A comparison of experimental and numerical behaviour characteristics of a ship entering a lock using benchmark test data

This paper discusses several papers that were presented at the 3rd International Conference on Ship Manoeuvring in Shallow and Confined Water, which had a non-exclusive focus on Ship Behaviour in Locks. For this conference, experimental model test data obtained at Flanders Hydraulics Research had been made public and researchers were encouraged to compare numerical with experimental results [1]. Data of benchmark tests carried out both with self-propelled and captive models were used by researchers for comparison with various numerical tools. The objective of this paper is to give a selected overview of how accurately numerical tools are presently able to predict the hydrodynamic forces that occur on ships approaching locks. Based on this, the paper concludes that experiments and numerical tools complement each other

The Safe-Port project: an approach to port surveillance and protection

SAFE-PORT is a recently started project addressing the complex issue of determining the best configurations of resources for harbour and port surveillance and protection. More specifically, the main goal is to find, for any given scenario, an adequate set of configuration solutions — i.e., number and type of sensors and equipments, their locations and operating modes, the corresponding personnel and other support resources — that maximize protection over a specific area. The project includes research and development of sensors models, novel algorithms for optimization and decision support, and a computer-based decision support system (DSS) to assist decision makers in that task. It includes also the development of a simulation environment for modelling relevant aspects of the scenario (including sensors used for surveillance, platforms, threats and the environment), capable to incorporate data from field-trials, used to test and validate solutions proposed by the DSS. Test cases will consider the use of intelligent agents to model the behaviour of threats and of NATO forces in a realistic way, following experts’ definitions and parameters

Operationalizing the circular city model for naples' city-port: A hybrid development strategy

The city-port context involves a decisive reality for the economic development of territories and nations, capable of significantly influencing the conditions of well-being and quality of life, and of making the Circular City Model (CCM) operational, preserving and enhancing seas and marine resources in a sustainable way. This can be achieved through the construction of appropriate production and consumption models, with attention to relations with the urban and territorial system. This paper presents an adaptive decision-making process for Naples (Italy) commercial port's development strategies, aimed at re-establishing a sustainable city-port relationship and making Circular Economy (CE) principles operative. The approach has aimed at implementing a CCM by operationalizing European recommendations provided within both the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework-specifically focusing on goals 9, 11 and 12-and the Maritime Spatial Planning European Directive 2014/89, to face conflicts about the overlapping areas of the city-port through multidimensional evaluations' principles and tools. In this perspective, a four-step methodological framework has been structured applying a place-based approach with mixed evaluation methods, eliciting soft and hard knowledge domains, which have been expressed and assessed by a core set of Sustainability Indicators (SI), linked to SDGs. The contribution outcomes have been centred on the assessment of three design alternatives for the East Naples port and the development of a hybrid regeneration scenario consistent with CE and sustainability principles. The structured decision-making process has allowed us to test how an adaptive approach can expand the knowledge base underpinning policy design and decisions to achieve better outcomes and cultivate a broad civic and technical engagement, that can enhance the legitimacy and transparency of policies

Automatic collision avoidance of ships

One of the key elements in automatic simulation of ship manoeuvring in confined waterways is route finding and collision avoidance. This paper presents a new practical method of automatic trajectory planning and collision avoidance based on an artificial potential field and speed vector. Collision prevention regulations and international navigational rules have been incorporated into the algorithm. The algorithm is fairly straightforward and simple to implement, but has been shown to be effective in finding safe paths for all ships concerned in complex situations. The method has been applied to some typical test cases and the results are very encouraging

A capacity study for vessel traffic using automatic identification system data

In this study, we created a simulation model to assess the overall impact of implementing a one-way traffic policy due to construction works. The inputs of the simulation model are found by performing statistical analysis on data from the Automatic Identification System (AIS). The aim of this study is twofold: (a) map the vessel traffic during the reference period and (b) analyse the congestion for the new traffic conditions. We use a non-homogeneous Poisson process with piecewise linear intensity to model the arrival process. For scenarios with varying arrival intensities, we compare the vessels' waiting times as well as the maximum queue lengths. The latter is important for upstream traffic since there are space constraints

Modeling an offshore container terminal: the Venice case study

In order to reduce marine transportation times and related costs, as well as the environmental impacts, an alternative multimodal route to the current Suez-Gibraltar-North Sea corridor for the containers shipped from Far and Middle East was identified as potentially very effective. A key operational problem to achieve this result is the capacity and the effectiveness of the terminals within the concerned new logistic chain. In this framework, the Venice Port Authority is developing a project aimed to improve relevantly the potential of its container terminals to al-low loading/unloading of containers to and from the Central Europe. The project includes a new offshore terminal for mooring huge ships (up to 18.000 TEU) in the Adriatic Sea and a link operated by barges with an onshore terminal in Venice to overcome the constraints for the navigation of the containers ships in the Venetian lagoon. This innovative operational scheme requires a deep functional analysis to ensure the full capacity operation, assess the reachable performances and correspondingly dimensioning the required equipment (cranes, barges, quays, etc.). For this purpose, the authors developed a specific discrete-events simulation model. The paper includes the presentation of the model and the results of its application to Venice case study, by identifying the benefits achievable with this approach and the potential wider application fields

Modelling the Eddy Pattern in the harbour of Zeebrugge

Hydrodynamic