A development of icebreaking hull form for antarctic research vessel

Abstract

In this paper, an experimental and computational study has been made to investigate the icebreaking capability for the new Korean Antarctic research vessel which is being designed by STX shipbuilding co. Ltd. Recently most countries that had research institutes in the Antarctic regions are operating their own icebreaking vessels and are accordingly supporting the research activities energetically in the Antarctic ocean. However our research institute has used a ship from other countries when necessary, but we have some difficulties to borrow the ship when we need it. So based on the experiences of research activities in our Sejong Antarctic research center during the past two decades, the second Antarctic research institute near the Antarctic pole region is being built and the detail design of an icebreaking research vessel is being conducted in order to get the new icebreaking research vessel supporting the research activities and the natural resource investigation in the Arctic/Antarctic regions since last year. The Antarctic Research Vessel is being designed to incorporate a wide range of scientific and operational capabilities, several of which have a pronounced effect on the design of the vessel to improve bathymetry (bottom mapping) in ice and open water. At the detail design stage two different hull forms were designed considering to navigate both in the open sea and ice conditions. These hull forms were chosen the modified spoon bow and barge-type stern shape and two azimuth propulsor units will be equipped. A CFD method was utilized to optimize the bow shape. Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations in conjunction with a Reynolds-stress turbulence model and wall function were solved by using WAVIS code based on a structured multi-block grid systems. The model tests of the vessel were conducted both in the Moeri towing tank and ice model basin of Helsinki university. The aim of the ice tests was to clarify the icebreaking capability ahead and astern in level ice of different thickness and brash ice channel. According to the ice model test results, the continuous icebreaking speed of the modified 2nd hull form can be estimated to be 3.0 knots with the power of 10 MW in 1.0 m thick level ice. Copyright ？ 2006 by The International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers.