Power consumption of deep ice electromechanical drills

One of the main considerations in drill design is the selection of the driving motor. The right choice of the motor will ensure that the drill will operate with the highest efficiency and the lowest power loss. The shaft power of the driving motor is defined by summarizing the power consumed in (a) the fracturing of the ice, (b) the rotation of the core barrel and (c) the transport of the cuttings. The consideration of the brittle failure of the ice gives the relationship between the torque and the main factors of cutting, i.e., tool characteristics and the properties of ice. The theoretical and experimental torques are in good agreement. As an example, the power consumed by the driving motor of the electromechanical drill KEMS-112 during drilling on Vavilov Glacier (Severnaya Zemlya archipelago) is calculated.