Summer distribution of seabirds in the North-East Water polynya, Greenland

The distribution at sea of seabirds was studied in the North-East Water (NEW) polynya, Greenland, during transect counts in the summers of 1991, 1992 and 1993 on board the ice-breaking RVs Polarstern and Polar Sea. Data collected within the polynya ‘box’ (78–82°N; 5–18°W) concern observations of 8000 birds counted during 1350 half-hour counts. Distribution is presented as density (N/km²) and calculated daily food intake. Five bird species were selected for discussion, representing more than 95% of the total numbers encountered: Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), Ivory Gull (Pagophila eburnea), Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) and Ross's Gull (Rhodostethia rosea). For these species, densities are comparable in the NE Greenland polynya and in other European Arctic seas. The main difference is the absence in NEW of the species playing the main role in Arctic seas: Brünnich's Guillemot (Uria lomvia) and Little Auk (Alle alle). In the absence of fish-eating birds and of birds consuming zooplankton in the water column, the NEW polynya ecosystem is thus dominated by surface feeders and, closer to the coast, by benthic feeders like eiders, Somateria mollissima and S. spectabilis, and walrus, Odobenus rosmarus. The density and daily food intake for all seabirds are one order of magnitude lower in the polynya than in the Arctic seas. The distribution and abundance of seabirds in the NEW polynya seems to reflect a very low density of pelagic fish and Zooplankton in the water column, while Zooplankton must be present at ‘normal’ concentrations in the upper layer.     

Heading control for turret-moored vessel in level ice based on Kalman filter with thrust allocation

This paper mainly focuses on the heading control of a position-moored vessel operating under level ice regime. A dynamic ice simulator interconnecting the vessel motions with the ice dynamics is used for the design of the heading control system. The strategy is to ensure that the vessel is kept at an appropriate position within the safe limits. Using a heading controller based on a Kalman filter, the desired control force is computed to counteract the environmental disturbances. A thrust allocation method is developed to go with the heading controller. To keep the ice forces to a reasonable level, the moored vessel should be aligned with the ice drift direction and small angles up to 15° in changes on heading against the ice flow could be possible. Therefore, heading control of a moored vessel exposed to level ice with drift angle 0° and 15° is simulated since the dynamic positioning system needs to resist ice yaw moments and lateral ice forces on the hull. The simulation indicates that the proposed control strategy performs satisfactorily for a moored vessel in level ice.     

Tanker design considerations for safety and environmental protection of Arctic waters: Learning from past experience

Oil and gas transportation from the Arctic will have many challenges, but experience available from tanker operations in the winter Baltic can provide valuable information for the industry. The paper reviews data on the operations in the Baltic. It compares the new Polar Class requirements with the Baltic ice class requirements, and discusses design aspects which are not covered by traditional ice class rules.     

Numerical study of ice-induced loads on ship hulls

A numerical model is introduced in this paper to investigate both global and local ice loads on ship hulls. This model is partly based on empirical data, by which the observed phenomena of continuous icebreaking can be well reproduced. In the simulation of a full-scale icebreaking trial, the interdependence between the ice load and the ship’s motion is considered, and the three degree-of-freedom rigid body equations of surge, sway and yaw are solved by numerical integration. The variations in the level ice thickness and in the strength properties of ice can also be taken into account. The simulated ice loads on ship hulls are discussed through two case studies, in which the ship’s performance, the statistics of ice-induced frame loads, and the spatial distribution of ice loads around the hull are analyzed and compared with field measurements. As far as we know the present paper is the first to integrate all the features above. It is hoped that further studies on this numerical model can supplement the field and laboratory measurements in establishing a design basis for the ice-going ships especially for ships navigating in the first-year ice.