Action Project Research Articles

Trinidad's Role in the Development of Nonviolent Strategies: Focus on C. L. R. James

ABSTRACTThis paper will focus on the often‐neglected peace and nonviolence contributions of Afro‐Trinidadian radicals C.L.R. James and George Padmore. Regularly not included in accounts of the development of nonviolent strategies because of their Marxist and Trotskyist approaches, I will argue that they play a key role in the development of nonviolent strategies, both in their native Trinidad and in the greater Pan‐African world. James and Padmore each explicitly mention ways in which the cross‐racial alliances and workers' movements in Trinidad inspired them. They insist, along with Gandhi, that disciplined strikes and boycotts are part of the tactics of nonviolence. The article focuses on James, as he recounts his first encounters with Gandhian nonviolent tactics as he learned them from C.F. Andrews who visited Trinidad in 1929, giving talks and writing news articles. James along with Padmore debated the use of nonviolence in their publications in the late 1930s. Through the influence of W.E.B. DuBois and Kwame Nkrumah (and with James' concurrence), the 1945 Pan‐African Congress in Manchester, England decided to fully defend a project of nonviolent action based on boycotts and strikes, in order to win Africa's liberation from European colonization.

From Global Dependence to Local Expertise: An Interview with Rama Mathew

ABSTRACT Rama Mathew is an English Language Teaching (ELT) consultant and retired as Professor of Education from the University of Delhi where she was also Dean of the Faculty of Education. She taught at the English and Foreign Languages University (EFL-U, formerly CIEFL, the Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages) Hyderabad for over 23 years. She was Head of the Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit of English in Action project in Bangladesh. She has been involved in several teacher development and assessment projects and published articles and books in the area. She was a lead mentor for ARMS (Action Research Mentoring Scheme) and for ELTRMS (ELT Research Mentoring Scheme), both British Council funded schemes. She has completed multiple projects in India, Bangladesh, and Sierra Leone, where she supported teachers to carry out classroom-based research. Her research interests include language assessment, teaching English to young learners, continuing professional development (CPD) of teachers, multilingual education and making English accessible to learners online. She won the British Council’s South Asia ELTON award for Outstanding Achievement in 2024.

Youth Social Action Interventions in Young People Aged Between 8 and 16 Years: A Narrative Review

In recent years, youth social action has emerged as a novel concept which strives to empower young people, creating an engaged and socially aware youth population. The aim of this narrative review was to summarise, explain, and interpret international research evidence to understand the effectiveness of youth social action interventions implemented with young people between the ages of 8 and 16 years. This study followed the General Framework of Narrative Reviews. Peer-reviewed studies published in the English language that explicitly addressed ‘youth social action’ or ‘social action’ within the title or abstract were identified by means of electronic searches on EBSCOhost (Education Research Complete, MEDLINE and Child Development and Adolescent Studies databases). Search terms included “Social Action” OR “Youth Social Action” AND population (Child* OR Youth OR Adolesc* OR “School Child” OR Juvenile OR Teenag*) AND study design (intervention OR project OR evaluation OR initiative OR program*). Sixteen studies were included after full-text screening, detailing eight individual youth social action interventions. The findings revealed a range of psychosocial, health, and personal development benefits for youth who participated in social action interventions. However, the evidence base was limited by poor methodological reporting and a lack of process evaluations to confirm implementation fidelity. Future research should utilitise stronger research designs, assess both individual and community outcomes, and include follow-up measures to determine the long-term impacts of youth social action projects.

Pendidikan Anti Korupsi: Keluarga Sehat, Integritas Terjaga Di Lingkungan Ibu-ibu Dharma Wanita LLDIKTI Wilayah VII Jatim

Research conducted for the implementation of anti-corruption training for women of Dharma Wanita LLDIKTI Region VII East Java regarding education in the family as a strategic social unit to shape values and attitudes in future generations. Anti-corruption education is an important part and the main foundation to foster the values of honesty, rationality, and responsibility in daily life. The purpose of the research is to be able to increase the understanding of mothers about the importance of honesty and instill anti-corruption values in the family sphere. The method used is a collaborative approach through the Community Action Project which involves training, group discussions, and education on anti-corruption values. The results of the study show that there is an increase in the awareness of mothers on the importance of their role in instilling anti-corruption values in children from an early age. The training shows that it is effective in maintaining the integrity of the family and society, where anti-corruption value-based education needs to be implemented properly to create a generation with anti-corruption character.

