Development of a prediction formula for ship resistance in level ice

Abstract

Icebreakers are mainly classified according to the breakable thickness of level ice, although they differ slightly according to each ship's classification and by country. The breaking performance in level ice is a priority factor for icebreakers and is directly linked to ships' safety and survival in extreme environments. In addition, some large cargo vessels with an icebreaking capability have recently been built, and various types of commercial icebreakers will appear when the Northern Sea Route is activated in the future. In this paper, previous studies on ice resistance are reviewed and analyzed by arranging the merits and demerits of each study. We developed a new prediction equation of ice resistance by analyzing the resistance components, such as the breaking, buoyancy, and clearing resistance, and using dimensional and regression analyses on ice model tests. This procedure could be applied to large merchant vessels and is intended to contribute to the prediction of icebreakers' ice performance. Copyright ？ 2014 by ASME.