Donald L. Hamilton, owner of Novan Research said that he has invented a new concept in icebreaking technology that uses a specially designed submarine to break through the ice fields. This new type of submarine is designed for icebreaking operations in the ice clogged polar regions and frozen lakes of the planet using the tremendous power of buoyancy to break the ice. The submarine’s hull is specially designed for breaking ice and strong enough to withstand breaking through the polar sea ice as it moves forward or backward. “At the present time as far as I can determine there are no other ships like this in the world,” Hamilton says. The submarine is not yet designed for very deep dives nor for carrying armament, so it should be relatively economical to build and operate, Hamilton said.
One of the advantages of using this unique technology is the submarine icebreaker’s capability to travel swiftly to its destination when submerged under an ice cap in contrast to a surface icebreaker that has to slowly break a path through the ice pact to reach its destination. A surface icebreaker ship needs tremendous power and weight to move forward to break thick ice while the submarine icebreaker only needs to adjust its buoyancy and may need less powerful engines to break ice. Power options could include gas powered turbines, conventional diesel electric systems or nuclear power.
Concept: The Icebreaking Submarine (Image: Novan Research)Concept: The Icebreaking Submarine (Image: Novan Research)
The submerged submarine icebreaker can rise to the surface breaking through the ice above by using its buoyancy power to rise. It can then be propelled using its propulsion power and buoyancy to break a path through the ice as it moves through the ice field. The submarine icebreaker is not designed for the military, but instead mainly to perform such duties as icebreaking, rescue operations, gathering intelligence, research, surveillance, and supplying bases at any time of the year.