Author(s): Yutong Chen; Lu Liu; Shunying Ji
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Polar drilling ship; Discrete element method; Ice load; Ice floe are
Abstract: As global warming accelerates Arctic glacier melt, opportunities are emerging for polar oil and gas development and shipping route utilization. Ice load is critical to the structural strength design of polar drilling ships and the safety assessment of ice navigation, and its accurate prediction has long been a key scientific issue in polar marine engineering. Based on the discrete element method, this paper establishes a numerical model for polar drilling ship-sea ice interaction. In conjunction with the China Classification Society Rules for Steel Ships, a systematic study is conducted on the prediction of local ice loads and longitudinal strength ice loads for polar drilling ships navigating in ice-covered waters. For ice floe operational scenarios, the ship-ice interaction process is comprehensively analyzed, and the influence patterns of ice-ship interaction angle, ice concentration, ice floe size, ice thickness, and ice drift velocity on ice load characteristics are quantitatively assessed. Numerical simulation results of level icebreaking for PC3 to PC7 ice classes are compared with theoretical values from the rules, validating the accuracy of the model and the reliability of the method. The research findings can provide technical support for the structural strength design and operational safety assurance of polar drilling ships.
Year: 2026