Discrete Element Simulation of the Resistance of a Ship in Unconsolidated Ridges

• Published in: Cold Regions Science and Technology
• Main Authors: Gong, Hanyang, Polojärvi, Arttu, Tuhkuri, Jukka
• Other Authors: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Solid Mechanics, Aalto-yliopisto, Aalto University
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2019
• Subjects: Sea ice; Ice ridge; Ship; Ridge resistance; Discrete Element Method
• Online Access: https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/handle/123456789/40439; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2019.102855

Resistance on a ship penetrating a sea ice ridge is a key design parameter of ice breaking ships. The resistance of a ship in an unconsolidated ridge has been studied by using a three dimensional discrete element method. Ridges of equal thickness but different widths were used and it was observed that the ridge width has a major effect on the ridge resistance: The ridge resistance is increasing with increasing ridge width, until the ridge width is of the same order as the ship length. The ridge resistance was decomposed into a frictional force and a deformation force. The deformation force is due to the ridge deformation by the ship bow and it was shown that the deformation force is related with the mass of ice blocks accelerated by and moving with the ship. Peer reviewed