Experimental investigation of an accidental ice impact on an aluminium high speed craft

This chapter presents for the determination of the consequences of an impact between a high speed craft and a single ice floe an analytical impact model and a series of drop tests with conical ice specimens against full-scale aluminium panels of the given vessel. High speed vessels are constructed according to the high speed craft codes. These codes enable very light ship structures, which are necessary for effective operation of fast vessels without taking ice loads into account. There is only scarce knowledge about ice impacts on high speed crafts. The investigated test case is a single impact of an ice floe against this high speed craft build according to the high speed craft code high speed craft code in Stockholm waters. An impact model is created by calculating the floating condition of the vessel, the floating equilibrium of the ice floe, and thereby defining the impact velocity, location, and angle.