International Journal

on Marine Navigation

and Safety of Sea Transportation

Volume 3

Number 2

June 2009

149

1 INTRODUCTION

The Arctic Ocean represents an enormous reserve of

mankind for the most various aspects.

At first the Arctic Ocean is extremely favourable

sea way through all east hemisphere.

At second the Arctic Ocean is an enormous

source of natural resources, which use else begins.

The most active in part of development of Arctic

regions demonstrates Russia. The activity of Russia

in Arctic Ocean speaks parameters of load transpor-

tation by Northern sea way. Russia is the unique

country in the world which has the nuclear ice-

breaking fleet of ten units.

2 NUCLEARS ICE-BREAKERS FLEET OF

RUSSIA

First nuclear ice-breaker "Lenin" has been construct-

ed at the Admiralty factory in 1959 years. The next

nuclear ice-breakers should be were building at the

Baltic factory of Saint Petersburg. The nuclear ice-

breakers "Tajmyr" and "Vaigach" have been con-

structed in Finland, and a nuclear stuffing was in-

stalled at the Baltic factory of Saint-Petersburg.

At time of industrial depression in Russia the nu-

clear ice-breaking fleet has been compelled to search

for sources of financing. For this purpose nuclear

ice-breakers twenty years make tourist flights to

North Pole.

Ice-breakers of a class "Arctic" make a basis of

the Russian nuclear ice-breaking fleet. Six ice

breakers from 10 concern to this class. This series of

a vessels was under construction during 30 years,

therefore the last of vessels have essential differ-

ences. The vessels of this type have characteristics:

− Length - 150 m. - cancel fullstop (136 on a water-

line);

− Width - 30 m (28 on a waterline);

− The draft - 11,08 m.;

− The height - 55 m. - cancel fullstop (from keel)

up to top of mast;

− The maximal speed - 23,8 knots;

− Crew - 150 person

− Passengers - 100 person (in 50 cabins)

− Power installation – two reactors ОК-900 capaci-

ty on 171 MW every.

These ice-breakers have the double body. Thick-

ness of the external body in places ice contact is 48

mm, and in other places 25mm.

At normal operating mode it is enough one of two

reactors, but during navigation are involved both (at

less than 50 % of capacity).

3 EXPANSION TO NORTH POLE OF RUSSIA

AND OTHER COUNTRY

From 1989г. nuclear ice-breakers go to North Pole

with tourists. Cost of cruise makes about 25000 $.

Ice breaker "Yamal" (see fig.1) in july - august

specializes on tourism, having made already more

than 50 campaigns to a pole.

In 1998 years the nuclear ice-breaker "Arctic" for

the first time has carried out nearly pole ice posting

of German scientifically research ice breaker "Po-

larstern". At 2004 years the ice-breaker "Soviet Un-

ion" together with Swedish diesel ice breaker

"Oden" provided ice safety of chisel works on North

Pole from a vessel “Vidar Viking”.

Contemporary Problems of Navigation Nearly

Pole

E.M. Lushnikov

Maritime Academy, Szczecin, Poland

ABSTRACT: The problem of navigation at geographical poles is considered. Means and methods of its reali-

zation are offered within the framework of classical navigation. Brings an attention to the question on produc-

tion of pseudomercator′s navigational charts.

150

Recently Russia and the USA have submitted for

consideration the United Nations a question on ex-

pansion of the shelf territories in area of Arctic

ocean.

Fig.1 Nuclear ice-breaker “Jamal”.

For a substantiation of the claims Russia has

made researches in area of North Pole. It was im-

mersed on a bottom the deep-water device in a point

of North Pole. It was established at the bottom a

memorable sign of Russia from the titan.

Claims of a similar sort on expansion of territo-

ries of shelf zones are possible as on the part of Can-

ada, Iceland, Denmark and Norway. Similar claims

is explained by presence in the Arctic zone of the

big stocks of oil and gas.

Already practical development of Arctic ocean by

Russia in area of Shtokman oil field begins. All this

will inevitably lead to wider use of the Arctic water

areas for navigation and economic activities.

4 THE PROBLEMS OF EXOTICAL

NAVIGATION TO NORTH POLE

The navigation nearly of geographical poles has a

general difference to traditional navigation.

For the poles it is lose sense such major classical

concepts of navigation, as a meridian of observer, a

parallel of observer, a course of vessel, a bearing of

subject, rhumb line bearing, great circle bearing.

For single (exotic) expeditions there is long pre-

pare, all beforehand is thought over and rehearsed,

involved scientific forces and means.

In conditions of mass actions (development of sea

and bottom's resources) there is a question on the

maximal simplification of process of navigation in

these areas. It is necessary to make a navigation in

the maximal degree similar to conditions of usual

navigation with use of standard means and methods.

The greatest convenience for plotting gives the

map of Mercator projection. This projection is equi-

angular. The line of a constant course – rhumb line

is represented on a map by a direct line. This cir-

cumstance does a work of plotting of a way extreme-

ly simple and convenient.

