How many meters of ice the icebreaker breaks. The largest icebreaker in the world: photo, dimensions. Nuclear icebreaker "Arktika"

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The atomic icebreaker Arktika went down in history as the first surface ship to reach the North Pole. The nuclear-powered ship "Arktika" (from 1982 to 1986 was called "Leonid Brezhnev") is the lead ship of the Project 10520 series. The ship was laid down on July 3, 1971 at the Baltic Shipyard in Leningrad. More than 400 associations and enterprises, research and design organizations, including the Experimental Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering named after V.I. I. I. Afrikantov and Scientific Research Institute of Atomic Energy. Kurchatov.

The icebreaker was launched in December 1972, and in April 1975 the ship was put into operation.

The nuclear-powered icebreaker "Arktika" was designed to pilot ships in the Arctic Ocean to perform various types of icebreaking operations. The length of the vessel was 148 meters, width - 30 meters, side height - about 17 meters. The capacity of the nuclear steam generating plant exceeded 55 megawatts. Due to its technical performance, the nuclear-powered ship could break through ice 5 meters thick, and reach speeds of up to 18 knots in clear water.

The first cruise of the icebreaker "Arktika" to the North Pole took place in 1977. It was a large-scale experimental project, in which scientists had to not only reach the geographic point of the North Pole, but also conduct a number of studies and observations, as well as test the capabilities of the "Arctic" and the stability of the ship in a constant collision with ice. More than 200 people took part in the expedition.

On August 9, 1977, the nuclear-powered ship left the port of Murmansk, heading for the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. In the Laptev Sea, the icebreaker turned north.

And on August 17, 1977, at 4:00 am Moscow time, the nuclear icebreaker, having overcome the thick ice cover of the Central Polar Basin, for the first time in the world reached the geographical point of the North Pole in active navigation. In 7 days and 8 hours, the nuclear-powered ship covered 2,528 miles. The age-old dream of many generations of sailors and polar explorers has come true. The crew and members of the expedition celebrated this event with a solemn ceremony of raising the State Flag of the USSR on a ten-meter steel mast installed on the ice. For 15 hours, which the nuclear-powered ship spent at the top of the Earth, scientists completed a complex of research and observations. Before leaving the Pole, the sailors lowered into the waters of the Arctic Ocean a commemorative metal plate with the image of the State Emblem of the USSR and with the inscription “USSR. 60 years of October, a / l "Arktika", latitude 90 ° -N, 1977 ".

This icebreaker has high sides, four decks and two platforms, a tank and a five-tier superstructure, and three four-blade fixed-pitch propellers are used as propellers. The nuclear steam generating unit is located in a special compartment in the middle of the icebreaker. The icebreaker's hull is made of high-strength alloy steel. In places subject to the greatest impact of ice loads, the hull is reinforced with an ice belt. The icebreaker has a trim and roll system. Towing operations are provided by a stern electric towing winch. A helicopter is based on the icebreaker to conduct ice reconnaissance. The control and management of the technical means of the power plant are carried out automatically, without a constant shift in engine rooms, rooms for propulsion electric motors, power plants and at switchboards.

Control over the operation and control of the power plant is carried out from the central control station, additional control of the propeller motors is brought out to the wheelhouse and aft station. The wheelhouse is the ship's control center. On a nuclear-powered ship, it is located on the top floor of the superstructure, from where a larger view opens. The wheelhouse is stretched across the vessel - from side to side by 25 meters, its width is about 5 meters. Large rectangular windows are almost entirely located on the front and side walls. Only the essentials inside the cabin. Near the sides and in the middle there are three identical consoles, on which there are control knobs for the movement of the vessel, indicators of the operation of the three screws of the icebreaker and the position of the rudder, heading indicators and other sensors, as well as buttons for filling and draining ballast tanks and a huge typhon button for giving a sound signal. A navigational table is located near the port control panel, a steering wheel at the central one, and a hydrological table at the starboard panel; near the navigator and hydrological tables there are all-round radar bollards.


