METHOD OF TRANSPORTING ICE FORMATION Russian patent published in 2023 - IPC B63B21/00 

FIELD: seafaring; ice transportation.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates in particular to a method for transporting ice formations in sea waters. To transport ice formations, a towing vessel with standard towing equipment and a buoy are used. The ship approaches the ice formation at a safe distance, a towing rope is laid out on the deck of the ship, one end of which is fixed to the winch cable hook, and the other on a robotic buoy, which is lowered overboard using the ship's crane. The operator from the on-board buoy control panel through the Wi-Fi or LoRa communication system sets a point for fixing the location of the buoy at a given place according to coordinates using GPS or GLONASS systems, by which the latter monitors environmental monitoring readings, corrects and maintains the given point using propulsors installed in him. The towing vessel begins to move at low speed around the ice formation while simultaneously releasing the rope automatically due to the resistance created by the buoy, goes around the ice formation and ends the movement when it reaches the location of the buoy. The buoy is hooked and lifted from the water to the deck, the end of the rope attached to it is disconnected, then both ends of the rope are attached to the hook of the towing winch cable of the vessel. The towing vessel begins to move, transporting the ice formation to a given location.

EFFECT: increased safety and reliability of operation when transporting an ice formation to change its trajectory.

1 cl, 2 dwg