Numerical Research on Global Ice Loads of Maneuvering Captive Motion in Level Ice

In level ice, the maneuvering motion of icebreakers has a major influence on the global ice loads of the hull. This study researched the influences of the drift angle and turning radius on the ice loads of the icebreaker Xue Long through a partial numerical method based on the linear superposition theory of ice loads. First, with reference to the Araon model tests performed by the Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering (KRISO), numerical simulations of Araon’s direct motion were carried out at different speeds, and the average deviation between numerical results and model test results was about 13.8%. Meanwhile, the icebreaking process and modes were analyzed and discussed, compared with a model test and a full-scale ship trial. Next, the maneuvering captive motions of oblique and constant radius were simulated to study the characteristics of ice loads under different drift angles and turning radii. Compared with the maneuvering motion model tests in the ice tank of Tianjin University and the Institute for Ocean Technology of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC/IOT), the numerical results had good agreement with the model test results in terms of the variation trend of ice loads and ice–hull interaction, and the influences of drift angle and turning radius on ice resistance and transverse force, which have a certain reference value for sailing performance research and the design of the hull form of icebreaker ships, are discussed.