Overview
In busy port areas, propeller wash from ship traffic poses significant challenges by resuspending sediments and dispersing contaminants, impacting aquatic ecosystems and sediment stability. Building on previous foundational models, this study introduces an advanced simulation approach using the Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code Plus (EFDC+) to predict and mitigate the environmental impacts of propeller wash.
Approach
The modeling framework extends earlier propeller wash work by coupling propeller momentum effects directly into the EFDC+ hydrodynamic and sediment transport computation. This allows the advection and dispersion of resuspended sediments around port infrastructure to be represented more realistically.
Mitigation Strategies
The newly incorporated mitigation strategies are designed to reduce sediment disturbance through a combination of operational modifications — such as adjusting vessel approach speed and propeller revolution rates — and engineered solutions at contaminated sediment sites. The enhanced model provides port operators and regulators a tool for evaluating these measures before implementation.