Prediction of the dynamic pressure distribution on a propeller blade under ice milling

During milling-type propeller-ice contact on ice-going ships, the propeller blades suffer from extreme ice loads, which can result in high deformation and damage. The dynamic pressure distribution on the propeller blade under ice milling directly controls the strength of the blades; therefore, a numerical method to predict the dynamic pressure distribution is developed using the propeller-ice contact model with peridynamics. A method for generating the propeller blade mesh is proposed; the propeller blade mesh is created according to its milling area. The effect of particle spacing size on the milling force curve, ice failure, and pressure distribution is then studied to analyze the convergence of the proposed method. The numerical method is validated by applying it to study the contact between a tool with a propeller-like profile and ice sheet. The dynamic pressure distribution and ice failure are simulated during propeller-ice milling at both the leading and trailing edges of the blade.