Implementation of River Information Services in Europe

Abstract

Vessel skippers need up-to-date navigational maps that accurately depict current hydrodynamic conditions in order to safely navigate rivers—especially along complex stretches. As part of the European Commission Implementation of River Information Services in Europe 3 (IRIS Europe 3) project, DHI developed an automated forecasting system that provides this information in real time. Skippers can use this information and the automatically updated navigational maps to safely and more efficiently steer their vessels along the Danube River. The Transport Research Institute in Zilina, Slovakia selected DHI to set up and operate the pilot system for a 41 km long stretch of the Danube River between the cities of Sap and Komarno. This particular area—which is on the border of Slovakia and Hungary—has complicated navigational conditions, including shallow sections, side arms and groin systems. A real-time unsteady flow modelling using parallel computing technology was implemented in order to develop and apply this new technology. This involved utilizing a state-of-the-art numerical calculation parallelization using a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU).