'Vorsprung durch technik' - Laser-equipped icebreakers could appear in Russian Arctic.

'Vorsprung durch technik' - Laser-equipped icebreakers could appear in Russian Arctic. (RBTH).

While the Arctic remains one of the least explored frontiers on Earth, various new ice protection devices, seismic prospecting technologies and power installations for ships have recently been appearing on the market.

One of the latest Russian inventions is a laser ice cutter, developed by the Moscow-based KURS research institute. Engineers at KURS believe their laser will revolutionize Arctic exploration, helping to increase traffic several-fold along the Northern Sea Route, the main shipping lane passing along the Russian Arctic coast. According to KURS Head Lev Klyachko, the project was based on research conducted by Russian scientists over the past decade and is approaching completion.

Science of ice slicing

The laser works like a glass-cutting tool, making incisions in the ice in front of an icebreaker to facilitate the passage of the vessel. The inventors claim the device will enable the making of wider paths in ice so that icebreakers can escort ships of greater width.

Experts at Rostec State Corporation (a Russian non-profit entity promoting the development of high-tech products) say the laser cutter will be economically profitable, as it will allow for the creation of new shipping lanes and increase traffic volumes.

Vladimir Pushkarev, the director of the Russian Arctic Exploration Institute, also emphasizes the issue of traffic. “If the laser can help speed up the icebreakers traveling along Northern seas, it must be installed,” Pushkarev told RBTH.

Can a laser be efficient in an Arctic climate?

The inventors at KURS say their laser cutters will be capable of making incisions and cuts in a layer of ice several meters thick and will help make passages possible for heavy icebreakers, as well as transport vessels. However, famous Russian polar explorer Viktor Boyarsky says the cold temperatures in the Arctic will restore the ice too quickly for the laser to cut through it efficiently. Hmmm....Nuclear powered icebreakers with Lasers.....has a ring to it. Read the full story here.