New hull forms and novel operational concepts are being developed to meet the challenges facing the shipping industries due to increasing demand for ice-strengthening vessels. This in turns leads to increased demand for physical model tests in ice to assist in the design process to improve their ice-going capability and performance. The Korean government has recognized the immediate need for providing research and development support to the Korean shipyards by funding the first model ice basin in MOERI. This paper presents the conceptual design of the new ice modeling facility to be built at Daejeon in South Korea by 2010.
The world's increasing consumption of energy and mineral has accelerated resource development at the Arctic Ocean and its peripheral zones with the increasing demand for ice-strengthening ships and arctic offshore structures for production and transportation. Furthermore, the increases of shipping via the Northern Sea Route has led to increased potential for international trade between the North Atlantic and the North Pacific regions. New hull forms and novel operational concepts are being developed to meet the challenges facing the shipping industries as a result of the increasing demand for ice-strengthening vessels and arctic offshore structures that must meet the regulatory requirements. Physical modeling is commonly accepted as the most reliable modeling techniques to assist the design of new ships and structures, and the performance evaluation of the final designs. This in turns leads to increased demand for model tests in ice to assist in the design process to improve their ice-going capability and performance. As South Korea owns about 43% of the world's market share in shipbuilding, the Korean government has recognized the urgent and immediate need for providing research and development support to the Korean shipyards, academia and research community in ice modeling to maintain their edge in this important sector by funding the first ice model basin in MOERI, South Korea.