In early June 1975, the nuclear-powered icebreaker sailed the Admiral Makarov diesel-electric icebreaker eastward along the Northern Sea Route. In October 1976, he tore out of the ice captivity the icebreaker Ermak with the dry cargo vessel Kapitan Myshevsky, as well as the icebreaker Leningrad with the transport Chelyuskin. The captain of the "Arctic" called those days the "finest hour" of the new nuclear-powered ship.

The Arctic was decommissioned in 2008.

On July 31, 2012, the nuclear-powered icebreaker Arktika, the first ship to reach the North Pole, was excluded from the Register Book of Ships.

According to the press announced by the representatives of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Rosatomflot”, the total cost of utilization of a / l “Arctic” is estimated at 1.3-2 billion rubles, with the allocation of funds under the federal target program. Recently, there was a widespread campaign to convince the management of the abandonment of disposal and the possibility of modernizing this icebreaker.

Now let's get closer to the topic of our post.


In November 2013, at the same Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg, the laying ceremony for the lead nuclear icebreaker of Project 22220 was held. In honor of its predecessor, the nuclear-powered ship was named Arktika. The LK-60Ya universal two-draft nuclear icebreaker will become the largest and most powerful in the world.

According to the project, the length of the vessel will be more than 173 meters, width - 34 meters, draft along the structural waterline - 10.5 meters, displacement - 33.54 thousand tons. It will become the largest and most powerful (60 MW) nuclear icebreaker in the world. The ship will be equipped with a two-reactor power plant with the main source of steam from the RITM-200 reactor with a capacity of 175 MW.


On June 16, the launching of the lead nuclear-powered icebreaker Arktika, project 22220, took place at the Baltic Shipyard, ”the company said, quoted by RIA Novosti.

Thus, the designers went through one of the most important stages in the construction of the ship. The Arktika will become the lead ship of Project 22220 and will give rise to a group of nuclear-powered icebreakers needed to develop the Arctic and strengthen Russia's presence in the region.

First, the rector of the Nicholas Epiphany Naval Cathedral baptized the nuclear icebreaker. Then the speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko, following the traditions of shipbuilders, broke a bottle of champagne on the hull of the nuclear-powered ship.

"It is difficult to overestimate what has been done by our scientists, designers, shipbuilders. There is a feeling of pride for our country, the people who created such a ship," Matvienko said. She recalled that Russia is the only country with its own nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet, which will allow the active implementation of projects in the Arctic.

“We are reaching a qualitatively new level of development of this richest region,” she stressed.

"Seven feet under the keel, you great Arctic!" - added the speaker of the Federation Council.

In turn, Vladimir Bulavin, the presidential envoy for the Northwestern Federal District, noted that Russia is building new ships, despite the difficult economic situation.

"If you want, this is our response to the challenges and threats of our time," Bulavin said.

The general director of the state corporation "Rosatom" Sergei Kiriyenko, in turn, called the launching of the new icebreaker a great victory for both the designers and the staff of the Baltic Shipyard. According to Kiriyenko, "Arctic" opens up "fundamentally new opportunities both in ensuring the defense capability of our country and in solving economic problems."

The vessels of the project 22220 will be able to navigate convoys of ships in Arctic conditions, breaking through ice up to three meters thick. The new ships will provide pilotage of ships carrying hydrocarbons from the fields of the Yamal and Gydan peninsulas, the shelf of the Kara Sea to the markets of the Asia-Pacific region. The double-draft design allows the vessel to be used both in Arctic waters and in the estuaries of polar rivers.

Under the contract with FSUE Atomflot, the Baltic Shipyard will build three nuclear-powered icebreakers of project 22220. On May 26 last year, the first serial icebreaker of this project, Siberia, was laid down. In the fall of this year, it is planned to start building the second Ural nuclear-powered ship.

The contract for the construction of the lead nuclear icebreaker of project 22220 between FSUE Atomflot and BZS was signed in August 2012. Its cost is 37 billion rubles. The contract for the construction of two serial nuclear-powered icebreakers of project 22220 was concluded between BZS and the state corporation "Rosatom" in May 2014, the contract value amounted to 84.4 billion rubles.

sources

Giant pre-construction

The largest icebreaker in the world today is 50 Years of Victory. It was built in Russia in 2007 at the Baltic Shipyard. The construction of the icebreaker was started in 1989, then, due to a lack of funding, it was stopped and resumed in the late nineties. The icebreaker is 159 m long, 30 m wide. The power plant consists of two reactors with a total capacity of 75,000 hp.

