Nicole Biebow & Lester Lembke-Jene, Martina Kunz-Pirrung, Jørn Thiede, Roberto Azzolini, Paul Egerton

Funded by:

AURORA BOREALIS

European Research Icebreaker and Deep-Sea Drilling Vessel

AURORA BOREALIS

Perspectives and Challenges

Characteristics of AURORA BOREALIS

• Novel icebreaker that operates autonomously during all seasons and on

stations (dynamic positioning), no additional icebreaker support needed .

• Multi-purpose Research Vessel for a year-round deployment in the Polar

Regions (Central Arctic, Arctic basins, Antarctic Margins) and for international

and interdisciplinary expeditions

• Scientific Drilling Platform for drilling of >1000 m long cores in 100-5000 m

water depth within sea ice (> 2 m) with full Dynamic Positioning.

AURORA BOREALIS - Technical Specifications

• Heavy Icebreaker (IACS Polar Class 1), year-round operations, all polar waters, multi-year ice.

• Multi-disciplinary vessel for all disciplines of polar and marine research.

• 120 berthing capacity, 90 days operational endurance.

• DP system for ice and open water.

• Helicopter: ILS, 2 helicopters, 1 Bell Agusta tilt-rotor VTOL Aircraft/helicopter equivalent.

• Max. 90 MW propulsion power.

High energy efficiency:

waste heat recovery systems

Engine power management

flexible engine configuration

Safety and Operations Specifications

• Complete double-hull design.

• Fully redundant engine rooms and safety equipment.

• Redundant dynamic positioning system (DP2).

• Full weather protection (hangars, sheltered staging areas) for science and drilling operations.

• Combine high ice-breaking capacity with stable open water performance (Roaring Forties, N.

Atlantic, Southern Ocean).

• Concepts for de-icing superstructure and equipment to maintain operational status and stability.

• Citadel Concept for living quarters, hospital, bridge, etc. for emergencies in remote areas.

• Complete equipment for sustained survival of crew in Total Loss of Ship scenarios.

Photo courtesy by M. Klages, AWI

Forward Moon-Pool for ROV,

AUV and other equipment

operations (nets, landers,

hydrocasts, etc.).

Aft Moon-Pool primarily for

deep-sea drilling, sediment

coring, monitoring.

Science Equipment: deployments

are dependant on partly open

water within ice cover

In closed sea ice cover:

most deployments technically

challenging…or impossible..

Challenges in

Polar Operations

Forward Moon Pool and Atrium Concept

• Glass dome roof, retractable, natural light inside the vessel (pat. pend.).

• direct access to staging hangar (7 m height) and outside working deck.

• Space for more than 30 Laboratory containers

• Atrium: retreating decks upwards.

• Watertight lower Moon Pool covers.

• About 2500 m2 fixed and mobile lab. space located around Moon Pool.

Concept for Polar Scientific Drilling

• Deep-Sea drilling in >95% of polar waters: >1000 m below mudline,

in 50-5000 m water depth.

• Deep-Sea drilling in closed sea-ice cover, autonomous without

added icebreaker support.

• Derrick is located within enclosed structure, full weather protection.

• Possibility to use standard IODP technology: casings (DIC), re-enter,

deepen holes (FFF, REEC). Install monitoring or observatory

systems (BIH, ACORK,…).

• Polar workflow strategy during drilling operations (advanced ice

management and monitoring).

• Deal with emergencies during drilling and coring under polar

conditions.

Scientific Drilling Concepts Equipment and Infrastructure

! Use of API drillstrings (e.g. 5, 5-1/2). About 6000 m plus

reserve drillstring.

! Industry-compatible components.

! Full range of coring tools and logging tools deployable.

! Use full IODP standard analytical workflow.

! Sufficient workshop, tool storage.

! Use future mud return systems to increase borehole

stability and core quality in overconsolidated and difficult

facies.

! Technical Cooperation with IODP-USIO, ECORD-MA.

Results from Ice Tank Model Tests

• Break >2 m level ice continuously or thicker ice floes.

• Ramming: break ridges (about 12 m) with few attempts .

• Little ice accumulation under hull.

• Breaks 2 m level ice in DP mode.

• Attack angle important. Vessel can break out to re-position.

• Break ridges forward and aft of 4 to 6 m in DP speed (< 0.5 kn).

• Consistent ice basin model tests results (Helsinki and Hamburg).

• Icebreaking with slow or very little speed.

• Icebreaking sideways: Hull shape, variable draught,

heeling tanks for icebreaking with roll/pitch movements.

• High propulsion power (90 MW).

• Mechanically robust propulsion.

• Ice-resistant, redundant, servicable transverse thrusters.

• Proof of concept by extensive ice basin model tests (Aker

Arctic, Helsinki and HSVA, Hamburg).

Icebreaking & Dynamic Positioning Ice…

European Research Icebreaker Consortium –

ERICON -AURORA BOREALIS

48 Months duration

Budget: 4.5 Million Euro

Project started March 1, 2008 and runs till February 2012

ERICON-AURORA BOREALIS

ERICON-AURORA BOREALIS

will generate the strategic, legal, financial and organisational

frameworks for European ministries and funding agencies to

decide about the construction and operation of AURORA

BOREALIS.

THANK YOU FOR

YOUR ATTENTION

WW W.ERI-A URORA -BOREA LIS .EU