With the purpose of increasing security, Companhia Docas do Rio de Janeiro – CDRJ plans to implement a dynamic draft in the Port of Itaguaí.
Companhia Docas do Rio de Janeiro (CDRJ) estimates that with the implementation of the new dynamic draft, it is estimated an average gain of up to 1 meter over the current maximum draft of 17,80 meters, in addition to more agility in the use of the channel of navigation in Sepetiba Bay.
Interested in implementing the demonstration of the system known as DUKC (Dynamic Underkeel Clearance), the Australian multinational OMC International started on the 03rd of this month, measurements in port maneuvers and feasibility studies for adopting the system, which must be concluded until the 20th of July.
DUKC is a monitoring system that analyzes how different environmental factors affect the behavior of each vessel to calculate the maximum operational draft in each maneuver. The implementation of the system ensures that vessels, even under adverse meteorological and oceanographic conditions, will maintain a safe depth between the keel and the navigation channel.
A series of variables are considered such as: type of ship, speed, tides, winds, currents, waves, salinity, sinking speed and the path of the vessel in the channel.
All this information plus the bathymetry data and channel characteristics are processed in real time, generating a model that allows the maximum draft to be presented in each situation, considering the vertical displacement of the ship in motion, without compromising navigation safety. This monitoring facilitates decision-making regarding the entry and exit of ships.
The use of this technology also brings economic benefits, as it makes it possible to optimize the loading capacity of ships, reduces vessel stays in the port and maximizes channel operation by increasing entry and exit windows.
