ICE CONSTRUCTION-PROTOTYPE SUBMERSIBLE ELECTRIC PUMP AND EXTENSION TUBE

• Main Author: Hoffman, C. R.
• Other Authors: NAVAL CIVIL ENGINEERING LAB PORT HUENEME CA
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1965
• Subjects: Pumps; Filters; Pipes; Tubing; Fittings & Vlvs; *PUMPS; THERMAL PROPERTIES; SEA WATER; UNDERWATER EQUIPMENT; HEATING ELEMENTS; ELECTRIC MOTORS; ICE; Greenland; Sea ice; Thule
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0625320; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0625320

Sea ice has been used extensively in polar regions for roads, runways, camp sites and other operational purposes. It has been found, through field experiments, that free flooding ice at subfreezing temperatures is an effective method of improving the surface and load bearing capacity of natural ice sheets. In this technique, water is pumped from below the ice, discharged around the pump, and allowed to seek its own level. The successful performance of an experimental submersible electric pump in this application at Thule, Greenland, led to the design and fabrication of a prototype casing and extension tube for high-volume, low-lift pumps. Functional testing of a 1,600-gpm, 12- foot-head prototype in the Port Hueneme harbor indicated that it should be well suited for flooding natural ice surfaces from 1 to 30 feet or more in thickness. Following correction of the corrosion and electrical connection problems encountered in the Hueneme tests, the unit will be tested in a polar environment.