A Method for Automatically Selecting Aids to Navigation Based on their Spatial Influence Domains

To address the limitations of manually selecting aids to navigation (AtNs) on charts, a method for automatically selecting AtNs based on their spatial influence domains (SIDs) is proposed. First, the associations between the spatial attributes of an AtN are analyzed. Second, an SID of the AtN is defined, and a model of the SID is constructed based on the associations between the spatial attributes. Third, the importance of the location of the AtN is weighted based on the SID model. Fourth, an algorithm to automatically select AtNs based on the maximum coverage of the SIDS of preselected AtNs is developed. Finally, several AtNs are selected automatically using the algorithm. The experimental results demonstrate that (1) the proposed method can automatically select AtNs and the results comply with the requirements; (2) the automatic selection can eliminate the human-induced errors or the inconsistent results of manual selections from different operators; and (3) the efficiency of the proposed method is higher than that of current manual methods.     

Oil dispersal modelling: reanalysis of the Rena oil spill using open-source modelling tools

ABSTRACT

Oil spill forecast modelling is typically used immediately after a spill to predict oil dispersal and promote mobilisation of more effective response operations. The aim of this work was to map oil dispersal after the grounding of the MV Rena on Astrolabe Reef and to verify the results against observations. Model predictions were broadly consistent with observed distribution of oil contamination. However, some hot spots of oil accumulation, likely due to surf-zone and rip current circulation, were not well represented. Additionally, the model was run with 81 differing wind conditions to show that the events occurring during the grounding represented the typical likely behaviour of an oil spill on Astrolabe Reef. Oil dispersal was highly dependent on prevailing wind patterns; more accurate prediction would require better observations of local wind patterns. However, comparison of predictions with observations indicated that the GNOME model was an effective low-cost approach.     

A synthetic aperture radar sea surface distribution estimation by n-order Bézier curve and its application in ship detection

To dates,most ship detection approaches for single-pol synthetic aperture radar(SAR) imagery try to ensure a constant false-alarm rate(CFAR).A high performance ship detector relies on two key components:an accurate estimation to a sea surface distribution and a fine designed CFAR algorithm.First,a novel nonparametric sea surface distribution estimation method is developed based on n-order Bézier curve.To estimate the sea surface distribution using n-order Bézier curve,an explicit analytical solution is derived based on a least square optimization,and the optimal selection also is presented to two essential parameters,the order n of Bézier curve and the number m of sample points.Next,to validate the ship detection performance of the estimated sea surface distribution,the estimated sea surface distribution by n-order Bézier curve is combined with a cell averaging CFAR(CA-CFAR).To eliminate the possible interfering ship targets in background window,an improved automatic censoring method is applied.Comprehensive experiments prove that in terms of sea surface estimation performance,the proposed method is as good as a traditional nonparametric Parzen window kernel method,and in most cases,outperforms two widely used parametric methods,K and G0 models.In terms of computation speed,a major advantage of the proposed estimation method is the time consuming only depended on the number m of sample points while independent of imagery size,which makes it can achieve a significant speed improvement to the Parzen window kernel method,and in some cases,it is even faster than two parametric methods.In terms of ship detection performance,the experiments show that the ship detector which constructed by the proposed sea surface distribution model and the given CA-CFAR algorithm has wide adaptability to different SAR sensors,resolutions and sea surface homogeneities and obtains a leading performance on the test dataset.     

TRANSIT: a GIS toolbox for estimating the duration of ancient sail-powered navigation

Cost-surface analysis in Geographic Information System (GIS) environment has been less frequently used in the study of ancient sail navigation than in other studies of the human past. Navigation cost-surface analysis entails the use of GIS tools that are versatile but not very easy to grasp and to put to work. This article describes an ArcGIS toolbox built to facilitate cost-surface analysis of ancient sail navigation. It estimates the navigation time from a start location, considering parameters relevant for the generation of an accumulated anisotropic cost-surface, automating the complex workflow required to meaningfully pre- and post-process the data. Acknowledging the limitations inherent to the tool, and to the modeling of a complex matter such as sail navigation, the toolbox is first described and then used in a worked example. Historically recorded voyages in the Mediterranean during classical antiquity are compared to estimated durations generated by the toolbox. In spite of structural and expected limitations, the results indicate that the proposed toolbox may produce reasonable estimates. These should be thought of as values gravitating around, not matching, likely past durations. The estimated values may prove useful as an indication of the order of magnitude of past voyages’ duration, and as frame of reference in measuring ancient maritime space through time.     

