A bonded discrete element method for modeling ship–ice interactions in broken and unbroken sea ice fields

• Published in: Computational Particle Mechanics
• Main Authors: Jou Devesa, Oriol, Celigueta Jordana, Miguel Ángel, Latorre Sánchez, Juan Salvador, Arrufat Garcia, Ferran, Oñate Ibáñez de Navarra, Eugenio
• Other Authors: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Doctorat en Anàlisi Estructural, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament d'Enginyeria Civil i Ambiental, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. GMNE - Grup de Mètodes Numèrics en Enginyeria, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. (MC)2 - Grup de Mecànica Computacional en Medis Continus
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer 2019
• Subjects: Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Matemàtiques i estadística::Anàlisi numèrica::Mètodes en elements finits; Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Física::Física de l'estat sòlid; Icebreakers (Ships); Ice mechanics > Mathematical models; Discrete element method (DEM); Bonded DEM; Level ice; Floe-ice; Ice fractures; Ice-breaking ship–ice interactions; Mecànica del gel; Ice Sheet; Icebreaker; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2117/184379; https://www.scipedia.com/public/Jou_Devesa_et_al_2019a; https://doi.org/10.1007/s40571-019-00259-8

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40571-019-00259-8 This work investigates the failure patterns of ice cakes and floe-ice when loaded by a moving and sloping structure (ice-breaking ships and cones). In the paper, we introduce the most frequently encountered ice-infested scenarios, the main characteristics of ice-breaking ships and the predicted failure modes of floe-ice depending on the loading conditions, the structure type and the ice feature dimensions and thickness. For the simulations, a local bonded discrete element method (DEM) is used to model sea ice and its fractures. The packing of bonded spherical particles which reproduce the ice continuum can break due to ship–ice interactions and the failure modes are studied. A set of validation simulations are first carried out. A level ice sheet breaking against an installed ice-breaking cone with different slope angles is studied, and the results are compared with other DEM simulations. Then, a group of bonded DEM simulations are performed to predict the different failure modes produced when an ice-breaking ship bow contacts with ice cakes and floe-ice of different dimensions and thickness, typical in broken ice fields. Finally, the study of breaking a continuous level ice sheet is carried out by modeling with the bonded DEM an “infinite” large domain of sea ice and loaded by a single-degree-of-freedom model of an ice-breaking ship. This research was supported by the NICESHIP project of the Office of Naval Research Global under Navy Grant N62909-16-1-2236 and the ICEBREAKER Proof of Concept project of the European Research Council. Peer Reviewed Postprint (author's final draft)