Icing Management for Coast Guard Assets

• Main Author: Ryerson, Charles C
• Other Authors: ENGINEER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER HANOVER NH COLD REGIONS RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LAB
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Snow; Ice and Permafrost; Marine Engineering; *CUTTERS(VESSELS); *DEICING SYSTEMS; *ICE FORMATION; ADHESION; BEAUFORT SEA; CHEMICALS; CHUKCHI SEA; CLIMATOLOGY; COAST GUARD SHIPS; COATINGS; DEICING MATERIALS; FLUIDS; FROST; GLAZES; HAZARDS; HEATING; INFRARED RADIATION; LASERS; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; PIEZOELECTRICITY; POSITION(LOCATION); RETROFITTING; RISK ANALYSIS; SPRAYS; SUPERSTRUCTURES; ANTI-ICING; ATMOSPHERIC ICING; COAST GUARD CUTTERS; DEICING; ICE PROTECTION; SHIP SUPERSTRUCTURE ICING; SPRAY ICING; RIME; HIGH VELOCITY FLUIDS; Arctic; Bering Strait; Chukchi Sea; Rime; Beaufort Sea; Chukchi; Global warming; Ice; permafrost; Sea ice; Alaska
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA583017; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA583017

Global warming is causing greater retreat of the summer Arctic sea ice cover; with several historical minimums within the last decade. Opening of the Chukchi Sea and the Beaufort Sea is expected to cause increased marine and other activity off of the northern Alaska coast and through the Bering Strait. This will require increased Coast Guard presence. Bow spray icing of Coast Guard Cutters decreases safety and risks mission accomplishment. This report reviews documented causes and potential impacts of ship superstructure icing from bow spray and atmospheric sources, and examines the probability of icing in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. Four classes of Coast Guard Cutters, the POLAR-Class heavy icebreakers, the LEGEND-Class National Security Cutter, the BAY-Class 140-ft icebreaking tug, and the JUNIPER-Class seagoing buoy tender were examined. Decks were walked, crews interviewed, and questionnaires distributed to determine the impact of icing on cutter components and functions, to learn how icing affects mission success, to determine how ice accumulations are currently prevented or removed, and to seek improved ways of alleviating icing effects. In addition, 12 classes of ice protection technology were reviewed, as were methods of protecting windows and cables from icing, to determine how they may reduce icing hazards. Recommendations for existing cutters are to heat decks, to test and use anti-icing and low ice adhesion coatings, to use low corrosion aircraft and environment safe chemicals and high velocity fluids to de-ice, to protect vessel components with covers, to use expulsive, pulse electrothermal, and pneumatic technologies on large untrafficked surfaces, and to use infrared heat to protect components and limited deck areas. New cutter designs should incorporate heated decks, splash-resistant bows, and covered masts and boat decks. Cutters need not be completely ice-free in transit and when executing a mission.