A novel method for numerical simulation of the interaction between level ice and marine structures

Finite Element Method (FEM) and Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) method are effective methods to study the interaction between marine structures and sea ice. However, both FEM and SPH methods have their own shortcomings in numerical simulations. There are mesh distortions and disappearance in FEM, and tensile instability, difficulty in applying boundary conditions, and low computational efficiency in SPH. Thus, to make up those problems, it is essential to develop a new numerical method. In the present study, the FEM–SPH adaptive method was applied in the numerical simulation of icebreaking, which could convert finite elements into SPH particles based on given conditions. Numerical models of cone and icebreaker interactions with level ice were established. Then, numerical simulation results were compared with empirical formula and model test results. In addition, the effects of cone angle and ice strength were analyzed. It was demonstrated that this algorithm could accurately predict the icebreaking resistance, which is the most concerned parameter in practice. Simultaneously, it could effectively simulate the accumulation process of ice rubbles. Thus, the FEM–SPH adaptive method is considered to be an effective way to simulate the interaction between marine structures and sea ice, and has great potential in the numerical simulation of icebreaking.