Fatigue damage to vessels during operation in ice: evaluation of elastic deformations of the hull of the Project 498 tug in contact with ice

Abstract

Presented in the work are the results of numerical and field experiments to assess the elastic deformations of the hull of a Project 498 Tug upon contact with ice. As a result of a full-scale experiment, which was carried out both in solid ice field and small-sized ice field, parameters and nature of the actual loads were determined for both types of operating conditions. Using the numerical experiment method, the fatigue life of the most affected section of the vessel was determined until damage occurs during the vessel’s operation in solid and small-sized ice fields.