Reflections and Future Directions for the Green Maritime Supply Chain in Malaysia

The maritime sector and shipping industry have been argued to be effective drivers of international trade. Internationalization has become a strategic business plan by entrepreneurs and industry players to expand the business, especially when their business was already established in the domestic market. However, current international laws began to be tightened by requiring each exporting and shipping firms to implement green sea transport practices and documentations. A limited number of empirical-based evidence has forced the maritime practitioners to conduct business without clear green concepts knowledge and availability of best business practices to be benchmarked. With this in mind, the aim of this chapter is to examine current issues, differences, and dilemmas confronting practitioners, governments, stakeholders, and scholars. This chapter has developed a green maritime supply chain concept based on practitioners' reflections and provides future direction to scholars interested in studying green logistics and supplying chain management in the maritime sector.

IMPROVEMENT OF THE LOGISTIC SERVICE OF RAILWAY FERRY

Purpose. In modern conditions, Ukraine, having an extensive railway network and a developed infrastructure of seaports located on its Black Sea coast, is becoming a link in new goods delivery routes in the direction of the EU-China. Transportation of large consignments of goods in the direction is usually carried out in containers by sea transport. At the same time, such transportation is characterized, on the one hand, by a relatively low cost, and on the other hand, by rather long delivery times. An alternative case is transportation by mixed rail-water communication, which allows, with a moderate increase in cost, to achieve a significant reduction in the delivery time of goods. The economic attractiveness of such a transportation scheme depends significantly on the performance of ferry crossings in the Caspian and Black Seas. In this regard, the purpose of this work is to increase the efficiency of international ferry services by improving its logistics support on coastal ferry complexes. Methodology. To achieve the work purpose, methods of statistical analysis were used to determine the volume and structure of ferry traffic; simulation methods to determine effective options for loading ferries; theory of shunting work to optimize the car classification according to the cargo plan. Results. There were analyzed the requirements for ferry loading and developed a computer model that allows to create acceptable plans for the cars location on ferry decks (cargo plan). On the basis of the obtained variants of the cargo plan, the modeling of the multi-group trains forming by combinatorial and distribution methods has been carried out. Based on the simulation results, recommendations of choosing the effective method for train forming and the required number of cargo plan variants were given. Scientific novelty. The author has improved the method for determining the effective cargo plan of the ferry loading, which takes into account the process of forming the trains of cars to be supplied to the ferry. Practical significance. The obtained results can be used to improve the efficiency of international freight transportation management in mixed rail-water traffic.

ANALYSIS OF TECHNICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF UKRAINIAN PRE-PORT RAILWAY STATIONS

Purpose. The aim of the work is a comprehensive analysis of the technical and technological parameters of pre-port railway stations in Ukraine as key elements of the port infrastructure, ensuring the interaction of railway transport with seaports. Methodology. In the process of research, the methods of analysis and synthesis were used to study the content and the main provisions of scientific publications on the issues of establishing effective interaction between rail and sea transport, with their subsequent comparison and generalization; methods of statistical analysis for research and systematization of technical equipment of port stations. Results. More than 60% of export cargoes go through Ukrainian ports; while 75% of export volumes are delivered to ports by rail. Currently, due to changes in the conditions for the functioning of the economy and the transport system of Ukraine, there is an imbalance between the capacities of ports and the port railway infrastructure for processing freight flows. Based on the analysis, it was found that the throughput of most stations does not correspond to the prospective, and for some stations - and the actual, volumes of work. In particular, for some stations, the capacity of track development is insufficient; a significant problem is also the low efficiency of the shunting means. An effective way to solve the problem of reducing the imbalance in the processing capacity of ports and the pre-port railway infrastructure is public-private partnership in the implementation of appropriate investment projects, the assessment of which should be carried out using modern scientific approaches. Scientific novelty. The authors have systematized the existing technical equipment of the port stations of Ukraine from the point of view of its sufficiency to ensure the existing and prospective volumes of transportation. Practical significance. The results obtained make it possible to provide a scientific basis for further research into assessing the throughput capacity of pre-port railway stations and the effectiveness of infrastructure projects aimed at increasing it.

Is There Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on Steroidogenesis and Fertility?

In December of 2019, several cases of unknown atypical respiratory diseases emerged in Wuhan, Hubei Province in China. After preliminary research, it was stated that the disease is transmittable between humans and was named COVID-19. Over the course of next months, it spread all over the world by air and sea transport and caused a global pandemic which affects life of everyone now-a-days. A large number of countries, have since been forced to take precautions such as curfews, lockdowns, wearing facemasks etc. Even with vaccines being produced in mass numbers, lack of targeted therapy continues to be a major problem. According to studies so far it seems that elderly people are more vulnerable to severe symptoms while children tend to by asymptomatic or have milder form the disease. In our review, we focused on gathering data about the virus itself, its characteristics, paths of transmission, and its effect on hormone production and secretion. In such, there is insufficient information in the literature worldwide, especially the ones that focus on the effect of COVID-19 on individual organs systems within the human body. Hence, the present evidence-based study focused on the possible effects of COVID-19 on adrenal gland and gonads i.e. on the process of steroidogenesis and fertility.

