TELEMATICS IN TRANSPORTATION
OF DANGEROUS CARGO
Szpytko J., Kocerba A.
AGH University of Science and Technology, Mickiewicza Ave. 30, PL 30059 Cracow, Poland
Abstract: The paper represents the use of different telematics devices in transportation of
dangerous cargo. The presented solutions were displayed in chosen categories of transportation: road transport, railway transport and sea transport. Also the new navigational European system Galileo (Galileo Navigation Satellite System) was presented here.
1. Introduction
Information has become one of the most valued goods over the last few years. The factor, which raises the value of information, is its speed and the unfailing way of imparting. The solutions like the Internet, WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), GSM (Global System of Mobile Communication), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), GPS (Global Positioning System) are the examples of techniques used in decisive processes by modern companies in the complex forwarding undertakings. The GPS is one of the most well known techniques. At present there are many civilian uses of the GPS technology, which over the whole world has already a legion of users.
In an article the attention was concentrated on the use of the telematics systems in the transportation of dangerous cargo.
2. State of knowledge
In Europe the transport of dangerous cargo makes about 10% of the whole transport [5], and 80% of it is a road transport. It is estimated that in any moment of time there are about 2 million of vehicles with dangerous cargo on the European roads. In Poland the most dangerous cargo is transported by railway (about 16 million tone per year).
use of guidelines of United Nations (UN). Regulations are contained in so-called orange book with a division of it into individual forwarding modules:
for a railway transport RID (The European Agreements Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail),
for a road transport ADR (The European Agreement Concerning the International
Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road),
for a sea transport IMDGCode (International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code), for an inland transport ADN (European Provisions concerning the International
Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Inland Waterways),
for an air transport - IATA / ICAO (International Air Transport Association/ International Civil Aviation Organization).
In accordance with UN guidelines all dangerous materials, according to a state of threat, were divided into 9 classes (table 1).
Table 1.
Classification of dangerous materials [17]
Considering a character of cargo the transports with different module of transportation join with the risk of occurrence of threat to near and far surroundings. The breakdowns and crashes on roads are one of the possible threats, which can occur during a road transport. Question of safety in dangerous cargos transport as well as their protection extort the actions of building the integrated systems, which support objective and decisive processes.
Telematics plays very important role in aid of decisive processes [20], the development of which will be more intensive in Europe with Galileo system [4], what is planned to start. It the example - block pattern system of supervising (monitoring, following) the process of transportation with the use of IT type units (in range of remote broadcast of information) is introduced on figure 1. The use of telematics in forwarding trade was the
UN Class Danderous Goods
1 Explosives 2 Gases 3 Flammable liquid 4 Flammable solids 5 Oxidising substances 6 Toxic substances 7 Radioactive material 8 Corrosive substances
object of many publications [3,10,13,21,22,26].
A factor that enlarges the scale of danger in moving and transporting dangerous cargo (in contrast to stationary points of storing and using the dangerous materials) is the fact that it is impossible to foresee the exact place of possible threat, and earlier preparation (proper for given place) and development of the rescue plans.
Fig. 1. Block scheme of the supervising process of transport devices
Assigning the proper routs is essential question in moving and transporting dangerous materials, and monitoring the whole process. Considering the complexity of transporting dangerous cargo, the special public services should be included, (because of their competence and possibility to undertaking suitable actions), moreover, they require effective coordination. Public services, which have the right to inspect the road transport of dangerous materials was introduced on figure 2.
