Numerical Simulation of Ship-Pack Ice-Water Interaction and Motion of Pack Ice Based on CFD-DEM Method

Abstract

When a ship sails in pack ice area, it not only collides with the ice but also interacts with the water, generating ship-generated waves. The role and influence of ship-generated waves on the ship-ice-water interaction have not been thoroughly studied. In this study, a numerical model with ship-generated waves is established using a coupled Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Discrete Element Method (DEM), and an appropriate contact model is selected for numerical simulations. Meanwhile, a simplified numerical model without ship-generated waves is proposed. By comparing the simulation results under the same simulation conditions with and without ship-generated waves, the effects of ship-generated waves on the phenomena of ship-ice-water interaction, longitudinal and lateral contact forces between the ship and pack ice, and ice resistance are analysed, along with the underlying mechanisms. The results indicate that the ship-generated waves can mitigate and reduce the collision intensity and contact frequency between the ship and pack ice, resulting in a decrease in the contact forces and ultimately achieving a significant reduction in ice resistance. Furthermore, this mitigation effect becomes more pronounced with increasing ship speed.