Author(s): James J. Peter; Thomas V. Kotras
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Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: In any waterway system equipped with locks, the flow of traffic (ships per day) is constrained by the maximum service time of the least efficient lock. During winter, the service time of locks designed for temperate operations increases due to subfreezing temperatures and the presence of ice, thereby reducing the capacity of the system. If this service time increases to the point that the lock capacity is less than the demand for the use of the lock (ship arrival rate) a queue will form at the lock and grow indefinitely as long as the demand exceeds the capacity. In order to investigate the effects of winter conditions and ice on lock operations, a model was developed as part of the SPAN* Study to simulate their operations during both normal conditions and winter months. A description of the model is presented in this paper along with an example of the effect of required ice lockages on lock capacity.
Year: 1975