Inland Navigation Research Articles

Sensor fault diagnosis in inland navigation networks based on a grey-box model

Inland navigation networks are equipped with limnimeters to measure and record water level data for the control of water levels and the management of water resources. When faults occur on sensors, corrupted data can be considered as correct, leading to undesirable management actions. Therefore, it is necessary to detect and localize these faults. In this paper, the detection and localization of sensor faults is performed through the analysis of the parameters of a grey-box model, which are obtained from available real data. The parameters are determined with a sliding window, with the exception of the delays, which are considered known a priori. A fault is detected and then localized when there is a change in the value of the parameters. This approach is well suited for constant faults and particularly well adapted for intermittent faults. Data of an inland navigation reach located in the north of France are used to highlight the performance of the proposed approach.

The Use of Linguistic Variables and the FMEA Analysis in Risk Assessment in Inland Navigation

The Use of Linguistic Variables and the FMEA Analysis in Risk Assessment in Inland Navigation

The Danube inland waterway transport and its role in Serbia’s economic development

The Danube river waterway, i.e. the Pan-European Corridor VII, is considered as one of the most significant transport corridors in Europe. It runs through ten countries, including Serbia (the Serbian part of the river is 588 km long), which is why it is one of Serbia’s priorities to develop inland water transport. The system of waterways provides a viable alternative to roads and rail systems. Moreover, it is crucial for regional development. The Danube River offers excellent opportunities for freight, passenger and tourist inland water transportation. However, the navigability potential of the Danube River still remains largely underrealized in Serbia: despite the high quality of waterways, inland water transport accounts for only 4.7 % of the total transport. This paper deals with the advantages of inland navigation and the major characteristics of the Danube waterway in Serbia. In Serbia, the Danube is mainly used for freight and passenger transportation and for the development of nautical tourism. There are a number of important projects that are currently being implemented in Serbia, such as the construction of new port facilities and marinas. The paper also discusses the negative factors impeding regional development in the sphere of waterways and water transport in Serbia, primarily the lack of funding for maintenance and improvement of the river’s navigability.

Оценка факторов, определяющих энергоэффективность судов внутреннего плавания

Оценка факторов, определяющих энергоэффективность судов внутреннего плавания

Experimental assessment of alluviation downstream of Hun-lock, Belgium

To maintain inland navigation, a deposition crest in the Hunlock area, in the Upper Meuse River, Belgium, has to be dredged almost every two years. A long-term solution is searched for, based on the understanding of water velocity field and solid transport processes, to avoid the silting and the expensive dredging. The physical process is analysed thanks to a 1:50 small-scale model of the 500 m-long Meuse reach with Hun movable dam as upstream boundary. The velocity fields, recorded with an electromagnetic probe displaced automatically, are compared for several configurations. Three discharges and distinct dam openings are tested in the existing configuration. Modifications of the downstream guard wall, by perforating ports, are also considered. Building groynes in the right side of the river is analysed. Finally, flushing water through the lock is tested. As conclusions, alluviations are due to the localisation of the lock in an enlarged area of the Upper Meuse and in a meander intrados, inducing decreasing flow velocities. None of the tested solutions is completely convincing according to 4 criterions: (1) ability to decrease the deposition crest, (2) navigation requirements, (3) safety in case of high-stage discharges, and (4) acceptable cost.

River bank erosion opposite to transverse groynes

Long series of groynes are built from both river sides to narrow river channels and prevent bank erosion with the aim to improve the conditions for inland navigation and prevent lateral channel migration. Single groynes or short series of groynes are built to impede local bank erosion, deviate the water flow, free an intake or fix the position of migrating bars at certain locations. These structures divert the flow towards the opposite river side where channel bed erosion increases the risk of bank failure. Flow and river bed adaptation have been extensively studied, especially for long series of groynes. Instead, studies dealing with opposite bank erosion caused by single or short series of groynes are still lacking. We investigated this phenomenon in the laboratory and using 2D numerical models with LES. This paper shows some preliminary results.

