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

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nuclear icebreaker The 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 laying of the vessel took place 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. Afrikantova and the 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 ship "Arktika" was intended for escorting ships in the Arctic Ocean with the performance various kinds icebreaking work. The length of the ship was 148 meters, width - 30 meters, side height - about 17 meters. The power 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 in clear water reach speeds of up to 18 knots.

The first trip 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 series of studies and observations, as well as test the capabilities of the Arktika 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 am Moscow time, the nuclear-powered icebreaker, having overcome the thick ice cover of the Central Polar Basin, for the first time in the world reached the geographic point of the North Pole in active navigation. For 7 days and 8 hours, the nuclear-powered ship covered 2528 miles. The age-old dream of sailors and polar explorers of many generations has come true. The crew and members of the expedition celebrated this event with a solemn ceremony of hoisting the State Flag of the USSR on a ten-meter steel mast mounted on the ice. During the 15 hours that the nuclear-powered ship spent on top of the Earth, scientists completed a set of studies and observations. Before leaving the Pole, the sailors lowered into the waters of the Arctic Ocean a commemorative metal plate with the State Emblem of the USSR and 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 forecastle and a five-tier superstructure, and three four-blade fixed-pitch propellers are used as propulsors. The nuclear steam generating plant is located in a special compartment in the middle part of the icebreaker. The hull of the icebreaker is made of high-strength alloyed steel. In places subject to the greatest impact of ice loads, the hull is reinforced with an ice belt. The icebreaker has trim and roll systems. Towing operations are provided by a stern electric towing winch. A helicopter is based on the icebreaker for conducting ice reconnaissance. Control and management technical means power plants are carried out automatically, without constant watch in engine rooms, propeller motor rooms, power plants and switchboards.

Control over the operation and control of the power plant is carried out from the central control post, additional control of the propeller motors is brought to the wheelhouse and aft post. 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 greater view opens. The wheelhouse is stretched across the vessel - from side to side by 25 meters, its width is about 5 meters. Large rectangular portholes are located almost entirely on the front and side walls. Inside the cabin, only the most necessary. 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 for the operation of the three propellers 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. Near the control panel of the left side there is a navigation table, near the central one - a steering wheel, at the starboard side panel - a hydrological table; near the navigational and hydrological tables, pedestals of all-round radars were installed.


In early June 1975, the nuclear-powered icebreaker Admiral Makarov navigated the Northern Sea Route to the east. In October 1976, the icebreaker "Ermak" with the dry cargo ship "Kapitan Myshevsky", as well as the icebreaker "Leningrad" with the transport "Chelyuskin" pulled out of the ice captivity. The captain of the Arktika called those days the "finest hour" of the new nuclear-powered ship.

Arktika 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 of Ships.

According to the information voiced by representatives of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Rosatomflot" to the press, the total cost of dismantling the a/l "Arktika" is estimated at 1.3-2 billion rubles, with the allocation of funds under the federal target program. Recently, there was a wide campaign to convince the management of refusing to be scrapped and the possibility of modernizing this icebreaker.

And now we come closer to the topic of our post.


In November 2013, at the same Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg, the laying ceremony of the lead nuclear icebreaker of project 22220 took place. In honor of its predecessor, the nuclear-powered icebreaker was named Arktika. The universal two-draught nuclear icebreaker LK-60Ya 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 at the design waterline - 10.5 meters, displacement - 33.54 thousand tons. It will become the largest and most powerful (60 MW) nuclear-powered icebreaker in the world. The nuclear-powered ship will be equipped with a two-reactor power plant with the main source of steam from the RITM-200 reactor plant with a capacity of 175 MW.


On June 16, the Baltic Shipyard launched the lead nuclear icebreaker Arktika of Project 22220," the company said in a statement quoted by RIA Novosti.

Thus, the designers passed 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 explore the Arctic and strengthen Russia's presence in the region.

