To improve the structural safety and ice-resistance performance of trailing suction hopper dredgers during navigation and operation in ice-covered waters,a finite element numerical model of ice-ship interaction is established to address the problem of bow damage under fragmented ice impact.Based on the cellular automata technique,a digital model of fragmented ice field that conforms to the power function distribution characteristics is constructed,and the S-ALE algorithm is employed to simulate the coupled interaction among the ship hull,fragmented ice,and surrounding water.Using the LS-DYNA platform,the effects of different ice plow thicknesses on the stress characteristics of the bow are calculated to investigate the role of the ice plow structure in dispersing ice loads and reducing collision stress.The results show that after installing an ice plow,the maximum collision stress at the bow of the ship can be reduced from 308 MPa to 206 MPa,and the peak stress can be reduced by 33.1%,meeting the safety requirements of ICE3 ice-class navigation and effectively avoiding structural yielding.The study quantitatively reveals the relationship between ice plow thickness and ice-resistance performance,and proposes an engineering applicable design scheme for strengthening the bow structure.This provides theoretical basis and technical guidance for the ice-resistance safety design and ice-class retrofitting of dredgers operating in ice regions