US1562137A - Method of loosening ice accumulations - Google Patents

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N'ov.17,1925.- 1,562,137

'Y H.I T. BARNES u i METHOD OF LOOSENING ICE ACCUMULATIONS Filed March 18, 1925 2 SheetsvS-heet 1 INVENTUR 2 SheetsfSheet 2 INVENTB.

H. T."BARNE$ l METHOD 0E LOOSENING ICE ACCUMULATIONS Filed March 18, 1925 Nov. 17', 1925.

, count Patented VNov. 17, 1925.

HOWARD TURNER BARNES, OF MONTRE'L, QUEBEC,` CANADA..V

METHOD OF LOOSENING ICE ACCUMULATIOS.

A. Application led March 18', 1925. Serial No. 16,5575;

To all whom it 'may concern:

' Be it known that I, HOWARD TURNER BARNES, of the city of Montreal, in the of Hochelaga, Province of Quebec, Gana a, a subject of the King 'of Great Britain, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Loosening Ice Accumulations,of whichthe following is a specification.

In cold climates a great deal of trouble is experienced with accumulations of ice in rivers supplying water for hydraulic powerv development. This is mainly due to accumulations, beneath the surface 1ce, of ice in a flocculent form such as frazil ice which forms in suspension, or anchor ice which forms on the bottom and'sicles of a channel.

vWhere ice particles in water are carried into quiet pools or wide, lakes which are covered with surface formed sheets, the small particles float upward and become att-ached to the underside of the surface sheet, forming after a time great hanging dams which quickly reduce the free passage of water by blocking the channels. So far, it has been found practically impossiblegto destroy these ice jams when once formed and the shutting down 'of power plants dependent on the water supply, naturally follows. vAs the result of longl continued experiments, I have found that .ice forms in orunder .the surface of water only when the temperature of the water is reduced ajminute,

fraction' of a degree below the freezing point 0 Cent. orl 32 F., and under conditions which frequently obtain in our rivers andz-in very cold weather this super-cooling takes place. Once the frazil or anchor ice has been formed it tends to persist in agglomerated form until a mild spell occurs and enough heat is thus supplied to it to overcome the effects'of the super-cooling'. 1 It follows then that by preventing this superi cooling the formation of a jam may-.be prevented and that, by raising the temperature of a mass of such ice when formed, the bond of the ice particles may belloosened and a jam broken up.

My object, therefore, was to devise a method of and means for quickly raising the temperature of considerable masses of ice so as to loosen the bond of the myriads of ice particles, without necessarily melting them,

thus weakening the structure of the jam suficiently to enable the flow of water to break it up. For any such method to be practicable,..the means for carrying it out require to be available for use at a moments notlee and to be `readily and easily transported to the scene of action. Y i

'I have further found that the necessary heatmust be supplied at a very high temperatureso that it will diffuse very rapidly over a wide area. The temperature is preferably so high that a large proportion of radiant heat and li ht is generated' and also hlgh enough to isassocate water into its gaseous elements. v

I attain my object by using what may be termed thermal mines, that is devices adapted to contain chemical re-agents which may be ignited and will then combine with a violent exothermic reaction. Satisfactory results have so far' been obtained by employving the material kn0wn 'com1nercially .as

Thermit, which is. a mixture of iron ,oxide (FeO) and alunnnum 1x1-a pulverulent conditlon. Contalners, suchtas hereinafter described, are filled with a charge of 100 stances. Sat1sfactory results have been attained with the chargeslocated atdepths of "35 fromt feet to '20 feet, depending on the depth of the ice. i

vVVh'en such a charge is ignited, a molten n mass 1s formed of a temperature approxlmating 4000F. t0 5400 F. and the transfer of heat from this mass to the ice takes placelwith great. rapidity and with explo- .sive violence.. l p I-Iow this heat is transmitted' through thc ice and dissipated is notI4 at; present known but it appears probable that it is partlylby radiation and partlyby conduction and also sively.