Such capacity could provide electricity to a modern metropolis with a population of 2,000,000. The displacement of the icebreaker is 25 thousand tons. The giant is capable of breaking ice up to 2.8 m thick at a speed of 18 nautical knots.

Champion Merits

"50 Let Pobedy" is the eighth icebreaker built at the Baltic Shipyard and is the result of a modernized project of nuclear-powered icebreakers of the "Arctic" type. During its development, the designers used the spoon-shaped bow shape for the first time used in the construction of the Canadian icebreaker Canmar Kigoriyak, which proved to be highly efficient during sea trials.

The ship is equipped with an automatic control system complex, which uses new generation digital sensors. The system of radiation and nuclear safety of the power plant was also modernized, which received re-certification in Gostekhnadzor. The nuclear powered ship is equipped with a modern anti-terror security system. The ecological compartment of the icebreaker is equipped with the latest equipment for the accumulation and disposal of waste generated during the life of the vessel.

Icebreaker equipment

The icebreaker's crew consists of 138 people, it can take on board 128 passengers. Comfortable cabins are equipped with air conditioning systems, private bathrooms and toilets, safes, refrigerators, TVs, DVD-players and telephones. Passenger cabins are divided into standard, junior suite, suite, Victoria suite and Arctic suite. The infrastructure also includes a restaurant and two bars, a music room, a pool with warm sea water, two saunas, a gym, a sports ground, a shop, a library, a lecture hall, a hospital and a laundry.

Cruises to the North Pole are becoming more and more popular, although they are, of course, expensive. Many are attracted by the opportunity to visit the northernmost geographical point of the Earth, to see marine life in natural conditions: seals, walruses, polar bears. Passenger access to the navigation bridge is not closed practically around the clock.

Triumphal procession

Recently "50 Let Pobedy" completed the next escort of sea tankers through the ice of the Gulf of Finland. More than 100 ships used the services of the world's largest nuclear icebreaker in the planned escort.

The first icebreaker appeared in the 18th century, it was a small steamer breaking the ice in the harbor of Philadelphia. Much time has passed since then, a turbine changed the wheel, then a nuclear reactor, and now the Arctic ice is being broken. In our TOP - 10 largest icebreakers in the world.

1 "Sevmorput", length 260 meters

Strictly speaking, this is an icebreaking transport vessel, as high as a multi-storey building. But "Sevmorput" is capable of breaking through ice 1 meter thick, and who can say that it did not deserve the title of icebreaker?

2 "Arctic", length 173 meters


Arktika is a nuclear-powered icebreaker launched in 2016, the first in a series of newest nuclear-powered icebreakers in the Russian Federation. The icebreaker can split and move in ice up to 2.9 meters thick.

3 "50 years of Victory", length 159.6 meters


The nuclear-powered icebreaker of the "Arktika" class (sea, in contrast to the "Taimyr" class, river), is distinguished by a deep landing and impressive power. "50 Years of Victory" is a typical long-term construction, the construction of which took place from 1989 to 2007. Despite the long start, to date, more than 100 cruises to the North Pole are already under the ship's shoulders.

4 "Taimyr", length 151.8 meters


Taimyr is a nuclear-powered icebreaker that breaks ice up to 1.77 meters thick at river mouths to allow ships to enter. Features - reduced fit and the ability to work in extremely low temperatures.

5 "Vaygach", length 151.8 meters


Brother "Taimyr", built according to the same project, but a little younger. Nuclear equipment was installed in 1990.

6 Yamal, length 150 meters


"Yamal" is the same famous icebreaker, which was used to welcome the beginning of the third millennium at the North Pole. In total, the number of flights to the North Pole is approaching 50.

