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https://hdl.handle.net/11681/13281| Title: | Ship navigation simulator study, Savannah Harbor widening project, Savannah, Georgia |
| Authors: | United States. Army. Corps of Engineers. Savannah District. Hewlett, J. Christopher. Daggett, Larry L. Heltzel, Samuel B. |
| Keywords: | Channels Savannah Harbor Savannah Georgia Stream channelization Navigation channels Finite element method Ships Ship navigation Ship maneuverability |
| Publisher: | Hydraulics Laboratory (U.S.) Engineer Research and Development Center (U.S.) |
| Series/Report no.: | Technical report (U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station) ; HL-87-5. |
| Description: | Technical Report Abstract: The US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station (WES) ship simulator was used to evaluate the proposed channel widening of the Savannah Harbor from Fig Island Turning Basin to Kings Island Turning Basin. The widening would extend the north side of the channel 100 ft. The present channel width of 400 ft causes difficulties in the maneuvering of the 950-ft New York Class containerships that began calling in Savannah approximately 2 years ago. For this reason, the simulation study was conducted using a numerical model of this containership. To generate channel currents for input into the simulation, a hydrodynamic finite elelent model of the Savannah Harbor was developed as part of the study. Boundary conditions for this model were obtained from a larger numerical model of the entire Savannah estuary system developed by the WES Hydraulics Laboratory Math Modeling Group. Prior to testing professional pilots from Savannah conducted a series of runs for the purpose of validating the simulation. The simulations consisted of existing and planned conditions. Inbound and outbound runs were performed in opposing currents from an extreme tidal range of 10.5 ft. A total of 42 runs were made, 10 outbound runs in the existing channel, 10 outbound runs in the planned channel, 11 inbound runs in the existing channel, and 11 inbound runs in the planned channel. Professional pilots from the Savannah Pilots Association conned the ship during the tests. Study results were based on a basic statistical analysis in which the means and standard deviations of the following maneuvering parameters in the existing and planned channels were compared: rudder angle, rate of turn, heading, revolutions per minute, speed, and clearances to the channel edge. Results of this analysis showed a small but consistent improvement in navigation in the planned channel. Appendix A presents plots of the current model meshes for both the existing and planned channels. Appendix B shows plots of the current vectors from the finite element model. Appendix C shows all pilot track-lines plotted simultaneously for each test condition. Appendix D presents the pilots' ratings of the simulator and of the proposed channel widening and tabulates these comments. |
| Rights: | Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/11681/13281 |
| Appears in Collections: | Technical Report |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TR-HL-87-5.pdf | 1.89 MB | Adobe PDF |  View/Open |