A study to investigate and understand the basic processes of sea-ice interaction with ships of open-water or moderate icebreaking shape has started in June 2018 at HSVA. Now in March 2019 the first related ice model tests were performed. The objective is to identify the governing interaction processes and to find correlations between parameters, especially those between the hull geometry, ice properties and motion characteristics of a vessel. Solely for this purpose a special model was built where the bow and stern part of the model were physically separated and equipped with load cells to capture locally isolated ice loads. Also special separate load segments were installed in the bow and shoulder areas to further differentiate zones of potentially high loads.

Further ice model tests series are to come later in the year. These really special model tests are accompanied by theoretical investigations with aims as follows - relating to ships actually not designed for ice:

• improve principal understanding of the hull-ice interaction process, ice failure and the components contributing to the ice resistance
• find methods to evaluate the ice performance (ice resistance, attainable speed) as well as the factors of major influence
• enhance quantity and quality of ship-ice interaction observations
• provide a database of results obtained under controlled conditions