7 "Healy", length 128 meters


Healy is the largest icebreaker in the United States, on which the Americans first reached the North Pole on their own in 2015. This vessel is literally packed with the latest measuring and laboratory instruments, as its main function is research.

8 "Polar Sea", length 122 meters


Another US icebreaker, an "old man" in the Navy, built in 1977. Home port is Seattle, but it looks like soon this icebreaker will be scrapped, and our Top Ten largest icebreakers will have to be rewritten.

9 Louis S. St-Laurent, 120 meters long


The Canadian Louis S. St-Laurent was built even earlier - in 1969, but in 1993 it underwent a complete modernization. It is Canada's largest icebreaker, and in 1994 became the first ship in the world to reach the North Pole off the coast of North America.

10 "Polarstern", length 118 meters


This German research vessel was built in 1982. The advanced age made its creators think about replacing it, and in 2017 "Polarstern-II" is expected to take over the Arctic watch.

The nuclear-powered icebreaker Yamal is one of ten icebreakers of the Arktika class, the construction of which began in 1986, during the Soviet era. The construction of the Yamal icebreaker was completed in 1992, but already at that time the need for its use to ensure navigation along the Northern Sea Route disappeared. Therefore, the owners of this vessel, which has a weight of 23455 tons and a length of 150 meters, converted it into a vessel with 50 tourist cabins and capable of transporting tourists to the North Pole.

The "heart" of the Yamal icebreaker is two sealed water-cooled reactors OK-900A, which contain 245 fuel rods with enriched uranium. The full load of nuclear fuel is about 500 kilograms, this reserve is sufficient for the continuous operation of the icebreaker for 5 years. Each nuclear reactor weighs about 160 tons and is housed in a sealed compartment, fenced off from the rest of the ship's structure by layers of steel, water and high-density concrete. Around the reactor compartment and throughout the ship, there are 86 sensors measuring radiation levels.

The steam power boilers of the reactors generate high-pressure superheated steam that drives turbines that drive 12 electric generators. Power from the generators is fed to electric motors that rotate the blades of the icebreaker's three propellers. The engine power of each propeller is 25 thousand horsepower or 55.3 MW. Using this power, the Yamal icebreaker can move through the 2.3 meter thick ice at a speed of 3 knots. Despite the fact that the maximum thickness of ice through which the icebreaker can pass is 5 meters, there have been recorded cases of the icebreaker breaking through ice hummocks with a thickness of 9 meters.

The hull of the Yamal icebreaker is a double hull covered with a special polymer material that reduces friction. The thickness of the upper layer of the hull in the place of ice cutting is 48 millimeters, and in other places - 30 millimeters. The water ballast system, located between the two layers of the icebreaker's hull, allows the additional weight to be concentrated at the front of the vessel, which acts as an additional ram. If the power of the icebreaker is not enough to cut through the ice, then an air bubble system is connected, which throws 24 cubic meters of air per second under the surface of the ice and breaks it from below.

The design of the cooling system for the reactors of the Yamal nuclear icebreaker is designed to use seawater with a maximum temperature of 10 degrees Celsius. Therefore, this icebreaker and others like him will never be able to leave the northern seas and go to more southern latitudes.

The first icebreaker, which appeared in the 18th century, was a small steamer that carried out icebreaking operations in the harbor of Philadelphia. More than one century has passed since its appearance, and during this time there have been global changes in the design: first, the wheel was replaced with a turbine, then with an atomic reactor, and now ships of impressive size are engaged in breaking ice in the Arctic. Today Russia and America can be proud of their large fleet, consisting of nuclear and diesel powerful vessels, which are designed to carry out icebreaking operations, but where and when the largest icebreaker in the world was created, some still do not know. This will be discussed in our article.

The construction of the nuclear-powered lighter-carrying container ship was carried out at the large shipbuilding enterprise Zaliv in the period from 1982 to 1988. The nuclear-powered icebreaker "Sevmorput" is an icebreaking transport vessel that used a nuclear power plant. The lighter carrier was put into use in December 1988.

After raising the flag and starting work, the total distance of the lighter carrier was 302,000 miles. Over the entire period of operation of the icebreaker, over 1.5 million tons of various cargo have been transported. The need to recharge a nuclear reactor was required only once.

