Ship Model Testing in Simulated Ice Flow Covered Waters

The problem of ship resistance in ice floe infested waters has been investigated experimentally in the Towing Tank of Memorial University of Newfoundland. Ships and ice have been modelled to simulate the natural condition of ships sailing in waters covered with ice fragments. Ships advancing in waters coveted with ice floes of moderate size, with less than 100% concentration and with no lateral pressure seldom break any ice. The ship and the ice floes have therefore, been treated in this investigation as freely floating rigid bodies. Both the ice floes and the ship have, therefore been modelled in accordance with Froude principles. The ice cover was modelled using blocks of paraffin wax spread over the water surface. Slabs of wax were cut into small blocks having thickness and size in accordance with the required geometrical modelling scale. Wax blocks were spread over the water surface according to the required ice cover concentration. Ship models were towed in the tank at different speeds. The model resistance for each run was measured and recorded. Results obtained from model testing experiments are presented in this paper. The results cover a number of ship model runs at different ship speeds, and for a variety of ice cover conditions. The results have been compared with ice floe resistance data available in the literature.