Summary of Working Paper No. 160-1999
I.1.4
The objective of this Project was to elaborate design requirements to future
ships for the Northern Sea Route (NSR) based on the research and investigation
of the experience of the design, construction and operation of domestic arctic
ships. Safety of the ice navigation in the Arctic, operational and economic
efficiency of new types of ships provided for by different scenarios of the
prospective cargo traffic on the NSR will to a considerable degree depend on the right
choice of their dimensions, power, icebreaking capability as well as on the
relation between sizes and ice performance both of cargo ships and icebreakers
carrying out the escorting of ships through ice.
In the process of realization of the project, problems concerning the design
of modern icebreaking cargo ships and icebreakers were considered and
summarized, the experience of their operation studied, statistical data on the ice
damageability of hull structures depending on the conditions of navigation and
tactics of work collected and analysed. With the help of the systematic simulation
and full-scale tests the investigations were made of the influence of dimensions
and hull shape of icebreaking cargo ships on the ice performance and
seaworthiness. The effect of the shallow water on the ice performance of prospective ice
superships was estimated. The required icebreaking capability of these ships
taking into account the area and period of their use in the Arctic was
determined.
For the subsequent simulation of the transportation by ships of raw materials
from the Arctic and the transit navigation along the NSR, dimensional series of
large arctic tankers, gas carriers, bulkers and container ships were
developed. Accordingly design studies of new types of icebreakers for the escorting of
these ships were carried out.
On the basis of the investigations made, technical and operational
requirements to main characteristics, construction and ice performance of future ships for
the NSR have been prepared and recommendations on the choice of an ice class
and a rational hull lines shape of arctic ships given.