Route Navigation Research Articles

Reducing the Dimensions of the Ship’s Main Switchboard—A Contribution to Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency generally implies the efficient use of energy in all sectors of final consumption—industry, services, agriculture, households and transport. Shipping accounts for nearly 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it the sixth largest CO2 producer in the world. This is a result of inefficient ship design, lack of planning and optimal use of resources. As the transport sector expands, so does the pressure for a greener and cleaner maritime industry. Reducing fuel consumption is a major driver of the need for energy efficiency on ships. In this paper, due to the importance of maritime transport, we observed the impact of reducing the dimensions of the main switchboard as a contribution to energy efficiency. This contribution is not of great importance as is the case with the optimization of the navigation route, etc., but it certainly affects the weight and, thus, the fuel consumption, which contributes to energy efficiency in the designed system. The aim of this paper is to optimize the design of the main switchboard by using 2D simulations of possible bus topologies, in order to develop six different busbar models and find one that best meets the requirements. The simulation results indicate the optimal location and dimensions of the busbars in the main switchboard in accordance with the switchgear parameters. Apart from the change in layout and dimensions of the busbars, the replacement of conventional instrument transformers with new current/voltage sensors contributes to a significant reduction in the weight and size of the switchboard, which ultimately benefits energy efficiency.

A new lake classification scheme for the Peace-Athabasca Delta (Canada) characterizes hydrological processes that cause lake-level variation

Study regionThe Peace-Athabasca Delta, a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in northeastern Alberta, is protected within Wood Buffalo National Park and contributes to its UNESCO World Heritage status yet is threatened by climate change and upstream energy projects. Study focusRecent drawdown of the delta’s abundant shallow lakes and rivers has deteriorated vital habitat for wildlife and impaired navigation routes. Here, we report continuous measurements at ~50 lakes during open-water seasons of 2018 and 2019 to improve understanding of hydrological processes causing lake-level variation. New hydrological insights for the regionAnalyses reveal four patterns of lake-level variation attributable to influential hydrological processes, which provide the basis for a new lake classification scheme: 1) ‘Drawdown’ (≥15 cm decline) by evaporation and/or outflow after ice-jam floods, 2) ‘Stable’ lake levels (<15 cm change) sustained by rainfall, 3) ‘Gradual Rise’ by inundation from the open-drainage network, and 4) ‘Rapid Rise’ by input of river floodwater. River flooding during the open-water season is an under-recognized recharge mechanism yet occurred extensively in the Athabasca sector and appears to be a common occurrence based on the Athabasca River hydrometric record. Lake-level loggers show strong ability to track shifts in hydrological processes, and can be integrated with other methods to decipher their causes and ecological consequences across water-rich landscapes.

The Impact of the Sense of Home on the Quality of Life of Older Adults in Tabriz, Iran

With the advent of aging population, the quality of life of older adults has become an ever more imperative focus of research. However, the impact of a sense of home on the quality of life of older adults has not received the full recognition it deserves yet. The present study is based on the following assumptions (1) older adults living in residential care facilities would have a better understanding of how it feels like to live in one’s home precisely because of living away from home; (2) older adults living at home would be affected in terms of quality of life by their subconscious perceptions of sense of home despite lacking an explicit familiarity with the concept. This study aims to identify the concept of a sense of home and evaluate its impact on the quality of life of older adults. To this end, through a qualitative analysis of participant interviews, we extracted the main themes of a sense of home for older adults dwelling in residential care facilities in Tabriz, Iran. Also, to ensure reliability, we tested the extracted themes quantitatively and interviewed a questionnaire in a wider statistical population. Our findings indicate that on the one hand, older adults feel satisfied with the residential aspect of where they live if they are provided with privacy, easily navigable routes, collective spaces, mental health. On the other, they can also achieve physical, social, and mental health and feel satisfied with the care provision dimension of where they live if they are provided with internal and external facilities such as easily walkable paths to avoid collapsing or injury, accessible health care options, chances of social interaction, as well as peace and serenity. The conclusion is that by providing a context for privacy, social interaction, independence, and memorability, a place can leave a positive impact on self-esteem, happiness, life satisfaction, and ultimately quality of life among older adults.

