Marine Spill Simulation Software Set

Abstract

The Marine Spill Simulation Software Set is based on physical and information theoretical components. The physical component of the simulation model consists of a system of differential and algebraic equations that describe processes which influence the motions and characteristics of oil at sea. This report deals especially with the information theoretical components of the simulation model. At the beginning of this report the motivations in choosing a microcomputer for this application - instead of a mainframe - are explained. Thereupon attention is transferred from hardware to software. The reasons for selecting Fortran 77 as programming language are stated and the user-friendly elements of the model are discussed and illustrated with a few examples. The simulation software structure clearly shows that the model is divided in three major modules namely a data accumulation and processing module, an actual simulation module and an output module. All input data are summed up and the way these data are handled is discussed. The present-day required processing of input data and future input possibilities bring the survey of the data accumulation and processing module to a close. Efficient integration methods for the simulation processes are selected to improve run speed. The handling of output data and the recommended future output presentation are discussed next. Finally, simulation runs are done with test data to check is the model functions correctly. Furthermore run time, accuracy, efficiency and stability are determined and assessed. To conclude this summary the reader is kindly recommended to try out the Marine Spill Simulation Software Set.