Validation of a Scale to Measure Digital Competence in the Elderly Population

The aim of this work arises, on the one hand, from the need to digitally include people over 65 so that they can participate fully in today's society, and, on the other hand, to involve university students in their own training process through a research and participatory action project with older people. A process of adaptation and validation of an instrument to measure the level of digital competence of older people was carried out by means of an expert judgement, a pilot test and a final application to a sample of 210 older people. The 16 items of the instrument show stable and consistent measurements, fulfilling the required demands, and could be very useful for researchers working with this group, as it will allow them to know the starting point of the elderly at a digital level and design strategies that favour their technological inclusion.

UNDERSTANDING AND ENDING AGEISM: AN INNOVATIVE COLLEGE COURSE

Abstract Understanding and Ending Ageism is an online community college course developed as part of a grant-funded project that aimed to raise awareness about aging and ageism, as well as to make the case for integrating these dimensions of human experience into college-wide diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Designed and first offered in 2016, the course continues to be offered two terms per year and has been periodically refreshed to incorporate new perspectives and resources (including the Reframing Aging Initiative and updated AGHE Competencies). Course content includes a comprehensive overview of the characteristics, mechanisms and effects of ageism (and how ageism is experienced across the life course and at different ages and stages); examination of how ageism intersects with other “isms” in forming a system of oppression and yet is not often enough considered in discussions about diversity, equity, and inclusion; identification and planning of interventions and projects connected to increasing age-appreciation and challenging ageism; themes of aging-awareness, social justice and intergenerational solidarity; and an emphasis on reflection, critical thinking, and praxis. Unique features of the course include its collaborative learning design and its focus on “practices” that we can engage in at every level at which ageism operates and at which we can intervene: the individual; interpersonal; social/organizational; societal/political; and cultural. In addition to weekly assigned readings and roundtable discussions, students create an Ending Ageism Synthesis & Action Project as their capstone assignment.

Cultivating anti-racism in the classroom and beyond through collaborative learning in the environmental sciences

AbstractSpurred by nationwide protests against anti-Black violence in the summer of 2020, academic departments across the USA saw an uptick in efforts to integrate belonging, diversity, equity, justice, and inclusion initiatives into their programs. In this vein, graduate students in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at the University of California, Berkeley, developed and led a semester-long course, “Critical Engagements in Anti-Racist Environmental Scholarship.” The course cultivated anti-racist mindsets through collaborative learning and action projects. We designed and taught the class as a team of doctoral students, and course participants consisted of faculty, staff, postdoctoral scholars, and other graduate students, thus disrupting traditional academic power structures. In this article, we draw on our experiences from two years of developing and teaching this course. We begin by outlining our theory of change, depicted as a tree rooted in our pedagogical approach, which ultimately bears the fruit of anti-racist mindsets and actions. We then provide an overview of our pedagogical approach, which includes attending to the roots of curriculum, classroom structures, and teaching practices. Next, we highlight the four key elements of the course’s success: (1) Centering Black voices and experiences, (2) Flattening academic hierarchies, (3) Fostering a community of learners, and (4) Developing action-oriented mindsets to sustain long-term anti-racist praxis. To conclude, we reflect on the successes and challenges of this approach two years later. Overall, this article shares our experiences conducting an environmental sciences-specific version of this course, with the understanding that this model can be adopted by other departments seeking to implement anti-racist praxis through coursework and long-form professional development training for academics.

The trafficker speaks: voicing the other side of the coin

This article is based on social and/or legal records of thirty-nine women and a minor girl accused for trafficking-related offenses in two districts in the State of Maharashtra, India. The women were in contact with Prayas, a field action project of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India, that engages in criminal justice social work (CJSW). These women’s voices point to journeys of victimization into commercial sexual exploitation and ending up with being accused for trafficking offenses. The article reiterates challenges in establishing binaries in “victim” and “offender” roles. In this context, it outlines three key elements that characterize CJSW—working around meanings women associate with commercial sexual exploitation, sex trafficking and exiting commercial sex networks; negotiated relationships between the social worker and client; 1 and realigning women’s relationships and associations toward promoting restorative, prospective and social justice. The article delves into how CJSW offers women associations outside the crime network, while also indicating that conventional justice measures are inadequate in offering women pathways outside crime networks.

