Experimental Study on IRV Ramming Artificial Model Ice

When the icebreaker sails in the polar region, it adopts continuous and ramming icebreaking operations. When the ice condition exceeds the design working condition, it uses the ramming icebreaking method to advance. The nonlinear icebreaking process and complex ice conditions make it difficult to accurately predict the ice-strengthened ships’ ramming performance. This paper develops a scale-ratio brittle model of ice to simulate thick, level ice and predicts the ice penetration distance and bow load of an icebreaking research vessel (IRV) model at different speeds. The test results show that the penetration distance of the scoop-shaped bow IRV increases with the ramming speed and the average and extreme values of the contact load increase with the increase in the speed. The experimental results are a valid complement to the ice tank tests and do not cover all aspects of ship design. The main purpose is to develop a test program and performance prediction scheme for studying penetration distance and ice load during ram icebreaking.