Detachable Icebreaking Bow

Icebreaking required big expensive ships, not that efficient out of the winter season.
Until now.

Up to 70% less energy to break ice with the patented method.
A small tug can open 13m wide fairways.
Lower investment and running costs than an equivalent icebreaker.
Can be mounted in different icebreakers.
For level and brash ice up to 1m thick.
Ideal for harbors, rivers, lakes, fjords and shallow waters.

Deployment

Attach it to the tugboat, break ice in winter season, store it until the next season.

Building

The design of the bow and building components is standardized. Facilities with standard equipment and tools can be build the bow. It is easy to build it near the deployment site.

Attachment

Standard chains secure the bow to the tug. The operation takes about 1h to complete. After this the tug is equipped to break ice. The bow can be fitted into different tugboats, increasing the fleet flexibility to keep fairways open.

Liam and Icebreaking bow In VEstfjorden in Tønsberg

Efficient Icebreaking

The innovative solutions lifts the ice from underneath. The ice bends upwards in between the skis and breaks. It opens 13m wide canals, independently of the breadth of the tug pushing the bow. It reduces significantly use of fuel and other expenses.

Maneuverable

The detachable bow design facilitates maneuvering as needed through different types of ice. The ease to maneuver facilitates opening fairways as needed, operating in narrow areas, or near offshore wind farms or other vessels.

Storing after the Season

Detach the bow and store it when the icebreaking season is over. It is easy to lift, do maintenance and store. The bow breaks the ice and takes the wear and tear. The tugboat pushing the bow minimizes repairs and downtime.

Concept Design

Bilde4 — The design was validated in Aker Arctic’s ice test canal. The tests revealed areas for improvement and a confirmation of the working principle

20240221_141018_Virgo — Together with the Tallin University of Technology ice experts we collected several ice samples from the test site in Pärnu, Estonia. The study of the ice characteristics enabled finetuning the digital models and structural requirements of the bow.

Bilde5 — Several designs of the bow were simulated in different ice conditions and thicknesses. The different runs of the digital models facilitated iterating the design.

Projected fuel consumption — The analysis of the performance of the icebreaking bow under different ice conditions and the simulations show a significant expected fuel consumption reduction with the bow.

Bifrost Tug’s innovative way of breaking ice gives us flexibility to use different tugs, while reducing costs and the environmental footprint.

Sophia Miller

Use Scenarios

The bow is ideal for breaking level ice. It performs at its best in harbors, fjords, rivers and lakes.

The bow design is great for shallow waters. This novel solution reduces the required engine power and vessel size for icebreaking.

In Sauda fjord, Norway, the bow opened first fairways and displayed great maneuverability. Then the boat pushed out the ice-islands pushed, clearing wider fairways and avoiding tandem operations.