Advances in Simulation of Port Operations

摘要

The global growth in transport demands, the rising oil prices, the public pressure on reduction of emissions, etc. have led to not only the boom in shipbuilding, but also to the building of increasingly larger ships. A large number of ports worldwide have faced the challenge of accommodating these mega ships - a challenge which is not only related to physical conditions, layout, infrastructure, etc. but also to sustaining a satisfactory safety level for the approach, maneuvering, berthing, and mooring of these ships. Also the size and capacity of cruise ships are continuously growing and placing the same demands on ports of call. A common denominator for these operations is very often the use of tugs. This development has triggered an exiting R&D effort at FORCE Technology and partners to advance the features and capabilities of marine simulators to a level where a complete tug assisted large-ship-operation can be realistically modeled at a higher level than generally available today.