The maneuvering performance of ships in marginal ice zones is critical for navigational safety, yet most existing studies focus on icebreaking vessels. This study develops a coupled numerical framework that integrates the Non-Smooth Discrete Element Method (NDEM) for simulating ship–ice interactions with the three-degree-of-freedom MMG model for ship dynamics. The framework was applied to an S175 container ship, and numerical simulations were conducted for turning circle and Zig-Zag maneuvers under varying ice concentrations (0–60%), floe sizes, and rudder angles. NDEM efficiently handles complex, high-frequency multi-body collisions with larger time steps compared to conventional DEM or CFD–DEM approaches, enabling large-scale simulations of realistic ice conditions. Results indicate that increasing ice concentration from 0% to 60% reduces the turning diameter from 4.11L to 3.21L and decreases steady turning speed by approximately 53%. Larger floes form stable force chains that restrict lateral motion, while higher rudder angles improve responsiveness but may induce dynamic instability. These findings improve understanding of non-icebreaking ship maneuverability in ice and provide practical guidance for safe and efficient Arctic navigation.
Wang et al. (Sun,) studied this question.