Cargo Safety Research Articles

Active control synthesis of nonlinear pitch-roll motions for marine vessels

This paper investigates the dynamical analysis and control synthesis for fractional-order pitch-roll system of marine vessels under regular waves. Suppression of the effects of roll and pitch motions is critical in improving maneuverability and stability of marine vessels with ensuring the safety of cargo and comfort to sailors. The pitch-roll mode shows complex behaviours such as period-2 motion, symmetry-breaking, torus attractor, and resonance depending on initial conditions, natural frequencies, wave frequencies, and wave amplitudes. Specifically, the nonlinear behaviours are characterized by phase portraits, bifurcation diagrams, and stability analysis. The nonlinear vibration patterns are observed even under regular waves because the pitch-roll motions are strongly coupled with two perpendicular directions. To secure the upright position of the vessels in heavy weather, adaptive fractional-order sliding mode control (AFOSMC) scheme has been employed to effectively regulate pitch-roll modes against extreme sea states. The closed stability of the ship pitch-roll system has been guaranteed by the Lyapunov theory. Numerical simulations have been extensively conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithms. To design more comfortable and safe vessels, this study presents pitch-roll resonance eliminations, stabilization and the challenges associated with robust vessel design.

Application of Neural Network Predictive Control Methods to Solve the Shipping Container Sway Control Problem in Quay Cranes

Smart control systems are mostly applied in industry to control the movements of heavy machinery while optimizing overall operational efficiency. Major shipping companies use large quay cranes to load and unload containers from ships and still rely on the experience of on-site operators to perform transportation control procedures using joysticks and visual contact methods. This paper presents the research results of an EU-funded project for the Klaipeda container terminal to develop a novel container transportation security and cargo safety assurance method and system. It was concluded that many risks arise during the container handling procedures performed by the quay cranes and operators. To minimize these risks, the authors proposed controlling the sway of the spreader using a model predictive control method which applies a multi-layer perceptron (MLP) neural network (NN). The paper analyzes current neural network architectures and case studies and provides the engineering community with a unique case study which applies real operation statistical data. Several key training algorithms were tested, and the initial results suggest that the Levenberg–Marquardt (LM) algorithm and variable learning rate backpropagation perform better than methods which use the multi-layer perceptron neural network structure.

Применение автономной и дистанционно-управляемой техники на открытых горных работах

The article describes design principles for autonomous cargo transportation systems and social aspects of their implementation. Economic prerequisites for creation of autonomous cargo transportation systems in Russia and in the world are analyzed as well as the composition of the complex autonomous system. Issues of economic justification for implementation of autonomous cargo transportation systems, regulatory framework and safety provision of autonomous dump truck application are also addressed.

Lashing Force Prediction Model with Multimodal Deep Learning and AutoML for Stowage Planning Automation in Containerships

The calculation of lashing forces on containerships is one of the most important aspects in terms of cargo safety, as well as slot utilization, especially for large containerships such as more than 10,000 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit). It is a challenge for stowage planners when large containerships are in the last port of region because mostly the ship is full and the stacks on deck are very high. However, the lashing force calculation is highly dependent on the Classification society (Class) where the ship is certified; its formula is not published and it is different per each Class (e.g., Lloyd, DNVGL, ABS, BV, and so on). Therefore, the lashing result calculation can only be verified by the Class certified by the Onboard Stability Program (OSP). To ensure that the lashing result is compiled in the stowage plan submitted, stowage planners in office must rely on the same copy of OSP. This study introduces the model to extract the features and to predict the lashing forces with machine learning without explicit calculation of lashing force. The multimodal deep learning with the ANN, CNN and RNN, and AutoML approach is proposed for the machine learning model. The trained model is able to predict the lashing force result and its result is close to the result from its Class.

