engines of 300 bhp and 600 bhp (223 kw and 447 kw) are used to power the dredge, as parts for these are available worldwide. As operators of dredges for more than 20 years, the manu- facturer can construct them to suit particular conditions. It will provide technicians to assemble, commission, and train operators to high standards. The dredge is being marketed worldwide by Neumann Equip- ment Marketing Company Pty. Ltd. The company has appointed agents in Hong Kong, Dubai, In- dia, and the Philippines, and cur- rently is negotiating agency ap- pointments in other countries. The company also provides a fee-for-service assay to ascertain the feasibility of a project and an advisory service to ensure that the equipment ordered is suited to the particular operation. GL/GR Section Of SNAME Held Spring Meeting In Dearborn The Spring Meeting of the Great Lakes and Great Rivers Section of The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers was held at the Hyatt Regency Dearborn, Dearborn, Mich. Total attendance of about 100 mem- bers and guests enjoyed the usual comeradery and business, and the technical session presented an af- ternoon tour of the Ford Motor assembly line. During the technical session, two main papers were presented entitled "Current Design and Per- formance Requirements in Medi- um Speed Diesels for Marine Service," by Alan Barich, mem- ber, Transamerica Delaval Engine and Compressor Division, and "Coal-Fired Marine Boilers for the 1980's," by Carl Horlitz, mem- ber, and Steven Sabo, associate member, both with Combustion Engineering. In place of a third technical paper, per se, six stu- dent presentations were made from the Senior Design Project from the University of Michigan, including the following subjects: Straits Train Ferry, Sailing Cruise Ships, Submersible, Sailing Cargo Ships, Tuna Boats, and Offshore Platform. The fall meeting of the Section has been scheduled for October 9, 1980, in the Kahler Hotel in Hib- bing, Minn., where the major fea- ture will be a story and plant tour of the Hibbing Taconite Company. High specific gravity material that escapes and settles on the bottom of a cut when a conven- tional dredge is used can now be collected, making the mining of marginal deposits a viable opera- tion. High production at greater depths has been achieved through the development of a venturi that assists the flow of pulp to the pump and enables it to handle larger volumes of slurry. The spud carriageway system allows for a 3-meter (9.75-foot) forward travel of the dredge and is positioned by a hydraulic ram assembly. "Walking" movements of previous systems have been overcome, and the arc overlaps that occur in other dredges have been minimized. Spuds are lifted by means of hydraulic rams and deposited by a quick-drop system that allows At Spring Meeting of SNAME Great Lakes and Great Rivers Section were, standing L to R: Thomas Stewart, Section secretary-treasurer; Carl Horlitz, author; Ian Sharp, Section Papers chairman. Seated: Richard D. Jacobs II, Section chairman; and T. Francis Ogilvie, Section Technical & Research Representative and department head, University of Michigan School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. 10 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News
