Ship navigation & mooring
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Print this pagePort design and ship operational consultancy service
The increasing emphasis by ship owners on the scale of operations, crew and fuel costs has meant that ships are increasingly operated at or near the limits of port capability. Given the need to accept ships of ever-increasing length or draught, and often with inadequate reserves of controllability, modern ports are faced with the need to take important decisions on re-design, often involving large amounts of dredging.
Problems that need examination include optimal entry and leaving strategies, an assessment of the number of tugs required and an assessment of the optimal environmental limits for safe entry for each ship type. It is important that these operating decisions are made from a sound theoretical background, as the consequences of making wrong decisions can be serious in terms of the port’s profitability and risk. HR Wallingford offers a complete port design and ship operational consultancy service to provide recommendations for a full range of design and operational problems.
We have three real-time simulators, one of which is a specialist tug simulator
Real time ship simulators and physical models
We have three real time simulators that can be used separately or together, one of which is a specialist tug simulator. They are used to simulate the operations of the existing or redesigned port using simulated ships of all types. Thus, if a new ship type is to use the port, that ship can be modelled in a range of redesigned channels and the feasibility of it operating safely in a range of environmental conditions can be assessed. Desk studies are also undertaken, either as a preliminary to simulation work, or as a fast, cost-effective method of obtaining a preliminary design estimate.
For any marine terminal it is also essential to ensure that wave conditions and ship movement are acceptable. HR Wallingford uses both physical and computational modelling techniques to investigate wave disturbance and ship movement in ports and harbours. Using these techniques the design can be optimised, downtime costs can be reduced and safe operation assured.
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