Vessel System Research Articles

A new sample preparation approach based on microwave-induced combustion in disposable vessels for Ni and V determination by ICP-MS in crude oil

The presence of Ni and V in crude oil is associated with pollutant emissions, corrosive processes and low-quality products. Nevertheless, the knowledge of the concentration of these elements, helps to predict geochemical characteristics and to bring information about the crude oil source. Moreover, Ni and V can cause problems during the crude oil refining process. Therefore, the development of alternative, low-cost and rapid approaches for Ni and V determination in crude oil is still welcomed and was the aim of this work. The proposed microwave-induced combustion in disposable vessels (MIC-DV) system allows the use cheap and/or reusable materials, combined to the possibility of sample combustion under atmospheric pressure and using a domestic microwave. The parameters evaluated during MIC-DV optimization were, sample mass (5 to 20 mg) and volume (1 to 10 mL) and concentration (0.5 to 7 mol L-1 HNO3) of absorbing solution. MIC-DV was applied for the digestion of ten crude oil and the results were compared with those obtained after microwave-assisted digestion (MAD) and Ni and V determination by inductively couple plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The agreement values achieved ranged from 92 to 103% for Ni and from 93 to 106% for V. The limits of quantification after MIC-DV/ICP-MS were 0.28 and 0.15 μg g-1 for Ni and V, respectively. The developed MIC-DV method, can be considered environmentally friendly since it uses low-cost materials and instrumentation, requires reduced handling (based on the single vessel principle), avoids the use of additional dilution steps and minimizes the digest contamination.

Formation tracking control for networked heterogeneous MSV systems with actuator faults: A distributed optimal event-triggered fixed-time sliding mode fault-tolerant control approach

This paper studies the formation tracking problem in networked heterogeneous marine surface vessel systems (NHMSVs) subject to model perturbations, marine environmental disturbances, and actuator faults. A distributed optimal event-triggered fixed-time sliding mode fault-tolerant control (EFSMFC) method is proposed, which can achieve formation tracking within a fixed time that is only related to the control parameters. At the same time, a distance-based Floyd distributed optimization method is used to reduce the high communication cost caused by the redundancy of the network communication topology. In addition, an event-triggered strategy is integrated into the design of the controller to reduce the update frequency of control signals and reduce waste of communication resources. Finally, using Lyapunov stability theory, the global fixed-time convergence of system errors is proved. The simulation results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method, exhibiting superior robustness and speed compared to existing control methods.

Mission profile oriented energy efficiency and CO2 footprint assessment of naval vessels at conceptual design phase: A comparative case study of conventional and hybrid energy systems

CO2 is the main green house gas (GHG) produced in fossil fuel burning engines on ships. The growth of activities of sea-going vessels, have been increasing interest and concerns over ship-born CO2 emissions. Consequently, numerous studies have been introduced for emission estimation. Each estimation approach has its own assumptions, thus uncertainty with data of vessel activities, vessel attributes, and calculating methods. The conceptual design phase is the first phase of ship design. One of the issues addressed at this phase is the assessment of energy system alternatives of relevant ship. A ship energy system provides propulsion and electrical power. The assessment of energy system alternatives for a naval vessel is a very complicated business that has a significant impact and interaction on overall vessel integration. Naval vessels and their energy systems constitute a noteworthy part of the total world ship fleet. The present study aims to present a realistic methodology for estimating efficiency, hence CO2 emissions, for candidate energy systems of surface vessels at conceptual design phase. A frigate is selected as the case (baseline) vessel. Three energy systems, namely CODAD, CODOG, and CODLOG-CC, are proposed as alternatives for the case vessel. Instead of general emission estimation approaches, the present study proposes a mission profile-oriented estimation methodology which provides more precise and accurate results. The Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) defines efficiency and sets limitation during design and construction of specific merchant vessels, but since this index does not comply with unique characteristics of mission profile of surface vessels, the novel efficiency design index defined as integral warship EEDI (IWEEDI) is implemented for the case vessel. According to the analysis, CODAD is found to be the most efficient alternative, followed by CODLOG-CC and CODOG, respectively.