GI cancer mortality in participants in low dose CT screening for lung cancer with a focus on pancreatic cancer

Lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths globally, has better survival rates with early detection. Annual low-dose CT (LDCT) screenings are recommended for high-risk individuals due to age and smoking. These individuals are also at risk for other cancers. Our study explores gastrointestinal (GI) cancer mortality in lung cancer screening participants and the potential of LDCT screenings to detect pancreatic cancer. We utilized data from a prospective multi-institutional cohort study, the International Early Lung Cancer Action Project (I-ELCAP). We analyzed GI cancer deaths among participants in New York State (1992–2010), exploring demographics and GI cancer distribution. Radiologists retrospectively reviewed pancreatic cancer cases within 24 months post-LDCT, comparing findings with original reports. Among 10,150 participants, 189 died from GI cancers; mean age 75, mostly male smokers. Pancreatic cancer (41.8%) led, followed by esophageal (17.5%) and colon cancer (16.9%). Median time between baseline LDCT and death was 116 months (9.7 years). 82/189 (43.4%) participants died within 5 years of their last LDCT screening, with pancreatic cancer again prominent (45.1%). In 79 pancreatic cancer deaths, 17.7% occurred within 24 months post-LDCT. A re-review identified previously undetected pancreatic findings, with 4 out of 14 participants (28.6%) showing abnormalities. This underscores the potential of lung cancer screening programs to provide insights beyond lung health. This study of over 10,000 participants in a lung cancer screening program reveals that they are at risk for GI cancer deaths, particularly pancreatic cancer. Re-reviews of LDCT scans revealed previously undocumented pancreatic findings in a third of participants who died from pancreatic cancer, underscoring the need to identify, document, and follow up on these findings.

Clashing Gender in the Age of Transnational Infrastructural Capitalism: The Vocational Education and Subject Making of China's Future Workers

Accompanying the “China Dream” as a symbol of the advent of Chinese transnational infrastructural capitalism, a new project of subject making is emerging: an increasing number of Chinese youth, especially those from working-class backgrounds, have entered the expanded urban vocational education system for training as future workers. As a national project attempting to (re)invent educated, skilled labor subjects to serve the state goal of industrial upgrading, vocational education is geared toward entrance into the labor market, producing valuable “marketable subjects” specifically for the enhancement of the export manufacturing sector and a new service sector now increasingly extending to overseas markets. Engaging in a participatory action project in vocational schools between 2016 and 2019, this article’s authors studied students’ learning experiences and examined how the larger structural, political, economic, and cultural forces shape the girls’ and boys’ educational and occupational decisions. To understand the subject making of young Chinese workers, the concept of “clashing gender” is used to illustrate how gender plays a central yet conflicted role, torn between forces of state, market, school, and individual desire, during these young people’s years of vocational training. The article thus illustrates how the postsocialist state’s linking of China’s new economic sectors into the circuits of transnational capitalism produces intimately gendered and subjective effects for working-class youth.

7.G. Round table: Primary prevention and management of NCDs – the added value of joint actions across Europe

Abstract Two ambitious European joint action projects, funded through the EU4Health programme, are ongoing to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and related risk factors in Europe, targeting both individual and societal levels. Together, these projects aim to scale up effective prevention and management strategies, strengthen public health policies and promote equitable and sustainable healthcare systems across Europe. The Joint Action on CARdiovascular Diseases and DIabetes (JACARDI), with 21 participating countries and a total budget of over €66 million, is focusing on enhancing the implementation of evidence-based innovative pilot projects across the entire patient journey. This includes efforts to improve prevention, early diagnosis, and proactive management of NCDs. The Joint Action Prevent Non-Communicable Diseases (JA PreventNCD), with 25 participating countries and a total budget of over €95 million, particularly aims to enhance joint capacities of countries for implementing, scaling up and evaluating prevention policies and actions at various levels. These projects represent complementary responses to calls for action in Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the Healthier Together - EU NCD Initiative, with JA PreventNCD emphasizing primary prevention and policy while JACARDI focuses on secondary prevention and health systems strengthening. Both projects will generate new policy-relevant evidence based on implementation, monitoring and scaling-up of best and innovative practices and policies across Europe. The projects share a focus on equity, diversity, scalability and sustainability, while avoiding fragmentation and duplication of actions. Under the EU4Health programme, launched to strengthen European health collaboration in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU has recently invested over €200 million in public health initiatives, with additional investments from national authorities participating in the joint actions. With this new wave of funding, real population impact should be anticipated, but what can we realistically expect to be the outcomes and what are the criteria for success? In this round table discussion 1) these two joint action projects will be presented, highlighting their innovative aspects; 2) views on the added value and potential in cross-national collaborations for prevention and management of NCDs will be debated, and 3) how synergies will be leveraged for maximum impact will be explored. Panelists will share their perspectives on the projects’ potential to change the public health landscape in Europe. Workshop participants will subsequently be encouraged to engage in the discussion with the objective that views and experiences are exchanged, opportunities for collaboration and engagement are shared and energy is mobilized to harness the benefits of such large-scale policy-relevant collaborations. Key messages • Synergies and collaboration to drive policy development and foster increased capacity are the pillars to build a healthier Europe. • Two large-scale Joint Actions drive impact by highlighting innovative NCD prevention strategies and fostering collaborative engagement.

