Ramming model tests of the MV Canmar Kigoriak

The ramming interaction between a ship and a multi-year ice floe is studied by model tests of the ice-breaking supply vessel Canmar Kigoriak. A flexible backbone model of Kigoriak is designed and constructed. The model backbone is instrumented with strain gauges to measure hull bending moments and shear forces in five sections. The model is calibrated both statically and dynamically. The ramming tests are performed into an ice block formed of model ice sheets in an ice model basin. The forces of the ice block during the rams are measured with six component balance. The results are presented in the form of signal time histories and plots of the extreme values of different quantities as a function of ship and ice parameters. The model test results are compared with the available data from the Canmar Kigoriak full scale trials