Application of simulated AIS data to study the collision risk system of ships

Abstract In previous research, several computational methods have been proposed to analyse the navigation, transportation safety and collision risks of maritime vessels. The objective of this study is to use Automatic Identification System (AIS) data to assess the collision risk between two vessels before an actual collision occurs. We introduce the concept of an angle interval in the model to enable real-time response to vessel collision risks. When predicting collision risks, we consider factors such as relative distance, relative velocity and phase between the vessels. Lastly, the collision risk is divided into different regions and represented by different colours. The green region represents a low-risk area, the yellow region serves as a cautionary zone and the red region indicates a high-alert zone. If a signal enters the red region, the vessel's control system will automatically intervene and initiate evasive manoeuvres. This reactive mechanism enhances the safety of vessel operations, ensuring the implementation of effective collision avoidance measures.

Transcriptomic profiling with vascular tension analyses reveals molecular targets and phenotypes in preeclamptic placental vasculature.

The placental vascular system plays an important role in the development of pregnancy hypertension in preeclampsia. The gene profiles of whole placental tissue (containing blood vessels and many other structural components) and pure vascular tissue should be very different. All previous reports using RNA-seq analysis in the placenta have tested its whole tissue or the villous part, and thus the gene profiles in the pure placental blood vessels are unknown. This study was the first to address this point with RNA-seq in human placenta at the transcript level. Isolated placental micro-vessels from normal and preeclamptic pregnancies were used for RNA-seq analysis, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) verification, and vascular function tests. Furthermore, a vascular function-centric core network was constructed to show the gene-gene interactions and gene-function associations in the placental vessel system. Differential expression analysis identified a total of 486 significantly changed transcripts. Bioinformatics analysis further confirmed that multiple genes were highly related to blood vessel and placental phenotypes. Several hub genes, including ELMO1, YWHAE, and IL6ST, were significantly reduced in the placental vessels in preeclampsia. Vascular tension experiments showed that angiotensin II-mediated vasoconstriction and exogenous NO donor sodium nitroprusside-induced vasodilation were decreased, while phenylephrine-mediated vascular responses were unchanged in placental micro-vessels in preeclampsia. The results provide important insights into the pathological process in the placental vasculature in preeclampsia and offer great potential for further investigation of these molecular targets in the human placental vascular system.

Improving the quality of the power supply system of technical fleet vessels when supplied from shore regional electric power systems

A significant increase in the load on technical fleet objects, such as floating cranes, dredgers, dredgers, etc., causes the problem of electromagnetic compatibility. Electricity supply of technical fleet vessels is carried out from 0.4 kV shore networks for economic reasons, but the quality of electricity of the shore-to-ship power transmission does not meet the requirements of GOST 32144-2013 and the Rules for the Classification and Construction of Inland Navigation Vessels of the Russian River Register (RSRR). Physical wear and tear of technical fleet vessels exacerbates this problem. Subject of the study: processes affecting the stability of the electrical load on the voltage of the ship's 0.4 kV network when supplying the vessel with electricity from a 10 kV shore network and violating the EMC of technical equipment. Objective of the study: development of scientific provisions and recommendations to improve the stability of ship voltage load nodes when powered from shore networks. Research subject: power supply systems of technical fleet vessels when powered from shore power systems. Research results: based on the conducted research, it is shown that the proposed method increases the stability of the electrical load on the voltage of technical fleet vessels when powered from shore networks, which is essential for water transport.

Fuzzy Logic-Based Energy Management Strategy for Hybrid Fuel Cell Electric Ship Power and Propulsion System

The growing use of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) in hybrid propulsion systems is aimed at replacing traditional internal combustion engines and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Effective power distribution between the fuel cell and the energy storage system (ESS) is crucial and has led to a growing emphasis on developing energy management systems (EMSs) to efficiently implement this integration. To address this goal, this study examines the performance of a fuzzy logic rule-based strategy for a hybrid fuel cell propulsion system in a small hydrogen-powered passenger vessel. The primary objective is to optimize fuel efficiency, with particular attention on reducing hydrogen consumption. The analysis is carried out under typical operating conditions encountered during a river trip. Comparisons between the proposed strategy with other approaches—control based, optimization based, and deterministic rule based—are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed strategy. Simulation results indicated that the EMS based on fuzzy logic mechanisms was the most successful in reducing fuel consumption. The superior performance of this method stems from its ability to adaptively manage power distribution between the fuel cell and energy storage systems.