Occupational Risk Management for a Sustainable Workplace Using Simulation

Theoretical background: The article delves into the realm of occupational risk management within the context of supply chain management and enterprise logistics. It emphasizes the importance of ensuring safety and sustainable working conditions in today’s dynamic business environment, where supply chains are becoming increasingly globalized and complex. Purpose of the article: The primary objective of the article is to introduce a novel approach to occupational risk management that leverages advanced digital technologies and simulations. It aims to address the existing research gap by developing a method that considers dynamic environmental factors and individual worker needs. By analyzing the synergy of various hazards, monitoring employee workload, and employing simulations, the article seeks to enhance the accuracy of occupational risk assessment and facilitate more effective corrective actions. Research methods: The article employs a mixed-method research approach, drawing upon both theoretical analysis and practical application. It begins with a thorough literature review to establish the theoretical framework and identify research gaps. Subsequently, it discusses the proposed solution – a method for managing occupational risks using simulation – by presenting its theoretical description and implementation process. The research methodology involves the development and application of this method to a selected order picking process, followed by simulation to minimize occupational risks. The authors also utilize software tools to simulate work processes and assess health risks to workers. Main findings: The main findings of the research suggest that occupational risk assessment using simulation has a significant impact on improving work processes in terms of sustainable workplaces. By introducing elements of labor humanization and redesigning work processes, the study demonstrates a reduction in the sources of occupational risk. The innovative approach to risk assessment, based on recursion across different organizational resources, facilitates the identification of improvement action projects. Additionally, the study emphasizes the importance of digitalization and Industry 4.0 technologies in monitoring working conditions, identifying risks, and implementing preventive measures. Overall, the research contributes to shaping new standards for safe and sustainable work environments, thereby enhancing both safety and efficiency within organizations.

Materiality of Memorialisation: Mapping Migrant Women's Landmarks in Europe

This article investigates the memorialization of migrant women across transcultural landscapes, and analyses results from the Register of Migrant Women Landmarks in Europe (hereinafter RMWLE), central to the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) action project “Women on the Move” (CA19112 – WEMov). It serves as reference for subsequent research based on data from this Register, for which data collection is continuing. The RMWLE registers toponyms, such as monuments, plaques, streets and other infrastructures named after women with a significant history of migration. It honours aspects rarely prioritized in memorialisation agendas, which are skewed towards men’s stories, and towards the more linear biographies of sedentary figures whose European, national, and regional memorialisation have remained uncomplicated by migration. This Deep Data study reveals recurring patterns at the level of Europe in the memorialisation of these women migrants. The diversity of stories, the richness and the prominence of landmarks devoted to men compared to women is a subject well-covered in memorialisation studies. This unbalance is compounded by the data from our register which shows landmarks on women migrants that are sometime tokenized, often marginalized, and which reproduce the bias towards nurture and care that have besieged the memorialisation of women in general. It further shows that the memorialisation process and the political and cultural mechanisms of official celebration often work against the recognition of cross-border careers and stories. The intersectionality of the project, highlighting both gender and migration, uncovers a political landscape of toponyms – and we reflect on how this register can help combat cultural prejudice by recovering migration episodes. The RMWLE helps us reflect on the defining impact of migration episodes, a reality rarely underlined in the biographies of famous women. This article favours a storytelling approach, to counter dominant cultural narratives and knowledge practices.