First, the rector of the Nikolo-Bogoyavlensky Naval Cathedral conducted the baptism of the atomic 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 in our country, the people who created such a ship,” said Matvienko. She recalled that Russia is the only country that has its own nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet, which will allow active implementation of projects in the Arctic.

"We are entering a qualitatively new level of development of this richest region," she stressed.

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

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

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

Director General of the state corporation "Rosatom" Sergei Kiriyenko, in turn, called the launch of the new icebreaker a great victory for both the designers and the staff of the Baltic Shipyard. According to Kiriyenko, Arktika opens up "fundamentally new opportunities both in the field of ensuring the defense capability of our country and in solving economic problems."

Project 22220 vessels will be able to conduct convoys of ships in arctic conditions, breaking through ice up to three meters thick. The new ships will provide escort for ships carrying hydrocarbons from the fields of the Yamal and Gydan Peninsulas, the Kara Sea shelf to the markets of the Asia-Pacific region. The dual draft design allows the vessel to be used both in arctic waters and in the mouths of polar rivers.

Under a 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. This autumn, it is planned to begin construction of the second Ural icebreaker.

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 icebreakers of project 22220 was signed between BZS and the state corporation Rosatom in May 2014, the contract value was 84.4 billion rubles.

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Giant dogostroy

The largest icebreaker in the world today is the 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 it was stopped due to a lack of funding, and resumed in the late nineties. The length of the icebreaker is 159 m, the width is 30 m. The power plant consists of two reactors with a total capacity of 75,000 hp.

Such power could provide electricity to a modern metropolis with a population of 2,000,000 people. Displacement of the icebreaker - 25 thousand tons. The giant is capable at speed 18 sea ​​knots overcome ice up to 2.8 m thick.

Champion Virtues

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

The system complex is installed on the ship automatic control, which uses new generation digital sensors. Also, the system of radiation and nuclear safety of the power plant was modernized, which was re-examined by Gostekhnadzor. The nuclear-powered ship is equipped modern system security "Antiterror". The ecological compartment of the icebreaker is equipped the latest equipment for the accumulation and disposal of waste produced during the life of the ship.

Icebreaker equipment

The icebreaker has 138 crew and can take 128 passengers on board. Comfortable cabins are equipped with air conditioning systems, separate 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 salon, a swimming 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 it is, of course, an expensive form of recreation. 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 almost around the clock.

triumphal procession

Recently, 50 Years of Victory completed another escort of sea tankers through the ice of the Gulf of Finland. More than 100 vessels used the services of the world's largest nuclear-powered icebreaker during the scheduled voyage.

The first icebreaker appeared back in the 18th century, it was a small steamer breaking ice in the harbor of Philadelphia. A lot of time has passed since then, the wheel was replaced by a turbine, then by 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, the height of a multi-storey building. But "Sevmorput" is able to pass the ice 1 meter thick, and who's to say that he 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 Russian Federation. The icebreaker can break and move through 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, by now the ship has more than 100 trips to the North Pole.

4 "Taimyr", length 151.8 meters


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

5 "Vaigach", length 151.8 meters


The brother of "Taimyr", built according to the same project with him, but a little younger. The nuclear equipment on the ship was installed in 1990.

6 "Yamal", length 150 meters


Yamal is the same famous icebreaker that celebrated the beginning of the third millennium at the North Pole. In total, the number of flights to the North Pole is close to 50.

7 "Healy", length 128 meters


"Healy" - the most big icebreaker United States, where Americans first independently reached the North Pole in 2015. This ship is literally crammed 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 fleet, built in 1977. The home port is Seattle, but it looks like this icebreaker will be scrapped soon, and our Top Ten Largest Icebreakers will have to be rewritten.

9 "Louis S. St-Laurent", length 120 meters


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

10 "Polarstern", length 118 meters


This German research vessel was built in 1982. Old age made its creators think about a replacement, and in 2017 the Polarstern-II is expected to take over the watch of the Arctic patrol.

