Heat generated by cutting ice in deep ice-core drilling

• Published in: Annals of glaciology Vol. 47; pp. 61 - 67
• Main Authors: Azuma, Nobuhiko, Tanabe, Ikuo, Motoyama, Hideaki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 2007
• ISSN: 0260-3055; 1727-5644
• DOI: 10.3189/172756407786857848

In order to understand and solve the ‘warm-ice problem’ in deep ice-core drilling, we applied the metal-cutting theory to ice and estimated the heat generated during ice coring taking into account the mechanical and thermal properties of the ice and cutters. We found that (1) most of the heat in cutting is generated by shear deformation at the shear plane of ice, and the heat could increase the chip temperature by several degrees; (2) the rake angle of the cutter has more influence on the temperature increase in chips than the barrel rotation speed and penetration pitch; (3) if the cutter is made of a material with larger thermal conductivity, the temperature increase in the chips can be reduced; and (4) if the density of the liquid is less than the density of ice, the cutting chips sink to the bottom and the friction heat generated by the drill head and slush can raise the ambient temperature of the drill head by several degrees.