Analysis of ice conditions of year-round navigation of Arc7 vessels in the southwestern part of the Kara Sea

Since 2006, a new generation of reinforced ice class Arc7 vessels has been operating on the Northern Sea Route. Safe and efficient sailing of this type of vessels in sea ice demands a detailed study of ice conditions. Accumulation and analysis of data on ice and hydrometeorological conditions for the entire Arctic in comparison with ice conditions along the route of vessels is an essential part of the development of optimal variants and optimal routes for ice navigation.The main aim of the study was to generalize the conditions of ice navigation of Norilskiy Nickel vessels along the optimal navigational routes in the south-western part of the Kara Sea. Based on the reports on sailing obtained from vessels of the “Norilskiy Nickel” type for the 2006–2014 period, we calculated the probability of choosing the optimal route along the Murmansk – Dudinka passage: through the Kara Gate Strait (seaward, central or coastal route) or the north of Cape Zhelaniya. During the year, vessels move predominantly through the Kara Gate. However, for three month per year, from April to June, the most appropriate route lies to the north of the Zhelaniya Cape. In April – May it is, on average, every second navigation, and in June – more than 80 % of all navigation. The features of the ice regime determining the choice of the specific navigation route, are described. The speeds of vessels of the “Norilskiy Nickel” type along various navigation routes in drifting sea ice of the Kara Sea are calculated. The fastest speed in drifting ice was recorded in the winter navigations of 2007–2008 and 2011–2012, in the January-May of these years the average speed was 10.2 and 11.2, correspondingly. The minimum speed in these years, even during the months of maximum ice cover growth, was not less than 4.8 knots. In other years, the average speeds were in the range of 9.2–9.8 knots. During the whole period of study, ice conditions that were extremely difficult for navigation formed three times: at the end of May 2009, at the end of March 2010 and in the middle of March 2011, these are considered in more detail in the present article.

The Economic Implications of the Israel-UAE Normalization Agreement in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and the Potential Impacts on the GCC

The new relationship that has emerged between UAE and Israel, after the conclusion of the Abraham agreement, includes common economic orientations between both sides. There is potential cooperation within the navigational routes and strategic points in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and this initial cooperation could open the way for a bilateral economic partnership. This research paper has two main goals: Firstly, to uncover the economic cooperation between Israel and UAE in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden by applying a methodology of qualitative case study. Secondly, exposing the repercussions of Israel-UAE economic cooperation on the future role of the Gulf Cooperation Council, specifically in the economic domain and addressing the factors accompanying this cooperation that may raise the level of competition among member states, especially between the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. By analysing these goals, the paper attempts to examine the possibilities that such economic cooperation between Israel and the UAE may pave the way towards future bilateral or multilateral alliances among different countries within the region.

Algorithm for constructing a route to pass a narrow fairway

Modern navigation systems often employ the algorithms for plotting lines for the preliminary route construction. The current conditions of technological development imply the simplicity of constructing routes. However, the most important part was and remains the speed of the system that generates the route. The authors of the paper proposed a universal algorithm for constructing a navigation route in narrow channels of the sea. The presented algorithm identifies the middle of the fairway as the safest point at each narrow segment and connects them with track lines. The problem that can arise is smoothing, as the middle of the fairway can shift significantly. To solve this problem, new relative and absolute parameters that characterize plotting of turning points were introduced. In addition, a unified universal formula was proposed for finding the coordinates of these points on a line perpendicular to the current route of the vessel. It was experimentally proved that correctly selected empirical parameters enable the algorithm to quickly construct a route in any navigation area with a relatively low computational complexity. This approach is appropriate for clearly delineated zones of the fairway, and it is compatible with zone methods.

Design and Implementation of Geological Hazard Data Acquisition System Based on Online Technology

Based on the working process and technical requirements of geological hazard survey in China, a geological hazard field survey data acquisition system was developed based on online technology. The system, capable of presenting remote sensing images or topographic maps with a scale of 1:50,000 or higher accuracy and providing accurate positioning based on GPS and Beidou system, can satisfy the requirements of geological hazard field data collection. The system provides numerous functions, including data download, survey route navigation, online form filling, graph drawing, photo recording, and data synchronism. The development of the proposed system will provide rapid, accurate, and convenient data collection and information search for geological hazard field survey. The proposed system has been widely applied in practice and has significantly improved the working accuracy and efficiency of geological hazard field survey.

Navigational Behavior of Humans and Deep Reinforcement Learning Agents.

