This paper describes a multiyear program to make an operational assessment on the feasibility of a year‐round Arctic marine transportation system to serve Alaska. Specifically, the three objectives were to: collect meteorological and ice data along potential marine routes; instrument the hull and propulsion machinery to improve design critera for ice‐worthy ships; and demonstrate that ships can operate in midwinter Alaskan Arctic ice conditions. The U.S. Coast Guard's Polar class icebreakers were used to make the operational assessment by annually extending the route northward and by operating throughout the winter season. This paper reviews some of the operational and technical achievements to date, as well as plans for future Arctic deployments.
A multi-year "trafficability" research program was begun in 1978 to demonstrate that year-round commercial marine transportation in Arctic waters is feasible and to collect data necessary to begin developing the criteria to design and operate marine vehicles for that environment. Using U.S. Coast Guard Polar Class icebreakers, annual winter deployments had been made in 1979, 1980, and 1981 into the Bering and Chukchi Seas to collect environmental and ship performance data. Early in 1982, the fourth phase of these research activities was conducted on the USCGC Polar Star in western Alaskan waters as far north as the Arctic Circle. Participants in the research were the Maritime Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard, the State of Alaska, the Canadian Ministry of Transport, twelve participating companies of the Alaskan Oil and Gas Association, and the Newport News Shipbuilding Company. This paper reviews the results of this voyage and the data collected. The Polar Star was instrumented to continuously monitor and record propulsion and ship motion parameters and speed. Video recording equipment was used to document ice conditions. Extensive on-ice equipment was used to profile ice features and to measure other ice parameters. Numerous pressure ridges were profiled and ice cores taken to improve the understanding of Bering and Chukchi Sea winter ice conditions and ice strength. Level ice resistance tests were conducted. However, heavy level ice conditions were not encountered and it is planned to complete the level ice resistance tests in 1984. Other research tasks included an ice edge analysis, hull friction experiments, and an ice drift study.
Results of an extensive test program of full-form merchant ship models, sponsored by the Maritime Administration, are presented in abstract form as an introduction to the forthcoming publication by SNAME of the complete series data. The systematic series characteristics are oriented toward low length/breadth for economy in construction and high breadth/draft for restricted draft service. Material presented and evaluated includes hull form development, resistance and propulsion data, and directional stability and control data, for deep and shallow water test conditions. The SNAME text, entitled The U.S. Maritime Administration Systematic Series of Full Form Merchant Ship Models will be published in early 1986.
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