Time domain simulation of the drifting of small floating bodies in waves

The drifting in waves of small icebergs, bergy bits and growlers presents significant hazards to navigation and offshore operations in ice-infested waters. In this paper, a computational algorithm, based on the equivalent motion method, is presented, for the prediction of motions in waves of isolated ice masses in time domain. Predictions are shown for spherical ice masses in unidirectional regular waves. The computed values are found to be in good qualitative and quantitative agreement with experimental data obtained from small scale model tests, with the exception of the heave resonance condition where the motions are largely overpredicted.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye