Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) says it has commenced modernization of its ice model basins intended for testing models of ships and engineering facilities designed for operation in polar waters. All the works are to be completed by the end of 2022.
A grant of RUB 33.95 million has been provided by RF Ministry of Science and Higher Education for a technical modernization of the complex which includes two basins. The larger one is 30 meters long. It is intended for studying interaction of ships and fixed engineering structures with ice. It is possible to vary the water salinity and the strength of frozen ice up to 60 mm thick at temperature as low as -18°C. The smaller ice basin will be capable of conducting experiments in mechanics of deformation and destruction of natural ice up to 2 meters thick. The pool area is 25 square meters, depth - 2.5 meters. With the modernization, the air temperature in the basin will be as low as -30°C.
The world's first ice test basin for models of icebreakers and ice-going vessels was built in the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute in 1955. The current complex of ice basins has been in operation since 1990.
The Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute - AARI is the world’s leading research institution in the field of comprehensive studies of the Polar regions. In 1994 the AARI has obtained the status of State Research Center of Russia. From 2017, AARI has been headed by RAS Professor Aleksandr Makarov.
