Highlights.

Issue 58/2013

PAGE Brash ice growth - full scale ice tests

8 –9 in the Gulf of Bothnia for the Port of Sabetta

Ports prepare for Voyage optimisation Cutting edge tanker

SECA 2015 in LNG on the shallow waters design requires out
infrastructure project of the Baltic Sea of the box thinking
A validated approach The MONALISA project Holistic optimisations of ships
Page 2–3 Page 4 –5 Page 6–7

A proposed design Ship traffic City planning

methodology for success- scheduling in the using SEAMAN
fully developing ESDs Göta River simulation tool
Energy Saving Devices The GOTRIS project New bridge, Hisingsbron

Page 10 –11 Page 12 –13 Page 14 –16

2 Highlights 58/ 2013 – Ports prepare for SECA 2015 in LNG infrastructure project
Highlights 58.
Susanne Abrahamsson
President
Long-term relationships
As a company SSPA is growing, both in size
and in adding new knowledge. Our main focus
areas are:
• acting as a bridge between research and
implementation in the maritime industry
• optimising for energy efficiency while
keeping environmental, financial, human
and technological factors in mind and
• ensuring sustainable development through platform
proper risk management.
Our vision remains unchanged as we strive to
be recognised as your most rewarding partner
for innovative and sustainable maritime
development. In order to achieve this vision
we have defined four core values that we as a
company believe in and live by. One of them
is long-term relationships, which is why our
clients’ aims and visions are important to us.
Ever since SSPA was founded in 1940,
we have supported our clients with services
and expertise in the hydrodynamic sphere.
Over the years, the scope of our services has
increased and now covers most facets of
maritime technology. We believe that long-
term relationships, in combination with a high
level of integrity, are the most solid founda-
tion for gaining clients’ trust. A client must be
able to confidently realise its visions with us.
New technologies need to be tested, new ideas
demonstrated and validated, and SSPA offers
the arena, tools and methods to do this. SSPA
acts as a bridge between theory and practice,
research and implementation, the present and
the future.
In this issue of Highlights you will find a
selection of articles describing some of our
on-going projects. Do not hesitate to contact
us, with feedback, comments or questions.
We hope you enjoy issue 58 of SSPA Highlights.
I would also like to pass on Seasons Greetings
and my best wishes for a Happy New Year to
all of SSPA’s clients, partners and colleagues
in the maritime society. Thank you all for the
opportunities given and the confidence shown
in 2013.
Susanne Abrahamsson
Ports prepare for SECA 2015
in LNG infrastructure project
In line with the IMO’s decision on Sulphur Emission Control Areas to be
established by 1 January 2015, the Baltic Ports Organization has initiated
the “LNG in Baltic Sea Ports” project, co-financed by the EU TEN-T Multi-
Annual Programme, with the aim of finding the prerequisites for a harmonised
approach on LNG bunker filling infrastructure in the Baltic Sea Area. On the
basis of SSPA’s extensive involvement as experts in the introduction of LNG,
SSPA has been commissioned to analyse the best options for locations of
LNG terminals in Scandinavian ports.
Major role enables a validation including a risk analysis, and furthermore
developing a pre-design and subsequent design
Of seven ports involved, SSPA Sweden AB is
of the planned infrastructure. For Stockholm
the initial feasibility study was followed by the
responsible for carrying out the pre-investment
preparation of plans on how to arrange LNG
studies on behalf of Copenhagen – Malmö,
bunkering at Stadsgården, in the passenger
Stockholm and Aarhus, and thus plays a major
area. The final part of the Stockholm activity
role in the BPO project. The studies of the two
is to prepare a safety manual for bunkering and
former ports are expected to be finalised by Q4
use of LNG in port areas.
2013, while the study of the latter continues
until the end of 2014. For each of the ports the The scope of each port activity has
expected deliverables is a report functioning as differed and running three separate studies
a decision support, in order to be able to decide within a larger project frame has added to the
if further measures need to be taken for an LNG SSPA in-house expertise in the field of LNG-
infrastructure. The studies for each of the ports related projects and provided the opportunity
have varied in extent, from a feasibility study of setting up a validation platform for methods
with a first step market analysis, localisation used in these kinds of projects. For the ports
study and investment analysis for Copenhagen involved this means the project set up and
Malmö Port to a more extensive study for Aarhus, methods have been subject to a constant review,
that, above the feasibility study, also includes which in turn has enabled cross-checking and
getting approval from the authorities, a process validating results.
Methods used
All of the feasibility studies started with market
studies and volume estimations, where the use
of AIS data for traffic flows in a certain area has
given the chance to isolate facts needed for
volume estimations. By looking at the number
of passages, number of individual vessels and
type of vessels, it is possible to gather valid
data on traffic patterns. Furthermore, gathering
statistics on vessel segments and age structures,
combined with outlooks on new building schemes
from shipyard order books, makes it possible to
predict future changes in certain fleets or traffic
flows in various areas.
Sensitivity analysis is used as a validation
tool for predicting volume estimations, formula-
ting high and low LNG scenarios for each indi-
Density plot of ship traffic in the Kattegat. vidual port, with short- and long-term perspec-
The plot is created in IWRAP with AIS-data tives included, relieving final findings or scenario
from the Swedish Maritime Administration. layouts, also weighing in scenarios of LNG
 Maria Bännstrand
Project Manager.
She has an M.Sc.
in Shipping Systems
and Technology with
a Major in Shipping
Residential buildings
Management and Logistics from
Chalmers University of Technology from
2003. She also graduated as a Master
Mariner in 1999. She has been employed
at SSPA since April 2012, working
primarily with simulation studies and with
Max radius of heat radiation
from fire scenario projects linked to alternative fuels.
Previous employments includes working
at sea and as a ship’s operations manager
Bunkering safety zone
and as a hull insurance underwriter.