A multidisciplinary approach in wetland geoarchaeology: Survey of the missing southern canal connection of the Fossa Carolina (SW Germany)

In this manuscript we document a multidisciplinary approach in wetland geoarchaeology for detecting artificial structures in a middle European floodplain. By means of a large set of different prospection methods (cadastral analysis, aerial archaeology, LiDAR, SQUID based magnetic prospection, electrical resistivity tomography, seismic refraction tomography, ground penetrating radar) and a subsequent geoarchaeological drilling campaign we provide an overview about the potentials and limits of the applied methods.Our site-specific aims focus on the Fossa Carolina, Charlemagne's shortcut for linking the Rhine-Main and the Altmühl-Danube inland navigation systems during the Early Middle Ages. Our results show that Altmühl meander loops were quasi stable since Carolingian times and that an Altmühl floodplain-crossing trench of at least 650–700 m was required for linking the Altmühl River with the – archaeological known – southernmost position of the existing Carolingian canal. However, our large set of remote sensing and geophysical prospection tools and the corresponding drilling campaign do not show any evidence for the missing Carolingian trench within the Altmühl floodplain. Our results support the idea that the Carolingian canal was never entirely completed although large parts of the canal were almost finished in the northern sections.

Research on risk assessment and control of inland navigation safety

Based on the analysis of waterway safety of Shanghai, a comprehensive analysis from four aspects which are environment, hardware, software and liveware are made. And based on the analytic hierarchy process fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model of multi-level, Shanghai inland navigation safety risk was evaluated, and the future of ship navigation safety of scientific prediction and analysis are given. Finally, the paper puts forward some countermeasures and suggestions for risk control.

The BICS — Advanced Method of the Electronic Ship Reporting for the RIS Centre

Abstract The article presents principles of transmission and processing of the data in electronic reporting of river ships used in inland navigation. The new standard of electronic reporting of ships was shown — system Barge Information and Communication System (BICS). Results and analysis of surveys of real duplex transmission of data in BICS system for purpose of RIS Centre were presented.

Manoeuvring model of an estuary container vessel with two interacting Z-drives

A 6 degrees of freedom manoeuvring model of an estuary container vessel was implemented in the inland navigation simulator Lara at Flanders Hydraulics Research (FHR). The container vessel, with dimensions 110 m × 17.5 m × 4.5 m, is equipped with two Z-drives, each one consisting of two contra rotating propellers. Both Z-drives have a 360° azimuth angle of operation during manoeuvring. The mathematical manoeuvring model was built to cover all degrees of operation. This required the execution of a significant number of captive model tests in the shallow water towing tank of FHR (in co-operation with Ghent University). Based on these tests a new mathematical manoeuvring model was built to cover all effects of operation, including the interaction effects between the two Z-drives. The new mathematical model was implemented in the simulator and both fast time and real time manoeuvring simulations have been carried out. A paper discussing the validation of the manoeuvring model has been presented during MARSIM 2015 (Vos, Delefortrie, and Van Hoydonck in Validation of the manoeuvring behaviour on an estuary vessel. MARSIM, Newcastle, 2015). The present paper discusses the details of the manoeuvring model, with emphasis on the interaction effects between the Z-drives and the influence on the hydrodynamic forces.

Insights into bedload transport processes of a large regulated gravel‐bed river

AbstractA comprehensive monitoring programme focusing on bedload transport behaviour was conducted at a large gravel‐bed river. Innovative monitoring strategies were developed during five years of preconstruction observations accompanying a restoration project. A bedload basket sampler was used to perform 55 cross‐sectional measurements, which cover the entire water discharge spectrum from a 200‐year flood event in 2013 to a rare low flow event. The monitoring activities provide essential knowledge regarding bedload transport processes in large rivers. We have identified the initiation of motion under low flow conditions and a decrease in the rate of bedload discharge with increasing water discharge around bankfull conditions. Bedload flux strongly increases again during high flood events when the entire inundation area is flooded. No bedload hysteresis was observed. The effective discharge for bedload transport was determined to be near mean flow conditions, which is therefore at a lower flow discharge than expected. A numerical sediment transport model was able to reproduce the measured sediment transport patterns. The unique dataset enables the characterisation of bedload transport patterns in a large and regulated gravel‐bed river, evaluation of modern river engineering measures on the Danube, and, as a pilot project has recently been under construction, is able to address ongoing river bed incision, unsatisfactory ecological conditions for the adjacent national park and insufficient water depths for inland navigation. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Оценка риска эксплуатации корпусов барже-буксирных составов внутреннего и смешанного река-море плавания

