ICE-BREAKING HOVERCRAFT Russian patent published in 2003 - IPC

FIELD: ice-breaking jobs. SUBSTANCE: hovercraft 2 runs over ice 1 at resonance speed. Use is made of outer skirt 3. If amplitude of excited flexural gravitational waves 4 is insufficient for breaking ice 1, hovercraft 2 is stopped and skirt 5 having extensible sections 6 of small area is extended and is connected to high- pressure compressor 7, after which outer flexible guard 3 is pulled to bottom of hovercraft 2 (position 8) and hovercraft 2 starts running over ice 1 at resonance speed. In case of dangerous list and trim (to starboard, for example), starboard sections 9 are extended beyond their position 10 and port sections 11 are retracted inside flexible guard 12. As a result, amplitude of waves 4 rises to profile 13 and ice is broken behind ship during her advance. EFFECT: enhanced efficiency of ice breaking. 2 dwg