Virtually aided ship navigation on typical inland river route based on fluid-structure interaction simulation

Objective In order to improve the safety of ship navigation, this study focuses on virtually aided ship navigation strategies.

Methods Two different inland river routes are chosen for the simulation of virtually aided ship navigation models based on the fluid-structure interaction mechanism, while taking the navigation rules and flow details of the rivers into consideration. The simulation of the ship sailing process on a typical inland river route under specific current conditions provides the corresponding virtually aided navigation plan in which the ship's velocity, location and course are obtained in a timely manner.

Results It is found that the simulation method established on the basis of Fluent can be used to solve the problems of multi-degree-of-freedom motion and fluid-structure interaction. When sailing through bends or branches, steering with a small rudder angle over long distances ensures safe navigation and prevents speed reduction and significant lateral displacement.

Conclusion The proposed method can be effectively combined with the flow field information of digital channels to simulate the ship sailing process, thereby providing data support for the decision-making of intelligent navigation on inland river routes.