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Title: Research progress on discrete element method for ship navigation in broken ice areas

Authors: Wanzhu Ren

Addresses: School of Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China

Abstract: The complex sea ice and marine environment in the polar region significantly affects marine safety operations. How to accurately simulate the complex polar environment is a key concern at home and abroad. The greenhouse effect leads to ice melting, with the expanding area of broken ice posing new challenges to ice navigation. This paper reviews the principle of discrete element method (DEM), special features of ship navigation in broken ice areas, and the progress of DEM applications in broken ice research. Based on this foundation, it discusses the existing challenges and key research applying DEM to broken ice studies.

Keywords: discrete element method; DEM; broken ice areas; computational fluid dynamics; ship navigation; review.

DOI: 10.1504/IJICT.2026.153706

International Journal of Information and Communication Technology, 2026 Vol.27 No.51, pp.53 - 69

Received: 05 Nov 2025
Accepted: 12 Dec 2025
Published online: 21 May 2026 *