A Review of Progress and Applications of Automated Vacuum Mooring Systems

Compared with the traditional mooring system, the automated vacuum mooring system can meet the development needs of large-scale ship automation, port automation, and environmental protection. This review describes the latest research focuses, progress, applications, and future perspectives regarding the automated vacuum mooring system. First, the components, working principles, advantages, limits, and risks of the automated vacuum mooring system are discussed. Secondly, typical application cases of automated vacuum mooring systems are introduced, looking at two aspects of the ship-based system and shore-based system. Then, the routine maintenance of the automated vacuum mooring system is introduced. Finally, a discussion on the challenges and future perspectives of the automated vacuum mooring system is provided in this review. The advantages of an automated vacuum mooring system make it a potentially highly effective and economical option for a wider range of ship mooring than a traditional mooring system.