Instruments and Methods: A New Version of a Steam-Operated Ice Drill

Abstract A further development of the Howorka steam-operated ice drill is given. It is mounted on a pack frame for easy transportation in rugged terrain. A propane flame is used to vaporize water in a single-pass fire-tube boiler. The steam is delivered to the ice through a double-walled flexible ho...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Glaciology
Main Author: Hodge, Steven M.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1971
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000022085
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000022085
Description
Summary:Abstract A further development of the Howorka steam-operated ice drill is given. It is mounted on a pack frame for easy transportation in rugged terrain. A propane flame is used to vaporize water in a single-pass fire-tube boiler. The steam is delivered to the ice through a double-walled flexible hose and a straight guide tube with an exchangeable nozzle at the end. One hole, 25 mm in diameter and 8 m deep, can be drilled in 15 min; four such holes can be drilled with one tank of water and 10 with one tank of propane. Holes deeper than 16 m are impractical as heat losses in the hose become too large. Sturdy construction has been used and the drill has been tested and found to work satisfactorily under both temperate and arctic conditions.