Оценка риска эксплуатации корпусов барже-буксирных составов внутреннего и смешанного река-море плавания

An integrated method for waterway health assessment: a case in the Jingjiang reach of the Yangtze River, China

More and more importance has been placed on inland navigation due to the low costs, environmental friendliness, low use of energy per ton kilometer, and high degree of safety of this mode of transportation. A river typically serves multiple functions or provides multiple services in addition to inland navigation. River health assessment for waterways requires that the navigation function be developed in harmony with the other river functions. In the case of the Jingjiang waterway in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, river functions or services were analyzed, and an integrated method for waterway health assessment was proposed. Using this method, a hierarchical assessment indicator system was constructed, the weights for those indicators contributing to their parent indicators were obtained via the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), and the Waterway Health Index (WHIc), a multimetric index reflecting the effect of the cask short board, was proposed alongside the commonly used linearly weighted summation index (WHI). Waterway health changes in the Jingjiang Reach were assessed in the context of a waterway regulation project. The results highlight potential mutual improvement between the ecosystem health and navigation functions using certain waterway regulation approaches.

Evolution and growth of inland navigation in travancore

Transport plays a vital role in the economic development by providing access to jobs, education, leisure travel and other amenities essential for quality of life. Once the steam power was applied for purposes of transport, it brought about significant changes first in the political and social spheres of the western world and their colonies around the world. Transportation industry merely undertakes the movement of people and goods from one place to another but in doing so it has been one of the most important activities of man in every stage of human civilization. Transport generates growth by facilitating trade both nationally internationally and by increasing access to livelihoods education facilities as well as local and national amenities.

Hazard identification methods

This article presents the main hazards that occur in inland navigation and their impact on the vessel. Characteristics of the methods were used to identify threats. Examined such methods as: HAZOP, FTA, ETA, FMEA and SWIFT. There was shown the model identification of hazards on the example of steering gear damage of inland vessel moving on the straight fairway.

Morphological Investigation of a Critical Reach of the Upper Hungarian Danube

The aim of this study is to analyze the current morphological changes and to predict the potential future trends of a critical reach of the upper Hungarian Danube River. In this section of the river the morphological features have undergone significant changes, mainly due to human impacts, such as the construction of the Gabcikovo hydropower plant close to the Slovakian border, or the river regulation measures with groin fields along the Hungarian reach. The morphological changes of the river inherently led to river management issues, e.g. the developed gravel bars caused problems for inland navigation. In order to reveal and understand the characteristic morphodynamic processes, results from past bed geometry surveys were assessed, moreover, extensive field measurement campaigns were carried out, including bathymetry survey, flow survey with fixed and moving Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), bed material sampling and bedload measurements. The utilization of up-to-date field data processing methods provided essential information on the current dominant morphological processes and finally, suggestions were made on the stability of the river planform.

Antifouling biocides in German marinas: Exposure assessment and calculation of national consumption and emission.

The authorization of biocidal antifouling products for leisure boats is the subject of the European Union Biocides Regulation 528/2012. National specifics may be regarded by the member states in their assessment of environmental risks. The aim of this survey was to collect corresponding data and to create a database for the environmental risk assessment of antifouling active substances in German surface waters. Water concentrations of current antifouling active substances and selected breakdown products were measured in a single-sampling campaign covering 50 marinas at inland and coastal areas. Increased levels were found for Zn, Cu, and cybutryne. For the latter, the maximum allowable concentration according to Directive 2013/39/EU was exceeded at 5 marinas. For Cu, local environmental quality standards were exceeded at 10 marinas. Base data on the total boat inventory in Germany were lacking until now. For that reason, a nationwide survey of mooring berths was conducted by use of aerial photos. About 206 000 mooring berths obviously used by boats with a potential antifouling application were counted. The blind spot of very small marinas was estimated at 20 000 berths. Seventy-one percent of berths were located at freshwater sites, illustrating the importance of navigable inland waterways for leisure boat activities and underlining the need for a customized exposure assessment in these areas. Moreover, the national consumption of all antifouling products for leisure boats was calculated. The total amount of 794 tonnes/annum (t/a) consisted of 179 t/a of inorganic Cu compounds, 19 t/a of organic cobiocides, and 49.5 t/a of Zn. With regard to weight proportion, 141 t/a Cu and 40 t/a Zn were consumed. Assuming an emission ratio of 50% during service life, 70.5 t/a of Cu amounted to 15% of all external sources for Cu release to German surface waters. These figures highlight the need for mitigation measures. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:892-905. © 2017 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Developing a cost calculation model for inland navigation

