Using AIS Data for Navigational Risk Assessment in Restricted Waters

The Strait of Malacca is one of the most important shipping lanes in the world. It averages 150 ship passes a day and more than 50,000 ships annually. With a high concentration of vessels in a narrow path, multiple risk situations arise. Analyzing traffic density is made harder by cross traffic and an unknown traffic density at the Strait. In 2009, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), through a collaboration with Kobe University, successfully installed an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver. Through the AIS receiver, data of ship movements in the Strait of Malacca and Singapore could be recorded. A program was established by UTM to retrieve the data for the purpose of marine traffic collision risk analysis. In this research, a risk assessment method using AIS data is proposed for restricted waters such as for the Strait of Malacca and Singapore. The Risk Assessment Methodology requires the estimation of collision probabilities. The collision probability of the proposed method considers the Traffic Density, directions of traffic flow (with respect to a subject vessel), and probability of navigational failure. An area in the Strait of Singapore between the latitudes of 1°13’N and 1°07’N and Longitudes of 103°4’E and 103°56’E was selected to illustrate the method. By analysing the AIS data of traffic flow, the probabilities of collision for the area were determined. The effect of vessel parameters of length and speed on the risks of collision are also shown.

Evolving Sustainable Green Ship Technology

Man lives in two worlds, the biosphere and the techno-sphere. Over the years, time needs, growth, speed, knowledge, and competition have created demand that necessitated man to build complex institutions. Ship design is not left out of this process. Inland waters are under threat from untreated waste that can feed bacteria and algae, which in turn exhaust the oxygen. The ocean, the seas, and fresh water together cover the largest percentage of planet earth. Many think that everything that runs into it is infinite; the ocean is providing the source of freshening winds and current that is far more vulnerable to polluting activities that have run off too many poisons into them. The ocean may cease to serve these purposes if care is not taking to prevent pollution. The issue of the environment has become so sensitive recently and is linked to infrastructure development work. In the maritime industry, polluting activities from oil bilge to ballast pumping has turned into poison and has an adverse effect on water resources. Some have choked too much estuarine water where fish spawn. In a nutshell, the two worlds of man are currently are out of balance and in potential conflict. Man is in the middle, and since the threats are mostly water related, ships are in the middle too. Historical records of a number of calamities that have resulted in heavy loss and pollution call for environmentally sound ships. This has led to a number of regulations that will subsequently affect policy change and procedure interaction with the system. The current situation has an effect on the design of new ships and modification of existing ships. This chapter discuss regulations design, with an emphasis on new system design drive towards processing waste and emissions on board so that discharges are acceptable. The chapter hopes to give insight into need, response, and research directions for green ship technology.

Risk Requirement for Multi-Hybrid Renewable Energy for Marine System

The chapter communicates environmental challenges facing the maritime industry. Efforts to integrate sources of alternative energy with existing systems through holistic proactive risk-based analysis and assessment requirements of associated environmental degradation and mitigation of greenhouse pollution are explored. The chapter also discusses alternative selection for hybridization of conventional power with compactable renewable sources like solar/hydrogen for reliable port powering.

Solar Hybrid Power System for Marine Diesel Engine

Like all modes of transportation that use fossil fuels, ships produce carbon dioxide emissions that significantly contribute to global climate change and ocean acidification. Additionally, ships release other pollutants that also contribute to the problem and exacerbate climate change. Considering the large volume of ships on the high seas, ship emissions pose a significant threat to human health. The ocean is exposed to vast amounts of sunrays and has a great potential to be explored by the maritime sector and green power industry. Solar energy hybrid assisted power to support auxiliary power for the instruments on board the vessel is explored in a UMT vessel. The vessel that is used in this case study is Discovery XI, which is a 16.50 meter diving boat owned by University Malaysia Terengganu. The study explores the feasibility of using solar energy as a supporting power for marine vessel auxiliaries. The reduction of fuel usage after installing the solar PV system on the boat is determined, as well as an economic analysis. The power requirement for the vessel’s electrical system is estimated. The fuel and money saved is also estimated for comparison purposes of the vessel using the solar PV system and the vessel without the PV system. Economic analyses are performed, the Annual Average Cost (AAC) between a vessel using solar PV system and a vessel without solar PV system is estimated, and the period of the return of investment for the vessel with solar PV system is also estimated. The use of a photovoltaic solar system to assist the boat power requirement will benefit the environment through Green House Gas (GHG) reduction, and the use of solar as a supporting alternative energy could cut the cost of boat operation through fuel savings.

