A new study has investigated the levels of whole-body vibration exposure associated with open water and ice passage of a Polar Supply and Research Vessel. The authors found that in comparison with sailing in calm water, whole-body vibration exposure increased by 21 times in rough open water and up to elevenfold during ice-passage.
64 days of vibration data were recorded on the Bridge and in the Operations Room of the S.A. Agulhas II Polar Supply and Research Vessel during a relief voyage for the South African National Antarctic Programme. The measurements provide a comfort benchmark for the design and evaluation of future polar research vessels in operational conditions.
A. Bekker, K.I. Soal, K.J. McMahon, “Whole-body vibration exposure on board a Polar Supply and Research Vessel in open water and in ice”, Cold Regions Science and Technology, June 2017. DOI: 10.1016/j.coldregions.2017.06.008