The main purpose of the vessel with a height of a multi-storey building and a length of 260.1 m is to transport cargo to remote regions of the North, but it is also capable of moving in 1 meter thick ice. And who after that will say that the Sevmorput ship does not deserve to be called an icebreaker?

"Arctic"

The nuclear-powered icebreaker is named after its legendary predecessor, which was launched in 1972 and operated for over 30 years. The vessel is 173.3 meters long and can operate in bays and estuaries, as well as chop ocean ice. The nuclear-powered icebreaker "Arktika" was launched without a superstructure section in June 2016. According to the technology, the superstructure weighing about 2,400 tons should be installed after the ship has been launched.

Icebreaker "Arktika" of project 22220 could pass through ice 2.9 thick. Thanks to the modern automatic control system, which was equipped with the new vessel, the number of the crew was reduced by half.

The icebreaker is planned to be put into operation in 2018-2019, and after this happens it will break all records in terms of the power of power plants, in terms of the size and height of ice through which it will have to pass.

"50 years of Victory"

The main difference between the atomic icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" with a length of 159.6 meters is its deep landing and impressive power. The construction of the ship was carried out from 1989 to 2007. From the moment of launching and the beginning of use, the ship "50 Let Pobedy" has been sent on expeditions to the North Pole more than 100 times.

"Taimyr"

The 151.8 meter long nuclear icebreaker at river mouths is capable of breaking 1.77 meter thick ice, thus clearing the way for other vessels. The main features of the Taimyr icebreaker include a reduced landing and the ability to carry out icebreaking operations in areas with extremely low temperatures.

"Vaygach"

The shallow nuclear icebreaker is the second ship in the series of Project 10580, which was built in Finland by order of the USSR. The main purpose of the 151.8 meter long icebreaker is to serve ships heading along the Northern Sea Corridor to the estuaries of rivers in Siberia. The ship is named after a hydrographic ship of the early 20th century performing icebreaking operations.

The Vaigach icebreaker accompanies ships loaded with metal from Norilsk, and timber and ore from Igarka. Thanks to a nuclear turbo-electric plant, Vaigach can pass through ice up to two meters thick. In ice 1.77 meters thick, the vessel travels at a speed of 2 knots. Icebreaking operations are carried out at temperatures up to -50 degrees.

Yamal

The construction of an icebreaker with a length of 150 meters was completed in 1986, and it was launched 3 years later. Initially, the ship was called “October Revolution”, and in 1992 it was renamed “Yamal”.

In 2000, Yamal went to the North Pole to meet the third millennium. In total, 46 expeditions to the North Pole were made on the icebreaker. Yamal became the seventh ship that managed to reach the North Pole. One of the advantages of the Yamal icebreaker is the ability to move forward and backward.

"Healy"

On an icebreaker 128 meters long, which is the largest in America, the Americans for the first time managed to reach the North Pole on their own. This event took place in 2015. The research vessel is equipped with the latest measuring and laboratory equipment.

"Polar Sea"

The construction of an icebreaker with a length of 122 meters was completed in 1976, the ship is still in working order, although in the period from 2007 to 2012 it was not operated. Diesel engines and gas turbine units produce 78 thousand horsepower in total. In terms of power characteristics it is practically in no way inferior to the icebreaker "Arktika". The speed of the icebreaker "Polar Sea" in ice 2 meters thick is 3 knots.

Louis S. St-Laurent

The construction of the Canadian icebreaker 120 meters long was completed in 1969. In 1993 the vessel was completely modernized. Louis S. St-Laurent is the first ship in the world to reach the North Pole (the expedition ended in 1994).

"Polarstern"

The German vessel 118 meters long, designed for scientific and research work, can be operated at temperatures up to -50 degrees. In ice up to 1.5 meters thick icebreaker "Polarstern" moves at a speed of 5 knots. The vessel mainly follows the directions of the Arctic and Antarctic in order to study these areas.

In 2017, the emergence of a new icebreaker "Polarstern-II" is expected, which will be entrusted with watch duty in the Arctic.

 

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