Numerical Simulation of Interaction between Kulluk Platform and Laminar Ice

Abstract

Over the years, the development of the Arctic region has been increasingly emphasized, and the research and development of offshore platforms has become a research hotspot for many countries. Among them, all kinds of platform equipment used in the polar region must consider the special conditions when operating in extreme environments. For the floating ice-resistant marine platforms, the calculation of ice load is of considerable importance and value for the applicability and reliability design. In this article, the Kulluk platform has been chosen for the study. The interactions between the structure and the sea ice, such as collision and extrusion, are numerically simulated through the finite element method. In this paper we will explain how to calculate the ice loads acting on the floating platform and the specific loads. By setting the real scale in the program, the maximum correspondence with the real situation can be achieved. Subsequently, the numerical simulation values were analyzed and compared with the actual situation and empirical formulas to verify the reliability of the numerical simulation. The applicability of the Kulluk platform model to the problem of interaction with the leveling ice has been validated.