Biocompatibility evaluation and imaging application of a new fluorescent chemodosimeter for the specific detection of mercury ions in environmental and biological samples

Mercury is widely distributed in the natural environment and living environment, and as a heavy metal element with significant toxicity mercury ions pose a threat to agriculture and the food chain, thus consequently the residue and bioaccumulation of mercury ions will cause numerous and serious diseases, such as neurological abnormalities, gingivitis and tremor. Therefore, the development of a responsive and accurate fluorescent probe or sensor with excellent biocompatibility for mercury ions is crucial and marketable in the health and environmental protection. In this study, a novel fluorescent probe named BE-Hg has been innovatively proposed for the dynamic monitor of mercury ions. The probe showed excellent spectral performance in vitro experiments with detection limit as low as 1.18 nM, while it was applied to monitor environmental water samples with recovery as high as 93 %. Moreover, our group evaluated the probe safety using fluorescence-labeled tissue, organ and organ system including liver, heart, blood vessel and immune system in zebrafish for the first time. Note that the probe is proved with good biocompatibility by the cytotoxicity test, behavioral test, hepatotoxicity test, cardiotoxicity test, blood vessel toxicity test and immunotoxicity test with 15 indicators. In addition, the probe owns the ability to detect Hg2+ in live cells and zebrafish models. Thus it is expected to be a tool for the detection of mercury ions in water environments and organisms. In addition, behavioral test, hepatotoxicity test, cardiotoxicity test, blood vessel toxicity test and immunotoxicity test can be used to evaluate the biocompatibility of fluorescent probe, which provide a reliable safeguard for the research and development of probe.

Relationship Between Sodium Intake, Physical Activity and Stress with the Incidence of Hypertension in Pregnant Women at the Gununghalu Health Center 2023

Hypertension or high blood pressure refers to a condition where blood pressure in the blood vessel system continues to increase (World Health Organization, 2018). Gestational hypertension can have detrimental effects on the mother and fetus, and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in the future. Women who have experienced preeclampsia or hypertension have higher health risks, including a 7- to 8-fold increased risk of death from coronary artery disease (Subki & et al, 2018). This study aims to investigate the correlation between factors that influence the incidence of hypertension in pregnant women in the area served by the Gununghalu Community Health Center. The research design used was case control, with a population of 1,473 people, where the sample consisted of pregnant women, including 63 of whom had hypertension. Data analysis was carried out using the Chi-Square method and multiple logistic regression analysis to identify factors that influence the incidence of hypertension. The research results show that there is a relationship between sodium consumption and hypertension in pregnant women showing a significance value of 0.007, indicating that there is a significant correlation between stress and the incidence of hypertension in pregnant women with a p value of 0.028. However, no significant relationship was found between physical activity and the incidence of hypertension in pregnant women, with a p value of 0.084. Multivariate analysis shows that sodium consumption is a risk factor for hypertension in pregnant women (p=0.004). It is hoped that all pregnant women will always have a pregnancy check-up with a health worker to avoid risks during pregnancy.

Ameliorative Review on Exploration of Spices in Aspects of Phytochemical Screening for their Antidiabetic Action

Diabetes is a diverse group of disorder characterized by hyperglycemia due to an deficiency in insulin production. Diabetes mellitus's chronic hyperglycemia is linked to end organ damage, dysfunction, and failure, including blood vessel, kidney, retina, and nervous system. With over 62 million cases of diabetes being identified in India, the disease is rapidly turning into a true epidemic. The majority of synthetic oral hypoglycemic medications available for the disease's treatment are costly, have significant adverse effects, and/or cannot be used while pregnant. As a result, a growing number of people worldwide are turning to traditional herbal remedies to prevent and treat diabetes. Spices having antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic characteristics may be effective in the therapy of diabetes. As a result, these spices are growing in popularity due to their potential efficacy, little to nonexistent adverse effects, and synergistic effects. Spices are compounds used in food as coloring, flavoring, or preservation. They might be fresh or dried seeds, bark, roots, fruits, or even vegetables. This paper includes phytochemical screening of spices which have crucial role in the treatment of diabetis mellitus.

