Experimental study on the nonlinear pressure acting on a high-speed vessel in regular waves

It is well known that the hydrodynamic responses of a high-speed vessel traveling in regular head waves of even moderate wave height can show significant nonlinear behavior, and so linear statistical techniques become insufficient for predicting the statistics of responses in irregular waves. On the other hand, it has been shown that an approximate third-order Volterra model is applicable to handling the statistics of some nonlinear seakeeping problems, such as motions and vertical hull girder loads. In the present study, the focus is on the nonlinear behavior of the pressure responses of the hull surface, especially on the pressures acting on alternately wet and dry areas near the waterline and on the bow zone with high deadrise angles that may be subject to slight impact and water pile-up effects. To clarify the validity of applying Volterra modeling to this problem, a series of experiments in regular and irregular head waves were carried out, and approximate third-order and fifth-order Volterra models with the proposed algorithm for finding frequency response functions (FRFs) were applied as a means of validation. In the present article, the first part of the validation was performed using experimental data in regular waves. It was confirmed that the third-order Volterra model has adequate accuracy to simulate deterministically the variation of pressure responses in regular waves of different wave steepness up to a wave amplitude to wavelength ratio of 0.01 even for the highly nonlinear pressures acting on the above-mentioned areas of the hull surface.     

Simulation of the mean zero-up-crossing wave period using artificial neural networks trained with a simulated annealing algorithm

The aim of this work was to develop a predictive model to forecast the mean zero-up-crossing wave periods (T _z ) for 3-hourly sea states at a location in the Pacific using artificial neural networks (ANNs). Seven multilayer ANNs were trained with a simulated annealing algorithm. The output of each trained ANN was used to estimate each of the seven parameters of a new distribution called the hepta-parameter spline proposed for the conditional distribution of T _z , given some mean zero-up-crossing wave periods and significant wave heights. After estimating the parameters of the distribution, the model was used to simulate and predict future values of T _z . Forecasting a sea state and developing the joint distribution of sea state characteristics with the help of the simulated characteristics are also discussed in this article.     

Maritime interests in the EU policy-making: Structures,practices, and governability of collective action

Throughout Europe, a number of maritime interests have re-targeted their lobbying structures and strategies aiming to influence the development of the maritime related European Union (EU) policies. The paper examines these maritime interests’ mobilisation in the making of the Common EU Maritime Transport Policy (CMTP). First, it provides a review of the role of these interest groups and the implications of the observed collective interests’ representation. Then, with the contribution a data-set of replies to a questionnaire distributed to all the interest groups that are involved in EU maritime affairs, the paper analyses the variety of interest groups representing the maritime sector in EU affairs. The focus is on the structures (i.e. membership numbers and types, location, internal structures, budget) and the lobbying practices of the 37 identified EU level maritime related organisations. The paper also presents an evaluation of the most positive and most negative parameters of the ‘EU environment’ and the ‘economic environment’ that assist, or undermine, the governability cohesiveness of this collective action. This study provides information on whether and under what conditions maritime interests are able to form comprehensive EU-level organisations capable of representing their members and their interests in the EU policy making process     

Maritime search and rescue: Benefit or burden for society?

Just twenty five years have passed since the International Maritime Organization (IMO) provided the legal and internationally harmonized framework for maritime search and rescue operations. While a number of nations only had to adapt their well-established national services it took great efforts for other nations to develop agencies able to fulfil or outstrip minimum requirements. However, the majority of nations (well aware of the humanitarian nature of that task) have been afraid to cope with this challenge and the related financial burdens since the benefits to local, regional, or even national economies are not always clear to the relevant national administrating authorities.     

Rapid first-stage tests of on-ship infection

Protection against on-ship infectious disease—whether due to mishap or to harmful purpose—faces special situational problems. Sometimes, when infection levels on board have reached threshold levels, emergency actions are required. Often, the most thorough strategies for responding to threat are not feasible. A rapid first-stage test (RFT) is a fast, minimally invasive procedure used to rule out from possible infection a large percentage of an infection-threatened group. Prevention and control of on-ship infection need to combine various interconnected tactics. When timely criterion tests are not possible, the medical team must adopt fast alternative measures. The methods used to summarize protection against on-ship infectious agents included a scientific literature review and a web search. The fields of the review were maritime, health, and technology sources. Special attention was paid to material dealing with risks and threats of on-ship penetration by infectious agents, on-ship infection prevalence thresholds, and rapid diagnostic screens. The Bayes rule and the law of large numbers were applied to the analysis, for large on-ship populations, of RFT indications of crossing of an infection prevalence threshold. The increasing risk of serious on-ship infection—either accidental or purposeful—calls for a multi-layered protection approach. RFTs are a key part of the outer layer of such a defense. Well-designed and well-administered RFTs provide several advantages for defense against on-ship infection: low-cost, non-invasive, fast, and focuses on a drastically smaller number of infection possibilities.     

Vocational and academic approaches to maritime education and training (MET): Trends,challenges and opportunities

Traditional seafarer training has always focused on the acquisition and use of practical skills. The prevailing view is that, while this approach addresses a degree of cognitive skills, it focuses on and gives much more emphasis to the acquisition of hands-on practical skills for the performance of specific tasks. On the other hand, academic education has been seen to be much more focused on the development of in-depth analytical and critical thinking skills; cognitive skills that are less reliant on hands-on task-oriented training, but stress critical reading and discussion. The global trend in maritime education and training is increasingly to link an essentially vocational education that provides specific and restricted competence outcomes with more general or deeper academic components leading to an academic qualification. This trend has led to some dilemmas for curriculum development, for training legislation in a global industry, and for achieving desired learning outcomes in a professional setting (in the shipping industry). This paper discusses some of the challenges arising from this trend and the opportunities the trend offers.     

冰荷载作用下护岸结构数值模拟

季节性冰冻河流春季开江产生的流冰会严重威胁堤防建筑物的安全,开展流冰对结构物的碰撞规律研究十分必要。为此,以松花江汤原县胜利堤护岸结构为例,利用ANSYS/LS-DYNA软件,基于结构地质地形,考虑松花江春季江面开化流冰情况,建立计入冰荷载作用下的护岸结构数值分析模型,开展护岸结构在冰排撞击作用下的有限元分析研究,理清结构承载变化规律,为季节性冰冻地区护岸结构的设计及后期维护提供理论参考和技术支持。     

Formal Safety Assessment: an updated review

The method of Formal Safety Assessment (FSA) was devised several years ago with the intent to help the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and other policy makers formulate policies and regulations by the proper use of the scientific method in matters pertaining to maritime safety and the protection of the marine environment. A host of FSA studies have been submitted over the last several years and have been reviewed by the IMO. Also, progress has been recently accomplished as regards incorporating environmental risk evaluation criteria within FSA. On the basis of these developments, revisions of the FSA guidelines have been proposed and adopted. This paper presents a review of the FSA method in light of these developments. This review updates an earlier review of FSA by Kontovas and Psaraftis [Marine Technol 46(1):45?C59, (2009)]. It also takes this opportunity to identify some deficiencies of FSA, either due to an incorrect application of the method or to the method itself, and makes some suggestions for further action in this area.