Dynamic Ship Domain Models for Capacity Analysis of Restricted Water Channels

TLDR

Ship domain models are essential for navigation safety, yet existing models rely on constant parameters and cannot adapt to site‑specific waterway conditions. This study introduces dynamic ship domain models that incorporate navigable waterway conditions, ship behavior, type, size, and operator skill. The models classify restricted‑waterway conditions into channel navigation, crossing, joining flows, and turning, and are applied in a computational experiment using channel design data and ship traffic volumes for selected scenarios. Comparisons with real ship traffic counts show that the dynamic models achieve higher capacity estimation accuracy, potentially enhancing waterway transportation safety.

Abstract

Developing adequate ship domain models may significantly benefit vessel navigation safety. In essence, navigation safety is collectively affected by the navigable waterway condition, the size and shape of the ship, and operators' skills. The existing ship domains mainly use constant values for the model input parameters, making them incapable of handling site-specific conditions. This study proposes dynamic ship domain models that take into consideration navigable waterway conditions, ship behaviours, ship types and sizes, and operators' skills in a holistic manner. Specifically, the conditions of restricted waterways are classified into navigating along the channel, crossing the channel, joining another flow and turning. The ship types considered include ships that transport non-hazardous goods and Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) ships that are in need of additional security zones. A computational experiment is conducted for model application using data on water channel design and ship traffic volumes related to navigating along the channel, joining another flow and turning. Comparisons of results obtained between the proposed dynamic models with real ship traffic counts reveal that the proposed models could achieve a higher level of accuracy in estimating the capacity of restricted water channels. It therefore could potentially deliver safety enhancements of waterway transportation.