Model Locksim

The Model Locksim is a generic model to estimate the capacity of a lock complex.
The model was used to determine the capacity of the Lock Complex IJmuiden in order to estimate the capacity of the approach to the Port of Amsterdam. To incease the capacity of the approach to the Port of Amsterdam a New Lock is required. The Model Locksim was used to estimate the future capacity with the new lock.

The components of the model

Generator (class)

Generates the ship traffic and assigns the attributes of the ship. Four generators are distinguished:

1. Vessels from outer buoy to destinations in the Port of Amsterdam

2. Vessels from outer buoy to lightening location and from there to the Port of Amsterdam

3. Vessels from outer buoy to destinations sea side of the lock complex

4. Vessels from Amsterdam to destination sea side of the lock complex

Ship (class)

- Describes the process of the component ship

Lockmaster (class)

- Describes the process of the lock

Lock (class)

- Data component describes the status of the lock

VTS (class)

- Checks traffic situation for a requesting vessel

Tidal conditions

- Determines the tidal conditions

Section Occupation

- Reserves the channel section for an arriving vessel

General Configuration

An approach system, as the used by the Port of Amsterdam, with a complicated lock complex, a lot of different fleet types combined with a complex wet infra structure, can only be schematized as a complex system.
To determine the capacity of such a complex approach system traffic flow simulation models are an indispensable tool. For this reason the traffic flow simulation model “LOCKSIM” has been developed. The “process description method” is considered as an appropriate and efficient method. This method describes the behaviour of each live component and the interactions with other components. The model simulates the ship movements from arrival buoy to the different destinations.
In broad lines an overview of the configuration of the model is given in Figure 1.
The lock complex consists of 4 locks of which 3 are used for commercial traffic.
The dimensions of the locks and belonging vessel dimension limits are given are given below:

Existing Locks	Lock dimensions	Vessel dimensions
North Lock	length = 400 m width =47 m	length >180 m width >18 m draught >8 m
Middle Lock	length= 200 m width= 25 m	110m >length <180 m 17 m > width <18 m 5.8 m >draught <8 m
South Lock	length=104 m width= 18 m	length <110 m width <17 m draught <5.8 m

Figure 1