Centering and uplifting youth voice in planning for a more resilient climate future in rural Colorado: a case study of a student resilience team asking for change

Rural communities are increasingly facing challenges from climate-related natural hazards such as drought, wildfire, and flood. These cascading hazards threaten social, emotional, physical, and economic well-being, and pose unique challenges to rural areas which may already struggle to find enough resources. Yet, rural areas are rich in social capital, creativity, and resilience, and future leaders are learning how to build agency and increase their community’s resilience in school settings. Students in Estes Park, Colorado, have experienced major climate-fueled hazards in their lifetimes, surviving the floods in 2013 and the East Troublesome and Cameron Peak wildfires in 2020. At Estes Park Middle School, the Environmental Resilience Team (ERT) is an afterschool group of students who are actively participating in promoting public awareness, mitigation, and policy-making to increase resilience to natural hazards. Supported by the Hazard, Education, Awareness, and Resilience Task Force (HEART Force) Program, a comprehensive curriculum that immerses students in the study of their community’s resilience to floods and fires, in conjunction with the Earth Force Environmental Civic Action resources, students and educators gained the tools needed to spearhead community discussions on resilience, all while striving to mitigate and minimize future risks. In this paper, we tell the story of the Environmental Resilience Team’s campaign to pass statewide legislation to implement Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Building Codes in high-risk areas. Students visited the Colorado State Capitol, met with their State Senator and Governor to lobby for the passage of the bill. This initiative builds upon years of action projects, including service projects to mitigate fire risk in vulnerable populations within the mountain town of Estes Park and build community education and awareness through the distribution of “go-bags” to community members. By including youth voice in public decision-making and planning for climate resilience, community leaders and policymakers can develop more holistic plans that include multigenerational input. This research is part of a broader study across implementations of HEART Force in several classrooms that showed that the HEART Force program helped students develop a sense of agency and grow in their understanding of community resilience.

Burj Rashid: a tale of two tides – rising waters and changing traditions

PurposeThis paper delves into the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and practices of Burj Rashid, an ancient historical city on Egypt’s northern coast, which stands at the meeting point of the Nile’s western branch and the Mediterranean Sea. Burj Rashid boasts a strategic location and rich natural resources and has a long history of relationships between land, people, river, sea and climate change, serving as a model for residents’ adaptation to their ever-changing surroundings.Design/methodology/approachClimate studies have exposed the village’s vulnerability to climate and topographical hazards such as rising temperatures, shifting weather patterns, decreasing precipitation, encroaching seas due to sea level rise, coastal erosion and high soil salinization. These factors pose a high risk of water scarcity, crop failure in the medium term, potential famine in the long term and declining fish populations, threatening fishing communities. To address these challenges, the Net Zero: Heritage for Climate Action project - launched by the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) and the First Aid and Resilience for Culture in Times of Crisis program, funded by Swedish Postcode - proposes a research and development methodology through a platform that weaves together heritage knowledge and climate science. The Egyptian Heritage Rescue Foundation has implemented a platform in Burj Rashid as an innovative site to study risks, vulnerabilities and capacities.FindingsThe project will explore root causes, identify risk scenarios and establish a stakeholder map to guide the development of mitigation strategies and resilience-building measures.Originality/valueBy harnessing the wisdom of TEK and integrating it with scientific knowledge, the project paves the way for innovative climate change adaptation strategies that ensure the long-term sustainability of Burj Rashid’s unique cultural heritage.

Deepening the Decade: Collaborative Action for Advancing Deep‐Ocean Science and Policy in the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development

AbstractThe current United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030; hereafter, the Decade) offers a unique opportunity and framework to globally advance ocean science and policy. Achieving meaningful progress within the Decade requires collaboration and coordination across Decade Actions (Programs, Projects, and Centres). This coordination is particularly important for the deep ocean, which remains critically under‐sampled compared to other ecosystems. Despite the limited sampling, the deep ocean accounts for over 95% of Earth's habitable space, plays a crucial role in regulating the carbon cycle and global temperatures, and supports diverse ecosystems. To collectively advance deep‐ocean science, we gathered representatives from 20 Decade Actions that focus at least partially on the deep ocean. We identified five broad themes that aim to advance deep‐ocean science in alignment with the Decade's overarching 10 Challenges: natural capital and the blue economy, biodiversity, deep‐ocean observing, best practices in data sharing, and capacity building. Within each theme, we propose concrete objectives (termed Cohesive Asks) and milestones (Targets) for the deep‐ocean community. Developing these Cohesive Asks and Targets reflects a commitment to better coordination across deep‐ocean Decade Actions. We aim to build bridges across deep‐ocean disciplines, which encompass natural science, ocean observing, policy, and capacity development.

Using scenario tree modelling to evaluate the probability of freedom from Enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL) in Italy and Slovenia.

