Estimation Method for Ice load of Managed Ice in an Oblique Condition

Abstract

Recently, as sea ice in the Arctic has been decreasing due to global warming, it has become easier to develop oil and gas resources buried in the Arctic region. As a result, Russia, the United States, and other Arctic coastal states are increasingly interested in the development of oil and gas resources, and the demand for offshore structures to support Arctic sea resources development is expected to significantly increase. Since offshore structures operating in Arctic regions need to secure safety against various drifting ice conditions, the concept of an ice-strengthened design is introduced here, with a priority on calculation of ice load. Although research on the estimation of ice load has been carried out all over the world, most ice-load studies have been limited to estimating the ice load of the icebreaker in a non-oblique state. Meanwhile, in the case of Arctic offshore structures, although it is also necessary to estimate the ice load according to oblique angles, the overall research on this topic is insufficient. In this paper, we suggest algorithms for calculating the ice load of managed ice (pack ice, 100% concentration) in an oblique state, and discuss validity. The effect of oblique angle according to estimated ice load with various oblique angles was also analyzed, along with the impact of ship speed and ice thickness on ice load.

Keywords

• Ice load
• Oblique condition
• Ice breaker
• Pack ice
• Arctic ocean