Nuclear icebreakers can stay on the Northern Sea Route for a long time without needing refueling. Currently, the operating fleet includes the nuclear-powered ships "Rossiya", " Soviet Union", "Yamal", "50 Years of Victory", "Taimyr" and "Vaigach", as well as the nuclear-powered lighter-container carrier "Sevmorput". Their operation and maintenance is carried out by Rosatomflot, located in Murmansk.
1. Nuclear icebreaker - a sea vessel with a nuclear power plant, built specifically for use in waters covered with ice all year round. Nuclear icebreakers are much more powerful than diesel ones. In the USSR, they were developed to ensure navigation in the cold waters of the Arctic.
2. For the period 1959–1991. In the Soviet Union, 8 nuclear-powered icebreakers and 1 nuclear-powered lighter-container ship were built.
In Russia, from 1991 to the present, two more nuclear icebreakers were built: Yamal (1993) and 50 Let Pobeda (2007). Construction is currently underway on three more nuclear icebreakers with a displacement of more than 33 thousand tons, ice-breaking capacity of almost three meters. The first of them will be ready by 2017.
3. In total, more than 1,100 people work on Russian nuclear icebreakers, as well as ships based on the Atomflot nuclear fleet.
"Soviet Union" (nuclear-powered icebreaker of the "Arktika" class)
4. Icebreakers of the “Arctic” class are the basis of the Russian nuclear icebreaker fleet: 6 out of 10 nuclear icebreakers belong to this class. The ships have a double hull and can break ice, moving both forward and backward. These ships are designed to operate in cold Arctic waters, making it difficult to operate a nuclear facility in warm seas. This is partly why crossing the tropics to work off the coast of Antarctica is not among their tasks.
Icebreaker displacement - 21,120 tons, draft - 11.0 m, maximum speed at clean water- 20.8 knots.
5. The design feature of the icebreaker “Soviet Soyuz” is that at any time it can be retrofitted into a battle cruiser. Initially, the ship was used for Arctic tourism. While making a transpolar cruise, it was possible to install meteorological ice stations operating in automatic mode, as well as an American meteorological buoy from its board.
6. Department of GTG (main turbogenerators). A nuclear reactor heats water, which turns into steam, which spins turbines, which energize generators, which generate electricity, which feeds electric motors that turn propellers.
7. CPU (Central control post).
8. The control of the icebreaker is concentrated in two main command posts: the wheelhouse and the central power plant control post (CPC). From the wheelhouse, general management of the icebreaker’s operation is carried out, and from the central control room, the operation of the power plant, mechanisms and systems is controlled and monitored.
9. The reliability of nuclear-powered ships of the Arctic class has been tested and proven by time - for more than 30 years of nuclear-powered ships of this class there has not been a single accident associated with a nuclear power plant.
10. Wardroom for meals for command personnel. The enlisted mess is located one deck below. The diet consists of four full meals a day.
11. "Soviet Union" was put into operation in 1989, with deadline service for 25 years. In 2008, the Baltic Shipyard supplied equipment for the icebreaker that allows it to extend the life of the vessel. Currently, the icebreaker is planned for restoration, but only after a specific customer has been identified or until transit along the Northern Sea Route is increased and new work areas appear.
Nuclear icebreaker "Arktika"
12. Launched in 1975 and was considered the largest of all existing at that time: its width was 30 meters, length - 148 meters, and side height - more than 17 meters. All conditions were created on the ship to allow the flight crew and helicopter to be based. "Arktika" was capable of breaking through ice, the thickness of which was five meters, and also moving at a speed of 18 knots. A clear difference was considered unusual coloring vessel (bright red), which personified a new nautical era.
13. The nuclear icebreaker "Arktika" became famous for being the first ship that managed to reach the North Pole. It is currently decommissioned and a decision on its disposal is awaited.
"Vaigach"
14. Shallow-draft nuclear icebreaker of the Taimyr project. Distinctive feature This icebreaker project has a reduced draft, allowing it to serve ships traveling along the Northern Sea Route with calls at the mouths of Siberian rivers.
