The Brazilian Amazon is part of one of the largest river systems in the world, in which the transport of cargo and passengers is commonplace. However, several accidents still occur to passenger ships, causing fatalities. Transportation occurs commonly in remote regions, where there are transport inequalities, and emergency assistance is hard to find. This can affect sustainability in communities with considerable levels of economic and social vulnerability. More information is needed about accidents involving inland transport in the Amazon, to identify the threats to ships and propose strategies for accident prevention. This paper addresses the main problems that long-distance passenger ships face in the Brazilian Amazon, presenting an integrated framework towards accident prevention. First, the present situation is characterized in terms of ship description, spatial distribution, and regulations that are applicable. Next, possible causes of passenger ship accidents are discussed, including topics of concern that should be considered in the Amazon waterways. Finally, measures to help minimize passenger ship accidents are proposed, and the social relevance is discussed. It was found that accidents in the Amazon are due to a combination of human and environmental factors. Stakeholders should strengthen the technical and legal training of ship operators. The use of new technologies for navigational aid and necessary maintenance of ships is suggested. Marine accident prevention initiatives should consider local conditions, such as environmental preservation, cultural respect, and difficulties related to navigation through the complex riverine system of the Amazon region.
O uso de embarcações na região amazônica desempenha um papel importante nas atividades comerciais da região norte do Brasil. Porém, a indústria naval regional ainda enfrenta diversos riscos de acidentes com embarcações que podem resultar em perda de vidas humanas, danos materiais e impactos negativos ao meio ambiente. Visa-se necessário conhecer as causas possíveis dos acidentes mais comuns, incluindo as abordagens científicas recentes que podem ser implementadas para a sua análise. O presente trabalho visa revisar e descrever alguns dos acidentes mais comuns que podem acontecer com embarcações na região amazônica, incluindo exemplos recentes de métodos utilizados para o seu estudo. Basicamente, foram considerados os seguintes acidentes: colisão, explosão, alagamento, encalhe e derramamento de óleo. Finalmente, foram apresentados alguns desafios regionais que precisam ser considerados em iniciativas de prevenção de acidentes com embarcações na região. Espera-se que o presente trabalho possa contribuir na prevenção de acidentes no futuro da região amazônica, pois é um problema que ainda causa perdas humanas.
This paper explores means of achieving more efficient and sustainable river transport in remote regions by making relatively simple, practical modifications to boats or implementing new technologies for propulsion and energy generation. The research focuses on the case of the simple boats used to transport children to school in riverine communities of the Brazilian Amazon. A range of options to improve the efficiency of existing boats is described. Under normal operational conditions, small improvements to these boats may have long-term environmental and socioeconomic benefits. Implementing changes such as those suggested, it may also be possible to boost sources of employment in these regions and elsewhere, where industrial and technological limitations are significant.
This paper extends the work of Maia and Said (“Analysis for Resistance Reduction of an Amazon School Boat through Hull Shape Modification Utilizing a CFD Tool,” 2019), proposing the optimization of a school boat hull using genetic algorithms and computational
fluid dynamics (CDF) simulations. The study examines a school boat used for the transportation of children to schools in riverine communities of the Brazilian Amazon. The optimization was focused on reducing the hydrodynamic hull resistance by modifying the hull lines, using the NSGA-II (non-dominated
sorting genetic algorithm II) algorithm in the CAD (computer aided design) CAESES environment. The objective of the study was to reduce the resistance coefficients: C wp (wave profile) and C wp trans (transverse wave profile), thus reducing the total resistance
coefficient (C t) and the generated wave amplitude. Pressure distributions and flow lines were then evaluated to obtain an optimal modified hull with reduced wave emission (lower wave resistance) and, consequently, lower forward resistance. The proposed methodology resulted
in a maximum reduction of 5% in the total resistance coefficient C t and in the identification of a trend of geometric variation of the hull for investigation in further studies.
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