ПРОЦЕДУРА ОТРИМАННЯ ДИНАМІЧНИХ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИК ПІД ЧАС СПІВУДАРЯНЬ ТАНК-КОНТЕЙНЕРА ДЛЯ ТРАНСПОРТУВАННЯ РОСЛИННИХ ОЛІЙ

The paper presents the assessment of the fat – and-oil industry of Ukraine. Leaders of the largest producers of sunflower oil in Ukraine were determined in percentage terms; they are LLC "European Transport Stevedoring Company" (6.6% of total production), LLC Optimus Agro Trade (6.1%), LLC Pridneprovsky SEZ, Ltd (4.7%) and PJSC "Vinnitsa OZHK" (4.7%). The development of oil and fat enterprises of Ukraine was analyzed and the main problems were identified, which include the choice of transportation means of vegetable oils from factories to the seaport and the territorial location of factories producing vegetable oils. It is established that at present the currently relevant type of transportation of bulk cargo has become tank containers, as transportation in them is carried out without intermediate overflow of the product when changing the mode of transport, which ensures the increased safety of transportation and cargo, as well as contributing to the environmental security during the transportation process. The article includes the classification of tank containers and identification of the main world manufacturers of chemical and food tank containers. It is determined that the construction of the tank container should withstand the action of its own forces of inertia, which occur during the movement of the vehicle, as well as under impact of wagons that occur during shunting operations, including gravity marshalling yard, emergency braking and other emergencies that may occur during operation under the following accelerations: in the longitudinal direction Pпр it is 2 g; in transverse direction Pп it is 1 g; in the vertical direction Pв it is 2 g; under impact: for a loaded container with dangerous goods the acceleration is 4 g; for a loaded container with a safe cargo it is 2 g; for an empty container (to check the fittings) it is 5 g. The paper describes the procedure for obtaining dynamic characteristics of a tank-container for transporting vegetable oils placed on a platform car under impact tests. The presented example of obtaining the values of accelerations that act on the load-bearing structure of the tank-container under impact shows that the designed construction of the tank-container meets the regulatory requirements for strength characteristics.

Innovative solutions in container transport

The article presents a historical perspective on the development of transport technology, i.e. a container. It was indicated what solutions are currently used on terminals in order to shorten the service time of intermodal units and ensure an increase in the efficiency of handling operations. Intelligent containers are presented, which are equipped with numerous sensors, which include can follow the route of the container. The author outlined what activities are currently carried out by governmental and international organizations to ensure cargo safety during transport operations. The directions of changes in the design of containers and IT support systems have been signaled, and how the logistics industry reacts and should proceed in the era of the spread of the coronavirus in the event that many companies' strategies will be revised with new consumer behavior. Keywords: Intermodal transport; Intelligent containers; Information systems; Coronovirus CoVid

Remote Evaluation of Road Transportation Process

The article is devoted to development of a decision-making algorithm for transportation of goods by road based on the method of online remote assessment of the state of the cargo and the transportation process without human intervention. The development of the algorithm is based on the use of transport telematics and experimental study, the objective of which was to reveal capacity of navigation devices to fix accelerations that occur during vehicle movement. The developed methodology allows to automatically make decisions aimed at saving resources. The article describes the steps of operational remote assessment of the state of the cargo, as well as the decision-making algorithm based on the information received. A scheme of information interaction of the cargo transportation process participants is described, in which an analytical center is designated, the task of which is to calculate the force acting on the cargo and compare the calculated force with the strength characteristics of the material from which the cargo is made. The situational task of delivering goods to several points is described. To visualize the situational task, a cargo delivery route was constructed to compare planned indicators with actual ones, adjusted using the analytical center. This article describes the prospects for the use of tools of transport telematics, consisting in increasing the effectiveness of cargo safety control during transportation.

A Mixed-Surface Polyamidoamine Dendrimer for In Vitro and In Vivo Delivery of Large Plasmids.