15. Captain's bridge. Remotes remote control three propulsion electric motors, and control devices are also located on the remote control towing device, tug surveillance camera control panel, log indicators, echo sounders, gyrocompass repeater, VHF radio stations, windshield wiper control panel, etc., joystick for controlling a 6 kW xenon spotlight.
16. Machine telegraphs.
17. The main use of “Vaigach” is escorting ships with metal from Norilsk and ships with timber and ore from Igarka to Dikson.
18. The main power plant of the icebreaker consists of two turbogenerators, which will provide a maximum continuous power of about 50,000 hp on the shafts. s., which will make it possible to force ice up to two meters thick. With an ice thickness of 1.77 meters, the icebreaker's speed is 2 knots.
19. Middle propeller shaft room.
20. The direction of movement of the icebreaker is controlled using an electro-hydraulic steering machine.
21. Former cinema hall. Now on the icebreaker in each cabin there is a TV with wiring for broadcasting the ship’s video channel and satellite television. The cinema hall is used for general meetings and cultural events.
22. The office of the block cabin of the second first mate. The duration of stay of nuclear-powered ships at sea depends on the amount of planned work, on average it is 2-3 months. The crew of the icebreaker "Vaigach" consists of 100 people.
Nuclear icebreaker "Taimyr"
24. The icebreaker is identical to the Vaigach. It was built in the late 1980s in Finland at the Wärtsilä shipyard. Marine Technology") in Helsinki commissioned by the Soviet Union. However, the equipment (power plant, etc.) on the ship was Soviet, and Soviet-made steel was used. The installation of nuclear equipment was carried out in Leningrad, where the icebreaker hull was towed in 1988.
25. "Taimyr" in the dock of the shipyard.
26. “Taimyr” breaks the ice in a classic way: a powerful hull leans on an obstacle of frozen water, destroying it with its own weight. A channel is formed behind the icebreaker through which ordinary sea vessels can move.
27. To improve ice-breaking capacity, the Taimyr is equipped with a pneumatic washing system that prevents the hull from sticking broken ice and snow. If the laying of a channel is slowed down due to thick ice, the trim and roll systems, which consist of tanks and pumps, come into play. Thanks to these systems, the icebreaker can roll first to one side, then to the other, and raise the bow or stern higher. Such movements of the hull break up the ice field surrounding the icebreaker, allowing it to move on.
28. For painting external structures, decks and bulkheads, imported two-component acrylic-based enamels with increased resistance to weathering, abrasion-resistant and shock loads. The paint is applied in three layers: one layer of primer and two layers of enamel.
29. The speed of such an icebreaker is 18.5 knots (33.3 km/h).
30. Repair of the propeller-rudder complex.
31. Installation of the blade.
32. Bolts securing the blade to the propeller hub; each of the four blades is secured with nine bolts.
33. Almost all vessels of the Russian icebreaker fleet are equipped with propellers manufactured at the Zvezdochka plant.
Nuclear icebreaker "Lenin"
34. This icebreaker, launched on December 5, 1957, became the world's first ship equipped with a nuclear power plant. Its most important differences were high level autonomy and power. During the first six years of use, the nuclear-powered icebreaker covered more than 82,000 nautical miles, carrying over 400 ships. Later, "Lenin" will be the first of all ships to be north of Severnaya Zemlya.
35. The icebreaker "Lenin" worked for 31 years and in 1990 was taken out of service and placed in permanent berth in Murmansk. Now there is a museum on the icebreaker, and work is underway to expand the exhibition.
36. The compartment in which there were two nuclear installations. Two dosimetrists went inside to measure the radiation level and monitor the operation of the reactor.
There is an opinion that it was thanks to “Lenin” that the expression “peaceful atom” was established. The icebreaker was being built in the midst of " cold war", but had absolutely peaceful purposes- development of the Northern Sea Route and passage of civilian ships.
