Numerical Simulation of the Maneuvering Performance of Ships in Broken Ice Area

Maneuverability is a critical aspect of ship navigation performance, particularly during polar navigation, where the presence of ice significantly affects maneuverability compared to open water navigation. By coupling the non-smooth discrete element method (NDEM) with the Maneuvering Modeling Group (MMG) model, this paper proposes a numerical model to simulate the maneuvering motion of full-scale ships in broken ice regions. In the proposed model, the ship-ice interaction was solved through NDEM, while the 3-DOF MMG model was utilized to simulate the autonomous navigation movement of ships. Based on the relationship between ship turning radius and ship speed, the critical relationship between ice moment and ice resistance is derived in this paper, which can be used to verify the rationality of simulation results of maneuvering motion. In addition, the effects of ice concentration, size, thickness, and ship speed and rudder angle on the ship's maneuvering trajectory and steering flexibility are analyzed by simulating turning motion and Zig-Zag maneuvers. This provides an effective numerical model to simulate the maneuvering motion of a ship in a broken ice area with low-medium ice concentration.