A new ice breaker module concept

Abstract

During the winters, the waters of the rivers freeze because of the low temperatures. In such situations, it is necessary to ensure the traffic of cargo and passenger ships that the formed ice patches be broken and cleared. Ice breakers are used for this purpose. These ships are of special construction that require significant investments. In this paper, a con-cept of an icebreaker module that can be attached to an existing tugboat in service is pro-posed. The paper presents a concept adapted to the Danube river and to an existing tug in service on the same river.