An ice drill. The ice drill includes a power head, the power head configured to allow the user to control operation of the ice drill and an engine, the engine producing an output rotation at a crankshaft. The ice drill also includes a planetary transmission. The planetary transmission receives the output rotation from the crankshaft, changes the rotation speed by a specified ratio, and outputs the rotation at an output shaft, wherein the output rotation is left-handed in orientation. The ice drill further includes an auger, the auger attached to the output shaft and a cutting blade, the cutting blade configured to be moved by the auger to create a hole in ice.

A safe and effective method for remediation and removal of trapped oil, since oil spills trapped under ice present a significant environmental problem. Injector wells are placed around a periphery of trapped oil to inject fluids beneath the ice. A producer well is placed within the periphery and the hydrostatic pressure from the injector wells urges the oil toward and up through the producer well.

Oil spills trapped under ice present a significant environmental problem. Disclosed is a method that provides a safe and effective method for remediation and removal of such trapped oil. The method provides for injector wells to be placed around the periphery of trapped ice to inject fluids beneath the ice. A producer well is placed within the periphery and the hydrostatic pressure from the injector wells urges the oil toward and up through the producer well.

An autonomous laser-powered vehicle designed to autonomously penetrate through ice caps of substantial (e.g., kilometers) thickness by melting a path ahead of the vehicle as it descends. A high powered laser beam is transmitted to the vehicle via an onboard bare fiber spooler. After the beam enters through the dispersion optics, the beam expands into a cavity. A radiation shield limits backscatter radiation from heating the optics. The expanded beam enters the heat exchanger and is reflected by a dispersion mirror. Forward-facing beveled circular grooves absorb the reflected radiant energy preventing the energy from being reflected back towards the optics. Microchannels along the inner circumference of the beam dump heat exchanger maximize heat transfer. Sufficient amount of fiber is wound on the fiber spooler to permit not only a descent but also to permit a sample return mission by inverting the vehicle and melting its way back to the surface.

An autonomous laser-powered vehicle designed to autonomously penetrate through ice caps of substantial (e.g., kilometers) thickness by melting a path ahead of the vehicle as it descends. A high powered laser beam is transmitted to the vehicle via an onboard bare fiber spooler. After the beam enters through the dispersion optics, the beam expands into a cavity. A radiation shield limits backscatter radiation from heating the optics. The expanded beam enters the heat exchanger and is reflected by a dispersion mirror. Forward-facing beveled circular grooves absorb the reflected radiant energy preventing the energy from being reflected back towards the optics. Microchannels along the inner circumference of the beam dump heat exchanger maximize heat transfer. Sufficient amount of fiber is wound on the fiber spooler to permit not only a descent but also to permit a sample return mission by inverting the vehicle and melting its way back to the surface.

An ice auger having an adjustment part arranged in connection with a cutting blade of the ice auger for adjusting cutting characteristic of the cutting blade.

An ice auger for drilling holes in ice includes a cylindrical tubular bit with a cutting edge having a plurality of teeth on the bottom end, and a center shaft extending vertically through the tubular bit. The center shaft has a pointed tip extending below the teeth and a top end extending above the tubular bit for coupling to a rotary powerhead. The tubular bit may include tangential slots for drainage and ice removal. The pointed tip of the center shaft prevents lateral movement of the auger during initial cutting. The ice auger drills holes faster and easier than conventional augers by cutting a circular groove and removing only the perimeter ice. The ice auger is well-suited for ice fishing and livestock watering applications.

A drill assembly attachment having a handle, a drill mount, and a throttle. The throttle may have a first portion and a second portion rotationally engaged with the first portion such that the second portion is rotationally actuated in response to linear actuation of the first portion of the throttle. The throttle is positioned with respect to the drill mount and the handle such that the first portion may be linearly actuated by a user with a hand grasping the handle. The drill assembly attachment receives a drill assembly such that the throttle adjustably engages a trigger of the drill assembly. The drill assembly attachment or the drill assembly receives an auger or other tool and the drill assembly attachment with the drill assembly and auger or other tool is used in a method of rotating the auger or other tool.

A power ice screw system including an ice screw and screw adapter configured to engage the ice screw, thus enabling use of a power drill to install the ice screw in an ice feature, is described. The ice screw includes a drive head configured to engage the screw adapter. The screw adapter includes clearing ports that enable the adapter to expel ice that enters the adapter from within the ice screw hollow core. The ice screw core extends through the drive head to permit ice to flow through the ice screw and into the adapter. A cutting member resides within the screw adapter, typically disposed between two clearing ports. The cutting member can be flanked by two flanges configured to direct ice that has been disrupted by the cutting member outwardly through the clearing ports. The power drill is typically a lightweight battery powered electric driver.

The present invention relates to a receiver hitch-mounted ice drill device for ice fishing. The device allows a user to move an ice drill while attached to a vehicle while the drill remains outside of the vehicle. In addition, the device allows a user to remotely operate an ice drill of the device from within a vehicle.