Fuel-saving ship route using the Navy's ensemble meteorological and oceanic forecasts

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Author
Chu, Peter C.
Miller, Scott E.
Hansen, James A.
Date
2014Metadata
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Fuel conservation and carbon reduction are important issues in current naval operations. Optimal ship route (i.e. minimum fuel consumption) depends on specific ship platform characteristics and near real-time environment such as
weather, ocean waves, and ocean currents. The environmental impact of shipping can be measured on different spatial
and temporal scales. As a vital component of the smart voyage planning (SVP) decision aid, the US Navy’s meteorological
and oceanographic (METOC) forecast systems play an important role in optimal ship routing, which enables fuel savings
in addition to the aid of heavy weather avoidance. This study assesses the impact of METOC ensemble forecast systems
on optimal ship route. Tests of the SVP decision aid tool are also conducted for operational fleet use and concept of
operations for the USS Princeton guided missile cruiser (CG)-59 in a sea trial test following the 2012 Rim of the Pacific
exercises.
Description
The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1548512913516552
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This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.Collections