37. Wheelhouse.
38. Main staircase.
39. One of the captains of the AL "Lenin", Pavel Akimovich Ponomarev, was previously the captain of the "Ermak" (1928-1932) - the world's first Arctic-class icebreaker.
As a bonus, a couple of photos of Murmansk...
40. Murmansk is the world's largest city located beyond the Arctic Circle. It is located on the rocky eastern coast of the Kola Bay of the Barents Sea.
41. The basis of the city’s economy is the Murmansk seaport - one of the largest ice-free ports in Russia. The Murmansk port is the home port of the Sedov barque, the largest sailing ship in the world.
The first icebreaker in the world appeared in the 18th century. It was not a very large steamship, capable of breaking the ice in Philadelphia Harbor. A lot of time has passed since the wheel was replaced by a turbine, and then a powerful nuclear reactor appeared. Today huge nuclear powered ships are being hacked arctic ice enormous power.
What is an icebreaker?
This is a vessel used in waters covered with a thick layer of ice. equipped with nuclear power plants, and therefore have more power than diesel ones, making it easier for them to conquer frozen bodies of water. Icebreakers have another clear advantage - they do not need refueling.
Below in the article the largest icebreaker in the world is presented (dimensions, design, features, etc.). Also, after reading the material, you can get acquainted with the world's largest liners of this type.
General information
It should be noted that all 10 nuclear icebreakers that exist today were built and launched during the times of the USSR and Russia. The indispensability of such airliners is proven by an operation that occurred in 1983. At that time, about fifty ships, including diesel icebreakers, found themselves in the eastern Arctic, trapped in ice. Only thanks to the nuclear power were they able to free themselves from captivity and deliver important cargo to nearby settlements.
Nuclear-powered ships have been built in Russia a long time ago, because only our state has a long-distance connection with the Arctic Ocean - the famous maritime Northern Route, the length of which is 5 thousand 600 kilometers. It starts at and ends at Providence Bay.
There is one interesting point: icebreakers are specially painted dark red so that they are clearly visible in the ice.
Below in the article are presented the largest icebreakers in the world (top 10).
Icebreaker "Arktika"
One of the largest icebreakers, the nuclear-powered icebreaker "Arktika", went down in history as the very first surface ship to reach the North Pole. In 1982-1986 it was called “Leonid Brezhnev”. Its laying took place in Leningrad, at the Baltic Shipyard, in July 1971. More than 400 enterprises and associations, design and research scientific and other organizations took part in its creation.
The icebreaker was launched into the water at the end of 1972. The purpose of the vessel is to guide ships across the Arctic Ocean.
The length of the nuclear-powered vessel is 148 meters, and the side has a height of approximately 17 meters. Its width is 30 meters. The power of the steam-producing nuclear plant is more than 55 megawatts. The technical characteristics of the vessel made it possible to break through ice 5 meters thick, and its speed in clear water reached 18 knots.
Below are the 10 largest (by length) modern icebreakers all over the world:
1. “Sevmorput” is an icebreaking transport vessel. Its length is 260 meters, its height corresponds to its dimensions multi-storey building. The ship is capable of passing through ice thickness of 1 meter.
2. Arktika is the largest nuclear icebreaker with a length of 173 meters. It was launched in 2016 and represents the first nuclear icebreaker Russian Federation. Capable of breaking ice up to 3 meters thick.
3. “50 Let Pobeda” is a nuclear-powered marine icebreaker (the largest in the world) of the Arktika class, distinguished by its impressive power and deep landing. Its length is 159.6 meters.
4. “Taimyr” is a nuclear-powered river icebreaker that breaks ice at river mouths up to 1.7 meters thick. Its length is 151.8 meters. The peculiarity of the vessel is its reduced landing and the ability to operate at low extreme temperatures.
5. “Vaigach” - built according to the same design as “Taimyr” (but it is a little younger). Nuclear equipment was installed on the ship in 1990. Its length is 151.8 m.