OPTIMALISASI KINERJA TRUK QUESTER CWE 370 MELALUI MODIFIKASI SISTEM VESSEL

The Quester CWE 370 truck is one of the most widely used transport vehicles in the industry, where reliability and operational efficiency are critical to ensuring a smooth supply chain. This research aims to optimize truck performance through vessel system modification, which focuses on improving fuel strength and efficiency. The modification process includes checking the raw material, cutting, welding, and smoothing, which is followed by testing to ensure fuel flow stability and better engine response. The results show that vessel system modifications not only improve fuel efficiency, but also extend engine life and reduce the need for routine maintenance. Thus, these modifications provide long-term benefits for the company in terms of operational cost savings and increased productivity.

Virtual prototype modeling and fuzzy control of the heave compensation system for a 500-ton deep-sea mining vessel

The unexpected heave motion of vessels generated by waves has always threatened the safe operation of mining vessels. The heave compensation system is a critical equipment for offshore cranes to ensure the safety and stability of the deep-sea mining vessel operation. Unfortunately, the nominal load of the mining vessel transporting minerals has become increasingly large, which has led to the dynamic performance of the heave compensation decline and a significant increase in energy consumption. To solve these problems, a semiactive heave compensation system and fuzzy logic-based controller are proposed in this paper. First, an active-passive hybrid heave compensation system is designed to reduce energy consumption greatly. The virtual prototype models of the proposed heave compensation system in a 500-ton deep-sea mining vessel are also built. Then, an adaptive tuning PID controller is developed based on the Transfer function of the heave compensation system and Mamdani-type fuzzy logic. Virtual prototype simulation results of AMESim-Simulink joint simulation illustrate that the accuracy of compensation for the four or six sea states reaches more than 90% with the proposed method and the power of the active compensation system is about 21% of the total power. Finally, the experimental results are included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed semiactive heave compensation system.

Dynamic Characteristics Analysis of the DI-SO Cylindrical Spur Gear System Based on Meshing Conditions

The dual-input single-output (DI-SO) cylindrical spur gear system possesses advantages such as high load-carrying capacity, precise transmission, and low energy loss. It is increasingly becoming a core component of power transmission systems in maritime vessels, aerospace, marine engineering, and construction machinery. In practical operation, the stability of the DI-SO cylindrical spur gear system is influenced by complex excitations. These excitations lead to nonlinear vibration, meshing instability, and noise, which affect the performance and reliability of the entire equipment. Hence, the dynamic performance of the DI-SO cylindrical spur gear system is thoroughly investigated in this research. The impact of excitations and nonlinear factors on the dynamic characteristics was investigated comprehensively. A comparative analysis of the gear system was conducted by establishing a bending–torsional coupling vibration analysis model under synchronous and asynchronous meshing conditions. Nonlinear factors such as periodic time-varying meshing stiffness, meshing damping, friction coefficient, friction arms, load sharing ratio, comprehensive transmission error, and backlash were considered in the proposed model. Then, the effect laws of excitations and nonlinear factors such as meshing frequency, driving load fluctuation, backlash, and comprehensive transmission error were analyzed. The results indicate that the dynamic characteristics exhibited staged stable and unstable states under different meshing frequencies and meshing conditions. At the medium-frequency meshing stage (0.96 × 104~1.78 × 104 Hz), alternating phenomena of multi-periodic, quasi-periodic, and chaotic motion states were observed. Moreover, the root mean square value (RMS) of the dynamic transmission error (DTE) in the asynchronized gear system was generally higher than that in the synchronized gear system. It was found that selecting the appropriate meshing condition could effectively reduce the amplitude of the DTE. Additionally, the dynamic performance could be significantly improved by adjusting control parameters such as driving load fluctuation (0~179 N), backlash (0.8 × 10−4~0.9 × 10−4 m), and comprehensive transmission error (7.9 × 10−4~9.4 × 10−4 m). The research results provide a theoretical guidance for the design and optimization of the DI-SO cylindrical spur gear system.

Analysis of hybrid solutions with Li-ion battery system for DP-2 vessels

An economical approach for incorporating Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) onto DP-2 vessels is presented in this research. The paper deals with developing a Battery Optimization for Optimal Sizing and Throughput Energy Regulation (BOOSTER) framework for putting research findings into practice by optimizing battery size, technology choice and power generation scheduling while considering battery degradation. Twelve battery sizes are analyzed based on three key performance metrics: return on investment, payback period, and years of profitability. A Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) is developed to operate the energy and power management system of the vessel in a fuel and economically efficient manner. The study considers two load profiles of a DP-2 vessel operating near Taiwan and the North Sea. Our findings emphasize the significance of taking battery ownership costs in the form of energy throughput cost and fuel price into account, resulting in a longer battery lifetime and higher return on investment. The research also proposes a BESS operation matrix that provides vessel operators with valuable information on BESS usage for economic benefits. This matrix translates analytics and decision-making into tangible actions that can be implemented in real-time operations. Based on the findings, energy systems may be optimized for a sustainable future, which benefits vessel operators and industry stakeholders.