Contact information
LNG vessel
G bunker ves
sssel
E-mail: maria.bannstrand@sspa.se
Ex-zone
Ex
E
Ex-z
x zzo
x-z o
one
Heatt radiation
H di tii barrier
b i

Ulrika Roupé
Project Manager.
LNG fuelled vessel
She has an MBA in
Potential
Po
ote zone
ential conflict zo
one Environmental Economics,
Ove
Overlapping
Over zones
safety zone
n
nes
Bunkering safety zone
Bun
Bu and graduated from
protected
protecte
cted from heat radiation
cte Public terminal area
Public access OK
Gothenburg University
during LNG bunkering in 1995. She joined SSPA in 1999 where
Hazardouss iindustry
ndustry Terminal area
she works as project manager in environ-
safety zone with
h restricted access mental, development co-operation and
transport development projects, both in
Sweden and internationally. She mainly
works with environmental projects on
Public road
transports and shipping, environmental
Hazardous industrial Otherr industrial business economic analysis, risk analysis, coastal
activity Restricted
Restri
iicted access
zone management, and international
cooperation.
Risk analysis based on case by case.
Contact information
E-mail: ulrika.roupe@sspa.se
price development. Methodology for localiza- it is vital to follow relevant regulations and laws.
tion studies typically includes acquiring For LNG implementation these laws differ
infrastructure data, e.g. on land-based users, between countries. In the main, specific national
industries, possibilities of accessing a future laws apply for the Port of Aarhus, apart from Harmonisation and dissemination
terminal with various means of transport and relevant international laws and directives, such
interviews with strategic partners and regional In the “LNG in Baltic Sea Ports” project, the
as the Seveso EU directive.
planning authorities. Combining estimated harmonisation and dissemination of results will
volumes with costs of the various ways of be secured via a stakeholder platform where key
storage, distribution and means of transporta- players will be gathered from both the Baltic
tion, gives clear indications about suitable ports and outside the region. Another important
locations and choice of terminal from a cost step in the dissemination process is to develop
EU -
and market analysis perspective. Regulations an LNG handbook, which will include a
suggested approach for LNG bunkering infra-
When it comes to risk analysis methods,
structure and guidelines on how to set up LNG
SSPA follows the FSA methodology (Formal EU directive Parliament - Law
infrastructure in a port.
Safety Assessment, adopted and approved by
the UN International Maritime Organization).
Since, for the Port of Aarhus, the approval Government - Regulations
process included carrying out a risk analysis,
the scope of this risk analysis was based on the
legal requirements of the authorities and the Authorities - Regulations
EIA procedure. The risk analysis focused on the
facility, the terminal and the operational
situation, specifically the bunkering procedure. Rules and regulations process from an EU
For approval processes, in an overall perspective, perspective.
4 Highlights 58/ 2013 – Voyage optimisation on the shallow waters of the Baltic Sea

Voyage optimisation on the

shallow waters of the Baltic Sea
The MONALISA project is focusing on efficient, safe and sustainable maritime transport. A Sea Traffic Coordination
Centre, similar to that in the aviation sector, will coordinate vessels by offering them fuel-optimised routes. These green
routes are calculated using algorithms developed by SSPA, utilising the legacy of knowledge in hydrodynamics and
testing thousands of ships, combined with novel optimisation methods. Evaluations were made on real routes, collected
from historical AIS data compared with new optimised routes. The potential of a 12% saving was found in a case study
on transit traffic through the shallow waters of the Kattegat.

The SSPA route optimisation routine

The route optimiser is a cloud-based web
service that will optimise the route by adding,
moving and removing waypoints, ensuring the
ETA is still preserved. The route optimiser will
also set the optimum speed for each leg in order
to minimise fuel consumption. These are the
optimisation components:

The geo component

• Includes forecasts and depth data.
• Continually takes into account the shift
in time and place of the weather forecast
during optimisation.

The ship component

• Calculates the fuel consumption in a
20 m x 20 m resolution grid.
• Calculation depends on wind, waves, currents
and depth and the interaction with the hull
and propulsion characteristics.
Photo: Jesper T Andersen / jtashipphoto.dk

The vessel POUL LØWENØRN in the Great The route component

Belt, exchanging routes with the STCC ashore
in Gothenburg.
The STCC concept
When a vessel is approaching a sea area under
control of a Sea Traffic Coordination Centre
(STCC), the captain is offered to send his intended
route to the STCC for optimisation. The STCC
will make appropriate changes to the route, e.g.
insert constraints like a No Go Area. Since
SSPA acts as a service provider the route is sent
to the SSPA server via the internet. The SSPA
service will deliver an optimised route back to
the STCC fulfilling the constraints, and desired
time of approach (ETA) with the lowest fuel
consumption. The STCC will check the route
and then send it back to the vessel.
The concept was successfully demonstrated
with the vessel POUL LØWENØRN in the
Great Belt, communicating with a prototype
STCC, which then accesses the server at SSPA.
• Traversing the area from start to finish
to determine the most fuel-efficient way.
• Finally it simplifies the route, reducing the
number of waypoints and adjusting speed.
The depth information is of course essential
for optimising a route with sufficient Under
Keel Clearance (UKC), but it is also vital for
calculating the increased hull resistance due
to the squat effect, which should be considered
in shallow waters like the Baltic Sea and many
other European waters.
The optimisation kernel was developed
together with the Fraunhofer-Chalmers
Research Centre for Industrial Mathematics.
Case study of green routes in the
Kattegat
To investigate the effect of green routes on
the traffic pattern, a study was made of the
transiting vessels through the Kattegat based
Geographic scope of the study. The outer
boundary is for the current main traffic in the
Kattegat. The green zones are used to identify
the present main transit traffic through the
Kattegat.
on actual AIS data compared with simulated
AIS data from the route optimisation.
The following delimitations were set:
• AIS data from one month, January 2012,
with about 1,700 vessel movements.
• AIS-class 60-89, i.e. passenger ships,
cargo ships and tankers.
• Transiting between the areas: Skaw,
Gothenburg, Great Belt or The Sound.
• Vessels must make speed all the time.
• Draught greater than 5.3 m.
• Wind, waves and current set to predominant
values for the region.
 Highlights 58/ 2013 – Voyage optimisation on the shallow waters of the Baltic Sea 5

Lars Markström
Project Manager.
He graduated from
Chalmers Technical
University with an M.Sc.
in Mechanical Engine-
ering and later gained a B.Sc. in Nautical
Science. He has several years’ experience
from R&D in the automotive industry. He
joined SSPA in 2012 and manages research
projects in the e-navigation field and related
risk analysis.

