Author(s): James R. Rossiter; Ron Ritch; Louis Lalumiere; Michel Metge; Garry Timco
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Abstract: An understanding of the strength and thickness of ice is essential to assess ship performance in ice. Ice measurements are usually made from the ice surface, involving both risk to personnel and lengthy delays to the ship. Also, it has been found that measurements of a larger number of ice samples with moderate accuracy is more effective in characterizing the physical properties of the ice (especially strength) than fewer samples with a higher accuracy (Canatec 1992). With this approach in mind, a novel system for assessing ice properties around an icebreaker has been developed that does not require personnel to be deployed on the ice. The system is composed oftwo main subsystems: • A remotely operated ice corer and snow sampler which can be deployed from the ship deck. • A ship board video system to estimate and record the thickness of blocks turned up by the ship. Infonnation on the physical properties (salinity, temperature, density) of the ice obtained by the coring system are used in empirical equations to determine the compressive strength of the ice (Timco and Frederking 1990), and the flexural strength of the ice (Timco and O'Brien 1993).
Year: 1994