Rapid advances in the field of Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) over the past several years have led to artificial agents (AAs) capable of producing behavior that meets or exceeds human-level performance in a wide variety of tasks. However, research on DRL frequently lacks adequate discussion of the low-level dynamics of the behavior itself and instead focuses on meta-level or global-level performance metrics. In doing so, the current literature lacks perspective on the qualitative nature of AA behavior, leaving questions regarding the spatiotemporal patterning of their behavior largely unanswered. The current study explored the degree to which the navigation and route selection trajectories of DRL agents (i.e., AAs trained using DRL) through simple obstacle ridden virtual environments were equivalent (and/or different) from those produced by human agents. The second and related aim was to determine whether a task-dynamical model of human route navigation could not only be used to capture both human and DRL navigational behavior, but also to help identify whether any observed differences in the navigational trajectories of humans and DRL agents were a function of differences in the dynamical environmental couplings.

Turkey's Interest in the Arctic Region: the Possible Effects of being a Party to the Svalbard Treaty

The Arctic Ocean's becoming open wider to international navigation for most of the time in parallel with global warming has attracted the attention of the world to this region. As the Covid-19 pandemic reveals the necessity to deliver products to the global market as quickly as possible, the possibility of intense use of the Arctic Ocean is increasing. This study aims to emphasize the increasing importance of the Arctic region from a maritime economics perspective and on the other hand to discuss the possible effects of being a party for Turkey to the Svalbard (originally Spitsbergen) Treaty. It is expected that the increase in global temperatures will result in important outcomes in the region especially regarding the new emerging navigational routes and sharing of the natural resources in the region. Analysis has been made on the impact of new security concerns on the sustainable maritime economy likely to arise in the Arctic region. As a result, the importance of mutual international efforts to maintain stability was emphasized and the importance of being a party to the Svalbard Treaty for Turkey was highlighted.

Feasibility of the Northern Sea Route for seasonal transit navigation: The role of ship speed on ice and alternative fuel types for the oil product tanker market

The feasibility of the Northern Sea Route is assessed for seasonal operations of oil product tankers using alternative fuel types. A speed optimisation model is used that minimises the required freight rate (RFR) of a Long Range 2 (LR2) tanker against alternative routes. A cost model is developed that incorporates real hourly speed data from tanker voyages between the 2011 and 2019 summer/autumn seasons, and primary and secondary data regarding cost and operational factors. The analysis is based on naphtha and jet fuel/kerosene trades between Europe and Asia. A prospective ban on the use of High Sulphur Fuel Oil (HSFO) in the Arctic, and alternative fuels, such as the new Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) are included to take into account of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) 2020 global sulphur limit and its long-term strategy towards the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Research on Optimization of Main Engine Speed of Inland Ship Based on Genetic Algorithm

This paper aims at reduced total fuel consumption of voyage by obtaining navigation data of inland ships, and established the fuel consumption prediction model of the main engine in the segment through studying the navigation route by sections according to the characteristics of the navigation environment, and solved the problem with the help of genetic algorithm to obtain the best main engine for each segment main engine speed. The results show that: (1) The error of the neural network model verification data set is mostly within 6%, and the model performance is good; (2) The experimental ship from Nanjing to Jingzhou from June to September adopts the optimized main engine speed to save 0.6232t of fuel, which is 4.06% lower than the original total fuel consumption. This method has practical and guiding significance for reducing the cost of inland ship navigation and improving the ecological environment of the Yangtze River.

William Tolly and His Canal: Navigating Calcutta in the Lake-Eighteenth Century

This article studies the making of one particular canal in the port-city of Calcutta during the early years of English East India Company rule in Bengal. Major Tolly, a Company-servant, proposed to undertake the arduous task of opening up a navigable route connecting Calcutta with the eastern districts of the province for better trade and communication facilities. In the process, he was hopeful of making a good fortune for himself as well. But the sailing was not smooth. Tolly had to enter into various negotiations with the Company government regarding land, the right to hold property in Calcutta, and the role of the Company in defining those rights. He also faced difficulties with the local zamindars regarding collection of tolls, and the issue of maintenance of the canal. The Company administrators were also not unanimous in their opinions regarding these issues, which sometimes compounded the problem for Tolly. Through a discussion of the material history of this canal, this article proposes to look at the ways in which a mercantile power sought to create and consolidate its hold over a coastal enclave in a largely riverine province, negotiating and redefining a maze of seemingly incomprehensible political-economic considerations.