Documented freedom from disease is paramount for international free trade of animals and animal products. This study describes a scenario tree analysis to estimate the probability of freedom from Enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL) in Italy and Slovenia using information gathered via the data collection tool developed in the COST action project SOUND-control. Data on EBL control programmes (CPs) from 2018 to 2021 were used to build the models. Since animals are only sampled on the farm, one surveillance system component (SSC) was considered. The posterior probability of freedom (PostPfree) was estimated in time steps of one year, from 2018 to 2021. After each year, the calculated from the previous year, combined with the probability of introduction, was used as a prior probability for the next year. The herd level design prevalence was set to 0.2% in accordance with the Council Directive 64/432/EEC and the within herd design prevalence was set to 15%. As Slovenia implemented a risk-based surveillance, targeting the herds importing cattle, in its model the design herd prevalence was combined with an average adjusted risk to calculate the effective probability of a herd importing cattle being infected. The models were run for 10,000 iterations. Over the study period the mean estimates were: i) for Italy both the surveillance system sensitivity ( SSe) and PostPFree 100%, with no differences between simulations and years, ii) for Slovenia the SSe was 50.5% while the PostPFreewas 81.6%.

Motivation of The Volunteer Participants for Social Action Projects in a Private University in Mexico

Motivation of The Volunteer Participants for Social Action Projects in a Private University in Mexico

The American Cancer Society National Lung Cancer Roundtable strategic plan: Implementation of high-quality lung cancer screening.

More than a decade has passed since researchers in the Early Lung Cancer Action Project and the National Lung Screening Trial demonstrated the ability to save lives of high-risk individuals from lung cancer through regular screening by low dose computed tomography scan. The emergence of the most recent findings in the Dutch-Belgian lung-cancer screening trial (Nederlands-Leuvens Longkanker Screenings Onderzoek [NELSON]) further strengthens and expands on this evidence. These studies demonstrate the benefit of integrating lung cancer screening into clinical practice, yet lung cancer continues to lead cancer mortality rates in the United States. Fewer than 20% of screen eligible individuals are enrolled in lung cancer screening, leaving millions of qualified individuals without the standard of care and benefit they deserve. This article, part of the American Cancer Society National Lung Cancer Roundtable (ACS NLCRT) strategic plan, examines the impediments to successful adoption, dissemination, and implementation of lung cancer screening. Proposed solutions identified by the ACS NLCRT Implementation Strategies Task Group and work currently underway to address these challenges to improve uptake of lung cancer screening are discussed. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: The evidence supporting the benefit of lung cancer screening in adults who previously or currently smoke has led to widespread endorsement and coverage by health plans. Lung cancer screening programs should be designed to promote high uptake rates of screening among eligible adults, and to deliver high-quality screening and follow-up care.

Experimental assessment of hull, propeller, and the gate rudder system interaction in calm water and oblique waves

This study focuses on the experimental assessment of the EU H2020 Innovation Action project GATERS' target ship, a 7241 DWT multi-purpose dry cargo ship (M/V ERGE), scaled to 1/27.1, in calm water and oblique wave (at a yaw angle of the ship model) conditions. M/V ERGE was initially built with a Conventional Rudder System (CRS) in 2010 but was later retrofitted with a newly introduced energy-saving device, the Gate Rudder System (GRS), in 2023 as part of the GATERS project. In this project, the interaction of the GRS with the hull and propeller was investigated using model tests of the vessel in the Kelvin Hydrodynamics Laboratory's (KHL) towing tank at the University of Strathclyde (UoS) and compared to the CRS. The main objectives of these tests were threefold. While they aimed to make experimental contributions toward the establishment of the best procedure for estimating the powering prediction of a ship with the GRS, they also aimed to investigate the hull, propeller and rudder interaction for the CRS and GRS configurations. In addition, a set of comparative pilot tests were conducted in waves to explore the effect of the oblique waves on the vessel's performance with the CRS and GRS. The resistance and self-propulsion tests were performed for both the CRS and GRS configurations, and performance predictions based on the model tests were compared with sea trials. Furthermore, tests at a yaw angle of the ship model were conducted to evaluate the effect of waves on the vessel's performance with the CRS and GRS, simulating the in-service conditions of commercial ships. These tests were conducted in regular waves with the hull at a yaw angle to simulate oblique wave conditions, with a wave height of 1.25 m in full scale (corresponding to moderate breeze, Beaufort 4) for a range of wavelengths. Numerical analyses were performed to obtain the full-scale propeller open water characteristics. The paper demonstrates the superior interaction of the GRS with the hull and propeller in both conditions compared to the CRS configuration, even improving its contribution to the vessel's performance in oblique waves.