Contact information
E-mail: lars.markstrom@sspa.se

Henrik Holm
Project Manager.
He studied the Masters
program Complex
Adaptive Systems, in
the Engineering Physics
Department, at Chalmers University of
Technology. Previously he worked as Product
Manager at Playscan AB and as Software
Architect at Avail Intelligence, both in
Gothenburg, Sweden. Since starting at SSPA
in January 2013, he has been involved in
various research projects developing route Density plot for the current main transit traffic Density plot for the optimised routes. Carried
optimisation and mathematical modelling. through the Kattegat. Carried out with the IWRAP out with the IWRAP risk assessment tool,
risk assessment tool, based on Helcom’s AIS based on SSPA’s simulated AIS traffic data from
Contact information data for January 2012. (Recalculated to one year.) optimised routes. (Recalculated to one year.)
E-mail: henrik.holm@sspa.se

The optimisation is free to find new routes

without considering today’s routing while still
adhering to Traffic Separation Schemes (TSS).
The UKC was set at 20% of the draught or
at least 1 meter, which is in line with recom-
mendations set by HELCOM for vessels in the
Baltic Sea. A Safety Ellipse, suggested by Fuji,
surrounds the vessel with a semi major axis,
four times the ships’ length. The optimisation
is made on one specific ship model with the
assumption that the relative fuel consumption
as a function of speed is around the same for
most vessels.
Traffic analysis
The optimised routes generally show a more
concentrated traffic pattern. This is not surpri-
sing, since a shorter route is beneficial for any
vessel. Finding a shorter route also means that
the speed can be reduced, which has a heavy
impact on the optimisation. In some areas
traffic has a wider lateral spread, often an effect
from vessels of a higher draught need more
depth. Some optimised routes are placed in new
areas that must be further investigated in terms
of nautical considerations.
A significant change in the traffic pattern
is the removal of the two “doglegs” in the old
pattern route. These doglegs emerge from recom-
The depth information
is vital for optimising a
route taking into account
the increased hull
resistance due to squat,
which should be considered in
shallow waters like the
Baltic Sea and many other
European waters.
mended routes on the chart, but it is possible to
take a straighter route. Considering the traffic
volume, approximately 20,000 nm could be
saved on an annual basis when avoiding the
doglegs. The average saving for the transit traffic
with optimised routes is generally around 12%.
Although this study is limited to a specific
region, we have demonstrated a novel voyage
optimisation tool suitable for use in shallow
waters that are common in Europe and other
parts of the world.
Facts about Monalisa
MONALISA (Motorways & Electronic
Navigation by Intelligence at Sea) started
in early 2010 aimed at improving safety
and optimisation of ship routes in line with
the EU’s Baltic Sea Strategy. MONALISA
is co-financed by the EU, Trans-European
Transport Network (TEN-T) and the Västra
Götaland Region.
The project is coordinated by the Swedish
Maritime Administration and partners include
SSPA Sweden AB, the Danish Maritime
Administration, Finnish Transport Agency,
Chalmers University of Technology, SAAB
TransponderTech AB and GateHouse A/S.
The project ends in December 2013 and is
followed by MONALISA 2.0, where SSPA
will implement a concept of traffic coordi-
nation into the green routes and carry out
risk analysis tasks.
Read more at:
www.monalisaproject.eu
6 Highlights 58/ 2013 – Cutting edge tanker design requires out of the box thinking

Cutting edge tanker design requires

out of the box thinking
Keep the cargo flow constant, fulfil the IMO regulations set by the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and respect
limitations set by harbours and docks. These are just a selection of requirements for a state of the art tanker new building
project, all of which must be met with the same hull design. SSPA takes bigger steps towards these targets by thinking
out of the box and by applying unconventional concepts and dimensions to a new Panamax Tanker.

Main dimensions Ship Dimensional

Parameter Study

Hull lines optimisation

Hull shape CFD & tank tests (including
sea-keeping tests)

Energy saving devices

Details Propeller design
Rudders

The chart above depicts the relative importance and performance improvement possible at each individual step in the design process. The first step of
selecting the ship’s basic characteristics and form – where the funnel’s diameter is greatest – is also the step in the design process that has the greatest
impact towards improving (and impairing) the ship’s overall performance. As the design progresses through each successive step the funnel grows
increasingly narrow as more and more of the design is finalized and the performance improvement and impairment potential similarly decreases.

Identifying the big gains
One of the common problems in naval archi-
tecture and ship design is that the main deci-
sions, those that have the most influence on
what the ship will look like and how it will
perform, are made at a point in time where
almost no knowledge of the design’s behaviour,
appearance, and characteristics are available.
The more time spent on the project, the more
knowledge is gathered but less room is available
for changes and improvements.
A ship’s power consumption, for example,
is primarily influenced by the main dimensions
selected, which is done at a very early stage
of the project and mainly driven by financial
constraints and the dimensions of existing
vessels. A commonly carried out hull form
optimisation might gain some 5% in power
saving as well as the application of state-of-
the-art energy saving devices, but neither can
provide the larger gains that can be achieved
by optimising the main dimensions.
Hull designers workbench
The previously mentioned problems can be
solved in two ways. The first is to adopt the
traditional and well-known design spiral, i.e.
repeating every step and every decision until
the results are sufficient. This way of working
requires a lot of time and money since every
step in the design process is repeated several
times. Finally the optimal result will only be
reached if every decision is questioned after
every single design loop.
The second way is to gather as much know-
ledge as possible at the very start of the project.
This way of working requires a huge amount
of information available from other ships and
the opportunity of using state-of-the-art tools
for hull design and evaluation, but will ensure
an optimised result with fewer working steps
by making the necessary information available
when the important decisions have to be made.
Having a database with several thousand
ships’ hulls of varying size, shape and type,
SSPA can easily predict the performance of a
ship with certain dimensions using in-house
theoretical prediction programs. Additionally,
SSPA recently introduced simulation-driven
design to commercial design projects. The
close coupling of various in-house tools,
parametric geometry modelling, and SSPA’s
main CFD tool SHIPFLOW, through the
cutting edge CAE program FRIENDSHIP-

