Safety and energy efficiency in river transportation for a sustainable development of the peruvian Amazon region

This paper presents a development of navigability metric and its application on 150 km of the Pastaza, Bobonaza y Capahuari Ecuadorian rivers of the upper level of the Amazon hydrographic basin. The metric is based on various input parameters such as the year period, the river slope, river depth, river currents, river bends, river width, etc. The main objective is to evidence reaches where navigation is more or less hampered and a guess on optimal vessel dimensions is derived. This navigability study was made in the framework of an innovative project to develop a fleet of small electric solar boats to promote the transport of passengers and load between various Achuar communities of Amazonia region (Ecuador and Peru).

A new vertical axis propulsion system with orbital paddles (called Bivortix system) is currently under review and in the experimental stage; this system is constituted by a pair of contra-rotating impellers, which provide directional thrust to 360°, allowing in each case a central thrust to axis, avoiding parasitic components. The system has been patented worldwide and so far n.2 working prototypes have been made, which have been tested in the towing tank of Trieste University and at the Vienna Model Basin. A boat, called Proteus, has been built and the first propeller prototype has been installed and tested at full scale; the results obtained showed very advanced capabilities concerning the maneuverability, the crash stop test and the good efficiency as regards the thrust. The results obtained as regards the efficiency were better than expected and the prototypes are currently being optimized. The system proves suitable to inland waterways, possessing a limited height of the blades outside the hull, the absence of rudders and the ability to perform maneuvers to 360°. Also the use in offshore activities can be suggested for its high efficiency and its maneuver capabilities. In the paper its functioning principles, the experimental processes carried out during the investigations and some significant results will be presented and discussed.

Scheduled and emergency towing operations are carried out daily, both at sea and in restricted waters, as a means of transporting goods, aiding ships during berthing and casting-off or rescuing units in distress. Even in mild weather conditions, such activities can pose serious threats to the safety of the personnel and units involved and to the environment. This study investigates the dynamics of a tug-tow system, where towing is carried out by means of a single elastic towing line. A simplified model is used, in which the tug is modelled as a point-particle with a prescribed motion, while the dynamics of the towed object is modelled as a 3-DOF (surge/sway/yaw) nonlinear dynamical system. Equilibria of the system are analysed through a bifurcation analysis technique, supplemented by time-domain simulations, if/when necessary. An example application is reported for the case of towing of a barge-like hull, showing the effects of several parameters: ship speed, towline length, water depth and wind. The performed calculations confirm that, depending on the configuration parameters, multiple stable/unstable steady-state towing positions may exist. It is also clarified in this study that, in the absence of stable equilibria, the potentially dangerous oscillating phenomenon called “fishtailing” takes place.

In the Peruvian Amazon basin rivers are the only link among the small communities, scattered on a wide territory. With that in mind and according to the needs of local communities, a health care network system based on mobile clinic units onboard small crafts has been conceived, within a cooperation programme between the Universidad Católica Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo (Perú) and the University of Trieste (Italy). This way, patients along the inland waterways can be reached. Ships to be operated in this service, must be especially designed to sail in different environmental conditions: in shallow water during dry season, against high currents during wet season and eventually in rivers showing both phenomena. Moreover, manoeuvrability and landing are subjects of major interest in ships designed for these regions. Within this frame, a study has been carried out to define main characteristics for a small clinic ship. General arrangement plans including medical equipment and clinic lay-out have been drawn. Then, according to clinic platform needs, the major engineering aspects of the ship have been studied to a concept design level: main dimensions have been defined and hull geometry has been optimized for waterway navigation; scantling of all the ship’s structures has been completed, based on the most recent rules issued by classification societies and according to EC guidelines for inland navigation; propellers and propulsion plant have been studied on the whole, considering shallow water effects on resistance; intact and damaged stability and buoyancy criteria have been met according to IMO regulations.

