Study of different load components during the propeller-ice interaction process

In order to study the mechanical characteristics of the ice load, the inseparable hydrodynamic load and the mixing loads during propeller-ice interaction, a series of different kinds of tests were carried out. The test model and test condition were selected according to the equal proportion ratio of the real ship, and both the whole propeller and single blade load were measured. The test presented that the ice load was mainly determined by the contact area between the blade surface and the ice body. The mixed loads presented the characteristics of oscillating around the separable hydrodynamic load. It was also found that the separable load plays a decisive role in the mean value of the mixed load, while the ice load and the inseparable hydrodynamic load are the main reasons for the fluctuation of the mixed load. The spectrum analysis results presented that the fluctuation amplitude of the mixed load was the largest in the blade frequency, and the fluctuation amplitude of the single blade load was the largest for the axial frequency. The load characteristics and the spectrum analysis agreed with the propeller motion characteristics, which indirectly verifies the effectiveness of the test data.