Framework, allows SSPA to investigate various
design approaches and dimensions in a very
cost and time-effective manner providing the
opportunity for large energy savings even before
designing the hull lines.
Future design target
Only a few months ago ships’ performances
were measured by their speed at a certain power
or a power at a certain speed. The class’s best
ship was the fastest. With the introduction of
the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI)
the measure of a ship’s performance is about to
change. Reduced to its absolute simplest form
and assuming that the quality of the engines and
the required auxiliary engines are the same for
several ships, the EEDI is defined as the
installed power divided by the transported
cargo, which is represented by speed times
deadweight.
Unconventional design approaches
Assuming the EEDI as the target function,
a ship’s main dimension optimisation can be
performed in two different directions. Firstly,
one can perform a classic optimisation towards
the lowest achievable power for a given dead-
weight and installed power. The second app-
roach would be to keep the power constant and
try to increase the deadweight relatively to the
reduction of speed. Additional constraints, such
as a maximum length might be applied in order
to meet harbour requirements. Since such an
optimisation might lead to extreme dimensions,
like very high B/T ratios, the designer must be
open minded towards unconventional design
approaches, i.e. twin skeg designs for large
tankers.
EEDI optimised Panamax Tanker
design
Recently carried out comparison tests of a twin
skeg and a single skeg conventional Panamax
Visualisation of CFD results for a Twin Skeg
Tanker. Pressure distribution and flow lines help
the designer to judge the quality of the hull
design and find possible areas of improvement.
Highlights 58/ 2013 – Cutting edge tanker design requires out of the box thinking 7
Transport efficiency
Ship A
Ship B
Ship C
Fleet average
Block coefficient
The picture shows the transport efficiency (defined by DWTD* VS /PDT) of three single ships
and the fleet average as a function of the block coefficient. The graphic shows, that a ship with
comparably poor hull lines (Ship B) can be as good as a ship with superb hull lines (Ship C), if the
main dimensions are selected in a better way. Ship A combines favourable main dimensions
and high quality hull lines and turns out to be outstanding with regard to transport efficiency.
Model 1 2 3
Beam (m) 32.2 40 40
cB 0.84 0.84 0.87
speed (kn) 14.6 13.1 12.5
delta (EEDI) 0% -13.8% -13.4%
The table shows the attained gains in EEDI. By increasing the beam a reduction in the EEDI of
about 13.8% was realized, assuming the power (engines) and the added resistance in a seaway
is the same for all three ships.
Tanker showed that the delivered power of the The tools are available and these exemplary
twin skeg design is about 5% lower than that studies prove the validity of this approach:
of the single skeg design. These results show SSPA is ready for holistic optimisations of
that the unconventional approach of a twin skeg ships at the earliest design stages. Are you?
tanker seems favourable. Applying the afore-
mentioned methods, a study of five different
beams and three block coefficients was carried
out to optimise the main dimensions to reach Fabian Tillig
the lowest EEDI. In order to simplify the scope
Project Manager.
of the study the power and length were kept
He received his
constant.
engineering diploma in
The speed at the given power for each of
Naval Architecture and
the 15 designs was evaluated using theoretical Ocean Engineering at
prediction methods based on SSPA’s database. Berlin University of Technology in 2010.
The predictions were checked and calibrated He has been employed at SSPA Sweden AB
using full viscous CFD resistance and self- since 2010 and since then has been
propulsion simulations. The results show that an involved in various projects in the areas
increase in beam of about 20% can gain up to of hull design, model testing and full scale
13.8% in EEDI, even though the hull form used evaluation.
for the CFD computations of the wider ship was
only a scaled version of the original one and Contact information
thus not optimised for the new dimensions. E-mail: fabian.tillig@sspa.se
8 Highlights 58/ 2013 – Brash ice growth - full scale ice tests in the Gulf of Bothnia for the Port of Sabetta

Brash ice growth - full scale ice tests

in the Gulf of Bothnia for the Port of Sabetta
SSPA has successfully taken advantage of the easily accessible Gulf of Bothnia, this time for full scale brash ice tests. Brash
ice growth and accumulated channel thickness was investigated in an extensive measurement campaign carried out in Luleå
during the winter of 2012/2013 on behalf of Yamal LNG and TOTAL.

Jim Sandkvist

Photo: Victor Westerberg

The test channel of approximately ½ nm in the port of Luleå. Inserted is a general example of channel profile. Channel edge depths up to
several meters were measured.

Brash ice forms quickly during frequent passages Comprehensive measurements;

in an ice channel filling the channel behind the
vessel. As the broken ice consolidates between
each passage, new brash ice is successively
produced resulting in increased brash ice thickness
meaning increased vessel resistance. With a lack
of additional ice reducing resources like warm
wastewater outlets, no alternative fairways and
a full operational demand, optimised ice manage-
ment and parallel channels are required.
However, limited depth in the approach and
port area requires dredging and the overall
question for the Port of Sabetta was: How many
parallel channels are needed to be able to maintain
full operation?
The field project, initiated to gain knowledge
on brash ice growth, started with a pre-defined
channel traffic frequency and a maximum
acceptable brash ice thickness. The measurement
campaign in Luleå was formed by SSPA in
cooperation with Luleå Technical University,
Luleå Bogserbåts AB and Bertin Technology.
full seasonal variation
Brash ice growth and thickness is affected by
several parameters such as channel passage
frequency, air temperature and radiation. With
harsh conditions, seasonal variation and several
affecting variables the ability to estimate brash
ice thickness was necessary for the Yamal LNG
project. In the development work of the brash ice
growth model input was needed.
Brash ice profile measurements;
input and validation
To gain more knowledge about the phenomenon
and give input for validation to a brash ice growth Brash ice
model the dedicated test channel was established
in sheltered waters in the Port of Luleå. Accumulation of small pieces of ice
Channel profiles were measured once a week produced by nature or due to repeated
and controlled passages by the harbour icebreaker breaking by vessels, e.g. in an ice
m/s Viscaria were carried out twice a week.
channel.