6. “Yamal” - famous for the fact that it was on this icebreaker that the meeting at the beginning of the third millennium at the North Pole took place. The total number of trips of the nuclear-powered ship to this point was almost 50. Its length is 150 meters.
7. Healy is the largest US icebreaker. In 2015, Americans were able to travel to the North Pole for the first time. The research vessel is equipped with the latest laboratory and measuring equipment. Its length is 128 meters.
8. PolarSea is one of the oldest icebreakers in the United States, built in 1977. Seattle is the home port. The length of the vessel is 122 meters. Perhaps due to old age it will soon be written off.
9. Louis S. St-Laurent is the largest icebreaker built in Canada (120 meters long) in 1969 and completely modernized in 1993. This is the first ship in the world to reach the North Pole in 1994.
10. Polarstern - German nuclear-powered ship, built in 1982 and intended for scientific research. The oldest ship is 118 meters long. In 2017, Polarstern-II will be built, which will replace its predecessor and will take duty in the Arctic.
The largest icebreaker in the world: photo, description, purpose
“50 Years of Victory” is a largely modernized experimental project of the 2nd series of icebreakers of the “Arktika” type. This vessel uses a spoon-shaped bow shape. It was first used in the development of the experimental Kenmar Kigoriyak (icebreaker, Canada) in 1979 and convincingly proved its effectiveness.
It is the largest and most powerful in the world equipped with a modern digital system automatic control. It also has a modernized set of tools for biological protection nuclear power plant. It is also equipped with an environmental compartment, equipped with the latest modern equipment, collecting and disposing of waste products of personnel on the ship.
The icebreaker “50 Let Pobedy” is not only engaged in the release of other ships from ice captivity, it is also focused on tourist cruises. Of course, there are no passenger cabins on the ship, so tourists are accommodated in ordinary cabins of the ship. However, the ship is equipped with a restaurant, sauna, swimming pool and gym.
Brief history of the ship
The world's largest icebreaker is “50 Years of Victory”. It was designed in Leningrad, at the Baltic Shipyard, in 1989, and 4 years later it was built and launched for the first time. However, its construction was not completed due to financial troubles. Only in 2003 was its construction resumed, and in February 2007, tests began in the Gulf of Finland. Murmansk became his home port.
Despite the slow start, today the ship has more than a hundred trips to the North Pole under its belt.
The most powerful and largest icebreaker “50 Let Pobedy” is the 8th nuclear icebreaker designed and built at the Baltic Shipyard.
"Siberia"
At one time, the Soviet Union had no equal in the construction of nuclear icebreakers. At that time, there were no such ships anywhere in the world, while the USSR had 7 nuclear icebreakers. For example, “Sibir” is a ship that became a direct continuation of nuclear installations of the “Arktika” type.
The ship was equipped with a satellite communications system responsible for fax, navigation and telephone communications. It also had all the amenities: a relaxation room, a swimming pool, a sauna, a library, a training room and a huge dining room.
The icebreaker "Sibir" went down in history as the first ship to make year-round navigation from Murmansk to Dudinka. It is also the second ship to reach the top of the planet at the North Pole.
In 1977 (the moment the icebreaker was put into operation) it had the largest dimensions: 29.9 meters in width, 147.9 meters in length. At that time it was the largest icebreaker in the world.
The importance of icebreakers
The importance of such vessels will only increase in the near future, because many active development activities are planned in the future natural resources, located under the bottom of the great Arctic Ocean.
By individual areas navigation lasts only 2-4 months, because the rest of the time all the water is covered with ice up to 3 meters thick or more. In order not to risk the ship and crew, and also in order to save fuel, planes and helicopters are sent from icebreakers to carry out reconnaissance in search of an easier route.
The world's largest icebreakers have important feature- they can autonomously navigate the Arctic Ocean for a year, hacking with the bow unusual shape ice up to 3 meters thick.
