Support System for Economical Navigation in Inland Seas by Using Current and Wind Information

Koji Murai and Yuji Hayashi

Abstract:	There are many inland seas, which have international and domestic sailing routes in the world. They have complicated lay of lands, current and wind. We propose support system for economical navigation by utilizing current and wind in these inland seas. This system bears the least fuel consumption of ships. The least fuel consumption realizes the preservation of natural environment in these inland seas. In this paper, the objective sea area is the Inland Sea of Japan (ISJ). Its width is 30 nautical miles towards North and South, and 240 nautical miles towards East and West. The ISJ has about 3,000 islands, which are scattered, and the current and wind are complicated. Besides, main sailing routes exist in the ISJ. The estimation of current directions and speeds in the ISJ is generally to carry out by using the Tide Tables of Japan Maritime Safety Agency (JMSA). However, the current velocity of optional points in the ISJ cannot calculate them. For supplement these lack, JMSA publishes Current Figures of each water area in the ISJ. The current database was prepared by utilizing the Current Figures. The current database is made from static navigational information (Tide Tables) and geographical information (Current Figures), and they are compiled together in the database. This system can estimate the current velocity at optional time of optional points in the ISJ by using the current database. Wind database was made from observed wind directions and speeds for confirming the system accuracy. In actual use, the wind database would be done from estimated directions and speeds. When sailing route and departure time are input into the system, the system calculated the hours under way in accordance with the sailing route. The system recommends the optimal departure time for shortest hours under way. The effect of this system was confirmed by making comparison between hours under way of actual ships and the output of these simulations and the result was favorable.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 57th Annual Meeting of The Institute of Navigation (2001) June 11 - 13, 2001 Albuquerque, NM
Pages:	341 - 345
Cite this article:	Murai, Koji, Hayashi, Yuji, "Support System for Economical Navigation in Inland Seas by Using Current and Wind Information," Proceedings of the 57th Annual Meeting of The Institute of Navigation (2001), Albuquerque, NM, June 2001, pp. 341-345.
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