INSIGHTS INTO THE FLOW WITHIN THE WELL DOCK OF A MOTHERSHIP DURING FEEDER VESSEL DOCKING MANOEUVRES

An experimental campaign has been undertaken to explore the flow around a feeder vessel as it manoeuvres in and out of the well dock of a mothership. The parent hulls for this study are drawn from the floating harbour transhipper concept created by Sea Transport Corporation. Laser measurement techniques have been employed to analyse the flow field within the well dock while the feeder vessel both enters and departs. For the Master of the feeder vessel to safely perform these manoeuvres, the complex flows resulting from the highly confined nature of the well dock concept need to be understood and potentially mitigated. It is shown that the inclusion of vents in the well dock can significantly influence the flow and that their effectiveness is determined by the size of the vents. This study further progresses the authors’ recent work on the same novel concept where the confined water effect of the well dock and inclusion of vents is quantified for both the seakeeping behaviour and the docking/departure performance. It is concluded that the use of vents is very beneficial when a feeder vessel docks or departs the well dock, however a compromise on the vent size must be reached in order to reduce adverse effects on feeder vessel motions when docked and exposed to a seaway. It is likely that the optimum solution, that covers all operational parameters, only requires the inclusion of relatively small vents.

ROLE OF WATER TRANSPORT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM IN THE NORTHERN BLACK SEA OF UKRAINE

The article is devoted to water transport and its role in the tourism sector. Water transport is one of the oldest forms of transport and remained the most important until the advent of transcontinental railways in the second half of the 19th century. It plays a huge role in the tourism sector and is used quite actively. The most significant advantages are a high level of comfort, a large volume of one-time loading of ships, the possibility of implementing various types and purposes of tourism (educational, business tourism, educational, shop tourism). The main type of sea and river transportation in tourism is cruises - travel in a vicious circle with radial trips from ports to the interior regions of countries. The main activity of water transport is to meet the needs of people in passenger transportation, as well as the demand for recreation during a sea trip. More than 25 years ago from Odessa it was easy to quickly and inexpensively get to anywhere in the Black Sea; a powerful fleet of passenger hydrofoils successfully competed with trains and aircraft throughout the Northern Black Sea region. By the beginning of the 1980s, hydrofoils "Kometa" and "Kolkhida" sailed from Odessa to Kherson, Kakhovka, Zaporozhye, Nikolaev, and also towards Crimea – to Skadovsk, Evpatoria, Sevastopol, Yalta, Kerch, Novorossiysk and Sochi. "Comets" and "Colchis" covered the distance along the Odessa – Kherson line in 2 hours and 40 minutes, in contrast to automobile transport – 4 hours, which was much more comfortable and faster. And boats and sea trams running along the coast of the Odessa Gulf, from Kryzhanovka to Chernomorka, were one of Odessa's calling cards from the post-war times until the 1990s, when the history of Odessa sea trams and hydrofoils ended. Sea transport and water travel play a huge role in the tourism sector all over the world, therefore their revival is an integral part in the development and modernization of the tourism sector of the Northern Black Sea region. In the 2000s and 2010s, there were attempts to revive coastal passenger shipping in the Black Sea, but not as successful. The main obstacle to the return of high-speed coastal passenger shipping to Odessa is the seasonality and dependence on the weather, which makes water transport not as stable as the railway. Despite this, "Rockets" and "Komets" do not have competition in speed with any bus and railway on such river and sea directions as Nikolaev, Kherson, Zaporozhye, Dnepropetrovsk, Izmail, etc. Moreover, it will serve the development of domestic and foreign tourism.

Selection of the composition and parameters of the propulsive complex of increased speed sea transport vessel

В работе предложена методика выбора состава и основных параметров двигательно-движительного комплекса морского транспортного судна, предложены критерии оценки указанного выбора. С использованием этой методики решена задача выбора числа гребных валов при проектировании транспортных судов повышенной скорости хода. Задача решена применительно к судну RO-RO типа «Сергей Киров» (проектная скорость 17 узлов) и контейнеровозу ФЕСКО «Байкал» (проектная скорость 22 узла). В качестве критериев оценки проектных решений использована совокупность величин: пропульсивный коэффициент, часовой расход топлива в главных двигателях и суммарные затраты денежных средств на покупку и эксплуатацию главных двигателей в течение расчётного срока. Второй из перечисленных критериев использован в составе относительного конструктивного коэффициента энергетической эффективности (EEDI), который по сути является величиной, характеризующей уровень выброса СО2 в атмосферу. В работе использован авторский программный комплекс ENGINES автоматизированного проектирования судового пропульсивного комплекса. В программе предусмотрен расчёт ходкости суда, параметров гребного винта, а также выбор из электронного каталога вариантов главного двигателя. Для каждого двигателя выполнена совместная оптимизация параметров гребного винта и рабочей точки двигателя с целью обеспечения минимального часового расхода топлива. Расчёты показали, что граничная проектная скорость движения судна, при превышении которой целесообразен переход от одновальной установки в двухвальной, составляет: для RO-RO – 16 узлов; для контейнеровоза – 25 узлов. The paper proposes a method for selecting the composition and main parameters of the propulsive complex of a marine transport vessel, and suggests criteria for evaluating this choice. Using this technique, the problem of selecting the number of propeller shafts in the design of increased speed transport vessels is solved. The problem is solved in relation to the RO-RO vessel "Sergey Kirov" (design speed 17 knots) and the container ship FESCO "Baikal" (design speed 22 knots). As criteria for evaluating design solutions, a set of values is used: the propulsive coefficient, the hourly fuel consumption in the main engines and the total cost of funds for the purchase and operation of the main engines during the estimated period. The second of these criteria is used as variety of the relative constructive energy efficiency coefficient (EEDI), which is essentially a value that characterizes the level of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. The paper uses the author's software package ENGINES for computer-aided design of the ship's propulsive complex. The program provides for the calculation of the ship's seaworthiness, the parameters of the propeller, as well as the selection of the main engine from the electronic catalog of options. For each engine, the parameters of the propeller and the operating point of the engine are jointly optimized to ensure a minimum hourly fuel consumption. Calculations have shown that the limit design speed of the vessel, when exceeding which it is advisable to switch from a single-shaft installation to a two-shaft one, is: for RO-RO – 16 knots; for a container ship - 25 knots.

