The estimation of ice loads acting on a ship hull is one of the most critical concerns from a design point of view. To estimate the ice loads, various types of related research have been conducted, including full-scale measurement tests, model tests, and numerical model tests.
To estimate the ice loads, ice load data recorded from a full-scale measurement test is necessary. The IBRV ARAON was used to conduct ice field tests in this study. To measure ice load data in ice field tests, strain gauges were installed on the inner hull plates and at the transverse frames of ARAON’s bow section. The measured strain data was analyzed to calculate ice loads using two approaches; i.e., the influence coefficient method and the calculation of shear force.
This study focuses on estimating the local ice load, which is calculated by shear strains at transverse frames and comparing to local ice load calculated by the influence coefficient matrix. The level of local ice loads estimated from shear strain measurement was a little lower than those of hull plates. As a result, the method using shear strain data is recommended concerning the cost and simple procedures. Additionally, this study is intended to verify the performance and the potential of fiber optic sensors. For the verification of the results, the peak ice loads and stresses calculated from fiber optic sensors were analysed and it was a little higher than those from strain gauge sensors. The fiber optic sensor is considered more suitable for measuring ice load data in harsh environments.
The presented results should be useful for future studies of local ice load estimation at the design part of a vessel. Also the analyzed results of strain data measured from fiber optic sensors can be helpful for the next ice field test.