onboard receiver (computer) truck skip train aeroplane Monitoring station SMS WAP Internet Client terrestrial links GPS Satellite vehicle`s velocity traveled distance fuel level fuel consumption vehicle worktime information about cargo
GSM Network A dd it io na l in fo rm at io n Fire brigade Ambulans Service Police Dangerous Goods Transport Inspection Accident Police Fire brigade Polish Road Transport Inspection National Labour Inspectorate Border guard Military Police Customs Service Transportation Technical Supervision National Atomic Energy Agency Road Administration Environment Protection Inspection
Fig. 2. The public services authorized to control and to participation in actions connected with possible incident during transport of dangerous goods
3. Galileo system
Galileo (Galileo Navigation Satellite System) is the European equivalent of American GPS system (Global Positioning System) and Russian GLONASS (Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System). System Galileo, which is in phase of building, will consist of 30 satellites [16]. Satellites will be placed evenly on three medium range earth orbits (MEO), leaning at angle of 56° in relation to equator. 27 operating satellites (placed at every 40°) together with 3 (by one on every orbit) active spear satellites will be orbiting at a height of 23 222 km over the surface of the Earth, revolving around our globe in every 14 hours and 21 minutes. Thanks to such an arrangement of satellites (the larger ray of orbit than in the case of GPS system), the system will assure a good quality of measuring signal. According to Urlich Stockmann (who supervises Galileo project) system will be extremely useful in forwarding trade sector. [23]. Moreover the Galileo system will be used for sending the energy, banking, agriculture, telecommunication, fishery, and also in tourism (figure 3). power plant tourism agriculture fishery banking Galileo system
Fig. 3. The use of system Galilee in different fields of economy
Galileo system will be used in the air transport, the sea and the road transport as well as the pedestrian one. In the air - transport, the system will be used to control every phase of airplane flight (particularly in parts of aerial space without supervising infrastructure), during maneuvers on the airport, during take-off and landing in different atmospheric conditions and in conditions of growing intensity of air traffic in aerial corridors.
In sea transport the task of Galileo system will be to assure the safety in difficult atmospheric conditions and in heavy sea traffic. It has a special meaning for collision avoidance, which in case of dangerous cargo transportation, leads to extensive pollution of natural environment.
In road transport the drivers will have access to definite information's during the course, they will be informed about accidents, about possibilities for safe and quick achievement of the end goal of a trip. With the help of Galileo system, transportation companies will be able to administer effectively the whole fleets of means of transport. Moreover it is planned that system will increase the safety of traffic ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) [4].
The personal navigation is the widest range of the operational use, starting from help in moving around in the unknown area and delivering current information about that area, through the supervising of chronic ill persons or monitoring workers of public services during their work in situations of threat, on wide recreational range finishing.
The advantage of Galileo system will be the possibility of co-operation with different navigational systems (GPS, GLONASS, EGNOS, LORAN-C), and also with the un-navigational systems [29]. It's easy to foresee that when the Galileo system will be connected with GSM (Global System of Mobile Comunication) and UMTS systems (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), the revolution at telecommunication market will happen. That connection will assure the communication and the location of any object with a large precision. Particularly the compatibility of Galileo system with GPS is very important. The co-operation between systems will allow of gaining access to satellite signals at 95% surface of urbanized regions (the present access with the help of GPS is 50% only) [29].
4. Transport of dangerous cargo by road
The transports of dangerous cargo are the most difficult parts with the use of road transport. Specialized companies, which possess a proper experience and the special, technical equipment, deal with the transport of dangerous cargo. Those companies more frequently use the remote monitoring in order to supervise vehicles with dangerous cargo.
The development of electronics, computer science and the innovation of new telecommunication solutions enabled (also in transportation) to create the integrated protection systems. The connection of the GPS system with the radio communication GSM / GPRS (Global System of Mobile / General PacketRadio Sernice) was a crucial moment in vehicle protecting techniques. Those techniques enable users to remote manage in on-line mode together with the localization of supervised means of transport. GPS system enables to specify a precise location of a vehicle in any place of the Earth, and the use of it is free. GPS receiver set installed in a vehicle analyses signals from at least three visible satellites simultaneously and on the grounds of the analysis of the difference of times of the received radio waves, counts the location, the speed and the direction of movement of the means of transport (fig.4).
Fig. 4. The example of the truck location: AIV (Automatic Vehicle Identification), GSM (Global System of Mobile Communication), GPS (Global Positioning System)
At present there are some available examples of satellite systems on market to follow the movement of vehicles. Those are: FINDER [8], CELTrack ® [12], GENIE [27], PIRANHA, MobiGUARD, SATLOK.
A very interesting solution, which can be used both in road transport and railway transport, is so called RFID tags (Radio Frequency Identification Tag, manufacturers: Intermec, TSS). The advantage of this technology is the possibility of applying the tag to very difficult exploitation conditions, and to high-speed vehicles (over 240 km/ h) [1]. The automatic identification of vehicle can be made in two ways. In the first case the tag is placed on moving object, but the reading apparatus (receiver) is motionless (figure 5). In the second case the RFID tag is placed under a surface of a road (eg. in asphalt), but the
DATA TRANSMISSION: cable
radio light pipe, etc.