The inland waterway transport sector in Western Europe is a competitive market with an excess of supply over demand. Overcapacity puts pressure on prices, and has caused a decline in profitability, particularly since the economic crisis of 2008. In this competitive environment, it is crucial for ship owners to have accurate information on the cost of their service in order to avoid setting freight rates at non-profitable levels. For this reason, a scientific instrument to calculate the cost of inland waterway transport is needed.Following upon a literature review, the aim of the paper is to develop a new cost calculation model by vessel type, taking into account internal fixed and variable out-of-pocket costs, from the ship owner's perspective, as well as external cost elements of inland waterway transport. Subsequently, the methodology behind the input parameters, the model computations, and the output is discussed and supported with a case study.The paper reveals that a model for use in the inland navigation sector needs to be based on company-specific input parameters. Due to the variety of ship types and dimensions, operation modes, contracts, and specific trip considerations, models based on average values seldom provide accurate results. The collection of averages, however, can serve scientific purposes, such as the analysis of investment decisions, or the effect of changes to the charter agreement. As such, the model proposed in this paper is capable of collecting and processing user input for the generation of average values, for further insights into the inland navigation sector.

Inland navigation: PAH inventories in soil and vegetation after EU fuel regulation 2009/30/EC

In January 2011, fuel quality in inland water vessels was changed by EU regulation 2009/30/EC, aiming at improving air quality along waterways. We hypothesized that the implementation of this regulation both lowered the total deposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and changed their composition in river valleys. We analyzed parent-, alkylated- and thio-PAHs in soil and vine leaves, at two waterways (Rhine and Moselle, Germany), as well as in one ship-free reference area (Ahr, Germany). Samples were taken annually (2010-2013) in transects perpendicular to the rivers. We did not find any relation of PAH concentration and composition on vine leaves to inland navigation, likely because atmospheric exchange processes distorted ship-specific accumulation patterns. We did find, however, an accumulation of ship-borne PAHs in topsoil near the waterways (1543±788 and 581±252ngg-1 at Moselle and Rhine, respectively), leading to larger PAH concentrations at the Moselle Valley than at the reference area (535±404ngg-1) prior to EU fuel regulation. After fuel regulation, the PAH concentrations decreased in topsoils of the Moselle and Rhine Valley by 35±9 and 62±28%, respectively. These changes were accompanied by increasing proportions of dibenzothiophene (DBT) and low molecular weight PAHs. Both, changes in PAH concentrations and composition were traceable within 200 and 350m distance to the river front of Moselle and Rhine, respectively, and likely favored by erosion of topsoil in vineyards. We conclude that the EU regulation was effective in improving soil and thus also air quality within only three years. The impact was greater and spatially more relevant at the Rhine, which may be attributed to the larger traffic volume of inland navigation.

Hydrographic and navigational analysis of Lower Oder shipping conditions – case study of the backflow occurrence

One of the significant limitations of inland waterway transport on the Oder River is the water level. Its variability determines the minimum clearance under the bridges and thus the maximum drought of moving vessels. An important factor affecting the water level in the Oder River is the phenomenon of wind backwater. Certain pressure field distribution situations may affect in an increase of water level on the coast and thereby block the outflow of river waters. In this paper an example of the limitations of inland navigation in the estuarine part of the Lower Oder under the weather conditions on the southern Baltic Sea in autumn 2016 is presented. For the analysis area of Szczecin Waterway Node and section of Oder River from Szczecin to Gryfino was chosen. Based on data the weather and navigational conditions of the area of the Lower Oder were assessed. Occurring winds, currents and changes in water level has been analyzed. In the situations of unfavorable raise of the water level in the river, inland navigation is redirected to the section of Regalica River, and a section of the port of Szczecin region is closed. This causes obvious difficulties and results in prolonged ships routes. Additional obstacle that take place here is an arbitrarily determined time of railway bridge span lifting in Szczecin Podjuchy.