Harbour icebreaker m/s Viscaria played a key
role in the project performing passages twice a
week in the test channel. All relevant variables
on-board were monitored and logged by the
SSPA Datalogger system.
Several ice core samples were taken during the
campaign which were analysed in the ice lab at
Luleå Technical University. Compression tests and
ice analysis under cross-polarised light were some
of the tests that were carried out. In addition to the
ice and vessel measurements, continuous metocean
data such as air temperature, wind speed and radia-
tion data etc. were collected.
In all, 14 measured channel profiles, about
30 measured channel passages and a vast amount
of metocean data providing a well-founded basis
for analysing the phenomenon and validation of
the brash ice growth model was collected.
Seasonal variation of engine load
60
55
50
45
40
35
Jan-13 Feb-13
Engine load for each channel passage and corresponding reference tests in level ice and ice free water. Note where channel load crosses the level ice
load, hence a parallel channel favourable.
Increased Vessel resistance
To make progress in ice, the thrust produced
by the prime mover system needs to bridge
the total resistance of the vessel. During the
controlled passages in the channel, added ice
resistance due to increased brash ice thickness
was investigated aided by reference tests in
level ice and ice free water.
By monitoring the engine load during the
season and comparing with level ice and ice
In all, 14 measured
channel profiles, about
30 measured channel
passages and a vast
amount of metocean data
was collected providing a
well-founded basis for
analysis.
free water loads for the corresponding speed,
seasonal variation is obvious. Maximum ice
growth and ice extension in the northern part
of Sweden usually peaks in March, which corre-
lates well with the last winter measurements.
If parallel channels are suitable a new
channel is preferably opened when channel
resistance exceeds level ice resistance, see
figure below (marked). Note however that only
one level ice thickness is shown in the graph
Mar-13
Victor Westerberg
Project Manager.
He graduated from
the Royal Institute of
Technology in 2012
with an M.Sc. in Naval
Architecture and joined SSPA after gradua-
tion. He is active in Arctic oil spill response
as well as ice management, winter naviga-
tional projects and simulations. He is a
member of the 27th ITTC Ice specialist
committee.
Contact information
E-mail: victor.westerberg@sspa.se
and channel resistance is shown for various
brash ice thicknesses during the season.
Gulf of Bothnia; test area suitable
for Arctic matters
The brash ice measurement campaign is yet
another example on the possibilities of the
Gulf of Bothnia as a test area for navigation
in ice and Arctic operations. A wide variation
of ice conditions at a reasonable distance
from the ice lab at Luleå Technical University
is available.
This time the sheltered area with shallow
water in the port of Luleå was a perfect
location for the measurements. Earlier in
2010, deeper water and pack ice was needed
when measurements with a typical Arctic ice
management vessel were performed. The Gulf
of Bothnia was suitable and the location was
used to perform acoustic measurements which
are described in Highlights 51/2010.
Channel [%]
Ice free water [%]
Level ice (h = 40cm) [%]
Apr-13
10 Highlights 58/ 2013 – A proposed design methodology for successfully developing ESDs

A proposed design methodology for successfully

developing ESDs
SSPA has long experience with testing most Energy Saving Devices (ESDs) available on the market and has also
been involved in many joint research projects developing energy saving solutions. SSPA, and also other parties
within the community, has recognised that there can be a risk if ESDs are developed and applied in a standard routine
process only based on model scale, not taking into account the full scale flow effect. This article describes additional
steps needed in the development process of ESDs and propose a design methodology for successfully developing
ESDs. In order to test and evaluate the proposed design methodology two generic research devices have been
created: Generic Device GD-OK and GD-GK.

In order to test and evaluate the proposed design methodology two generic research devices have been created: Generic Device GD-OK and GD-GK.

Most feasible ESDs to be selected
Most ESDs are used to enhance the flow into
propulsion devices, and aimed at increasing
propulsive efficiency as well as reducing
energy loss. The ESD should be designed based
on optimum trade-off between power reduction
(favourable effect) and maximum allowable
resistance increase/cavitation risk (unfavourable
effect). SSPA’s experience has shown that the
design of ESDs is specific for a given ship and
that the best gain can be reached if the hull/
propeller/ESD is optimised together for each
specific ship.
It is a well-known phenomenon that the
flow characteristics in model scale differ from
the full scale flow field in the wake. This has
been taken into consideration for long time in
an experience-based manner by e.g. propeller
designers, working both for design, evaluation
and extrapolation.
Today it is common practice that the perfor-
mance of ESDs is measured in the towing tank
and evaluated with standard extrapolation
methods developed for hulls and propellers.
Even though there is a lack of validation studies
of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) RANS
simulations for full scale ship flow and the results
are not yet reliable enough to fully predict global
quantities, CFD codes can still be used to under-
stand the full scale flow and thereby provide
means for better ESD optimisation.
As CFD simulations can be conducted at full
scale, the scaling problem inherent in model tests
can be avoided and the prediction of full scale
performance of ESDs can be improved by a
combination of model tests and CFD prediction.
Proposed design methodology
In order to achieve the best possible result, SSPA
proposes a design methodology that makes use
of all available technical resources in the most
effective way to its full extent, but within the
limits of its capabilities. The methodology is
presented in three steps below.
Step 1: Optimisation of ESD in full scale
The optimum configuration obtained from
model tests/model scale CFD simulation might
not be the optimum in full scale. Therefore, the
optimisation of the ESD should be carried out
for full scale performance from the beginning. A
wide range of design parameter variation studies
are performed using full scale CFD simulation.
Typical design adjustments can be dimensioning,
positioning and shaping parameters of the ESD.
Step 2: Confirmation by model testing
Based on the evaluation of power gain and
detailed analysis of flow characteristics, the most
promising ESDs will be selected and tested for
confirmation.
As the ESD has been designed in full scale,
it cannot be expected that it will perform too well
in model scale. Normal towing tank testing is
necessary though, both for baseline performance
without ESD, but also for validation of the CFD
in model scale (to be compared to model scale
CFD simulations of the proposed ESD).
Step 3: Full scale wake dummy hull
As the flow characteristics in model scale differ
from actual flow fields around the ship in full
scale in the wake region, the efficiency gain
prediction from model tests is not sufficient for
reliable correlations of power saving between
 Highlights 58/ 2013 – A proposed design methodology for successfully developing ESDs 11

