Opening a new scientific frontier lying under the Antarctic ice, Russian researchers have drilled down and finally reached the surface of the gigantic freshwater lake, Lake Vostok. The mission chief likened the achiev...Opening a new scientific frontier lying under the Antarctic ice, Russian researchers have drilled down and finally reached the surface of the gigantic freshwater lake, Lake Vostok. The mission chief likened the achievement to placing a man on the moon. Drilling in the area of the lake began 22 years ago in 1990, but progressed slowly as a result of funding shortages, equipment breakdowns, difficulties of drilling in the ＂warm＂ ice, and environmental concerns. In 1996, six years after drilling was started, a group of Russian and British scientists discovered the lake believed to be one of the largest fresh water reservoirs on the planet. This lake is among the last unexplored places on Earth. Sealed from the Earth＇s atmosphere for millions of years, it may provide vital information about microbial evolution, the past climate of the Earth, and the formation of the Antarctic ice sheet. Russian experts waited several years for international approval of their drilling technology before proceeding. As anticipated, lake water under pressure rushed up the borehole, pushing the drilling fluid up and away, then froze, forming a protective plug that prevented contamination of the lake. In December of the next Antarctic season, 2012--2013, researchers plan to re-drill the frozen sample of subglacial water for analysis.展开更多
Drilling operations in polar regions and mountainous areas are complicated by nature of the extreme environment. Yet conventional rotary drilling technologies can be used to drill ice for scientific samples and oth- e...Drilling operations in polar regions and mountainous areas are complicated by nature of the extreme environment. Yet conventional rotary drilling technologies can be used to drill ice for scientific samples and oth- er research. Due to such reasons as power consumption and weight complications, it is hard to apply a conven- tional rotary drilling rig for glacial exploration. Use of small, relatively lightweight, portable engine-powered drilling systems in which the drill lifting from the borehole is carried by the winch. It is reasonable enough for near-surface shallow ice-drilling down to 50 m. Such systems can be used for near-surface ablation-stakes in- stallation, also temperature measurements at the bottom of active strata layer, revealing of anthropogenie pollu- tion, etc. The specified used in this research is an auger ice drill powered by a gasoline engine. At this stage, it is crucial to choose effective drilling parameters such as weight on bit （WOB） and drill bit rotation rate. Sen- sors equipped on the rig have measured the main parameters of the drilling process, such as drill speed, WOB, drill rotation speed, torque and temperature. This paper addresses research on drilling parameters of engine powered auger ice drill and supplies some recommendations for optimization of any ice-core drilling process.展开更多
The harsh and remote environments of polar regions,such as the Arctic and Antarctica,pose significant challenges for scientific exploration,particularly in ice sampling.Extreme conditions,including low temperatures,ic...The harsh and remote environments of polar regions,such as the Arctic and Antarctica,pose significant challenges for scientific exploration,particularly in ice sampling.Extreme conditions,including low temperatures,ice,snow,and natural obstacles,make access to these areas difficult.However,ice sampling from glaciers,ice sheets,and icebergs is critical for scientific research,necessitating the development of specialized equipment.Unmanned ice-drilling systems offer a promising solution by enabling safe and efficient ice core sample collection in remote locations.Advances in extraterrestrial ice-drilling technology have inspired the development of automated drilling systems for Earth’s polar regions,with recent efforts focusing on lightweight,electric or solar-powered rovers which can tow or mount drilling systems.This paper introduces the concept of a robotic drilling system designed at Jilin University,China,for shallow drilling operations from an unmanned polar rover,highlighting its design and operational features.展开更多
文摘Opening a new scientific frontier lying under the Antarctic ice, Russian researchers have drilled down and finally reached the surface of the gigantic freshwater lake, Lake Vostok. The mission chief likened the achievement to placing a man on the moon. Drilling in the area of the lake began 22 years ago in 1990, but progressed slowly as a result of funding shortages, equipment breakdowns, difficulties of drilling in the ＂warm＂ ice, and environmental concerns. In 1996, six years after drilling was started, a group of Russian and British scientists discovered the lake believed to be one of the largest fresh water reservoirs on the planet. This lake is among the last unexplored places on Earth. Sealed from the Earth＇s atmosphere for millions of years, it may provide vital information about microbial evolution, the past climate of the Earth, and the formation of the Antarctic ice sheet. Russian experts waited several years for international approval of their drilling technology before proceeding. As anticipated, lake water under pressure rushed up the borehole, pushing the drilling fluid up and away, then froze, forming a protective plug that prevented contamination of the lake. In December of the next Antarctic season, 2012--2013, researchers plan to re-drill the frozen sample of subglacial water for analysis.
基金Supported by projects of National Science Foundation of China(No.41327804)the Geological Survey of China(No.3R212W324424)
文摘Drilling operations in polar regions and mountainous areas are complicated by nature of the extreme environment. Yet conventional rotary drilling technologies can be used to drill ice for scientific samples and oth- er research. Due to such reasons as power consumption and weight complications, it is hard to apply a conven- tional rotary drilling rig for glacial exploration. Use of small, relatively lightweight, portable engine-powered drilling systems in which the drill lifting from the borehole is carried by the winch. It is reasonable enough for near-surface shallow ice-drilling down to 50 m. Such systems can be used for near-surface ablation-stakes in- stallation, also temperature measurements at the bottom of active strata layer, revealing of anthropogenie pollu- tion, etc. The specified used in this research is an auger ice drill powered by a gasoline engine. At this stage, it is crucial to choose effective drilling parameters such as weight on bit （WOB） and drill bit rotation rate. Sen- sors equipped on the rig have measured the main parameters of the drilling process, such as drill speed, WOB, drill rotation speed, torque and temperature. This paper addresses research on drilling parameters of engine powered auger ice drill and supplies some recommendations for optimization of any ice-core drilling process.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Project of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(Grant nos.2023YFC2812602 and 2021YFC2801401)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant no.41941005).
文摘The harsh and remote environments of polar regions,such as the Arctic and Antarctica,pose significant challenges for scientific exploration,particularly in ice sampling.Extreme conditions,including low temperatures,ice,snow,and natural obstacles,make access to these areas difficult.However,ice sampling from glaciers,ice sheets,and icebergs is critical for scientific research,necessitating the development of specialized equipment.Unmanned ice-drilling systems offer a promising solution by enabling safe and efficient ice core sample collection in remote locations.Advances in extraterrestrial ice-drilling technology have inspired the development of automated drilling systems for Earth’s polar regions,with recent efforts focusing on lightweight,electric or solar-powered rovers which can tow or mount drilling systems.This paper introduces the concept of a robotic drilling system designed at Jilin University,China,for shallow drilling operations from an unmanned polar rover,highlighting its design and operational features.