Applying the Safety and Environmental Risk and Reliability Model (SERM) for Malaysian Langat River Collision Aversion

Collision accident remains a big threat to coastal water transportation operation. Occurrence of a collision event exposes vessel owners and operators as well as the public to risk. The nature of the threat can be worrisome; it may lead to loss of life, damage to the environment, disruption of operation, and injuries. This makes hybrid analysis of accident frequency and consequence for risk quantification of accident scenarios through stochastic tools very imperative for reliable design and exercise of technocrat stewardship of safety and safeguard of the environmental. The study involves a predictive model for collision risk and mitigation option for aversion of collision incident. Accident frequency and consequence are obtained using probability tools. Validity of the result is checked with reliability tools. Findings of the study were checked with subsystem and uncertainty risk-contributing factors in order to arrive at a sustainable decision support for collision aversion for inland water transportation. This chapter discusses the result and validation of implementation of the Safety and Environmental Risk and Reliability Model (SERM) for aversion of collision accident for vessel navigating for inland waterways.

River Transportation Master Plan Study for Environmental Enhancement

Inland waterways have long been utilized for various purposes including transportation. Since the development of road and rail took place, the use of inland waterways through rivers or canals has been neglected to give way for other modes of transport resulting in environmental degradation. In most developed countries, a revived plan has been formulated in implementing the optimum use of the inland waterways system for transportation purposes including USA, UK, European countries, etc. Malaysia too, owing to a substantial growth in population as well as economy, is experiencing something similar to what developed nations have gone through. With vast river network system in the country, Malaysia would surely wish to put the experiences into practice. A comprehensive master plan study should be undertaken to determine the potential rivers for development as well as to determine the level of development. The chapter highlights some considerations in ensuring the successful implementation of the environmental protection programme by developing and utilizing an environmentally friendly mode of inland water transport in Malaysia.

Propellers and Shafting for Sustainable Shipping

The importance of the line shafting, tailshaft, propeller, and thrust shaft cannot be over-emphasised. Failure of any one of them will rend the ship inoperable with possible disastrous consequences. Single line shafting is used on the majority of ships, but not in passenger ships and on short voyage ro-ro services where twin screws are employed. Propellers, because they are outside the ship, are often neglected and are usually only inspected when the ship is in drydock. More frequent examination can be undertaken when a ship is alongside and the shafting is being rotated with the turning gear. Damage to the propeller blade can lead to vibrations being set up in the line shafting causing overheating of the shafting bearings, main thrust, etc. The selection of shafting and propeller materials is usually within manufacturers’ specifications and complies with the various classification society requirements as well as the statutory requirements of governments.

Development of Mono and Multihull Resistance Sustainable Marine Technology Development and Green Innovation

During the last decade, multihull ships have rapidly evolved into a dominant mode of sea transportation. Their particular area of proliferation is in short sea shipping where they show considerable superiority over competitive designs in attributes such as power requirements, economy, space availability, and sea keeping quality. The rapid growth of the market has led to the need for an expanded range of multihull designs in terms of size, speed, and payload diversity (passengers, vehicles, containers). However, even now there is a scarcity of publicly available preliminary design tools for multihull vessels. This fact hinders the ship owner and naval architect from being able to quickly assess the relative merit of alternative potential designs without having to resort to expensive expert consultancy solutions.

Effect of Training on Shipboard Oil Pollution Violations

Industrialization has brought forth comforts and catastrophes. In the regular scheme of technological developments, the worst malady faced by man is the defilement of the environment. Shipping, being a heavily regulated industry, has contributed less in comparison to other land-based polluters, but the enormity of an oil spill and the post-spill clean-ups are reasons enough for countries to tighten the pollution laws. Today, any action violating these laws is seen as a crime. Ships are being detained, penalized for pollution violations. Environmental concerns and criminalizing incidents have become issues of concern. While considering these viewpoints, a worthwhile approach would be to look at the seafarer training. Assessment of the competency of the shipboard officer is largely carried out by examinations and onboard assessments. This could be extended to other means such as research surveys. The chapter projects inputs from a study undertaken to assess the level of training and awareness in pollution matters amongst shipboard officers.

A Harmonized ENC Database as a Foundation of Electronic Navigation

The development of ship navigation classically is based on paper charts, positioning systems like sextants, or nowadays GNSS. Lead by IMO and with support by organizations like IHO and IALA, the shipping industry moves towards the future of enhanced and electronic navigation to improve safety and efficiency of ship movement around the world. The basic data layers for this development are electronic vector charts. This data layer needs to be enhanced by a growing number of other data streams to create situational awareness during any voyage, but also allow for improved planning and efficient ship movement to increase safety and reduce pollution by reducing carbon footprint and reduce risk of environmental issues due to accidents. Given that, the aim of e-Navigation is to integrate data streams, leading to information for situational awareness, which enables wise decisions for mariners on ships and support teams on shore.