Establishment of a 3D numerical ice tank and its applications to ice–water–structure interactions based on a multi-resolution SPH-PD coupled method

Abstract

IWSI (Ice–Water–Structure Interaction) has consistently held significant importance in ocean engineering. In this work, a 3D numerical ice tank is constructed based on the SPH (Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics) and PD (Peridynamics) methods as an effective supplement to the physical modeling test to investigate IWSI. The dynamic flow of fluid and the dynamic response of the solid are modeled by SPH and PD, respectively. In terms of spatial multi-resolution coupling, this solver considers particles of different sizes, combining structure-fine particles and fluid-coarse particle interactions, which can model particular physical coupling at multiple scales. As for the temporal multi-resolution coupling, the MSS (Modified Sequential Staggered) algorithm is utilized to reduce the computational cost and improve efficiency. The fluid, structure, and coupled solvers are respectively validated. Several IWSI problems are investigated and this study successfully predicts ice loads and the initiation and propagation of cracks in ice plates. The present study not only develops an accurate numerical model featuring multi-scale physical couplings but also identifies the underlying principles governing ice fracturing mechanisms under dynamic impact in IWSI-related issues.