Function of Icebreakers
Icebreakers are needed to keep trade routes open where there are either seasonal or permanent ice conditions as well as escort merchant ships in ice-infested waters. Icebreakers are expensive to build and very expensive to run, whether the icebreaker is powered by diesel engines, gas turbines or nuclear energy. They are uncomfortable to travel in on the open sea: almost all of them have thick, rounded keels, and with no protuberances for stability, they can roll even in light seas. They are also uncomfortable to travel in when breaking through continuous thick ice due to constant motion, noise, and vibration.
Modern icebreakers may have one or more of the following special features designed to prevent the ship from getting stuck in ice or help it to break free if it does so: propellers in both bow and stern; azimuth thrusters; pumps to move water ballast from side to side; and holes on the hull below the waterline to eject air bubbles. Many icebreakers also carry aircraft (formerly seaplanes but now helicopters) to assist in reconnaissance and liaison.
Read more about this topic: Icebreaker
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