Evaluating schematic route maps in wayfinding tasks for in-car navigation

ABSTRACT Today’s navigation systems use topographic maps to communicate route information. Being general-purpose maps, topographic maps lack optimal support for the specific task of route reading and navigation. In the public transportation domain, research demonstrated that topographic maps do not support planning of routes as good as schematic maps. Our current paper applies this idea to the domain of in-car navigation. Schematic maps emphasize functional aspects of geography and direction information by highlighting information relevant to navigation actions and orientation. However, there is a lack of systematic studies researching the usability of schematic cartography in wayfinding tasks. This article evaluates schematic route maps, created with an algorithm developed in our previous work, regarding user interaction, navigation performance, and spatial memorability. We compare these schematic maps with correspondent non-schematic ones in two different tasks: prospective and situated (driving simulator) route reading. The schematic map and the corresponding non-schematic map are identical in terms of their elements and topology; they vary only in their geometric shape: on the schematic maps, features are highly generalized, following schematic simplification rules for clarity. The experimental data shows that participants using the schematic route maps require fewer map interactions to complete the tasks, orientation information is more visible and leads to more accurate spatial knowledge acquisition. This result contributes to a better understanding of schematic route visualizations’ benefits to support users in wayfinding and orientation tasks.

Cold Rush: The Astonishing True Story of the New Quest for the Polar North

Cold Rush: The Astonishing True Story of the New Quest for the Polar North

Cognitive maps in the wild: revealing the use of metric information in black howler monkey route navigation.

ABSTRACTWhen navigating, wild animals rely on internal representations of the external world – called ‘cognitive maps’ – to take movement decisions. Generally, flexible navigation is hypothesized to be supported by sophisticated spatial skills (i.e. Euclidean cognitive maps); however, constrained movements along habitual routes are the most commonly reported navigation strategy. Even though incorporating metric information (i.e. distances and angles between locations) in route-based cognitive maps would likely enhance an animal's navigation efficiency, there has been no evidence of this strategy reported for non-human animals to date. Here, we examined the properties of the cognitive map used by a wild population of primates by testing a series of cognitive hypotheses against spatially explicit movement simulations. We collected 3104 h of ranging and behavioural data on five groups of black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) at Palenque National Park, Mexico, from September 2016 through August 2017. We simulated correlated random walks mimicking the ranging behaviour of the study subjects and tested for differences between observed and simulated movement patterns. Our results indicated that black howler monkeys engaged in constrained movement patterns characterized by a high path recursion tendency, which limited their capacity to travel in straight lines and approach feeding trees from multiple directions. In addition, we found that the structure of observed route networks was more complex and efficient than simulated route networks, suggesting that black howler monkeys incorporate metric information into their cognitive map. Our findings not only expand the use of metric information during route navigation to non-human animals, but also highlight the importance of considering efficient route-based navigation as a cognitively demanding mechanism.

MapIN - Make a Path Inside

Our aim is to provide a comprehensive summary of the evolution of indoor navigation technologies. Indoor navigation is a system that is used to locate the exact locations inside a campus. To provide a technological aspect of indoor positioning systems, there are a wide range of technologies and approaches. This system does not use the GPS (Global Positioning System) and any other Internet technologies. The aim is to create an app that would show the users a navigation route in the real world via mobile device’s screen. This can be beneficial to citizens in their day to day life as it allows the user to precisely navigate to a specific location in an architecture they have never been to before, such as an airport terminal, a classroom or the library in a campus, malls/retail store to navigate the customers to the items they would like to purchase etc. The created framework ought to give, progressively, valuable route data that empowers a user to settle on reasonable and convenient choices on which course to continue in an indoor space.

Energy, Economic and Environmental Effects of the Marine Diesel Engine Trigeneration Energy Systems

The paper discusses the possibility of applying the trigeneration energy concept (cogeneration + absorption cooling) on diesel-powered refrigerated ships, based on systematic analyses of variable energy loads during the estimated life of the ship on a predefined navigation route. From a methodological point of view, mathematical modeling of predictable energy interactions of a ship with a realistic environment yields corresponding models of simultaneously occurring energy loads (propulsion, electrical and thermal), as well as the preferred trigenerational thermal effect (cooling and heating). Special emphasis is placed on the assessment of the upcoming total heat loads (refrigeration and heating) in live cargo air conditioning systems (unfrozen fruits and vegetables) as in ship accommodations. The obtained results indicate beneficiary energy, economic and environmental effects of the application of diesel engine trigeneration systems on ships intended for cargo transport whose storage temperatures range from −25 to 15 °C. Further analysis of trigeneration system application to the passenger ship air conditioning system indicates even greater achievable savings.