Drug delivery to the brain is highly hindered by the presence of the blood–brain barrier (BBB), which prevents the entry of many potential drugs/biomolecules into the brain. One of the current strategies to achieve gene therapy for neurodegenerative diseases involves direct injection of a viral vector into the brain. There are various disadvantages of viral vectors, including limitations of cargo size and safety concerns. Nanomolecules, such as dendrimers, serve as an excellent alternative to viral delivery. In this study, as proof-of-concept, we used a surface-modified dendrimer complex and delivered large plasmids to cells in vitro and in vivo in healthy rats via intracranial injection. The dendrimers were biodegradable by chemicals found within cells and toxicity assays revealed that the modified dendrimers were much less toxic than unmodified amine-surface dendrimers. As mentioned in our previous publication, these dendrimers with appropriately modified surfaces are safe, can deliver large plasmids to the brain, and can overcome the cargo size limitations associated with viral vectors. The biocompatibility of this dendritic nanomolecule and the ability to finely tune its surface chemistry provides a gene delivery system that could facilitate future in vivo cellular reprograming and other gene therapies.

Multi-Objective Evolutionary Design of an Electric Vehicle Chassis.

An iterative algorithm is proposed for determining the optimal chassis design of an electric vehicle, given a path and a reference time. The proposed algorithm balances the capacity of the battery pack and the dynamic properties of the chassis, seeking to optimize the tradeoff between the mass of the vehicle, its energy consumption, and the travel time. The design variables of the chassis include geometrical and inertial values, as well as the characteristics of the powertrain. The optimization is constrained by the slopes, curves, grip, and posted speeds of the different sections of the track. Particular service constraints are also considered, such as limiting accelerations due to passenger comfort or cargo safety. This methodology is applicable to any vehicle whose route and travel time are known in advance, such as delivery vehicles, buses, and race cars, and has been validated using telemetry data from an internal combustion rear-wheel drive race car designed for hill climb competitions. The implementation of the proposed methodology allows to reduce the weight of the battery pack by up to 20%, compared to traditional design methods.

Research on ride comfort analysis and hierarchical optimization of heavy vehicles with coupled nonlinear dynamics of suspension

The fact that the calculation model and optimization method are critical to the optimization efficiency of ride comfort. To improve the reliability of this process for heavy vehicles, this article proposes a systematic modelling method that is based on the coupled nonlinear dynamics of suspension components and a hierarchical optimization method that considers passenger comfort, cargo safety, and parts fatigue. Nonlinear mathematical models of leaf springs and dampers are established first. A novel model of ride comfort is then developed by integrating the nonlinear mathematical models with a conventional vibration model formulated according to Newton's second law. According to experimental observations, the novel model shows greater accuracy than the conventional one. Subsequently, the influences of suspension parameters on ride comfort are clarified with an integrated multi-software method, illustrating steering suspension stiffness and cabin rear suspension damping are significant factors affecting ride comfort. Finally, a hierarchical optimization model is developed to enhance ride comfort and minimize the amplitude of vibrations. The optimized vibrations show average reductions of 31.1% and 17.0% for the seat rail and sprung centroid, respectively.

ENHANCEMENT OF COMPETITIVENESS OF TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS COMPANIES IN REGIONAL MARKETS

Intensifying competition between enterprises is a typical attribute of developing market relations, and competition, in turn, becomes a powerhouse of development for companies. Competitiveness is a key category of the modern economy and a condition of efficient national integration into global economic processes and active engagement in globalisation. Amid globalisation, the competitive market of logistics services is subject to a wide number of diverse factors influencing the degree and structure of competition in the transport and logistics industry. The development of logistics as a service demonstrates that it has come to be one of the key strategic competitive instruments that shapes lingering competitive advantages in managing both international and domestic supply chains. Those companies that have adopted the concept of integrated logistics have successfully built up their competitive positions in the market. Today, even regional markets pose new levels of requirements in terms of quality standards of transport and forwarding services, cargo safety and enterprise reliability of the regional transport complex. The paper describes a mechanism to ensure competitiveness approaching it as a system of measures to exploit competitive advantages to reach consumers, with profit maximisation as the objective function. The authors have developed a methodological toolkit to elaborate a competitiveness programme specifying methodological proposals by the stages of programme development. The conditions and specifics of the development of transport and logistics outsourcing by consumers in a regional market are identified by the PL provider levels. An assessment of the regional competitive environment is conducted according to consumer-relevant quality indicators of logistics services. An algorithm is approbated for developing a competitiveness enhancement programme in a case study of a logistics enterprise.

