Fuzzy Decision Support System for Single-Chamber Ship Lock for Two Vessels

Ship lock zones represent bottlenecks and a particular challenge for authorities managing vessel traffic. Traditionally, the control strategy of such systems has relied heavily on the subjective judgment, experience, and tacit knowledge of ship lock operators. To address the inherent uncertainty and imprecision associated with these subjective assessments, fuzzy logic and fuzzy set theory have been adopted as appropriate mathematical frameworks. In this work, the control strategy and the Fuzzy Decision Support System (FDSS) of a single-chamber ship lock designed for two vessels on a two-way waterway are analyzed and modeled. The input data is generated based on a synthesized dataset reflecting the annual schedule of vessel arrivals. The software is based on proposals and suggestions of experienced ship lock operators, and it is further validated through vessel traffic simulations. Moreover, the development of an appropriate Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system integrated with a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) is detailed, providing the necessary infrastructure for real-time deployment of the fuzzy control algorithm. The proposed control system represents an original contribution and offers practical applications both as a decision-support tool for real-time lock management and as a training platform for novice or less experienced operators.