Author(s): Seo Jun Oh; Dong Ho Yoon; Joonmo Choung
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Keywords: Level ice; Icebreaker; HydroQus; Compressive strength; Non-uniform
Abstract: Most previous numerical studies assumed level ice with uniform compressive strength. However, actual level ice exhibits spatially non-uniform strength and irregular thickness. Accordingly, this study comparatively analyzed the differences in ice resistance acting on an icebreaking vessel under uniform and non-uniform level ice conditions. The level ice with a thickness of 1 m was modeled with dimensions of 410 m in length and 150 m in width, using three-dimensional six-node solid elements (C3D6). The elastic modulus and Poisson’s ratio were set to 5 GPa and 0.3, respectively. Under the uniform condition, a compressive strength of 5 MPa was assigned. Under the non-uniform condition, strength fields based on the t-location-scale distribution with the same mean strength and coefficients of variation (CoV) of 0.10, 0.20, and 0.30 were generated and assigned to each element. The yielding and failure behavior of ice were implemented using the Drucker–Prager yield criterion and a continuum damage mechanics model. The icebreaking research vessel ARAON was modeled as a rigid body, and HydroQus coupled with ABAQUS/Explicit was employed to account for the six-degree-of-freedom ship motions and hydrodynamic forces. In addition, a thrust control algorithm was applied to maintain the target speed of 3 kn. Based on these simulations, the ice resistance characteristics under uniform and non-uniform level ice conditions were evaluated.
Year: 2026