The largest deepwater fallpipe in the world
The Simon Stevin from Jan de Nul is the largest fallpipe vessel in the world with a capacity of 33,500 tonnes. This fall pipe is also the first ‘purpose built’ fallpipe vessel, designed to work at great depths. Because of the extensive knowledge of Vuyk, the basic design of the vessel as well as the concept design of the mining system and concept and detailed design of the fallpipe system was performed by Vuyk.
The Simon Stevin is as large as an apartment complex consisting of 70 apartments spread over eight floors. The vessel transports rock in two cargo holds on main deck. These rocks are discharged by means of two excavators and conveyor belts via a fall pipe installation, deployed in a moonpool located amidships in the vessel. During loading or discharging the vessel is capable of maintaining a constant draught by means of an automatic ballasting system, consisting of tanks at the sides, filled/emptied by means of electrically driven pumps.
The vessel is equipped for installation of mining crawlers and a riser pipe, discharging into the storage unit. In a superstructure amidships, a storage, launching and recovery system is installed for mounting, launching, supporting, recovering and dismounting the fallpipe and the riser pipe. The vessel is equipped with two ROV’s for the fallpipe installation: one fallpipe ROV at the lower end of the fallpipe, for positioning of the fallpipe and one work class ROV, with launching device, for surveying and general operations.
Project scope Vessel:
- Construction drawings
- Arrangements including lines plan, tank capacity plan, WT subdivision plan, mooring plans, anchor arrangement plans, plans for fire control / fire protection / safety, engine room, propulsion room, thruster rooms, switchboard room, etc.
- Diagrams of all machinery and ship’s systems
- FEM Global hull strength analyses
- Fatigue analyses for critical details.
Project scope Equipment:
- General Arrangement Plan, Module Construction Plan, Finite Element calculations and hydrodynamic calculations
- Design of fallpipes and fallpipe handling equipment
- Arrangement and construction plans of fallpipe handling equipment
- Integration of equipment in the module
- Arrangement and combination plan of mining crawler LARS.