The Yamal nuclear-powered icebreaker is one of ten Arktika-class icebreakers, whose construction began in 1986, back in Soviet times. The construction of the icebreaker "Yamal" 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, weighing 23,455 tons and 150 meters long, converted it into a ship with 50 tourist cabins and capable of delivering tourists to the North Pole.

The "heart" of the icebreaker "Yamal" are 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 enough for the continuous operation of the icebreaker for 5 years. Each nuclear reactor weighs about 160 tons and is located in a sealed compartment, shielded 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 that measure radiation levels.

The reactors' steam power boilers generate high-pressure superheated steam that drives turbines that drive 12 electric generators. Energy from the generators is supplied to the 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 ice 2.3 meters thick at a speed of 3 knots. Despite the fact that the maximum thickness of ice through which an icebreaker can pass is 5 meters, cases of overcoming ice hummocks with a thickness of 9 meters have been recorded.

The hull of the Yamal icebreaker is a double hull coated with a special polymeric material reducing 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 you to concentrate additional weight in 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 ejects 24 cubic meters of air per second under the ice surface and breaks it from below.

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

The first icebreaker, which appeared back 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 inception, and during this time there have been global changes in the design: first, the wheel was replaced by a turbine, then by a nuclear reactor, and now ships of impressive size are engaged in chopping ice in the Arctic. Today, Russia and America can be proud of their large fleet, consisting of powerful nuclear and diesel ships, which are designed to perform icebreaking operations, but where and when the largest icebreaker in the world was created is still unknown to some. This will be discussed in our article.

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

After hoisting the flag and starting work, the total path 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 was transported. Need to recharge nuclear reactor only needed once.

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

"Arctic"

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

Icebreaker "Arktika" project 22220 could pass through the ice thickness of 2.9. Thanks to the modern automatic control system, which was equipped with a new ship, it was possible to reduce the number of crew 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 power power plants, in terms of the dimensions and height of the ice through which it happens to pass.

"50 Years of Victory"

The main difference between the nuclear icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" 159.6 meters long is a deep landing and impressive power. The construction of the ship was carried out in the period from 1989 to 2007. From the moment of launching and starting to use the ship "50 Years of Victory" went on expeditions to the North Pole more than 100 times.

"Taimyr"

The nuclear-powered icebreaker, 151.8 meters long, is able to break ice 1.77 meters thick at the mouths of rivers, 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.

"Vaigach"

The nuclear-powered icebreaker with a shallow landing 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 icebreaker with a length of 151.8 meters is to serve ships heading along the Northern Sea Corridor to the mouths of rivers located in Siberia. The ship is named after the hydrographic ship of the early 20th century, performing icebreaking operations.

The Vaigach icebreaker escorts ships loaded with metal from Norilsk, and timber and ore from Igarka. Thanks to the atomic turboelectric plant, the Vaigach can pass through ice up to two meters thick. In ice 1.77 meters thick, the ship moves at a speed of 2 knots. Icebreaking operations are carried out at temperatures down to -50 degrees.

"Yamal"

The construction of an icebreaker 150 meters long was completed in 1986, and it was launched into the water 3 years later. Initially, the ship was called the October Revolution, and in 1992 it was renamed the Yamal.

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

"Healily"

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

polar sea

The construction of the 122-meter-long icebreaker was completed in 1976, the ship is still in working condition, although it was not in operation between 2007 and 2012. Diesel engines and gas turbine plants in total they give out a power of 78 thousand horsepower. In terms of power characteristics, it is practically in no way inferior to the Arktika icebreaker. The speed of the icebreaker "Polar Sea" in ice 2 meters thick is 3 knots.

Louis S St Laurent

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

Polarstern

German ship 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, the Polarstern icebreaker moves at a speed of 5 knots. The ship mainly follows the directions of the Arctic and Antarctic in order to study these areas.

In 2017, a new icebreaker Polarstern-II is expected to appear, which will be assigned to watch duty in the Arctic.

 

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