The recent growing demand for tourism in the Loreto Region, presents an opportunity to improve the economic situation of the inhabitants of the area. One of the touristic activities having a continuous growth, are the river cruises along the Amazon River and its tributaries. Currently there are eight vessels engaged in this business area, that make the routes from Iquitos to native villages, national parks and reserves, giving tourists the possibility to observe the great biodiversity proper of this region and unique in the world. Existing vessels making these journeys do not have a suitable design or sufficient services and comfort on board to satisfy passengers’ expectations. These aspects limit the reach and growth of higher quality tourism, as well as leaving aside the ecological factor. Taking into account these factors, an innovative cruise ship concept design has been made. The structural design has been developed according to state of the art inland navigation rules. The hull forms have been chosen taking into account typical hull forms of the region. The services and comfort on board have been greatly considered to offer a better cruise experience to the passengers. This touristic cruise ship has been designed to represent a reference point for future developments and cruise ship designs in the Amazon basin.

This paper shows current available options in propulsion of small crafts using an electric engine getting energy from a battery bank. Batteries can be recharged by means of a fixed electric network or through photovoltaic panels disposed onboard, normally on a flat roof or deck. An operational analysis is included, taking into account the advantages and limitations of this propulsion arrangement, moreover, referential prices of fixed grid electricity are quoted and compared to solar panels and the traditional diesel engine option. Finally a study case is presented describing the operation of small passenger vessels powered with solar energy operating in Valdivia, Chile, as an example of the viability of this type of propulsion, even in locations with scarce solar radiation, as it is the case of southern Chile.

For a vessel which is in longitudinal waves, the wave passage, together with the vertical motions (heave and pitch), makes that the submerged geometry varies periodically with time, generating a variation of the ship’s restoring properties and from a small perturbation, it can be developed a rapidly growing movement of progressive roll. To this end, we develop a system for predicting parametric resonance, starting from the analysis of the motion of the vessel, capable of detecting short-term appearance of it. The human being is endowed with complex brain neural circuitry. Thus, the idea of computationally modeling these neural connections to bring forth intelligent behavior also in machines. In this context emerges artificial neural networks (ANNs), inspired by the very nature of neural networks and biological synapse. In this work, we are trying to take advantage of ANNs to predict the behavior of ships, platforms and other floating devices, with emphasis on detection of dynamic amplification of ship’s roll in parametric resonance conditions.

The surge in iron ore exports from the Indian state of Goa has increased the demand for larger size inland iron ore carriers. Operating economics of these inland vessels have resulted in a steady increase in their carrying capacity. However, attempt to increase the deadweight of these vessels has encountered challenges in form of loading and unloading point restrictions, increased squat, sway force and yaw moment at shallow waters. The present work, based on a request from Ministry of Shipping, Government of India, examines the present ore transportation system, the bathymetry of the Mandovi and Zuari rivers and the operating economics of the barges ranging from 750 to 3000 tonnes deadweight capacity. A new improved design for 3000 tonnes deadweight barge is presented. Alternate stern shapes are examined using CFD software SHIPFLOW®. The hull form is model tested. The propeller geometry is optimized for the given engine and a suitable gear box. The proposed design is then investigated for its manoeuvring ability in shallow waters. The hydrodynamic sway forces, yaw moments and nominal wake distribution for port and starboard propellers during manoeuvring motion are estimated by CFD software SHIPFLOW®. The barge’s directional stability performance is investigated for twin-propeller twin-rudder configuration.

Ship structural design is done today resorting to powerful numerical tools. Ship structures come out to be optimal regarding load and failure mechanisms; in spite of this they come to lose that residual capability which in past gave a valuable benefit to overcome certain undesirable side effects. Such effects are not acceptable when ship’s structures are prone to develop high levels of vibrations excited by propulsion plant or other sources. In this frame, the paper investigates a river ship case, where preliminary calculations of structural dynamic response to vibrations induced by on board sources gain a relevant role in defining the minimum thickness of plates and supporting structures’ topology. River ship hulls have indeed light structures due to low demanding environments, which lead to an increase of vibration effects on accommodation decks. The approach here discussed is based on direct calculations of the hull’s structures dynamic response, performed in the frequency range where first harmonic frequencies of main excitation sources play a relevant role in inducing local and global vibration effects. The critical aspect of interaction between structure and fluid will be dealt with by an implicit modeling of the surrounding water around the hull. The aim of the study is to give the reader basic tools to implement, in the ship’s hull preliminary design stage, free and forced vibration analyses in order to support decision making about the hull scantling when vibration effects are not negligible.

