HYDRODYNAMIC INTERACTION BETWEEN SHIPS AND RESTRICTED WATERWAYS

In open and unrestricted waters the water displaced by a forward sailing vessel can travel without major obstruction underneath and along the ship. In restricted and shallow sailing conditions, the displaced water is squeezed between the hull and the bottom and/or the bank. This results in higher flow velocities and as a consequence a pressure drop around the same hull. In the vicinity of a bank this pressure drop generates a combination of forces and moments on the vessel, known as bank effects. The major achievement of the presented research is the development of a realistic and robust formulation for these bank effects. This knowledge is acquired with an extensive literature study on one hand and with dedicated model tests carried out in different towing tanks on the other. The majority of the utilised model tests were carried out in the shallow water towing tank at Flanders Hydraulics Research in Antwerp, Belgium. The data set on bank effects consists of more than 8 000 unique model test setups (which is by far the most elaborate research ever carried out on this subject). These model tests provide the input for the analysis of bank effects and the creation of the mathematical model.

The Influence of the Ship's Speed and Distance to an Arbitrarily Shaped Bank on Bank Effects

In shallow and restricted waterways, the water displaced by a sailing ship is squeezed under and along its hull. These confinements result in increased velocities of the return flow along the hull and the induced pressure distribution on the hull causes a combination of forces and moments on the vessel. If generated because of asymmetric flow due to the presence of a bank, this combination of forces and moment is known as bank effects. A comprehensive experimental research program on bank effects has been carried out in the towing tank for maneuvers in shallow water (cooperation Flanders Hydraulics Research—Ghent University) at Flanders Hydraulics Research (FHR) in Antwerp, Belgium. The obtained data consist of more than 14,000 unique model test conditions. The relative position and distance between a ship and an arbitrarily shaped bank is ambiguous. Therefore, a definition for a dimensionless distance to the bank is introduced. In this way, the properties of a random cross section are taken into account without exaggerating the bathymetry at a distance far away from the ship or without underestimating the bank shape at close proximity to the ship. Also, a dimensionless velocity is introduced to take the influence of the water depth, forward speed, and blockage into account. The proposed mathematical model for bank effects, often described as a sway force and yaw moment, is instead decomposed in two sway forces at each perpendicular.

Dynamic Ship Domain Models for Capacity Analysis of Restricted Water Channels

Developing adequate ship domain models may significantly benefit vessel navigation safety. In essence, navigation safety is collectively affected by the navigable waterway condition, the size and shape of the ship, and operators' skills. The existing ship domains mainly use constant values for the model input parameters, making them incapable of handling site-specific conditions. This study proposes dynamic ship domain models that take into consideration navigable waterway conditions, ship behaviours, ship types and sizes, and operators' skills in a holistic manner. Specifically, the conditions of restricted waterways are classified into navigating along the channel, crossing the channel, joining another flow and turning. The ship types considered include ships that transport non-hazardous goods and Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) ships that are in need of additional security zones. A computational experiment is conducted for model application using data on water channel design and ship traffic volumes related to navigating along the channel, joining another flow and turning. Comparisons of results obtained between the proposed dynamic models with real ship traffic counts reveal that the proposed models could achieve a higher level of accuracy in estimating the capacity of restricted water channels. It therefore could potentially deliver safety enhancements of waterway transportation.