Gestión de Información y Gestión de Comunicación en empresas que utilizan normas de comercio seguro

Las empresas que forman parte de la cadena de suministros en el comercio exterior en Ecuador, mantienen su desarrollo organizacional basado en procesos regulados por normas de seguridad en la carga entre las que se encuentran las Basic Alliance for Secure Commerce (BASC) que, utilizan de forma transversal al tratamiento de la información y la comunicación, pero no las declaran de manera explícita. El objetivo de esta investigación fue sistematizar presupuestos teóricos acerca de los componentes de la Gestión de Información (GI); y la Gestión de la Comunicación (GC), que permitan plantear un modelo para su integración en procesos regulados por normas BASC como un recurso coadyuvante. La investigación desarrollada tiene un enfoque cualitativo y el método aplicado es el fenomenográfico apoyado de entrevistas semiestructuradas a expertos a fin de analizar sus procedimientos para tratar la información y la comunicación interna y externa de las empresas. Se encontró que las organizaciones no gestionan adecuadamente la información y la comunicación, pues no aplican principios infocomunicacionales, sino que se enfocan en tratamientos aislados, normativas y en muchos casos únicamente guiados por medios tecnológicos. En consecuencia, se plantea un primer modelo genérico infocomunicacional que permite integrar los componentes de información y la comunicación en beneficio de la gestión organizacional.

Dynamic model of four degree of freedom rope-driven rigid-flexible hybrid wave compensation device

In the process of replenishment at sea, in order to ensure the safety of workers and cargo on the deck, collisions between the cargo and the deck or cargo should be at least reduced if not avoided. Considering the actual situation of the marine environment, a fourdegree- of-freedom rope-driven rigid-flexible hybrid wave compensation mechanism for offshore hoisting equipment is proposed. First, based on the screw theory, the feasibility of a wave compensation mechanism was verified, and the experimental device of the wave compensation mechanism was designed. Then, a positional forward/reverse solution model of the wave compensation mechanism was established based on the algebraic method. Then, the kinematics model of the wave compensation mechanism was derived and the system dynamics model of the wave compensation mechanism was established based on Newton-Eulerian method. The simulation software was used to verify the derived mathematical model. It was found that the positional positive/negative solution error of the wave compensation mechanism was of the order of 10-5 mm; the MATLAB numerical simulation results and the Adams virtual prototype results of the kinematics and dynamics models were basically consistent. The maximum error was 2.4 % of the theoretical value, which is an acceptable range. The correctness of the derived kinematics and dynamics model was verified. The research results provide a theoretical basis for further performance analysis and motion control of the wave compensation mechanism.

Innovative approach to integrative estimation of driver’s aggressiveness and comfort

Modern on-board intelligent systems of vehicles perform many tasks aimed at improving the safety and comfort of the driver and passengers, as well as the safety of the cargo carried. One such task is to prevent traffic accidents due to driver’s inattention, drowsiness, or loss of consciousness. In order to fulfill this task various driver attention, monitoring systems are applied. Authors of the article note that the statistics does not count how many accidents and emergency situations occur due to aggressive or dangerous driving. The authors have invented a new on-board device called Comprehensive Integrator of Driver’s Aggressiveness and Comfort (CIDAC), intended to train the driver to avoid the aggressive driving style by the method of scientific observation. CIDAC evaluates the driver’s behavior based on indirect indicators, such as longitudinal, lateral, and vertical acceleration. Construction of the CIDAC device includes an Arduino controller and a three-axis accelerometer. CIDAC warns the driver in cases of aggressive driving by flashing the signal lamps when acceleration exceeds the threshold meaning. Thus, CIDAC increases the safety of cargo and passenger transportation by providing a training effect for the driver.