For centuries, commercial activities in the Amazon basin have been of great importance for trade in Peru, Brazil, and Colombia. The rubber boom increased the growth of towns in the Amazon region, but during the collapse, those towns also fell, limiting their activities to trade and agriculture only. In the 1970s, the oil boom gave a new boost to ship constructions in the Amazon region. By the end of the 1990s and early 2000s, the production of natural gas again enhanced the market, but with a boundless and uncontrolled growth of handcrafted vessels, also built without any technical criteria. No survey program is currently in place, which results in serious structure and safety problems reported in most vessels representing high risks to the life and safety of both passengers and crew. The lack of general basic knowledge of navigation criteria, are making the navigation in the Amazon rivers to be unsafe and at high risk of pollution. The Maritime Authority must have an important role in restructuring the sector, demanding more strict surveys to verify the vessels’ conditions in order to guarantee a safe and environmentally friendly navigation.

In the Rio +20 summit was agreed that transportation and mobility are key elements for getting sustainable development. This development has a wide range of alternatives and strategies, but it is necessary to identify feasible technological alternatives that generate environmental benefits and social equity integrating remote communities into prosperous cities in the region or river ports for facilitating the marketing of products or transportation of tourists. In our country there is an urgent need to integrate communities to social services, to business opportunities and development. Current levels of development are below of any expectations and the principles and research of naval engineering play a key role in the application of knowledge to adapt to the real needs of communities. This paper proposes alternative and strategies that contribute to the sustainable development of river communities and complement other government projects.

By means of several analysis processes, it is proven that a Riverine Support Patrol Vessel (RSPV), owned by the Colombian Navy, has good maneuverability characteristics. The design of the RSPV comprises, among other particulars, a high beam/draft ratio (9.5) and an azimuthal propulsion system of Pump-Jet type. Having the proper experimental results as well as the simulations attained through a mathematical model, it was possible to focus on this method’s validation and the comparison of the results to the existing maneuverability standards. Such validation, which has been performed following the procedures recommended by IMO and ITTC, helps getting the certainty that the computational tool developed here works appropriately with the modeled non-conventional propulsion, and that the implemented shallow water effects are consistent. As to the maneuverability criteria, the resulting data under certain conditions were compared to the recommended minimum values, proving that the RSPV design fulfills such requirements and also its turning ability enhances when the ship is being operated in shallow water. This result corroborates some previously published works that reported the appearance of this phenomenon on high beam-draft ratio vessels.

The Upper Peruvian Amazon Rivers present different types of planform patterns, from meandering to well-matured anabranching channels. Meandering Rivers tend to have higher lateral migration rates than Anabranching Rivers, consequently achieving higher amplitudes and more elongated bends. Meandering rivers deviate from their dynamic equilibrium condition by producing meander trains under erosive and depositional floodplain-scale processes. Anabranching structures are defined as having one single main channel and several secondary channels. The degree of coupling among these channels modulates the dynamics of the anabranching structure. These anabranching structures achieve dynamic equilibrium conditions determined by their periodicity in the occurrence of anabranching structures. Fluvial transportation requires deep understanding of these morphodynamics patterns and of their evolution, not only for engineering but also for geological time scales. Herein, some examples of river evolution and some hypothesised ideas are discussed in light to relate river dynamics to fluvial transportation.

In the summer of 2011, a simple, efficient, and low development cost Small Craft Motion Program (SCraMP) was released for iOS devices, with successive updates and enhancements in the time since. The purpose of this effort was to empower low budget operators with critical information pertaining to the state of their vessel. Capitalizing upon internal device hardware that would have cost thousands of dollars only a few years ago, the iOS application provides acceleration and rotation data, an index measure of severity of motions, statistics related to motions, and location information in a simple and interactive graphical user interface. This paper will discuss the use of smartphone applications like SCraMP as occupational safety intervention tools specific to maritime operations. Included in the paper will be an overview of SCraMP along with user feedback as to how such an app can inform operational decisions for safety. The author will also discuss a second maritime safety app recently developed and released in partnership with the Alaska Marine Safety and Education Association (AMSEA) entitled FVdrills which delivers previously published drill checklists (Jensen and Dzugan, 2009) into a smartphone app format. Therefore, the focus of the paper will be upon improving maritime safety via comparably low-cost, portable, smartphones to deliver data to operators and the ensuing user feedback.

