A Study on the Effect of Ice Impact Forces on an Ice-Strengthened Polar Class Ship After a Collision with an Iceberg

Abstract

Shipping activities have become possible in the Arctic Ocean due to melting ice by global warming. An increasing number of vessels are passing through the Arctic Ocean consequently bringing concerns of ship-iceberg collisions. Thus, most classification societies have implemented regulations to determine requirements for ice strengthening in ship structures. This paper presents the simulation results of an ice-strengthened polar class ship after an iceberg collision. The ice-strengthened polar class ship was created in accordance with the Unified Requirements for a Polar-Ship (IACS URI). An elastic-perfect plastic ice model was adopted for this simulation with a spherical shape. A Tsai-Wu yield surface was also used for the ice model. Collision simulations were conducted under the commercial code LS-DYNA 971. Hull deformations on the ice-strengthened foreship structure and collision interaction forces have been analysed in this paper. A normal-strength ship structure in an iceberg collision was also simulated to present comparison results. Distinct differences in structural strength against ice impact forces were shown between the ice-strengthened and normal-strength ship structures in the simulation results. About 1.8 m depth of hull deformation was found on the normal ship, whereas 1.0 m depth of hull deformation was left on the ice-strengthened polar class ship.