Study of the structure and frictional properties of a new composite friction material

В статье приведены результаты исследования фрикционных свойств и структуры нового композиционного фрикционного материала (КФМ). В ходе исследования были разработаны восемь перспективных составов КФМ, полученных методом порошковой металлургии. Фрикционные испытания новых материалов проводились на испытательной машине на трение и износ ИИ5018, оснащённой программным комплексом Tester 3.0, позволяющим точно фиксировать изменение момента трения в течение испытания с построением графика и автоматическим расчётом параметров трения. Методика испытаний позволила имитировать условия фрикционного взаимодействия, возникающие в муфтах электроприводов, применяемых в наземном и морском транспорте. По результатам испытаний оценивались величина коэффициента трения и его стабильность на протяжении цикла испытания и в диапазоне рабочих регулировок электропривода, а также износостойкость КФМ. На основании исследований структуры поверхности трения и качественной оценки стабильности коэффициента трения был определён оптимальный состав КФМ, способный обеспечить стабильную и безопасную работу электропривода в диапазоне рабочих регулировок. The article presents the results of a study of the frictional properties and structure of a new composite frictional material (CFM). In the course of the study, eight promising CFM compositions were developed, obtained by the method of powder metallurgy. Friction tests were carried out on a friction and wear testing machine II5018, equipped with the software package Tester 3.0, which allows registering the change in friction moment during the test with plotting and automatic calculation of friction parameters. The test technique made it possible to simulate the conditions of frictional interaction arising in the couplings of electric drives used in land and sea transport. After the tests, the value of the friction coefficient, its stability during the test cycle and in the range of operating adjustments of the electric drive and the wear resistance of the CFM were evaluated. Based on the analysis of the structure of the friction surface and a qualitative assessment of the stability of the coefficient of friction, the optimal composition of the CFM capable of ensuring stable and safe operation of the electric drive in the range of operating adjustments was determined.

Modeling of material flow management processes in the formation of transport logistics chains

The article proposes a mathematical model for optimizing the interaction of road and sea transport. The model allows to optimize the process of material flow management in the formation of transport logistics chains. The solution to this problem is especially important given the observed growth of competition between operators carrying out cargo transportation along international transport corridors. The application of the model is aimed at reducing the idle time of both vehicles waiting for unloading in the port, and reducing the idle time of ships awaiting loading of ships in ports. The relevance of using the proposed model is based on the constant growth of cargo traffic going through the ports, as well as the existing restrictions expressed in the lack of space for storing goods in anticipation of the arrival of ships in most modern ports participating in international cargo transportation, in addition, an important factor is that in most of these ports the time the passage of trucks to the port is regulated by certain hours of the day.

CURRENT CHALLENGES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDONESIA’S TRANSPORT SYSTEM

Indonesia is located on the archipelago, which consists of more than 17800 islands. This fact largely determined a structure of the transport system of the country. The Indonesian Central government's spending on transport has increased significantly in recent years (before 2020). This allowed the country to expand its transport network and improve access to remote areas of the archipelago. Maritime navigation provides a link between different parts of the country. On some islands, where there are no good roads, the main transport connection is via large rivers. The most important direction of the country's transport policy is the development of high-speed cargo and passenger sea connections with the most remote and inaccessible regions of the country, primarily with the Eastern part of Indonesia. A variety of vehicles are used on the roads of Indonesia. Bus routes are laid in all areas that have access to the road network. Since 2004, the TransJakarta rapid bus system has been operating in the country. Most of Indonesia's Railways are located in Java and are used for both passenger and freight transport. In March 2019, the Jakarta metro started operating. Indonesia's air transport is the most important means of communication between thousands of Islands throughout the archipelago and other countries. Many residents of the country have switched from land and sea transport to faster and more comfortable air transportation. Indonesia like other countries was severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021. Further development of transport depends on how quickly the country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and how effectively the authorities deal with its consequences.