Conclusion
The USSR at one time had absolute dominance in the world in terms of the number of such ships. In total, seven nuclear icebreakers were built in those days.
Since 1989, some icebreakers of this type began to be used for tourist excursions, mostly to the North Pole.
IN winter time The thickness of ice in the ocean averages 1.2-2 meters, and in some areas reaches 2.5 meters, but nuclear icebreakers are capable of sailing through such waters at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour (11 knots). In ice-free waters, speeds can reach 45 kilometers per hour (or 25 knots).
The first icebreaker, dating back to the 18th century, was a small steamship that carried out icebreaking operations in Philadelphia Harbor. More than a century has passed since its appearance, and during this time there have been global changes in the design: first, the wheel was replaced by a turbine, then by a nuclear reactor, and now today ships of impressive size are engaged in chopping ice in the Arctic. Today, Russia and America can be proud of their large fleet, consisting of nuclear and diesel powerful ships that are designed to perform icebreaking operations, but where and when the largest icebreaker in the world was created is still unknown to some. This will be discussed in our article.
The construction of a nuclear-powered lighter-container carrier was carried out at the large shipbuilding enterprise Zaliv in the period from 1982 to 1988. The nuclear-powered icebreaker "Sevmorput" is an icebreaking transport vessel that used a nuclear power plant. The lighter carrier was put into use in December 1988.
After the flag was raised and work began, the total distance of the lighter carrier was 302,000 miles. Over the entire period of operation of the icebreaker, over 1.5 million tons of various cargo were transported. The need to recharge the nuclear reactor was only required once.
The main purpose of the vessel with a height of multi-storey building and 260.1 m long - transporting cargo to remote areas of the North, but it is also capable of moving in ice 1 meter thick. And who after this will say that the ship “Sevmorput” does not deserve to bear the title of icebreaker?
"Arctic"
The nuclear icebreaker was named after its legendary predecessor, which was launched in 1972 and operated for more than 30 years. The 173.3-meter-long vessel can operate in bays and estuaries, as well as break up ocean ice. The nuclear icebreaker Arktika was launched without a superstructure section in June 2016. According to the technology, the superstructure, weighing about 2,400 tons, must be installed after the ship is launched.
The Project 22220 icebreaker Arktika could pass through ice 2.9 thick. Thanks to modern automatic system management, which equipped the new ship, managed to reduce the number of crew by half.
The icebreaker is planned to be put into operation in 2018-2019 and after this happens it will break all records in terms of the power of power plants, the dimensions and height of the ice through which it will pass.
"50 years of Victory"
The main difference between the 159.6-meter long nuclear icebreaker “50 Let Pobedy” is its deep landing and impressive power. Construction of the ship was carried out from 1989 to 2007. Since its launch and start of use, the ship “50 Let Pobedy” has been sent on expeditions to the North Pole more than 100 times.
"Taimyr"
The 151.8-meter-long nuclear icebreaker at river mouths is capable of breaking up ice 1.77 meters thick, thus clearing the way for other ships. The main features of the Taimyr icebreaker include a reduced landing position and the ability to carry out icebreaking operations in areas with extremely low temperatures.
"Vaigach"
The shallow-landing nuclear icebreaker is the second ship in the Project 10580 series, which was built in Finland by order of the USSR. The main purpose of the 151.8-meter-long icebreaker is to serve ships heading along the Northern Sea Corridor to the mouths of rivers in Siberia. The ship was named after a hydrographic ship of the early 20th century performing icebreaking operations.
The icebreaker "Vaigach" escorts ships loaded with metal from Norilsk, and with timber and ore from Igarka. Thanks to the nuclear turboelectric installation, Vaygach can pass through ice up to two meters thick. In ice 1.77 meters thick, the ship moves at a speed of 2 knots. Icebreaking operations are carried out at temperatures down to -50 degrees.
"Yamal"
Construction of the 150-meter-long icebreaker was completed in 1986, and it was launched 3 years later. Initially, the ship was called “October Revolution”, and in 1992 it was renamed “Yamal”.
