Dec 2, 2003Tom Gaisser IceTop freeze tests Interim report from South Pole December 2, 2003

Dec 2, 2003Tom Gaisser South Pole 03/04 season SPASE counting house

Dec 2, 2003Tom Gaisser 100 m Location of two test tanks, Nov ‘03

Dec 2, 2003Tom Gaisser Construction of tanks 2 Tanks delivered to Bartol in July; plumbing assembled Tanks & plumbing integrated, palletized and foamed at factory in VA late August Tanks arrive at Pt. Hueneme Sept 2

Dec 2, 2003Tom Gaisser Freeze-control equipment & DOMs Freeze control assembled at Bartol August - October Shipped with support equipment Sept-Oct (including sunshades) 4 DOMs with rev2 boards assembled, tested, shipped from UW October 31 Two views of freeze-control equipment mounted on tank inside sunshade at site

Dec 2, 2003Tom Gaisser Reassembly at South Pole Gaisser, McDermott, Roth arrive at South Pole Nov 10 Used half of 40’x15’ heated Jamesway #76 in construction/cargo area Uncrated and assembled tanks near Jamesway; location convenient to logistical support Time: 2 persons, 1.5 weeks DOMs arrive Nov 15

Dec 2, 2003Tom Gaisser Preparation of site In parallel with assembly –Locate & survey site –Excavating trenches: two hours using bulldozer with 14’ blade Nov 18 –Trenches 15 ft wide by about 40 ft long –Tanks separated by 10 m –Power cord from SPASE supplied by RPSC Nov 19

Dec 2, 2003Tom Gaisser Transport to site Nov 19 –Load tanks on sled – pull across skiway to MAPO –Forklift from MAPO to site –Level bottom of trenches –Set & level tanks –3-man RPSC crew took a total of 2 hours

Dec 2, 2003Tom Gaisser Install freeze-control & DOMs Tank10 (1.0 m ice) –Install freeze box –Install ejection pipe –Bring up software –Install DOMs –Nov Tank09 (0.9 m ice) –Same procedure –Nov 25-26

Dec 2, 2003Tom Gaisser Fill tanks Tank10 –Freeze up of hose on first attempt (Nov 21) –Successful fill Nov minutes to fill < 10 RPSC man hours for transport and filling Tank09 –Filled Nov 26, very smooth operation

Dec 2, 2003Tom Gaisser Monitor freezing Two days to freeze over –Frost-covered ice –Clear; wind 6-10 kts –T = -40 to -35 deg C –Ice-surface at -20 deg C  37 days to freeze 1 m But Tank10 at 2/3 ideal rate Will reduce heat tape, pump cycle time, add fans to reduce freeze time Tank09: problems with temp sensors currently being addressed. No water ejected after 100 hours suggests slow leak. To be investigated. Ice appears good. Winter-over scientist will take over monitoring to bridge until arrival of next crew (J. Eisch, S. Yoshida)

Dec 2, 2003Tom Gaisser Remainder of season Dec 1-5: train winter-over scientist (J. Lackey) and address problems Dec 10-30: Monitoring continues –S. Yoshida, Dec 10-31; J. Eisch Dec 20-Jan 6 Dec 29-Jan 20: Install DOM-DAQ –J. Kelley, A. Karle with Evenson & S. Tilav Jan 12-27: Close tank –P. Evenson, Jan 12-27

Dec 2, 2003Tom Gaisser Lessons so far Modularize equipment –“plug and play” design to reduce labor needs – Programmable Logic Control to streamline assembly and operation Should include temperature control of heat tape Commercial OTS control units at each tank –See memo of Andrew McDermott based on experience this season Manufacturing schedule should be at least one season ahead to allow shipping by vessel Need full Jamesway (40 x 15 ft) for staging Begin early in season with tank assembly Counting house, surface cables required early to allow setting tanks Tanks to be filled as soon as Rodriquez well for drilling is ready—should not wait to be filled as each hole is drilled.