The Impact of the Underwater Hull Anti-Fouling Silicone Coating on a Ferry’s Fuel Consumption

There are well-known specifics of ro-pax ferry shipping, such as the time factor as a consequence of keeping a regular timetable and the priority given to minimizing heeling, pitching, and rolling caused by maximum focus on passenger comfort and ro-ro cargo safety. It is also extremely important to control the ferry’s fuel consumption, being one of the most important cost components. The aim of the article is to draw the attention of shipping company managers to the great potential that lies in the use of routine operational data, collected exclusively on board the ferries. It is worth noting that the research in this paper is based on standard office software packages rather than advanced statistical methods of data analysis, which are usually not accessible for shipping managers. Contrary to typical ocean-going vessels, there are a number of factors that need to be taken into consideration when analyzing ro-pax ferry fuel consumption. Moreover, these factors occur, in many cases, accidentally and, thus, they are difficult to observe on board the ferry without utilizing expensive and time-consuming methods. The possibility of fuel control is important not only for economic reasons but also due to air pollution caused by engine exhausts. The article presents an estimation of increased fuel consumption caused by the degradation of the hull silicone anti-fouling coating. The presented estimations of fuel consumption may be treated as the base for calculations of the economic effectiveness of ferries. The attempt to resolve the above-mentioned problem was made on the basis of research on a real ferry, which took place on the Świnoujście-Trelleborg line between 2007 and 2019.

ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКИЙ АСПЕКТ ПРИ ВЫБОРЕ ТРАНСПОРТА В ЛОГИСТИЧЕСКОЙ СИСТЕМЕ

A logistic system is a certain integrity of many interdependent logistic elements: manufacturers of products, raw materials, equipment; transport and warehouse complexes; terminal networks; distribution centers; retail network; transport. It is transport that can be called one of the most essential elements of any logistics system. Transport takes an active part in all stages of logistics - supply, production, distribution - providing uninterrupted and high-quality service for the movement of goods. The choice of transport adequate to the existing conditions will unambiguously lead to an increase in the economic efficiency of the functioning of the entire logistics system. The article discusses the main types of transport used to move material flows in logistics: railway; automobile; air; nautical; river (internal water); pipeline. The main advantages and disadvantages of each type of transport are indicated. The main factors influencing the choice of transport in the logistics system are analyzed, including: the volume of supplies of products; frequency of shipments; material flow route; set delivery times; the limit of funds for the implementation of this operation; safety of movement (safety of cargo), etc. All factors affecting the choice of transport in logistics are divided into objective and subjective. The need for the use (participation) of road transport in all processes of delivery of goods to the destination in the logistics system has been established. The influence of a high-quality choice of transport on the effective economic activity of the entire logistics system as a whole is shown by reducing the costs of moving, reloading goods, reducing the costs of warehouse complexes by reducing the shelf life of products and, accordingly, reducing warehouse space.

Routing of freight transportation in logistics of agriculture

The development of national transport system impacts the performance of enterprises, and therefore, its viability in the market conditions. At the same time, the market is the exchange of goods and services, which is impossible without transport. Transport is a crucial component of the market infrastructure. It is essential to consolidate all the transport sectors into a multimodal transportation system, which would be convenient in terms of customer servicing, shipment time and accuracy, cargo safety, end-to-end information support, and financial relationships as well. Traditionally, the applied science deals with management of train and rail car traffic, stations, and rolling stock. In practice, carriers and cargo owners often have different priorities. The carrier needs to comply with routes and delivery time, while the customer is more concerned about shiploads, consistency in the delivery of carload shipments, and clearly scheduled delivery times. The problem of determination of ways to develop a unified transport environment facilitated by integrated multimodal transportation techniques is of a higher relevance. The purpose of this research is to identify certain stages of freight transportation, study the opportunities of applying various transportation techniques focusing on operating costs reduction, and to analyze the ways to improve routed transportation to the mutual benefit of both carriers and shippers. This work employs research methods to analyze freight transportation, and methods of mathematical modeling of the transportation process subject to introducing new techniques to minimize the number of re-classifications made on the route and reduce operating costs at unloading stations. As a result, the criteria have been identified to determine the choice of railroad transport operation activities subject to minimizing costs throughout the operating domain.