The main lack of such projection is so, that with

change of geographical latitude the scale of a map

changes proportionally to

sec

, in this connection,

in latitude more 85º use of mercator projections is

inexpedient basically.

Difficulties of the Arctic navigation are not lim-

ited to problems of use habitual mercator maps.

In these latitude there is practically unsuitable a

gyrocompass. On a pole, a gyrocompass we shall

fail basically, and the concept of a course degener-

ates owing to absence of a meridian of the observer.

At navigation nearly magnetic poles which are

located far enough from geographical poles for nav-

igation there is completely not suitable a magnetic

compass. The directing moment of a magnetic com-

pass on a magnetic pole is equal to zero. From this

reason a magnetic compass is disabled. Here it is

necessary to notice, that by definition the magnetic

compass is a device for the indication of a magnetic

meridian. However in a point of a magnetic pole all

magnetic meridians is crossed. The concept for me-

ridian of observer from this reason is degenerates.

The position of northern magnetic pole for 1

January of 2005 year is situated at

WN 40114,7082

′

λϕ

. The coordinates of a

southern magnetic pole for 1

january of 2004 year

ES 00138,5063

′

λϕ

Nearly of magnetic poles the gyrocompass has a

admissible accuracy, and the map of Mercator quite

provides a requirements of navigation.

Apparently, usual navigation will be completely

paralysed only at geographical poles.

Classical navigation near to geographical poles it

is possible to provide by magnetic compass and

pseudomercator's map. Pseudomercator's map dif-

fers from mercator's map by the way of construction.

The axis of Mercator's cylinder passes through

the centre of the Earth and geographical poles. The

axis pseudomercator's cylinder passes through the

centre of the ground and a corresponding magnetic

pole of the ground (northern or southern).

151

Thus, the angle between axes of Mercator's and

pseudomercator's cylinder is equal to the polar dis-

tance

∆

measured from a geographical pole up to

the corresponding magnetic pole (fig. 2).

Fig. 2 The projection cylinder for Mercator's and Pseudomerca-

tor's maps а – Mercator's projection, b – Pseudomercator's.

The turn of the projective cylinder at pseudomer-

cator's projection leads to respective alterations of

the habitual image of a ground surface which was

observed at mercator's map. These changes, howev-

er, do not render a special influence on perception of

a map through navigator, so as habitual mercator's

projection also deforms the form of terrestrial ob-

jects and the more strongly, than they are closer to

poles.

The polar cap at a geographical pole from a paral-

lel

and above excludes use of Mercator maps

and a gyrocompass.

At the pseudomercator's projections this polar cap

is situated outside the new restrictive circle.

It will allow at navigation near to geographical

poles to use a pseudomercator's map in aggregate

with a magnetic compass and to continue navigation

as usual.

Thus, means allowing to carry out classical navi-

gation at subpolar areas look how it is shown in ta-

ble 1.

Table 1 Means of classical navigation at navigation in subpolar

areas.

Kind of water area

Near to a magnetic pole

Near to a geographical pole

1. Navigating

Mercator's chart

2. Gyro compass

1. Navigating

pseudomercator's chart

2. Magnetic compass

Realization of classical navigation near to geo-

graphical poles demands new type of a map, namely,

maps in pseudomercator's projection.

The grid of such pseudomercator's projections by

the form will differ nothing from a grid of mercator's

projections, but coordinates of all points of a surface

of the ground should be in appropriate way counted.

The coordinates of magnetic poles on surface of

earth changes position. For example, the point of

northern magnetic pole recently will annually get

mixed up on a terrestrial surface approximately 40

km. In this connection, it is required to trace periodi-

cally these changes and to bring corresponding cor-

rections for recalculation of a map's grid. For elec-

tronic maps this procedure does not represent any

complexities.

Here it is necessary to notice, that magnetic poles

are located far from being in opposite points of the

Earth. This circumstance compels to make a grid of

pseudomercators map for northern geographical pole

and southern pole in separate execution.

The role of a true meridian at pseudomercator's

map will be carried out a line directed on magnetic

pole. As well as in mercator's map, vertical lines of a

cartographical grid are considered as true meridians

from which true courses and bearings are consid-

ered.

A sizes of variations

for pseudomercator's

map should be rendered in view of a changed coor-

dinate grid. The formula for finding of the amend-

ment to recalculation of variation

V∆

enters the

name as:

( )

λϕλϕ

∆⋅−∆⋅⋅∆=∆ ctgecctgarcctgV sincoscos

where:

∆

- polar distance of a magnetic pole;

- geographical latitude of the ship;

∆

- the difference of geographical longitudes of

a magnetic pole and the ship.

5 CONCLUSION

Unification of plotting at use of pseudemercator's

maps allows to avoid navigating discomfort at navi-

gation in areas of geographical poles, to remove un-

necessary stressful situations and by that to raise

safety of navigation.

LITERATURE

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