The Sediment Laden Lake Ice Drill (SLLID) is a 28 kW hot water drill useful for creating holes with very little initial water, for freeing instrument cables from the ice, and for accessing equipment deployed beneath the ice. The drill is effective at drilling through sediment laden ice and allows safe servicing of science instruments deployed in the lakes and ocean.
The SLLID is designed to achieve a drilling speed of less than 30 minutes for a 5-inch hole through a 6 meter ice cover. Drill components are small, lightweight and are able to be lifted by a maximum of two people. The drill has stand-alone capability for operation at small field camps at remote sites with no heavy equipment and is intended to be operated by the science team. Components that allow for clean access drilling were also incorporated in the design. Fabrication, final assembly and in-house testing of the drill were completed in fall 2017. The system was deployed for its first field project in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica during the 2018-2019 field season.
Equipment Details
| Name | Sediment Laden Lake Ice Drill |
|---|---|
| Type |
Type
Hot Water Drill
|
| Number in Inventory |
Number in Inventory
1
|
| Max. Practical Depth |
Max. Practical Depth
6 m
|
| Hole Diameter |
Hole Diameter
76mm - 250mm (3 inches - 9.8 inches)
|
| IDP Driller Required? |
IDP Driller Required?
No
|
| Drill Fluid Required? |
Drill Fluid Required?
No
|
| Power Requirements/Source |
Power Requirements/Source
2 kW Generator
|
| Estimated Drilling Time |
Estimated Drilling Time
5" diameter x 6m deep in 30 minutes |
| Time to Move (breakdown and setup) |
Time to Move (breakdown and setup)
30 minutes
|
| Helicopter Transportable? |
Helicopter Transportable?
Yes
|
| Light Aircraft Transportable? |
Light Aircraft Transportable?
Yes
|
| Shipping Weight |
Shipping Weight
415 lbs |
| Shipping Volume (Cube) |
Shipping Cube
34 cubic feet |
Documents
| Citation | Year |
|---|---|
| U.S. Ice Drilling Program (2019) Sediment Laden Lake Ice Drill Operations and Maintenance Manual. 1-18. | 2019 |
| Joshua J Goetz, Chris J Gibson (2017) Sediment Laden Lake Ice Drill Concept Overview. 1-7. | 2017 |
| Joshua J Goetz (2017) Sediment Laden Lake Ice Drill Conceptual Design Review. 1-15. | 2017 |
| Peter Doran, Stacy Kim, John C Priscu, IDPO (2015) Science Requirements: Sediment Laden Lake Ice Drill. 1-3. | 2015 |
Photos
Testing of the SLLID at the IDP-Wisconsin warehouse in Madison, WI. Credit: IDP-Wisconsin
The SLLID packed and ready for deployment to the field. Credit: IDP-Wisconsin
The drill heads for the SLLID. Credit: IDP-Wisconsin
Project History
| 2018-2019 Antarctic - LTER: Ecosystem Response to Amplified Landscape Connectivity in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |