Development of a polar-based method for the calculation of the leeway of floating objects drifting at sea

Abstract

Localisation of drifting objects and lost at sea persons is an integral part of search and rescue (SAR) missions. It is thus important to possess effective tools to determine the trajectory of such objects. The method currently used presents some limitations and may prove imprecise in certain cases. The development of a new method based on CFD-generated drag and lift polars is therefore investigated as an alternative. This approach is implemented in a simplified manner for a 40-feet container, and the results compared to the method currently in use. These results, though improvable, appear promising and prove the potential of this approach.Résumé. La localisation des objets flottants et des personnes à la dérive est une part importante des missions de sauvetage en mer, il est dès lors important de disposer d'outils efficaces pour déterminer la trajectoire de tels objets. La méthode actuellement employée présente certaines limitations et peut s'avérer imprécise. Le développement d'une nouvelle méthode basée sur l'utilisation de polaires de coefficients aérodynamiques calculés à l'aide d'outils de mécanique des fluides numérique est considéré en tant qu'alternative. Cette approche est mise en oeuvre pour un conteneur standard. Ces premiers résultats bien que perfectibles semblent prometteurs et témoignent du potentiel de cette approche.

Towards a Global Surveillance System for Lost Containers at Sea

“…Although the maritime freight industry has incorporated various supporting technologies to ensure the safety and efficiency of its activity, such as electronic locks against theft or monitoring devices to track the location and status of the goods in real time, there is a lack of specific technological solutions for the problem of containers lost at sea. Some research has evaluated the stability of ships in a casualty situation based on their mooring elements and the deformation of the mechanical structures [22][23][24], while others provide mathematical models to simulate the movement of the container on the sea surface, such as [25][26][27][28], or even provide an optimal cargo trajectory to avoid these accidents [29]. The first group of investigations could be termed preventive, as they aim to prevent the loss of containers by securing their transport, while the second group could be termed non-preventive, as they focus on predicting container movements after the accident has occurred.…”