ICE-BREAKING HOVERCRAFT Russian patent published in 2003 - IPC

FIELD: ice-breaking jobs. SUBSTANCE: hovercraft 2 runs over ice 1 at resonance speed. If amplitude of excited flexural gravitational waves 3 is insufficient for breaking ice, hovercraft 2 is stopped Sag 4 is formed in ice cover due to static loading. Then, vertical ice bore 6 mounted in hull 7 of hovercraft 2 is extended by means of hydraulic drive 5. Ice bore 6 has water passage 8 and cutting edge 9. Then, hole 10 is drilled in ice 1 by mans of ice bore 6, after which hose 12 of centrifugal pump 13 is connected to upper edge 11 of ice bore 6 and water 14 is pumped from under ice 1. Water 15 pumped from pump 13 is directed under skirt 16 of hovercraft 2 to sag 4 where it is heated by thermal fan 17 mounted in hull7 of hovercraft 2, thus breaking ice cover and forming lane in it. Then, pump 13 and thermal fan 17 are disconnected, ice bore 6 is retracted to initial position and hovercraft 2 is removed from lane to distance sufficient for forming flexural gravitational waves 3 of maximum amplitude. Then, hovercraft 2 is turned and starts running at resonance speed in direction of lane. EFFECT: enhanced efficiency of ice breaking. 2 dwg