Formation Control of a Multi-Unmanned Surface Vessel System: A Bibliometric Analysis

This study provides an overview of the literature on multi-unmanned surface vessel (multi-USV) systems, addressing the increasing attention on formation control of USVs due to their enhanced task execution ability, efficiency, and robustness in complex marine environments. Despite numerous studies on USVs covering fields, such as autonomous decision making, motion control, perception, and communication technologies, there is a significant lack of systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis specifically focused on a multi-USV system. This study aims to summarize advancements in multi-USV research, highlighting key aspects, including publication trends, influential scholars and papers, research hotspots, challenges, and future opportunities. By reviewing the current state of multi-USV research, this study contributes to the field as a beneficial reference for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. It will not only highlight the progress made so far but also shed light on the gap that needs to be addressed to advance the field.

Experiment-based feasibility study of LNG equipment-embedded fuel gas supply system for vessels

This study introduces and validates an innovative Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Equipment-Embedded Fuel Gas Supply System (LEEF) designed for small LNG-fueled vessels. These ships face significant challenges in implementing LNG Fuel Gas Supply Systems (FGSS) owing to limited space and stringent regulatory requirements to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. The LEEF system addresses these challenges by replacing the external Pressure Build-up Unit (PBU) with an integrated in-tank Electric PBU (EPBU) and vaporizer, enhancing spatial efficiency and safety while reducing LNG leakage risks. The experimental results indicate that the Pressure Rise Rate (PRR) accelerates with higher tank levels and increases the EPBU power. The PRR doubled at higher liquid levels and improved by 30–44 % with increased EPBU power at a constant liquid level. The EPBU effectively maintained the tank pressure against flow variations, achieving pressure control with minimal power. A review of international regulations and codes confirms that the EPBU satisfies explosion-proof standards and ensures stable operation. The LEEF system demonstrated substantial potential for application in small LNG-fueled ships by combining improved spatial efficiency and enhanced safety. This study contributes to the development of the FGSS solution that is more compact and safer compared to conventional systems, encouraging sustainable marine propulsion.

Blockchain-Based Cold Chain Traceability with NR-PBFT and IoV-IMS for Marine Fishery Vessels

Due to limited communication, computing resources, and unstable environments, traditional cold chain traceability systems are difficult to apply directly to marine cold chain traceability scenarios. Motivated by these challenges, we construct an improved blockchain-based cold chain traceability system for marine fishery vessels. Firstly, an Internet of Vessels system based on the Iridium Satellites (IoV-IMS) is proposed for marine cold chain monitoring. Aiming at the problems of low throughput, long transaction latency, and high communication overhead in traditional cold chain traceability systems, based on the Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT) consensus algorithm, a Node-grouped and Reputation-evaluated PBFT (NR-PBFT) is proposed to improve the reliability and robustness of blockchain system. In NR-PBFT, an improved node grouping scheme is designed, which introduces a consistent hashing algorithm to divide nodes into consensus and candidate sets, reducing the number of nodes participating in the consensus process, to lower communication overhead and transaction latency. Then, a reputation evaluation model is proposed to improve the node selection mechanism of NR-PBFT. It enhances the enthusiasm of nodes to participate in consensus, which considers the distance between fishery vessels, data size, and refrigeration temperature factors of nodes to increase throughput. Finally, we carried out experiments on marine fishery vessels, and the effectiveness of the cold chain traceability system and NR-PBFT were verified. Compared with PBFT, the transaction latency of NR-PBFT shortened by 81.92%, the throughput increased by 84.21%, and the communication overhead decreased by 89.4%.

