https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0q48d71ke8o
“As President Donald Trump continues to insist that the US needs to own
Greenland, his wider focus on the Arctic region has seen Washington order new
icebreakers.
For these ships, which can sail through seas covered in solid ice, the US has
gone to the world expert – Finland.
Temperatures are sub-zero inside Aker Arctic Technology's ice laboratory, as
the scale model of an icebreaker cruises down a 70m-long simulation tank.
It ploughs a neat channel through the frozen surface of the water.
Undergoing testing at a facility in Helsinki, Finland's capital, this is a
design for the next generation of the country's icebreakers.
"It's crucial that it has sufficient structural strength and engine power,"
says ice performance engineer, Riikka Matala.
Mika Hovilainen, the firm's chief executive, adds that the shape of the vessel
is also crucial. "You have to have a hull form that breaks ice by bending it
downwards," he says. "It's not cutting, it's not slicing."
Finland is the undisputed world leader when it comes to icebreakers. Finnish
companies have designed 80% of all those currently in operation, and 60% were
built at shipyards in Finland.”
Via Kenny Chaffin.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