Y Y

VelocityX VelocityX
1 1
0.95 0.95
0.9 0.9
0.85 0.85
0.8 0.8
0.75 0.75
0.7 0.7
0.65 0.65
0.6 0.6
0.55 0.55
0.5 0.5
0.45 0.45
0.4 0.4
0.35 0.35
0.3 0.3

Model scale Full scale

Model and full scale wake in plane of an ESD.

model and full scale. On the other hand, the
absolute accuracy by CFD computation is still
limited, particularly for predicting global quanti-
ties such as speed power performance.
To address these issues, and to bridge the
Reynolds number range, an additional step intro-
duced is the design of a full scale wake dummy
hull, which can create a wake which resembles
the full scale wake (non-dimensionally). This
idea allows for model testing aiming at higher
12
10
Power reduction [%]
confidence in the design, both for full scale perfor-
mance prediction and possible cavitation/vibration Keunjae Kim
risks. Substantial work has been conducted for
Project Manager.
the first two steps described above. In order to He graduated from
investigate full potential of the proposed design Chalmers University of
methodology, a research initiative is ongoing in Technology in 1989 with
which the method will be applied to the two test a Ph.D. in Naval
examples. This will investigate the complete Architecture. Before joining SSPA in 2002
design methodology and its potential for the future. he had more than 20 years’ experience in ship
design at the DSME (Daewoo Shipbuilding &
Marine Engineering Co., Ltd.) in South Korea.
He coordinates large research projects at
Model Tests´ full scale prediction SSPA and is currently leading the CFD
SHIPFLOW model scale working group at SSPA Research.
SHIPFLOW full scale
Contact information
E-mail: keunjae.kim@sspa.se

6 Michael Leer-
Andersen
4 Project Manager.
He received his M.Sc in
2
Naval Architecture from
0 Denmark’s Technical
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 University in 1996. He started at SSPA in
-2 1997 at Research, and has mainly worked
-4 in the area of CFD, specifically optimisation,
Case No. wash wave prediction and friction on rough
surfaces, including code development.
The figure above indicates that an approximate 5~6% power reduction can be achieved by different Contact information
types of ESDs in model scale as compared to the baseline design. SHIPFLOW computations were E-mail: michael.leer-andersen@sspa.se
able to correctly predict the relative ranking for the ESDs tested. Test cases investigated so far
indicates that full scale CFD predicts lower power gains than model test full scale predictions.
12 Highlights 58/2013 – Ship traffic scheduling in the Göta River

Ship traffic scheduling in the Göta River

SSPA participates in the GOTRIS (Göta älv River Information System) project, which aims at optimising the route
for ships travelling on the Göta River with respect to planned bridge and lock openings as well as ship meeting places.
The project’s aim is to develop a prototype system that makes all information about ship traffic on the Göta River
available to all modes of transport that are affected by bridge openings and ship port arrivals. By bringing in
the stakeholders and having rail, sea and road traffic sharing information and services in a River Information Service
(RIS) system, the project demonstrates how traffic can be controlled regarding the passage of bridges and locks, so
that disturbances in rail and road traffic can be minimised, while ship traffic is optimised. SSPA’s role has been to
develop the scheduling module that takes into account all of the constraints for the route on the river. These are typically
train traffic, bridge maintenance, other ships as well as speed limits.

deterministic rule-based approach that computes

a baseline route. The baseline route fulfils all
ship-related constraints, such as speed limits and
bridge bookings, but it doesn’t take into account
inter-ship related constraints, such as meetings and
overtaking. The second step is an evolutionary
algorithm that, based on the baseline route,
handles the more advanced inter-ship related
restrictions and also, if necessary, reduces the
number of speed changes along the route.

Pilot user interface in the GOTRIS prototype.
GOTRIS project
The GOTRIS project includes a number of
partners, with Viktoria Swedish ICT, The Swedish
Transport Administration (Trafikverket), InPort
and SSPA being the main players in the process
of the prototype system development. Viktoria
Swedish ICT handles project management, InPort
handles the compilation of vessel routes from Safe
Sea Net Sweden as well as the graphical user
interface for pilots and rail traffic control.
The Swedish Transport Administration’s main
responsibility is to act as a centre for all data
sources, such as train timetables, AIS data and
more. SSPA’s role is to develop a scheduling
module that can handle the many constraints
imposed on traffic on the river. Ideally the
algorithm would give each ship a scheduled route
from its current position to the next port and also
continue to schedule routes to all ports listed in the
Safe Sea Net Sweden’s list of ports for the ship.
Testing the prototype system
The prototype will be tested on pilots, bridge
supervisors and rail traffic control. They will
each be given a tablet computer with a graphical
interface, see figure above. The interface shows
estimated arrival times along the river as well as
bookings for bridges. This will give the actors
more advance notice, thus better ability to plan
ahead for incoming traffic.
Scheduling algorithm
The Swedish Transport Administration’s server
delivers all input data to the SSPA scheduling
module. Data consists of train timetables, weather
information, pilot bookings, departure times from
ports etc. The module schedules all traffic and for
each ship it returns a list of holding times at a
number of positions along the river.
The scheduling module consists of two
chained algorithms. The first one is a basic
Evolutionary algorithms
An evolutionary algorithm is an optimisation
technique based on Darwinian principles, i.e.
survival of the fittest. For a given problem, the
input values are expressed as a genome with a
fitness function constructed for evaluating the
problem with the genome input. If it’s a maximisa-
tion problem then the higher the value returned
from the fitness function the better that set of
genes solves the problem.
A large population of input values, i.e. indivi-
duals, are created and in each generation all
individuals are tested with the fitness function. The
best ones continue to the next generation, hence
Darwinian. The task for the evolutionary algorithm
is to find the individual (in our case the vessel) that
either maximises or minimises the fitness,
depending on the type of problem being solved.
Evolutionary algorithms have their advantages.
They are well-suited when the problem at hand
has many viable solutions and a large number
of variables and in the case when there is no deter-
ministic algorithm that solves the task optimally.
In more casual terms they are usually a good
approach when the solution is more easily defined
in terms of what it shouldn’t be than how it’s
supposed to be.

