Energy absorption characteristics of ship side-shell structures subjected to collision load conditions

Paper in proceeding, 2025

The crashworthiness of ship side-shell structures is critical for ensuring passive safety during collisions. This study presents a benchmark of six ship side-shell structures subjected to an indenter contact load at displacement-controlled loading conditions. Three of the structures have been studied by many scholars (the reference, the X-core, and the Y-core structures), while the other three are more novel (a concrete-filled and two types of three-barrier structures). Abaqus/Explicit is used to simulate the penetration of a rigid indenter through the structures. The indenter’s reaction force, the structures’ energy absorption, and failure modes are analysed and discussed as a function of the indenter’s displacement and penetration depth through the structures. A specific energy absorption value related to each structure’s mass is computed. The benchmark study shows that the reference structure, with its ductile design, cannot efficiently be used to protect sensitive compartments in SMR-powered ships. The three-barrier structures, which partly follow the strength-based design philosophy, had the best energy-absorbing capabilities at moderate indenter displacements. The concrete filled reference structure showed the most significant energy absorption capability if only a small indenter displacement (or penetration depth) was allowed. The study emphasizes the potential of concrete-filled and three-barrier structures to significantly improve crashworthiness, although challenges related to concrete’s brittleness, extra mass, and global failure were noted. The study highlights the importance of balancing energy absorption capabilities with penetration depth and mass considerations in the design of ship side-shell structures, particularly for applications requiring high safety margins.