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Hydrodynamic interactions between ice masses and large offshore structures

University of British Columbia

The objective of the work described in this thesis is to evaluate the significance of the ambient fluid on the motion of an ice mass in the vicinity of an offshore structure and during the subsequent impact mechanism. Models for iceberg drift are first reviewed. The changes in flow field around an ice mass drifting in a current near an offshore structure are investigated by potential flow theory. The proximity effects and current interactions are generalized by introducing the added mass and convective force coefficients for the ice mass. A two-dimensional numerical model based on the boundary element method is developed to calculate these coefficients over a range of separation distances up to the point of contact. A numerical model based on ice properties and geometry is developed to simulate the impact force acting on the structure. Both the 'contact-point' added masses estimated in this thesis and the traditionally assumed far-field added masses are used in the impact model separately. The results from the two cases are compared and the crucial roles played by the ambient fluid during impact are discussed. Finally, a number of related topics is proposed for further studies.

Text

2010-07-20

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/26686

Civil Engineering

University of British Columbia

Graduate