Real Time Vessel Detection Model Using Deep Learning Algorithms for Controlling a Barrier System

This study addresses marine pollution caused by debris entering the ocean through rivers. A physical and bubble barrier system has been developed to collect debris, but an effective identification and classification system for incoming vessels is needed. This study evaluates the effectiveness of deep learning models in identifying and classifying vessels in real time. The YOLO (You Only Look Once) v5 and v8 models are evaluated for vessel detection and classification. A dataset of 624 images representing 13 different types of vessels was created to train the models. The YOLOv8, featuring a new backbone network, outperformed the YOLOv5 model, achieving a high mean average precision (mAP@50) of 98.9% and an F1 score of 91.6%. However, YOLOv8’s GPU consumption increased by 116% compared to YOLOv5. The advantage of the proposed method is evident in the precision–confidence curve (PCC), where the accuracy peaks at 1.00 and 0.937 confidence, and in the achieved frames per second (fps) value of 84.7. These findings have significant implications for the development and deployment of real-time marine pollution control technologies. This study demonstrates that YOLOv8, with its advanced backbone network, significantly improves vessel detection and classification performance over YOLOv5, albeit with higher GPU consumption. The high accuracy and efficiency of YOLOv8 make it a promising candidate for integration into marine pollution control systems, enabling real-time identification and monitoring of vessels. This advancement is crucial for enhancing the effectiveness of debris collection systems and mitigating marine pollution, highlighting the potential for deep learning models to contribute to environmental preservation efforts.

Modeling of Lithium-Flow Batteries with Aqueous Electrolyte

Flow batteries with aqueous electrolyte at the cathode are safe, low-cost and ecofriendly energy storage systems. When the aqueous cathode is coupled with a Li-metal anode with organic electrolyte, these batteries have extremely high energy densities (over 4,000 Wh/Kg), which makes them attractive not only for grid applications (where flow batteries are often used) but also in maritime applications such long endurance surface vessel systems and wave gliders [1-4]. In this presentation, we derive the mathematical model for lithium-flow batteries and use this model to predict the performance of the batteries under different discharge conditions, cathode microstructures, water flow velocities, etc. The results are then compared to experimental data already available in the literature. The mathematical model is based on coupling the flow equations (Navier-Stokes) with electrochemical equations for reaction rates and using average microscopic models for the cathode. For instance, Fig. 1 shows the voltage of a flow battery as a function of time for different water velocities in a flow battery simulated by solving the above model. For low water velocities, the water is not able to provide enough oxygen in the cathode and the voltage of the battery collapses after a few seconds. However, as long as the water velocity is above approx. 1.2 cm/s, the battery will have enough oxygen to operate continuously; in this case, the higher the flow of the water, the higher the voltage of the battery in the stationary state will be because of lower overpotential losses. In these simulations, the anode contained Li-metal. The cathode had a length of 1 cm (measured in the direction of water flow) and a thickness of 100 μm. The cell was discharged at a small rate of 0.01 mA/cm2. The incoming water had an oxygen concentration of 5 mg/l (which is equal to the oxygen concentration in seawater) and was pumped through the cathode at different velocities. A detailed derivation of the mathematical model and more simulation results and predictions will be presented at the meeting.

Development of a Porcine VCA Model Using an External Iliac Vessel-Based Vertical Rectus Abdominus Myocutaneous Flap.

Vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) involves transplanting a functional and anatomically complete tissue graft, such as a hand or face, from a deceased donor to a recipient. Although clinical VCA has resulted in successful outcomes, high rates of acute rejection and increased requirements for immunosuppression have led to significant long-term complications. Of note, immunosuppressed graft recipients are predisposed to infections, organ dysfunction, and malignancies. The long-term success of VCA grafts requires the discovery and implementation of unique approaches that avoid these complications altogether. Here, we describe our surgical technique and initial experience with a reproducible heterotopic porcine VCA model for the preclinical assessment of approaches to improve graft outcomes. Six heterotopic porcine allogeneic vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap transplants were performed using Sinclair donors and Yucatan recipients. Immunosuppressive therapy was not used. Each flap was based on the left external iliac vessel system. Animals were followed postoperatively for surgery-related complications. The six pigs underwent successful VCA and were euthanized at the end of the study. Each flap demonstrated complete survival following vessel anastomosis. For the allogeneic recipients, on average, minimal erythema and healthy flap color were observed from postoperative days 1 to 4. There were no surgery-related animal deaths or complications. We have developed a reproducible, technically feasible heterotopic porcine VCA model based on the left external iliac vessel system. Our results demonstrate this model's potential to improve VCA graft outcomes by exploring tolerance induction and rejection biomarker discovery in preclinical studies.