Master of Science Sushmit Dhar will Thursday March 20th, 2025, at 12:15 hold his Thesis Defense for the PhD degree in Science. The title of the thesis is:
«Empirical Study and Modelling of Sea-Spray Parameters for Robust Marine Icing Estimation»
Sea-spray icing poses a significant risk to maritime operations in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, threatening the stability, safety, and efficiency of vessels and offshore structures. Current icing estimation models are constrained by limited data and are often tailored to specific vessels or structures. A critical challenge lies in accurately estimating spray flux, which is the amount of water available for freezing. While the freezing fraction is well-researched, spray flux estimation relies on field data that is challenging to collect due to extreme weather and the absence of standardized equipment. This research addresses these limitations by focusing on the development of specialized equipment, collection of field data, and enhancement of estimation models. Two novel devices, the "SPRICE sea-spray collector" (a catching-type collector inspired by the cyclone separator principle) and the "SPRICE sea-spray sensor" (a high-resolution capacitive sensor), were developed to measure spray flux, frequency, and duration. These devices were tested at a fish farm in Northern Norway under real-world conditions, yielding valuable field data. Classical statistical and machine learning models were developed using this data to accurately estimate spray parameters, including spray frequency and duration, forming a more reliable foundation for spray flux estimation. Additionally, to tackle the challenges of limited field data availability, synthetic data generation was explored using generative machine learning models, resulting in enhanced model robustness. This research demonstrates that the innovative equipment and data-driven approaches hold significant potential to improve the reliability of spray flux estimation, effectively addressing critical gaps in marine icing models. These advancements can contribute to improved safety and operational efficiency of maritime operations in cold regions.
1st Opponent: Professor Sønke Maus, NTNU
2nd Opponent: Dr. Olga Shipilova, Principal Specialist at DNV Group International, Oslo
Internal member and leader of the committee: Associate Professor Amar Aganovic, IVT Faculty
The defence and trial lecture will be streamed from these following links at Panopto:
Defence (12:15 - 16:00)
Trial Lecture (10:15 - 11:15)
The abstract of the thesis is available at Munin Here.