.that there is actual disassoeiation of water vinto-its elements, the oxygen and'hydrogen'" subsequently re-uniting more or less .explor v '10o The immediate effects of the` ignition ofsuch a charge are found to be wide spread but the full effects are not immediately felt, and

the action of the generated heat in loosening the ice may continue for a .period of twenty-four hours after the ignition of the charge. mines was demonstrated by experiment in the case of an ice jam which had formed in the channel of the St. Lawrence River at the pulp dock at .Waddingtoin N. Y., between the main shore and Thompsons Is- The effectiveness ofsuch thermal.

land. This jam was approximately 1000 feet in length and 500 feet in wid-th, the depth of ice varying from 6 inches to`43 feet, while the head, foot and sides of the jam weresolidly lodged' on the bottom. Three charges were ignited in this mass at points hereinafter more particularly set lout and illustrated in the accompanying. drawings in which-- Fig. 1 is a chart of an ice jam betweenthe pulp wood dock at Waddington, N. Y., and Thompsons Island, illustrating the use of my method;

Fig. 2 a cross section on the line 2-2111 Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 alongitudinal section of a lthermal line suitable for use in removing ice jams according to my method.

In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

The mine comprises a metal cylinder 1, which, in the caseof a mine intended to carry a 100. pound charge of thermit, is 10,

inches inside diameter and 22 inches in height. The exact weight of material employed does appear to be important, as sat-1 isfactory results have been obtained with cylinders of :14:22 gauge sheet steel and contain-l ers formed of one-quarter inch plate. The top 2 of the container is provided with a 2 inch nipple 3 having an annular flange4 formed at its upper end. A cover 5 is secured to this flange by means of the bolts 6 after the container has been filled with the thermit. In the cover 5 are formed openings provided with stuffing box glands 7. Through these openings are led insulated wires 8. the openings being made tight by suitable packing compressed bv the glands.

- These wires terminate towards the centre of the container in an ignition element 9, which may be formed of any material which, on igniting, `will raise the temperature of the surrounding thermit sufficiently for tion.

i prises a small amount of ignition powder made in to a'solid ball and containing aheatbolted to these clips in order to facilitate ing wire adapted to be heated by current supplied through wires 8. Suchignition elements,being well known in the art,.n'eed no further description. y

Eachdrum is preferably provided with four 2 inch angle iron clips 10 substantially flush with-the top facing of the drum. In practice two lengths of 2x4 inch timber are sliding the drums to the position in which .they lare to be used.

In the carrying out of my process in the .instance hereinbefore referred to, two locaeis tions were selected in the ice viam near its head and in the centre of' the channel, and the third point at the foot ofthe jam also at a depth of about twenty feet.

the ice. The second was similarly suspended at a depth of about four feet` while the third at the foot of the channel jam was suspended These charges were successively fired at considerable intervals and some hours'after the firing of the last mine the whole jam came away and moved down the river leaving the channel perfectly clear.

It will be understood, of course, that in every case judgment must be exercised in selecting the proper points for the use of the mines having due regard to the channel contours.

In the destruction of icebergs my process of combating ice will prove of great value.

If one or more thermal mines be ignited in a position well below the surface, loca-l strains are'set up, in various ways, which effect the splitting ofthe berg.

'What I claim is:

1. A method of combating ice which consists in bringing into contact with it a hot mass adapted to give off a large quantity of' heat at a very high temperature. the heat transference being sufficiently rapid to cause an explosive reaction between the hot mass and the contacting ice. 'Y V p '2. 4A method of combating ice which consists in bringing into contact with it a hot mass adapted to give olf a large quantity of heat at a very high temperature, the heat transference being suiiciently rapid to cause an explosive reaction between the hot mass and the contacting ice and the quantity great enough to raise the temperature of a mass of ice very considerably relative to the aforelsaid hot mass.

3. A method of combating ice which consists in effecting an exo-thermic chemical reaction in the ice below the surface to generate heat at a sufficiently high temperature to enable it to diffuse quickly througha considerable mass..

4. A method of combating ice which consistsin effecting an exo-thermic chemical reaction in the ice below the surface to generate heat at a sufficiently high temperature, and in sulicient quantity, to enable it to diffuse quickly and extensively through a considerable mass.

5'. A method of combating ice which consistsin efecting an exo-thermic chemical reaction in the ice below the surface to generate sufficient heat to slightly raise the temperature throughout a considerable mass.

6. A method of combating ice which consists in igniting a charge of thermit in the ice below the surface in suiicient'quantity to produce heat Suiiioient to diffuse quicklyand extensivelythrough a considerable mass.

7. A method of combating ice which consists in igniting a charge `of thermit in the sists in e'ecting an eXo-thermiovehemical reice below the surface to produce heat therein action in the ice below the surface to proin large quantity and at av high temperature. 10 duce heat therein in large quantity and at a Signed at Toronto, Can., this 6th day of 5 temperature approximating 4,000 F. or March, 1925.

more.

8. A method of combating ice which con- HOWARD TURNER BARNES.

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