MONITORING: cargo vehicle`s INTERNE T GPRS (...) The Main Database GPS AVI GS M
reading apparatus (receiver) is placed on moving vehicle. Collected information is sent to the computer by radio waves. In RFID system the information is being received additionally from another sensors installed on monitored vehicle, for example: the data relating to the state of cargo, speed of vehicle etc.
In modern vehicle, which transport the dangerous materials, more often advanced systems of the driver's aids ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistence Systems) are installed, additional systems providing services of VAS type (Valude-Added Services) [2,3,26] and others systems. The nets of traffic management systems and the centers of information about traffic conditions with real time data exchange are constructed to enable car drivers to work. Gained information is transmitted by DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) radio waves to drivers with the use of adaptive light signaling systems, board systems of variable contents like VMS (Variable Message Signs), etc. In addition more and more often the multimedia solutions of modern digital technology are use (sound, picture), etc.
The telematics plays an essential role in the matter of safety for example, Truck Secure TM [19] system installed in trucks transporting specified cargo (eg. dangerous material). Truck SecureTM system uses the GPS system and performs three basic functions. First of them is driver's recognition, for example on the base of sound of his voice. The second function is a continuous monitoring the trajectory of vehicle movement with automatic blockade of crossing the borders of dangerous areas (eg. the direct closeness of an atomic reactor). The third function is the automatic speed reduction of the vehicle until full stop,
Communication unit, on board computer RFID Receiver
Antenna Transmitter
and emitting an alarm about unclear intentions of driver with the co-ordinates of his location.
Moreover, the vehicles are equipped with anti theft protection systems. They should be resistant to attacks from hacker's, as well as to threat of possible virus (special computer minisoftware). The example of integrated system that is supervising the process of usage of means of transport with dangerous cargo was introduced on figure 6.
5. Transport of dangerous materials by railway
The use of special devices built-up in tracks specify the position of railway transport for example, the balisy or cable loops crossing near linear configurations effecting a train. The position is defined by relative measurement of position change. The different way of specifying the localization is the satellite positioning system GPS, GLONASS, Galileo [9, 23]. The vehicle marks his bearing on the basis of at least three signals from geo stationary satellites. Another way of positioning is the indirect localization by the data of movement. That way consists of recording the current bearing data of the train, positioning the train on definite area, for example the Europe. All gained information from measurement is manually recorded; that is why the presented method is expensive and inexact.
Fig. 6. Integrated supervising system of the road transport devices operation during the dangerous goods relocation Customer Decisioning process Task Dangerous Goods Transport Result Enterprise Monitoring Tank truck, Tank-car, Container, etc. What ? Communication Communication Communication
In the process of transporting dangerous cargo, goods-wagons play a very important role, which should be subjected of the continuous diagnostics. Such a train should be equipped with a suitable system of sensors and other sets of dedicated electronics, devices to self -localization as well as self-sufficient power supply. Also a very important element is the continuous monitoring of the goods-wagon by the engine - driver and the central station managing the railway traffic in order to react immediately during a possible state of emergency (figure 7).
In the train inspection, important values should be checked because of safety considerations [7], for example:
derailment - a detection with the help of an acceleration sensor in vertical direction,
fracture of the spring - directly measuring sensor of spring deflection,
overload of the train - the sensors of spring deflection deliver the information about
total weight of the train, and thanks to that it is possible to detect exceeding load capacity of the train which is particularly dangerous in transport of dangerous cargo,
side dislocation of cargo and crossing extreme section,
overheating the beds - the special sensor to measure the temperature of the bed is installed on cover of the bed,
braking.
The engine - driver of the vehicle is constantly monitored by different kind of signals from the track [28].
