Session: 07-05 -01 Ice Model Tests

Submission Number: 180883

Model-Scale Experiment on Ship–ice Sliding Impact in a Water Tank 

Model-Scale Experiment on Ship–Ice Sliding Impact in a Water Tank

Rui Sun^1,3, Ling Zhu^1*, Jinsong Guo^1,2, Zhihan Guo^1,2

¹School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Energy Power Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430063, China

² Key Laboratory of High Performance Ship Technology， Wuhan University of Technology, Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430063, China

³Sanya Science and Education Innovation Park of Wuhan University of Technology, Sanya 572000, China

 

*Corresponding author: Ling Zhu, School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Energy Power Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan,430063, PR China. E-mail address: lingzhu@whut.edu.cn (L. Zhu)

 

Abstract
To gain a better understanding of the mechanisms governing sliding impacts between a ship’s bottom and sea ice during polar navigation, a series of model-scale experiments were conducted in a water tank. The experimental setup consisted of a simplified bottom plate representing the ship’s hull and a wedge-shaped ice block. Tests were performed under various sliding velocities. Key parameters, including contact force, ice failure morphology, and sliding distance, were recorded. High-precision force sensors and a motion-capture system were employed to obtain synchronized data, enabling detailed analysis of contact force, hull plate deformation, and ice fracture characteristics under different velocity conditions.

The experimental observations revealed that the sharp tip of the wedge-shaped ice was flattened after impact due to concentrated compressive stress, while the bottom plate developed a distinct dent in the main contact area, followed by a long, narrow ridge-like scratch along the sliding direction. These results indicate that localized plastic deformation and sustained frictional interaction occurred throughout the sliding impact process. The preliminary numerical simulation captures the bottom plate scratching in these tests.  The present study provides valuable experimental data and physical insights to support the safety assessment and structural design of ships operating in polar, ice-covered waters.

Keywords: model tests; damage mechanism; ship–ice sliding impact; wedge ice， bottom plate scratching

Presenting Author: Ling Zhu Wuhan University of Technology

Presenting Author Biography: Professor Zhu Ling is a distinguished professor of Wuhan University of Technology since 2013. He has long been engaged in research and rule development on the safety, reliability and integrity of marine structures, as well as explosion resistance and impact mechanics, and the application of new materials. He obtained PhD from the University of Glasgow in 1990 and worked at Glasgow University, Liverpool University and Reading University before joining Lloyd's Register in 1995. As a lead specialist, he worked on the rule development and accident investigations. He joined Wuhan University of Technology in 2013, serving as the council member of the China Shipbuilding Engineering Society, the deputy director of the Academic Committee of Ship Mechanics and the chair of the New Materials Application Technology Group. He is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Wuhan University of Technology (Transportation Science and Engineering) and the associate editor of the International Journal of Ships and Offshore Structures. He is the founding director of the Impact and Fluid-Structure Interaction Laboratory and a member of academic committee of the Ship and Offshore Equipment’s Safety Laboratory of China Classification Society. Fellow of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (FRINA), UK Chartered Engineer, Technical Committee Member of the International Conference on Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering Structures (ISSC), Stanford/Elsevier World’s Top 2% Scientists, and Chairman of the 10th International Conference on Collision and Grounding of Ship Marine Structures (ICCGS 2025).

Authors:

Rui Sun Wuhan University of Technology
Ling Zhu Wuhan University of Technology
Jinsong Guo Wuhan University of Technology
Zhihan Guo Wuhan University of Technology