Hydrodynamic characteristics of the water-entry of a structure colliding with the floating ice

A two-way fluid-structure interaction (FSI) method for the water-entry process of a structure colliding with the floating ice is established. The two-way FSI method is validated by a collision experiment between an ice floe and a cylinder. Subsequently, the cavity evolution, hydrodynamic load, and motion characteristics during the water-entry process of the structure colliding with the floating ice are investigated. In addition, the influence of different distances between the axis of the structure and the edge of the floating ice on the water-entry characteristics is conducted. The results show that after the collision, the outward flipping motion of the floating ice forms the floating ice cavity, promotes the expansion of the structure cavity, and delays the closure time of the cavity, resulting in a significant increase in the size of the structure cavity compared to the ice-free environment; the effect is further exacerbated by an increase in the distance between the structure and the floating ice. Moreover, under the floating ice environment, the fluctuation and amplitude of the hydrodynamic load on the structure and the total horizontal displacement of the structure are reduced. The interaction force generated by the collision between the structure and floating ice becomes the main reason affecting the motion trajectory. As a result of the collision with the floating ice, the velocity attenuation is faster than that under the ice-free environment.