The optimizing of the waterways axis with high hydro-sedimentological activity is a complex process that must combine security requirements for navigation without neglecting the size of work to be executed. Thus, changing a channel’s morphology produces the continuous modification of the natural depths, affecting the original design. This paper addresses the issue of the design of the waterway developed in the Middle and Upper Paraná River in Argentina. This waterway has over 600 km, and communicates the barge traffic from the North of Argentina, the Republic of Paraguay, Bolivia and the Southeast of Brazil, with international trade. The bed and sand banks of the river are constantly changing, due to erosion and sedimentation processes, which are caused by localized imbalances of sediment transportation. This paper presents the evolution of the channel in certain sectors of the waterway with problems of shallow water and the measures taken to solve them. From the analysis, we conclude that constant monitoring and surveys on the physical environment allow the optimization of interventions on the natural watercourses, without neglecting any traffic operation involved and environmental impacts.

River transport of bulk goods and liquids is mostly carried out by barges, especially on long distances, and it can be pushed or towed. The transport by pushed barges is safer and generates less resistance, but in some cases the transport with towed barges is required. In the latter case it must be ensured a good route-keeping to the barges, in order to be easily controlled and sure from getting out of the planned route and to be stranded on a shore. In general the route keeping is guaranteed by couples of stern skegs, which must be designed according to the barge typology. In a river navigation also the effects due to shallow water and the river currents must be taken into account. In this paper the mentioned problems will be explained in detail and some results obtained with experiments with model barges in an experimental tank will be presented.

From ancient times, rivers play a very important role. They are utilized in various ways; drinking water, water distribution into agricultural area, catching river fish as food, transportation, hydroelectricity, etc. They are also important for culture and wildlife reservation. Some rivers such as Ganges in India are important from religious meaning, too. In China, due to the rapid development of economy the river transportation is almost at its maximum capacity. The river transportation near Shanghai is the busiest area in Yangtze River, China. There are many problems such as the development of huge container terminals, very shallow river mouth area and crossing ferries make it difficult. Mekong River passes China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. In its upper stream it passes very steep mountain area and in the lower stream it passes a quite flat area. There are rainy and dry seasons. In Chinese area several electricity purpose dams are constructed. International collaboration is quite important. In Indonesia, coal is a very important natural resource and rivers play a very important role for its transportation. In this paper these examples are explained from the author’s visiting experiences and the research, for the purpose to point out issues that should be considered to avoid making the same mistakes in the future development plans of many rivers such as the Amazon.

Playing a fundamental role in in the economic and social development of the Amazon region, river transportation can be considered as a foundation for the sustainable development of the emerging areas of the Peruvian Amazon. With this consideration in mind, the IDS2013 Conference was jointly organized in Iquitos on 17th-19th July 2013 by the University of Trieste (www.units.it) and the Universidad Católica Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo (www.usat.edu.pe), within the IDS (Ingeniería por un Desarollo Sostenible) concept. Focussing on crucial and peculiar aspects of river transportation of people, goods and services, the IDS2013 Conference represented an opportunity for designers, research organizations, academic institutions, shipbuilders, owners, classification societies, etc. to actively contribute to the improvement of river transportation and exploitation systems, with the final goal of making river transportation a safe, efficient, environmentally friendly and profitable sector for local people. This volume contains the scientific papers which, following the review process, have been accepted for inclusion in the proceedings of the Conference.

The necessity of new analysis methods, more precise and faster in the ship structures field is receiving more and more attention as the research projects are getting more and bigger in the country. The impact of analysis of higher precision and reliability are more visible every day, benefiting the safety of the vessel, and its functionality at the same cost. The lack of information and experience in computer programs in marine applications inside the schools of Naval Architecture of Peru, generate in these types analyses a learning gap. This project will contribute to the development of the application of finite elements methods in the naval area. Traditionally, the ships structural design is based on the analysis of the stress distribution of the main structure that is subject to elastic flexion under the effect of load distribution and waves. Based on these considerations a value for the admissible stresses and determine the minimum module for the master section, which must satisfy the rules of the Classification Societies. The present project is oriented to analyze the structure of a barge using the finites elements method considering it as a beam-vessel, exposed to different load conditions according to the classification society’s standards (ABS). The project involves numerical simulation using the ANSYS program.