Experimental Study on the Resistance of a Transport Ship Navigating in Level Ice

This study investigates the resistance of a transport ship navigating in level ice by conducting a series of model tests in an ice tank at Tianjin University. The laboratory-scale model ship was mounted on a rigid carriage using a one-directional load cell and then towed through an ice sheet at different speeds. We observed the ice-breaking process at different parts of the ship and motion of the ice floes and measured the resistances under different speeds to determine the relationship between the ice-breaking process and ice resistance. The bending failure at the shoulder area was found to cause maximum resistance. Furthermore, we introduced the analytical method of Lindqvist （1989） for estimating ice resistance and then compared these calculated results with those from our model tests. The results indicate that the calculated total resistances are higher than those we determined in the model tests.

GPU-Based DEM Simulations of Global Ice Resistance on Ship Hull During Navigation in Level Ice

The ice resistance on a ship hull affects the safety of the hull structure and the ship maneuvering performance in icecovered regions.In this paper,the discrete element method(DEM)is adopted to simulate the interaction between level ice and ship hull.The level ice is modeled with 3D bonded spherical elements considering the buoyancy and drag force of the water.The parallel bonding approach and the de-bonding criterion are adopted to model the freezing and breakage of level ice.The ship hull is constructed with rigid triangle elements.To improve computational efficiency,the GPU-based parallel computational algorithm was developed for the DEM simulations.During the interaction between the ship hull and level ice,the ice cover is broken into small blocks when the interparticle stress approaches the bonding strength.The global ice resistance on the hull is calculated through the contacts between ice elements and hull elements during the navigation process.The influences of the ice thickness and navigation speed on the dynamic ice force are analyzed considering the breakage mechanism of ice cover.The Lindqvist and Riska formulas for the determination of ice resistance on ship hull are employed to validate the DEM simulation.The comparison of results of DEM,Lindqvist,and Riska formula show that the DEM result is between those the Lindqvist formula and Riska formula.Therefore the proposed DEM is an effective approach to determine the ice resistance on the ship hull.This work can be aided in the hull structure design and the navigation operation in ice-covered fields.

Intensity of Level Ice Simulated with the CICE Model for Oil-Gas Exploitation in the Southern Kara Sea, Arctic

Sea ice is the predominant natural threat to marine structures and oil-gas exploitation in the Arctic.However,for ice-resistant structural design,long-term successive level ice thickness measurements are still lacking.To fill this gap in the southern Kara Sea,the Los Alamos Sea Ice Model(CICE)is applied to achieve better simulation at the local and regional scales.Based on the validation against ice thickness observations in March and April in 1980-1986,the statistical root-mean-square error is determined to be less than 0.2 m.Then,based on the hindcast data,the spatiotemporal distributions of level ice thickness are analyzed annually,seasonally,and monthly,with thicker level ice of 1.2-1.5 m in spring and large ice-free zones in September and October.For floating platforms,a novel ice grade criterion with five classifications,namely,excellent,good,moderate,severe,and catastrophic,is pro-posed.The first two grades are most suitable for offshore activities,particularly from August to October,and the moderate grade is acceptable if with ice-resistant protections.Furthermore,hostile ice conditions are discussed in terms of the generalized extreme value distribution.The statistics reveal that at a return period of 100 yr,extreme level ice is primarily between 0.6 m and 1.0 m in December.The present investigation could be a useful reference for a feasibility study of the potential risk analysis and ice-resistant operation of oil-gas exploitation in the Arctic.

Evidences of the expanding Earth from space-geodetic data over solid land and sea level rise in recent two decades

According to the space-geodetic data recorded at globally distributed stations over solid land spanning a period of more than 20-years under the International Terrestrial Reference Frame 2008,our previous estimate of the average-weighted vertical variation of the Earth＇s solid surface suggests that the Earth＇s solid part is expanding at a rate of 0.24 ± 0.05 mm/a in recent two decades.In another aspect,the satellite altimetry observations spanning recent two decades demonstrate the sea level rise（SLR） rate 3.2 ± 0.4 mm/a,of which1.8 ± 0.5 mm/a is contributed by the ice melting over land.This study shows that the oceanic thermal expansion is 1.0 ± 0.1 mm/a due to the temperature increase in recent half century,which coincides with the estimate provided by previous authors.The SLR observation by altimetry is not balanced by the ice melting and thermal expansion,which is an open problem before this study.However,in this study we infer that the oceanic part of the Earth is expanding at a rate about 0.4 mm/a.Combining the expansion rates of land part and oceanic part,we conclude that the Earth is expanding at a rate of 0.35 ± 0.47 mm/a in recent two decades.If the Earth expands at this rate,then the altimetry-observed SLR can be well explained.