An Accurate Model for Seaworthy Container Vessel Stowage Planning with Ballast Tanks

Seaworthy container vessel stowage plans generated under realistic assumptions are a key factor for stowage decision support systems in the shipping industry. We propose a linear model with ballast tanks for generating master plans, the first phase of a 2-phase stowage optimization approach, that includes the main stability and stress moments calculations. Our approach linearizes the center of gravity calculation and hydrostatic data tables of the vessel in order to formulate stability and stress moments constraints that can handle variable displacement. The accuracy level of these linearizations is evaluated when the displacement of the vessel is allowed to change within a small band.