Shipping

Maritime shipping transports an enormous volume of freight at low cost and is the backbone of global trade. Various modes of transport are then used in inland areas to transport goods from seaports. Again it is inland navigation which consumes the least energy per transport volume and route. In view of the challenges posed by the energy transition and climate change it is important to promote the economic efficiency and reliability of shipping and to integrate this mode of transport into the multimodal transport chains.

The BAW support these goals in a number of ways. We are actively involved in future-oriented developments, such as the ongoing digitalisation and automation of shipping and logistics processes. Work on issues relating to ship navigation and traffic, such as the navigability of waterways and ship/waterway interaction, is one of our basic tasks. Besides studying the dynamics of individual ships we also deal with topics relevant for the environment and the economy. For example, we support the planning of water management measures or analyse energy consumption and emissions and the impact of climate change on the economic efficiency of shipping.

The methodological framework of our work relies on in-situ measurements, laboratory tests and the use and development of empirical and numerical models. This enables us, for example, to determine how the extension of a waterway will affect ship-induced loads and to design appropriate revetments and bottom protection measures. The BAW also develops and uses models of ship dynamics to evaluate the navigability of waterways, and traffic models to optimise the operation of chains of locks and assess the economic efficiency of ship traffic and ship emissions. Ship handling simulators are employed in order to simulate difficult manoeuvring situations as realistically as possible in a virtual environment.