The Yamal, a Nuclear Powered Icebreaker

Specifications

• Length: 150m (136m at the waterline), Breadth: 30m (28m at the waterline), Draft: 11.08m, Height: keel to mast head 55m.
  

• Displacement: 23,455 tonnes.
  
  
• Power is supplied by two pressurized water nuclear reactors, each contains 245 enriched uranium fuel rods. Each reactor weighs 160 tonnes and are in a closed compartment under reduced pressure - in the event of a leak, the leak would be in and not out.
  
  
• Maximum fuel use is 300g of heavy uranium isotopes per day when breaking thick ice. Reactors hold 500kg each when fully fuelled, enough for about 5 years.
  
  
• The reactors are shielded by steel, high density concrete and water. The nuclear chain reaction can be stopped in 0.6s by full insertion of the control rods.
  
• Radiation on the ship is monitored by 86 sensors throughout the vessel from within the reactor compartment to accommodation areas.
  
  
• The reactor cores are used to heat water up and produce pressurized steam at 30kgcm². Each reactor has four boilers, each set of four boilers turn two steam turbines, which spin three dynamos each (confused yet?, that's 12 dynamos in total).

• The dynamos supply electric motors which are connected to the propeller shafts. Each motor can supply 25,000 shaft horse power to its screw of which there are three. So in all, the ship can develop 75,000 shaft horse power or 55.3MW - enough electricity to supply a town of 18,750 homes

• Propellers are 5.7m diameter,  fixed and weigh 50 tonnes each. Each has four 7 tonne blades, inspection wells allow them to be examined in operation, blades may be replaced at sea.

• Maximum speed: 22knots (40kmh), cruising speed 19.5 knots (35kmh) in calm open water. Ice 2.3m thick can be broken at 3 knots (5.5kmh). Maximum thickness of that can be penetrated is estimated at 5m, individual ridges of 9m have been broken.

• Steering can also be accomplished by directing the air jets of the bubbling system (comparable to use of bow-thrusters).

• Air bubbling system to help ice breaking. Jets 9 m below the surface can deliver 24m³s of air.

• Polymer coatings, specialized hull design, and the rapid movement of ballast water (pumps can move 1m³ (a tonne)of water per second) all these help in moving through and breaking ice.

• Powerful lights are carried for operations in the dark of winter.

• The cast steel prow is 48cm thick at its strongest point, that's about the same as the diagonal measurement of a 19" computer monitor.

• The stern region is cushioned to allow for the close towing of other vessels when helping them through the ice.

• An helicopter is carried to help with navigation in ice and for tourist trips

• The hull is double with water ballast between the two. The outer hull is 48mm thick armoured steel where ice is met and 25mm elsewhere.