In this paper, the new concept polar ocean nuclear energy platform was introduced and the influence of the moonpool on its towing resistance was studied. STAR-CCM + was used to calculate the towing resistance of the nuclear power platform at different towing speeds when the moonpool was at both open and closed. It can be found that towing resistance increased obviously with the increase of towing speed. The existence of the moonpool tends to disorder the flow field around the platform, which will cause a 20%-30% increase on the nuclear power platform's towing resistance. The research on the mechanism of increasing the resistance of the lunar moonpool can provide some guidances for the design of nuclear energy platform in the future.
In recent years, as the global warming continues unabated, the arctic sea ice gradually melts, and regular navigable waters appear in summer. It is highly possible that the arctic ocean will be ice-free in summer of 2050 (LI Z.F., 2019). The ice-free state of the arctic in summer will bring certain economic benefits to the development of the global economy: if the arctic shipping route is used, the sailing time and energy consumption of the route from China to the northern Europe or the Baltic sea will be 1/3 less than those of the traditional route. If the destination is within the Arctic Circle, the sailing time and energy consumption will be 1/2 less (CAI M.J., 2019). In addition, the arctic is rich in natural resources, including 13% of the world's proven oil reserves and 30% of the world's natural gas reserves. If the polar natural resources are to be exploited, the problem of power supply needs to be solved urgently. The ecological environment of the arctic region is fragile (LIU D.H., 2019), and it has high requirements for environmental protection of engineering equipment. The offshore nuclear power platform can provide sufficient, stable and environmentally friendly power (LI X., 2019), which is the best choice for the development of power supply equipment in the polar region and has a broad application prospect.
