Simulator training for maritime complex tasks: an experimental study

Training simulators are largely deployed to provide operators working within complex systems to instil adequate skills to handle normal and abnormal situations. Improved technology and higher computation power have significantly increased the use of training simulators in the training programs. The goal of this pilot study is to determine the design of training in order to prepare for complex tasks within the maritime domain. In this experimental study, students are trained to perform docking operations when ocean currents with increasing complexity are introduced in the training program. The effect of the training is evaluated by comparing two groups: one trained with homogenous currents and the other with heterogeneous currents. Objective performance measures are used to analyse the participants’ performance. The results indicate that when the participants were exposed to tasks with gradually increasing complexity, they performed better as compared to those who were exposed to complex tasks too early in the training. The results suggest that even though the technology and computational power provide for new possibilities in training simulators, new features that make the tasks more complicated should not be included too early in the training without sufficient investigation. It is also found that increasing functional fidelity of the simulation during training has resulted in the improved performance of the participants during the complex tasks (docking operations), as compared to those training with the highest fidelity from the beginning.     

Consistency in the development of performance assessment methods in the maritime domain

The maritime industry is considered to be a backbone of the global economy. It is therefore imperative to ensure that maritime operations run safely and efficiently. Assessment of maritime performance is necessary for designers and engineers to be able to pinpoint the weakest links in the system and make impactful system improvements. The current article presents a systematic quantitative literature review of research on performance assessment in the maritime industry with the goal of establishing an understanding of accuracy and consistency in the development of methods used to assess performance. The review focuses on four major segments within the industry—port logistics, ship handling, safety and environmental research—and investigates their uses in developing accurate and consistent performance assessment methods. After the completion of an exclusion process, 62 articles published in a wide range of academic journals were used in the analysis. Two important conclusions were drawn from the analysis. First, performance assessment is generally consistent throughout the maritime industry; most papers used accurate and consistent approaches to develop the methods (n?=?43). A subsequent bivariate analysis revealed a call for increased attention to the development of assessment methods within the maritime segment of ship handling. The current study suggests and discusses certain directions with regard to assessment research in the maritime industry.     

CFD理论黏性流场中三维振动水翼的非定常水动力性能(英文)

The motion of the fins and control surfaces of underwater vehicles in a fluid is an interesting and challenging research subject. Typically the effect of fin oscillations on the fluid flow around such a body is highly unsteady, generating vortices and requiring detailed analysis of fluid-structure interactions. An understanding of the complexities of such flows is of interest to engineers developing vehicles capable of high dynamic performance in their propulsion and maneuvering. In the present study, a CFD based RANS simulation of a 3-D fin body moving in a viscous fluid was developed. It investigated hydrodynamic performance by evaluating the hydrodynamic coefficients (lift, drag and moment) at two different oscillating frequencies. A parametric analysis of the factors that affect the hydrodynamic performance of the fin body was done, along with a comparison of results from experiments. The results of the simulation were found in close agreement with experimental results and this validated the simulation as an effective tool for evaluation of the unsteady hydrodynamic coefficients of 3-D fins. This work can be further be used for analysis of the stability and maneuverability of fin actuated underwater vehicles.