Econometric analysis of the ship demolition market

The topic of ship recycling has obtained considerable attention during the last two decades for a variety of reasons with the likelihood of the adoption of a new international convention under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). This study applies econometric modeling to a unique data set to provide insight into the dynamics of the ship recycling market. The data set contains information on 51,112 ships over 100 gt and includes 748,621 events over a period of 29 years. The analysis confirms a negative relationship of earnings and a positive relationship of scrap prices for all locations while Bangladesh seems to be more sensitive to changes in earnings than the other locations and more likely demolishes larger and older vessels. The results for flag and ownership vary across scrapping locations with Malta and Cyprus indicating potential importance from a registry perspective. The overall safety profile of a vessel seems to be less important towards the probability of a ship being scrapped. Possible implementation of the convention at EU level will mostly likely affect Turkey while non-ratification of one of the major flags will most likely affect China or Bangladesh.     

华北区域分米级北斗地基增强服务系统构建及精度分析

利用国家级北斗连续运行基准站和省级区域北斗CORS站,基于国家卫星导航定位服务平台,通过改造和直接利用的方式,在华北平原构建了我国首个跨区域北斗分米级地基增强服务系统。经采用双频终端实地测试,该系统覆盖京津冀晋全部区域及内蒙古部分区域,采用GPS+北斗双模定位静态精度达到分米级,动态定位精度达到亚米级,单北斗模式定位精度略低,但仍在分米-亚米量级,极大地提高了我国北斗导航系统的高精度应用能力,拓宽了我国北斗民用导航的应用范围和领域,可满足高精度北斗实时导航、定位服务的应用需求。     

Temporal variation of modulated-wave-train geometries and their influence on vertical bending moments of a container ship

A towing experiment was conducted using a modulated wave train to investigate the vertical bending responses of a hydro-structural container ship model. In the experiment, a spatially periodic modulated wave train, as a model of a freak wave in successive high waves mimicking the so-called three sisters, was generated by the recently established higher-order spectral method wave generation (HOSM-WG) method. HOSM-WG enables us to control the location and timing of the maximum crest height in a wave tank. With precise control of the towing carriage, an experiment was conducted in which the timing of the encounters between the ship model and the modulated wave train was accurately determined. The maximum sagging moment (SM) was found to increase in proportion with the encounter wave height. However, because of differences in the relative depth of the fore and aft troughs, the maximum SM is highly variable for a given wave height. The temporal wave-geometry evolution caused the relative trough-depth to vary significantly within a wave period in the vicinity of the maximum crest height. As a result, depending on the encounter timing, the SM varied considerably for a given wave height. The temporal variation of the wave geometry is a robust feature of a modulated wave train and is common between the spatially periodic and temporally periodic modulated wave trains.     

基于GNSS方位辅助惯性导航系统的水下地形精密测量技术

多波束测深技术是目前水下地形测量的主要技术手段,测量平台的瞬时姿态及方位是影响多波束测深系统最终成果准确度的重要因素。GNSS方位辅助惯性导航系统,作为目前应用较为广泛的方位、姿态、及位置综合测量系统,不仅能够提供高精度位置信息,同时也能提供测量平台的瞬时姿态及方位数据,而且因为具有GNSS方位辅助测量,使得最终方位测量结果比传统方位测量精度大大提高,这对于多波束最终测量成果精度提高具有重要意义。文中从GNSS方位辅助惯性导航系统原理及技术优势出发,结合Trimble RTX后处理技术,从姿态测量、方位测量及辅助高程测量方面分析了在多波束水下地形测量中的应用,并以实际测量成果来展现其在水下地形精密测量技术方面的优势,结果显示,定位精度可以达到优于2 cm级别,方位精度可以优于0.01°(依赖于双GNSS天线之间的基线长度),该技术对水下地形测量准确度提升作用显著。     

基于无人船的水质监测及控制系统设计

针对执行水质监测任务过程中固定浮标监测站单点监测存在局限性、船载观测人员取样耗时耗力等问题,本文设计了一种搭载多点、分层自动采水取样装置的智能无人船水质监测系统,可实现目标水域的多点、分层连续水质数据测量及取样。该智能无人船具备基于快速随机树(Rapid Random Tree)算法的自主避障和快速路径规划功能,解决了现有无人船技术存在的多障碍自主路径规划难等问题。同时,本设计结合了ARM9控制芯片、M5310无线传输模块,通过可视化的显示界面和远程WEB访问的功能,大大提升了科研人员及时处理特殊情况便捷性。通过实验测试及比对分析,证明本设计具有智能高效、稳定可靠等优点,能够满足职能部门对于水质监测工作的需要。     

碎冰条件下单点系泊船舶动态响应特性研究

为了研究不同单点系泊位置对极地系泊船舶在来冰角度改变时动态响应的影响,运用离散元方法(DEM),计算了船舶在60%密集度下,冰速为1.0 m/s、冰厚为1 m时不同角度的船冰阻力,结合系泊分析软件二次开发功能,计算分析系泊船舶在不同来冰角度和不同系泊位置下受上述冰情影响下的响应。通过对模拟结果与试验结果的对比,认为离散元方法(DEM)的数值模拟结果与试验结果吻合较好;单点系泊位置为距船头L/4时,系泊船舶能以最快速、最稳定的方式对来冰方向的变化做出响应。