Sea Gate
Sea Gate is a test environment for the European satellite navigation system Galileo in Rostock .
construction
Six antennas (so-called pseudolites ) in the port of Rostock simulate fixed Galileo satellites. A monitor and control station monitors the signals. Compared to the GALILEO test and development environment in Berchtesgaden , the test conditions are simplified: Instead of simultaneous emission of the three Galileo frequencies, the Sea-Gate pseudolites only transmit on one, albeit selectable, Galileo frequency. Correction for Doppler , ionospheric , and ephemeris errors is not required. The location of the transmitter and a reference station set up in the test area are measured to the centimeter. As with a DGP system , the position accuracy is well below one meter.
application
The test field is used to examine maritime applications for Galileo in a real environment at an early stage. Basically, everyone can use the test environment free of charge. In test campaigns, parameters such as transmission power, frequency band, data structure or transmission data can be individually adapted to requirements. The system works in pulsed mode as standard in order to minimize interference with GPS ( near-far problem with CDMA ).
The RoRo ferry Mecklenburg-Vorpommern operated by Scandlines GmbH uses Sea Gate to provide support during the mooring maneuver on the quay. When the ferry passes the narrow Rostock harbor entrance and the sea canal behind it, it makes a 180-degree turn before it backwards approaches the pier. GPS or later Galileo with an accuracy of several meters are not sufficient to maneuver the ship in poor visibility. Only a differential reference system such as Sea Gate offers the potential for centimeter-accurate guidance within the port facility.
The Mecklenburg-Vorpommern carries two Galileo receiver belonging to the user segment Sea gate. As part of the test operating phase, which will take place until mid-May 2010, it will also be examined to what extent positioning aids make ferry operations safer and cheaper. According to the guidelines of the IMO , an automation of the mooring maneuver would be possible with a guaranteed position deviation of less than ten centimeters.
literature
- Renè Zweigel et al .: Galileo test centers GATEs in Germany: Fit for Europe's future satellite navigation system Galileo . In: zfv Journal for Geodesy, Geoinformation and Land Management , issue 4/2016, pp. 223-230, DVW - Society for Geodesy, Geoinformation and Land Management eV (Ed.) ISSN 1618-8950