ICEATER I - The Air Cushion Icebreaker
Authors: Snyder John C. , Ball Michael C. 
Published: October 2008

A method of increasing a ship's icebreaking effectiveness, that requires minimum ship modification, has been developed.

Full-scale tests on a self-supporting air cushion platform pushed by an icebreaker demonstrated significant improvements in the ship's ability to continuously transit Great Lakes ice, showing dramatic fuel savings.

The air cushion bow platform concept offers great potential to extend operating seasons in ice-covered waters by providing conventional ships with a previously unobtainable ice transiting capability.

INTRODUCTION

There is an ever increasing interest in ship operations in ice infested waters primarily as a result of expanding efforts to obtain new sources of fuel and other natural resources. Water transportation is unchallenged in its capacity to move large tonnages at low cost and can take advantage of water "roads" provided by nature to reach remote areas. However, ice cover presents a serious impediment to water navigation, completely closing many areas during winter months.

Economic pressures are causing both government and industry to display growing interest in extending the navigation season. In recent years there has been an almost continual series of tests and studies of various icebreaking and ice clearance techniques conducted by many "ice interested" nations around the world as efforts to extend the navigation season have become more intense.

Despite these concentrated efforts, there have been few revolutionary advances in the technology, and today's major icebreaking technique still consists of expending tremendous amounts of energy pounding away at the ice with the traditional heavy, high-powered conventional icebreakers.

The ability to navigate through ice covered waters has in the past been restricted to these specially designed icebreaking ships. These ships have specifically designed bow and hull forms, significant additional weight from structure reinforcing, and excess propulsion power installation compared to conventional ships. These features are necessary to enable the ship to transit through the ice, but they are detrimental to economical performance in open water.

While the development of more sophisticated, economical, conventional icebreakers must continue, it is heartening in these times when energy conservation is of paramount importance to know that by harnessing the principles of air cushion technology it has been possible to develop a revolutionary concept that has considerable potential for improving our icebreaking effectiveness.

This new method of breaking ice uses an air cushion platform attached to the bow enabling any conventional ship strong enough to withstand impact with pieces of broken ice to 'navigate ice covered waters. The platform can be easily removed when no longer required, thus eliminating the detriment to economical open water performance.

The ability that an air cushion vehicle has to break ice over which it travels was first demonstrated during operation of a large air cushion transporter (ACT 100), owned by Arctic Systems Ltd., during winter trials conducted by Sunoco E&P Ltd., at Yellowknife, N.W.T., Canada, in 1971. (Reference 1).