Author(s): Xu Pei; Wang Shaoheng; Sun Qianyang
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Sea ice; Podded propulsor; CFD-DEM coupling; Free-surface; Ice load
Abstract: When navigating through broken ice channels or areas with naturally formed ice fragments, the likelihood of collision between ice and podded propulsor significantly increases. Continuous ice-podded propulsor collisions can lead to issues such as propeller vibration, noise, and structural safety concerns. This study establishes a crushable ice particle cluster model based on the Discrete Element Method (DEM) by employing the Euler-Lagrangian coupling approach, incorporating ice fracture effects, and utilizing the "surface injection" technique along with a parallel bond model and a simplified failure criterion. Furthermore, by integrating the overset grid technique and the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method, a multiphase coupled numerical simulation of free surface‒broken ice‒water‒podded propulsor interaction is conducted. The effects of propeller rotation speed, broken ice concentration, and submersion depth on the loads of the podded propulsor are analyzed. The results indicate that crushable ice fragments break apart under the shear force of the propeller, with some ice accumulating on both sides of the blades and larger ice blocks moving downward toward the free surface due to suction effects. At lower rotational speeds, ice fragments are more prone to disperse laterally under mutual compression.
Year: 2026