GOTRIS evolutionary algorithm
In the scheduling module, the Göta River is
divided into a long list of segments and the
genome is the speed on each of those, so a ship
with a route that spans 30 segments has a genome
with 30 speed values. In each generation hundreds
of route candidates are created, all of them
initially a small variation of the base line route.
The fitness function evaluates each route and
calculates a value of how well that particular route
solves the problem. It is a combination of calcula-
tions, a set of sub-functions, one for each restric-
tion. In general, fitness functions are continuous,
meaning that a very small variation of the genome
will generate a small change in the fitness value.
However, there are situations where binary
elements are inevitable, e.g. in the case of GOTRIS
when the route tries to pass a blocked bridge, then
the fitness function will return a very large fixed
amount, to indicate that the route is not a good
solution.
Objectives of the GOTRIS fitness function
The objective is to reduce fitness according to the
following criteria:
• proportional to comfort speed deviation
• if speed is below the ship’s minimum speed
• proportional to the deviation from near it to put a figure on the capacity of the system as
segment’s speed
• if the ship tries to pass a bridge that is blocked
• if the ship doesn’t pass the bridge when it has
a booking
• if the ship has a meeting outside of the desig-
nated meeting zones.
In this context it is easier to discard routes that pilots and traffic control on how well GOTRIS
do not fulfil all constraints than it is to actually
calculate a route that does.
Schematic of the GOTRIS area. Graphic: Viktoria Swedish ICT
The GOTRIS project is funded by
• Swedish Governmental Agency for
Assessment Innovation Systems
The benefit of using an evolutionary method is • The Swedish Transport Administration
that it finds solutions that would be hard to
• City of Gothenburg
calculate with a deterministic set of rules. This
• Region Västra Götaland
is especially true in GOTRIS when it comes to
reducing the number of speed changes on the • Kristinehamn Municipality
route. It handles this while still taking bookings • Karlstad Municipality
and meetings into account. • Region Värmland
Another advantage is that special logical cases
don’t need any separate handling, instead the route Read more at www.gotris.se
is simply discarded when it breaks the constraints.
This however comes with a penalty: computational
time is long.
There are other alternatives for optimisation,
such as the Simplex method, but the fact that
evolutionary algorithms always return a solution
and that it is possible to further refine a solution
by continuing for more generations, makes it a
very suitable approach in the GOTRIS project.
Next steps
The system for scheduling and the ability to get an
Henrik Holm
overview of the upcoming 24 hours of rail and ship
Project Manager.
traffic makes it possible to utilise resources, such
He studied the Masters
as bridges, more effectively. It also means that
program Complex
planned maintenance can be carried out with less Adaptive Systems, in
impact on infrastructure and potentially allowing the Engineering Physics
Department, at Chalmers
a whole. The environmental impact is also University of Technology. Previously he
addressed, since the pilot receives an early worked as Product Manager at Playscan
overview of the speed required to arrive on time AB and as Software Architect at Avail
for bridge bookings. Intelligence, both in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The next steps for the GOTRIS project is Since starting at SSPA in January 2013,
to evaluate the prototype, getting feedback from he has been involved in various research
projects developing route optimisation and
performs. This input will be used in the design mathematical modelling.
of a future fully operational system.
Contact information
E-mail: henrik.holm@sspa.se
Peter Grundevik
Vice President, Head
of SSPA Research.
He received his Ph.D.
in physics from the
University of Göteborg/
Chalmers University of Technology in 1982.
He then worked at Ericsson Radio Systems
developing sensor techniques. In 1993 he
became president of Dyning Utveckling,
developing communication systems.
He joined SSPA in 1997 and has worked
with telematics, navigation technologies,
and intermodal transport as well as project
co-ordination.
Contact information
E-mail: peter.grundevik@sspa.se
14 Highlights 58/2013 – City planning using the SEAMAN simulation tool

City planning using the SEAMAN simulation tool

Designing a new bridge over a river passed by inland vessel traffic will always be a challenge, both for the visual
look as well as for the safety of vessels passing under and traffic on the bridge. SSPA is contributing to the design
process of the new bridge, Hisingsbron, being built in the city of Gothenburg. It is doing this using the SEAMAN
simulator. Clients such as the Gothenburg city architect, the design team from COWI and stakeholders from the
shipping industry have been able to evaluate the bridge to be built.

Is the manoeuvre possible and is it safe? Different situation alternatives were created on the SEAMAN simulator at SSPA.

A situation guard designed for precisely this type of event.