Fig. 7. The block scheme of information management in rail transportation under operation
Telematics systems are used also in so called the European railway traffic management system ERTMS also (European Rail Traffic Management System) [6,15]. The ERTMS system consists of: the ETCS (European Train Control System - system to transmit the information track - vehicle, and the control the train), GSM – R [14] (Global System for
telematic unit
Sensors
Sensors Magistrala danych
Localisation
Radio
Data BUS
Operator Traffic management centre
Mobile Communications – Railways - the version for the railway transport, main task of this system is to enable train to ride smoothly by state borders; in addition the GSM - R system makes continuous positioning and monitoring the trains wagons and the transmissions in time real possible), the ETML (European Traffic Management Layer). Telematics in controlling the railway vehicles may rely on the development of interface: -human - machine for engine -driver's needs. The interface needs to facilitate trains service and increase the efficiency of controlling the vehicle with minimization of risk of action as a result of human's possible mistakes [25].
When the satellite systems do not fulfil the expectations of users, or they are too expensive (for example on railway station during the examination of trains and containers in terminal base, supervising the trains and wagons to transport dangerous materials in national and local traffic) It is when the technology of Automatic Vehicle Identification is used the AVI .
The Automatic Vehicle Identification consists of:
name tag, which contains coded information about vehicle. The name tags can be
equipped with interface allowing to input information by cable which allows for connection for example with an engine deck computer, with a personal wagon or with an intelligent type of sensors installed in wagon,
Reading Unit "RU" (or Reading - Writing "RWU") the name tags (placed under
the tracks or near the tracks), its task is to delivery the information from / to name tag.
6. The transportation of dangerous cargo by sea
In sea transport the significant number of transferred cargo determinate mainly the dangerous toxic cargo, petroleum and refinement products. The tanker ships transport dangerous type of materials, and they are constructed in double-hull system in aim of decreasing the risk of possible leakage when the ship is on shallow water, or other obstacles.
In result of heavy traffic on seas as well as the increasing the maximum top speed of ships, and also the social pressure on minimization of accidents with long-lasting ecological results, it is becoming essential to mark out the navigational routs. Such routs are defined with the help of VTS (Vessel Traffic Services) systems, which rely on computer integration of several sources of information: radar echoes (from several aerials simultaneously, which makes it possible to define precisely sizes of objects and distinction of several objects concentrated in one place), radiogoniometric bearing equipment RDF type (Radio Direction Finder), vocal information from VHF (Very High
Frequency), etc. The graphic presentation of surroundings appears on a screen of computer; finally an operator of system has considerably enriched and credible picture of situation in the closest surroundings of means of transport with dangerous cargo in comparison with the painting received exclusively from the use of, for example, the radar [11,18].
System VTS has got many advantages and disadvantages, which result from the existence of field obstacles (hills, passes, buildings, etc.). The system AIS of automatic identification of ships is the alternative. The structure of the system AIS includes the installed radio transmitters (the transponders) on ships, connected with the receiver set of GPS system and with the distinguished units devices of ship (eg. rudder, elements of steering system). With use of the AIS system information are automatically sent to shore stations and to other ships (in continuous way, and in definite format), information with data and parameters relating to technical state of a ship, for example: a speed, a course of the ship, data about cargo. AIS system enables to generate alarms about dangerous situations (eg. collisions). The benefits of use of AIS system are [24]:
automatic-generated alarms,
access to any information related to ship and to its dangerous cargo transport, providing easy integration and information exchange among any safety systems.
At present most of the ships are equipped with navigational maps system so called the ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System) system of electronic information and presentation. Electronic map has essential advantages in comparison with traditional map. It assures current information, possibility of automatic setting out the trajectory of movement of ship, and the integration of different information gaining from different parts of ship, and from AIS system on one screen.
7. Conclusions
Telematics systems are useful in following transportation categories: road transport, railway transport, and sea transport and they move from easy solutions to comparatively very complicated ones. The new regions of applying telematics are possible as a result of initiation global positioning systems and their integration in transport. Progress in telematics concerns first of all technical solutions in automation of steering process of the means of transport (as well as supervising) in intelligent surroundings with varied configurations.
Because of on many accidents (collisions), the new systems with auxiliary or informative character became very important. The improvement of persons' safety as well as cargoes' safety in the process of cargo transport by every module of transportation became possible because of using the elements of telematics in a significant way.
The research project is financed from the Polish Science budget for the years 2005-08.
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