The Ice Cap Mission

Jean Louis Etienne Scientific Missions

«  THE ICE CAP MISSION will survey the changes taking place in the polar environment which have far-reaching consequences for our future.
This exploration will bring together science and education leading to a better understanding of life and planetary phenomena.
We are all aware that the economic and industrial revolution threatens the ecological future of the world. Man is the protagonist in this sudden acceleration, unleashing a new ecological revolution which is rapidly altering the natural timescale.

The aim of sustainable development is to fulfil the development and health needs of current generations, without compromising the ability of future generations to fulfil theirs.

There is no time to lose! »

Jean-Louis ETIENNE

Axane and Air Liquide: Their involvement in the Ice Cap Mission

In cooperation with AFH2, AREVA/COGEMA and the CEA,  teams designed and produced the electrical generator, Polar Pac ™  based on a PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) type hydrogen-powered fuel cell. This technology provided an instantaneous supply of energy for use onboard the Polar Observer to power the laptop, printer, lighting and transmitter, in the spring of 2002.

The generator was developed specifically for the project by Axane in less than 3 months. The system was designed to simplify maintenance of critical elements. Moreover, the choice of components provides a very high safety level for the system during the whole mission.

Particular attention was also paid to reducing noise in order to limit noise pollution onboard the Polar Observer.

Air Liquide provided a 65 kg carbon fiber cylinder containing 150 liters at 300 bars of pressure, i.e. 45 m3 of stored hydrogen, to which was added a thermal fuse (which opens in the event of a fire) and an ALTOP head, a «  plug and play »  gas system with built-in tap and pressure-reducing valve. ALTOP made the system much easier to use, thanks to an ON/OFF lever which allowed the gas to be shut off quickly and had clearly marked on/off positions. Two pressure gauges provided a reading of the release pressure and the pressure remaining in the cylinder.

On-going technical support was organized from Sassenage throughout the Ice Cap Mission, so that assistance could be provided whenever it was needed by Jean-Louis Etienne. This required the implementation of a second system absolutely identical with the one built into the Polar Observer.

The objectives of this experiment

Over and above the environmental interest of the Ice Cap Mission, the experiment demonstrated how well this technology, for which « general public » applications are now conceivable in the medium term, has been developed and mastered by the teams from Axane and Air Liquide.
At the system design stage, the emphasis was put on simplifying the maintenance of critical components. These components were selected to provide very high levels of safety to the Fuel Cell system during the whole life cycle of the mission.

Several objectives were thus validated during this mission

· The design of this new type of cell allows it to be used by someone inexperienced in the field.
· The excellent performance of the cell, tested simultaneously, on the one hand in a real environment of use under extreme conditions, and on the other hand in the laboratory.
· Endurance tests over a long period (nearly 1 500 hours) in continuous use.

More information

Visit Polar Pac™  page

Visit Jean-Louis Etienne's website : http://www.jeanlouisetienne.fr/