The pilot leans back in his chair. He has safely
navigated the ship from Lilla Edet, has just passed
the Marieholmsbron bridge and there are only two
bridges left to pass until this journey will end for
him. He can see the newly built bridge “Hisings-
bron” slowly opening its leaves in front of him as
he is approaching it. Suddenly the bridge leaves
stop dead with the bridge only half open. After a
short moment the bridge-watch announces over
the radio that there is a malfunction in the bridge’s
machinery, and it will stay in its current state until
further notice. The pilot realises immediately that
he will not be able to pass under the bridge in its
present state, and as the ship is travelling with the
current it will be too much of an effort to simply
stand-by in front of the bridge. He will have to
rest the ship against the fenders on the bridge
But is such a manoeuvre possible, and is it safe?
Can the pilot trust that the design of the bridge Through SEAMAN
guards is sound? and SSPA’s manoeuvring
Fortunately the situation above is taking place experts, knowledge is
on a SEAMAN simulator at SSPA. Hisingsbron brought to clients in a way
is not yet built, and before COWI decides on the that answers the questions
design of the bridge guards they will take every
that each specific client
measure to ensure that the guards can pass
scenarios like the one described above. One may have. SEAMAN is
measure that has been taken is to set up a designed from the start
SEAMAN simulation to test the design’s safety. to be flexible.
The bridge
The new river connection will form a connecting only a transportation link, but also a major urban
link between the north and south bank of the river development project and an attractive symbol for
and contribute to the transformation of the Freeport the City’s future. Hisingsbron is to replace the
and Gullbergsvass areas. The connection is not existing Götaälvbro and to go into operation

Screenshot from the simulation. Before the final design of the Hisingsbron will be decided, every measure will be taken to ensure that the guards can pass
scenarios like the one described in the article.
Photo: Jim Sandkvist
Götaälvbron in the City of Gothenburg as it is today. Hisingsbron will replace the existing bridge around 2020.
around 2020. The project’s total construction
period is planned to be approximately five years.
A program outline was drafted and consultations
were held in autumn 2009. The height of the new
bridge will be 13 meters and it will be located just
upstream of the existing Götaälvbron. To start
with, at least 80,000 public transport users, 5,000
cyclists and pedestrians, and 30,000 drivers will
be using the bridge on a daily basis.
The challenge
SSPA continually works as a partner with large
design and construction companies, as well as
municipalities in city planning. SSPA’s contribu-
tion in the close cooperation with clients is usually
to provide logistic best practice, design collision
avoidance measurements, ice management,
evaluate maritime risks and simulate vital
Highlights 58/ 2013 – City planning using the SEAMAN simulation tool 15
hazardous situations during construction and All has been done to maintain safe and effective
operation. In this specific project SSPA worked vessel traffic during the construction and during
closely with COWI and the Municipality of operation.
Gothenburg to evaluate maritime risks and the
nautical effects of the new bridge’s design.
The simulations
The main parts of the mission were: SEAMAN is a simulation framework designed
• To verify safe ship passage of the new bridge in-house at SSPA. It draws upon SSPA’s 70 years
• During construction work: of experience of hydrodynamics and ship
• To verify safe passage of the construction manoeuvring. Through SEAMAN and SSPA’s
site and old bridge. manoeuvring experts that knowledge is brought
to clients in a way that answers the questions that
• To eliminate or reduce risks introduced to
each specific client may have. Since each client is
shipping during all stages of construction,
unique, and each question is unique, SEAMAN
which was done by simulating identified
is designed from the start to be flexible. In this
critical steps in construction.
particular case the visual cues gained from the
• To form a documentation to enhance existing bridge opening and closing was important for the
risk analysis focusing on injuries onboard client. SSPA modelled the bridge so that the
passing vessels.
16 Highlights 58/2013 – City planning using the SEAMAN simulation tool

Linus Aldebjer
Project Manager.
He studied Engineering
Physics at Chalmers
University of Technology.
Previously he worked as
Software Architect at
Saab Underwater Systems, Motala,
Sweden. Since he was employed at SSPA
in January 2011, he has been leading the
work to upgrade SSPA’s simulation tool,
SEAMAN. He has also been involved in
various research projects developing route
optimisation and mathematical modeling.

Contact information
E-mail: linus.aldebjer@sspa.se

65 scenarios were simulated, discussed by the pilots and SSPA’s manoeuvering experts, and then
graded for safety. This will help ensure that there will be fewer surprises once the bridge is actually built.
opening times were close to those in reality, which
enabled the previously described simulation to be
carried out realistically.
The results
What happened with the pilot and the malfunctio-
ning bridge in the situation? The pilot successfully
manoeuvered the ship to the bridge guard, from
which he could proceed once the bridge was
functioning again. The bridge design proved
sound, at least for this scenario. During the two
days when the simulations were conducted, 64
other scenarios were simulated, discussed by the
pilots and SSPA’s maneuvering experts, and then
graded for safety. This will help ensure that there
will be fewer surprises once the bridge is actually
built. Considering that the bridge is expected to
last for 120 years, those days in the Seaman
simulator can be considered time well spent.
Johan Gahnström
Senior Project Manager
and Business Developer.
He has a B.Sc. Nautical
Science from 1987 and
holds an unrestricted
master license. Captain Gahnström recently
rejoined SSPA again after having started up
a new gas and chemical terminal as CEO/
harbor master. Previous experience range
from setup of a new LNG terminal in Soyo,
Angola, work in Ras Laffan, Qatar and
Swedish Maritime Administration. His
background includes work with LNG, VTS,
marine piloting, management, ISPS and
cargo control.
Contact information
E-mail: johan.gahnstrom@sspa.se

You can also download Highlights at www.sspa.se

SSPA’s vision is to be recognised as the most rewarding partner for Our three focus areas are:
innovative and sustainable maritime development. To always offer the
• SSPA acts as a bridge between theory and practice, research and imple
latest knowledge and best practices, about 20 per cent of the compa-
mentation, the present and the future. The foundation is the ability to
ny’s resources are engaged in research and development. The Swedish
provide unbiased expertise, advice, and services to our customers and
government founded SSPA in 1940 and in 1984 it was established as the
other stakeholders.
limited company SSPA Sweden AB. The company has been owned by
the Foundation Chalmers University of Technology since 1994. • SSPA ensures sustainable development through proper risk management
in close cooperation with the customer.
SSPA offers a wide range of maritime services, including ship design,
• SSPA has the financial, environmental, human and technological factors
energy optimisation, finding the most effective ways to interact with
in mind for optimal energy efficiency.
other types of transportation, and conducting maritime infrastructure
studies together with safety and environmental risk assessments. Our Our head office is located in Gothenburg and we have a branch office
customers include shipowners, ports, shipyards, manufacturers and in Stockholm.
maritime authorities worldwide.

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