In 2000, Yamal went to the North Pole to celebrate the third millennium. In total, the icebreaker made 46 expeditions to the North Pole. Yamal became the seventh ship that managed to reach the North Pole. One of the advantages of the Yamal icebreaker is the ability to move forward and backward.
"Healy"
On an icebreaker 128 meters long, which is the largest in America, Americans for the first time independently managed to reach the North Pole. This event happened in 2015. The research vessel is equipped with the latest measuring and laboratory equipment.
Polar Sea
Construction of the 122-meter-long icebreaker was completed in 1976; the ship is still in working order, although it was not in service between 2007 and 2012. Diesel engines and gas turbine units together produce a power of 78 thousand horsepower. In terms of power characteristics, it is practically in no way inferior to the icebreaker Arktika. The speed of the icebreaker “Polar Sea” in ice 2 meters thick is 3 knots.
"Louis S. St. Laurent"
Construction of the Canadian icebreaker, 120 meters long, was completed in 1969. In 1993, the vessel was completely modernized. "Louis S. St-Laurent" is the first ship in the world to reach the North Pole (the expedition ended in 1994).
"Polarstern"
A German vessel with a length of 118 meters, designed for scientific and research work, can be operated at temperatures down to -50 degrees. In ice up to 1.5 meters thick, the icebreaker Polarstern moves at a speed of 5 knots. The ship mainly travels in the directions of the Arctic and Antarctic in order to study these areas.
In 2017, the new icebreaker Polarstern-II is expected to appear, which will be assigned to watch duty in the Arctic.
aslan wrote in April 5th, 2013
Essentially, a nuclear icebreaker is a steamship. The nuclear reactor heats water, which turns into steam, which spins turbines, which excite generators, which generate electricity, which goes to electric motors, which turn 3 propellers.
The thickness of the hull in places where the ice breaks is 5 centimeters, but the strength of the hull is given not so much by the thickness of the plating as by the number and location of the frames. The icebreaker has a double bottom, so if there is a hole, water will not flow into the ship.
On nuclear icebreaker"50 Years of Victory" installed 2 nuclear reactors with a capacity of 170 Megawatts each. The power of these two installations is enough to supply electricity to a city with a population of 2 million people.
Nuclear reactors are reliably protected from accidents and external shocks. Icebreaker can withstand a direct hit to the reactor passenger plane or a collision with the same icebreaker at speeds up to 10 km/h.
Reactors are filled with new fuel every 5 years!
We were given a short tour of the icebreaker's engine room, photographs of which are below the cut. Plus, I’ll show you where we ate, what we ate, how the rest of us rested interior spaces icebreaker...
The tour began in the chief engineer's office. He briefly talked about the structure of the icebreaker and where we would go during the excursion. Since the group was mostly foreigners, everything was translated first into English and then into Japanese:
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2 turbines, each of which simultaneously rotates 3 generators, generate alternating current. In the background the yellow boxes are rectifiers. Since rowing electric motors operate from direct current, then it needs to be straightened:
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Rectifiers:
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Electric motors turning propellers. This place is very noisy and is located 9 meters below the waterline. The total draft of the icebreaker is 11 meters:
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The steering gear looks very impressive. On the bridge, the helmsman turns a small steering wheel with his finger, and here huge pistons rotate the steering wheel behind the stern:
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And this is the upper part of the steering wheel. He himself is in the water. An icebreaker is much more maneuverable than conventional ships:
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Desalination plants:
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They produce 120 tons per day fresh water:
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You can taste the water directly from the desalination plant. I drank regular distilled water:
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The ship has many degrees of protection against emergency situations. One of them is extinguishing fires with carbon dioxide:
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Purely in Russian - oil is dripping from under the gasket. Instead of replacing the gasket, they simply hung the jar. Believe it or not, it’s the same at my house. My heated towel rail leaked in the same way, so I still haven’t replaced it, but just empty a bucket of water once a week:
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Wheelhouse:
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The icebreaker is operated by 3 people. The watch lasts 4 hours, that is, each shift carries a watch, for example, from 4 pm to 8 pm and from 4 am to 8 am, the next from 8 pm to midnight and from 8 am to noon, etc. Only 3 shifts.
