Frozen island and method of making the same

Abstract

An island adapted to be put into place in arctic regions in a body of water having a soil layer below water level and above a permafrost line. In one form of the island, an island body is placed on the soil layer, the island body comprising a number of vertically stacked layers of freezable material, the bottom of each layer having a freeze panel adjacent thereto in heat exchange relationship therewith. A coolant flowing through the panels causes the soil layer and the freezable layers to freeze, the coolant source being on the island body at any suitable location. The island body surrounds a recess which also contains several layers of freezable material separated by freeze panels adapted to receive a coolant for flow in heat exchange relationship to the freezable layers. By freezing the freezable layers, the island body is provided with a monolithic construction and the island body is bonded to the soil layer. In another form of the island, a caisson is floated to a location above a dredged-out area in the soil layer and then lowered into place. The caisson is adjacent to the soil layer and separated by a space which is filled with fresh water which can be frozen when a coolant flows through an adjacent freeze panel in heat exchange relationship to the fresh water. Alternately, the caisson is supported on a number of layers of freezable material with each layer being separated by a freeze panel having means for directing a coolant in heat exchange relationship to the freezable layer. If it is desired to separate the caisson from the frozen soil layer, warm fluid is directed in heat exchange relationship to the soil layer to break the bond between the caisson and the soil layer, whereupon the caisson can be rendered buoyant and floated away to a new site.