The analysing energy efficiency for sailing ships in optimal travel route planning. Case study: World voyage of the training ship "Mircea"

Reducing fuel consumption is a major goal in planning a ship's voyage. In addition to reducing the operational costs of the voyage, this planning objective influences the energy efficiency of the voyage. This study presents a method for identifying the operational energy efficiency in planning a voyage route to sailboats. In this regard, in the first part of the study was developed a method for determining the Energy Efficiency Performance Indicator (EEOI) of a voyage route for sailing ships. In the second part of the study, to validate the developed method, were analyzed two voyage routes, with imposed limitations, to identify the optimal voyage route around the world for the Training ship „Mircea”. The Training ship „Mircea” is a training ship for the students of the "Mircea cel Bătrân" Naval Academy. The analysis was performed for two navigation routes, namely from East to West and from West to East, departing/arriving from the port of Constanța. The results of the analysis indicate that the route from West to East is the optimal route for Mircea's voyage around the world from the perspective of the ship's energy efficiency.

Historical, contemporary, and future perspectives on a coupled social–ecological system in a changing world: Canada’s historic Rideau Canal

Anthropogenic waterways and canal systems have been part of the cultural and natural landscape for thousands for years. As of the late 20th century, more than 63 000 km of canals exist worldwide as transport routes for navigation, many with barriers (e.g., locks, dams) that fragment the system and decrease connectivity. Fragmentation alone can have negative implications for freshwater biodiversity; by isolating populations and communities, other human-mediated disturbances associated with canals like poor water quality and invasive species can exacerbate these negative effects. As such, the capacity of these interconnected freshwater systems to support biodiversity is continuously degrading at a global level. One critical, highly complex issue that unites canals worldwide is the challenge of governing these systems in a holistic, unified way to both protect biodiversity and preserve historical elements. Managing historic canals involves multiple objectives across many agencies and stakeholders, often with different or conflicting objectives. Here, we use the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Historic Site of Canada, as a case study to demonstrate the importance of considering canals as social–ecological systems for effective and efficient governance. Historic canals are integrated systems of both humans (social) and the environment (ecological), linked by mutual feedbacks and coevolution, and must be managed as such to achieve conservation goals while maintaining commemorative integrity. We discuss the history of the Rideau Canal and its current governance, biodiversity in the waterway, different threats and issues (user conflicts, aquatic pollution, shoreline development, water management, species at risk, and invasive species), and conclude by outlining ways to address the challenges of managing it as a coupled social–ecological system. We present different research needs and opportunities that would enable better management, though above all, we propose a shift from the current governance structure — which at best can be considered “patchwork” — to a coordinated, multi-scalar and multi-stakeholder governance regime such that the Rideau Canal can be maintained for its historical integrity without compromising biodiversity conservation. Given that canals are now pervasive worldwide, this article is not only topical to the Rideau Canal, but also to other waterways in Canada and beyond.

Numerical simulations of agent navigation via Half-Sweep Modified Two-Parameter Over-Relaxation (HSMTOR)

The research on the efficiency of route navigation has been continuously developing. Especially, the capability of the generated route to provide a collision-free route for an agent to move in a particular environment. Thus, this study attempts to solve the route navigational problem iteratively via a numerical method. A new method called Half-Sweep Modified Two-Parameter Over-Relaxation (HSMTOR) is used to solve the navigational problems. For numerical simulation purposes, HSMTOR is used to obtain Laplace’s equation solutions called harmonic functions. A gradient descent search algorithm then utilizes the harmonic functions to provide a smooth and collision-free route for an agent to commute inside the environment. In addition, the formulation of the HSMTOR iterative method is presented. Several numerical experiments and simulations are conducted in order to verify the efficiency of the proposed method. The result shows that the proposed method performed better than the existing methods such as full-, half-sweep for Modified Successive Over-Relaxation, Modified Accelerated Over-Relaxation and Modified Two-Parameter Over-Relaxation respectively (FSMSOR, HSMSOR, FSMAOR, HSMAOR and FSMTOR).