Tests of Monitoring of Motion Variables of Unmanned Vehicle Convoy

This work analyzes test results of motion control system of unmanned cargo vehicles convoy with manned master vehicle developed by NAMI Institute. Development of intelligent transportation systems is determined by necessity to improve efficiency and safety of cargo and passenger traffic in hard-to-reach areas of northern Russia, Arctic and Antarctic regions. Scientific substantiation of engineering solutions accounting for specific operation conditions and peculiarities of controls is of outstanding importance. The problem of motion control of unmanned vehicle convoy is formulated in terms of dynamic stability of state coordinates, its solution prevents collision with obstacles and stability control of master vehicle. State coordinates of vehicles were determined by virtual data sensors based on indirect measurements using mathematical models and solution algorithms of ill-posed problems. Measurements of longitudinal speed of mass center, longitudinal and transversal accelerations, pressure drop in tires, turning angle of driven wheels, motion path plotting and recognition of road markings have been analyzed. Efficiency of the developed system of motion control of unmanned vehicle convoy in Russia has been confirmed experimentally.

Rudder Roll Damping Autopilot Using Dual Extended Kalman Filter–Trained Neural Networks for Ships in Waves

The roll motions of ships advancing in heavy seas have severe impacts on the safety of crews, vessels, and cargoes; thus, it must be damped. This study presents the design of a rudder roll damping autopilot by utilizing the dual extended Kalman filter (DEKF)–trained radial basis function neural networks (RBFNN) for the surface vessels. The autopilot system constitutes the roll reduction controller and the yaw motion controller implemented in parallel. After analyzing the advantages of the DEKF-trained RBFNN control method theoretically, the ship’s nonlinear model with environmental disturbances was employed to verify the performance of the proposed stabilization system. Different sailing scenarios were conducted to investigate the motion responses of the ship in waves. The results demonstrate that the DEKF RBFNN–based control system is efficient and practical in reducing roll motions and following the path for the ship sailing in waves only through rudder actions.

ОЦІНКА ЯКОСТІ ПОСЛУГ ЗАЛІЗНИЧНОГО ТРАНСПОРТУ

It was determined that in conditions of market relations and integration of railway transport of Ukraine to the Western European transport system the quality of transport services must comply with the standards, which are designed to naukovovirobnicha methodological foundations. Through the system indicators quality standards established balance of interests of performers and users of transport services. The main measure of quality in the market is the needs and requirements of the consumers. Thus, the quality of transport services can be defined as conformance to customers ' expectations of these services and certain established standards. For a comprehensive evaluation of the quality of services of railway transport is proposed to take into account the following indicators: the level of safety of transportation services; the level of cargo safety during transportation; technical state of railway infrastructure and rolling stock conditions of carriage; the level of reliability of transportation; provide transportation services; the level of comfort and convenience; the level of information services; the level of competence, sociability and friendliness of staff; the availability of additional services. Evaluation of the quality of services of railway transport or its structural subdivisions proposed in the following sequence: determination of parameters of transport to be used in assessing the quality of transport services; the numerical measure and the temporary restrictions of the parameters; establishing expert by the importance of each parameter to the total number; identification of the degree of compliance of each parameter to a certain level, which is determined by the researcher; the calculation of the integral assessment of the quality of transport services. The methodical approach to integrated assessment of the quality of railway transport services taking into account the main parameters of quality of transportations, their importance and meet the requirements of consumers of transport services on the terms and results of the transportation process