Study on the Ship Ice Resistance Estimation Using Empirical Formulas

The ice resistance estimation technique for icebreaking ships has been studied intensively over recent years to meet the need of arctic vessel design. Before testing in the ice model basin, the estimation of ship ice resistance with high reliability is very important to decide the delivered power necessary for level ice operation. The main idea of this study came from several empirical formulas by B.P. Ionov[1], E. Enkvist[2] and J.A. Shimanskii[3], in which ice resistance components such as icebreaking, buoyancy and clearing resistances were represented by the integral equations along the DLWL (Design Load Water Line). However, this study proposes modified methods considering the DLWL shape as well as the hull shape under the DLWL. In the proposed methodology, the DLWL shape for icebreaking resistance and the hull shape under the DLWL for buoyancy and clearing resistances are included in the calculation. Especially when calculating clearing resistance, the flow pattern of ice particles under the DLWL of ship is assumed to be in accordance with the ice flow observed from ice model testing. This paper also deals with application examples for a ship design and its ice model test results at the Aker arctic ice model basin. From the comparison of results from the model test and the estimation, the reliability of this estimation technique is discussed.