Three-Dimensional Waterway System for Ship Navigation Based on Integrated Virtual Waterway and Flow Simulation

Proper exploitation of information technology and the strengthening of the construction of waterway information are important ways to improve shipping efficiency and security. Considering the upstream reaches of the Yangtze River from Jiangjin to Chongqing (China) as a case study, a three-dimensional (3D) digital waterway system has been developed. The system, which comprises a server and a client, was designed to provide navigational and early warning services to shipping. In this paper, both the system architecture and the key methods of each module are presented. The functions and mutual relationships of the data input, database, 3D visualization, flow simulation, and early warning modules are described, and the key methods of the 3D digital waterway modeling, real-time simulation of waterway flow, and early warnings in navigation are discussed. The advantages of this system mainly concern the following aspects. (1) The 3D digital waterway model was established and integrated with virtual navigational elements, such as beacons, the water depth–contour surface, and navigable area, to enhance the intuitiveness of the digital waterway system and the comprehensiveness of its information. (2) Based on real-time hydrological data and a 2D hydrodynamic model, the waterway flow conditions with present-day inflow were simulated. The water depth distribution of a traditional inland electronic navigational chart (IENC) was provided, together with information on flow velocity and distribution, to improve the resolution and timeliness of the information acquisition. (3) According to Chinese inland navigational standards and the simulation of waterway flow conditions, the navigable area for shipping was zoned dynamically. In combination with the Global Positioning System (GPS) and networked ship-monitoring technologies, this system can provide early warnings for the safe navigation of shipping.