The watch consists of a helmsman who directly turns the wheel, a watch chief who gives commands to the sailor where to turn the steering wheel and is responsible for the entire ship, and a watch assistant who makes entries in the ship's log, marks the ship's position on the map and helps the watch chief.
The watch chief usually stood in the left wing of the bridge, where all the equipment necessary for navigation was installed. The three large levers in the middle are the handles of the machine telegraphs, which control the speed of rotation of the screws. Each of them has 41 positions - 20 forward, 20 backward and stop:
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Steering sailor. Please note the size of the steering wheel:
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Radio room. From here I sent photos:
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The icebreaker has a huge number of gangways, including several representative ones:
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Corridors and doors to cabins.
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The bar where we whiled away the sunny white nights:
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Library. I don’t know what books are usually there, because for our cruise the books were brought from Canada and they were all in English:
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Icebreaker lobby and reception window:
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Mailbox. I wanted to send myself a postcard from the North Pole, but I forgot:
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Most ships have a narrow deck, a V-shaped hull, a nearly vertical bow, and are propelled by the rotation of a propeller that is connected directly to the ship's engine.
Not so with icebreakers. These vessels are specially adapted to navigate seas clogged with floating ice floes or bound by thick pack ice. Therefore, they are very heavy and are lined with steel on the outside, which allows them to break ice 35 feet thick without any dents or holes. Their wide bodies and rounded bottoms also help avoid such troubles.
Faced with pack ice, the powerful icebreaker lifts its curved bow and falls with all its weight onto the ice. Usually this is enough to make a pass. To perform such a maneuver, the propeller must push the ship forward with all its might and at the same time not be damaged. Therefore, the propeller of icebreakers is securely hidden under the ship’s hull and is driven not by the ship’s motor, but by an electric motor. This allows the screw to spin at an extremely low speed.
Japanese icebreaker "Shirazi" 440 feet long
The Japanese icebreaker Shirazi, 440 feet long, is equipped with three diesel engines, working in tandem with electric motors that rotate the propeller. The total power output of the icebreaker's engines is 90,000 horsepower.
Techniques for creating passages in icy seas
To open and navigate the Arctic seas: to oil developments, isolated scientific and military bases, to strategically important northern ports, the help of icebreakers is required. Thin ice easily gives in to these powerful ships, and they take it with a frontal ram. When it is necessary to break a floating ice floe or widen an open passage in the ice, the icebreaker, with the help of water flowing in the heeling tanks from one side to the other, tilts to one side - as shown in the right figure. With such swaying, the ship's hull cuts and crushes the ice fields. Some icebreakers have additional side thrusters mounted in the keel to facilitate rocking.
Performing icebreaking work using a roll
Having encountered pack ice, the icebreaker climbs onto it with its nose. In this case, fuel is poured from the bow ballast tank into the stern tank (left picture below). Once the entire bow of the ship is securely perched on the ice, the pumps begin pumping fuel back into the bow ballast tank. This added weight is usually enough to cause the ice to give way and move away (right picture).
Performing icebreaking work using a ballast tank
Very wide ship
When the commander is on the hanging bridge, he can look down on his ship, which was created to awaken the polar seas to life. Typical icebreaker wider than an ordinary ship of the same length. This adds stability and load capacity to it.
Cup profile the bottom makes it easy to climb onto such ice fields that would simply wipe out an ordinary ship.
Steep bevel The bow part is made so that the icebreaker, when sliding, easily climbs onto the pack ice. And with the usual shape of the bow, the ship can only bump into such ice.
Marine icebreaker engine rotates the electric generator. The generator powers the engine, which turns the propeller. This allows the best way control the speed of the ship.