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The Concept Ice Vehicle or CIV was a bio-fuelled, propeller-powered vehicle that was developed for the Andrew Regan / Andrew Moon bid to cross the Antarctic in 2009. The Expedition was rescheduled to November 2010 and the Ice Vehicle was re-engineered and renamed the Winston Wong Bio-Inspired Ice Vehicle BIV. Professor Winston Wong is the sponsor of the Moon Regan Transantarctic Expedition 2010.[1] The Expedition has several key objectives: to show that the right motorised vehicles can operate successfully and efficiently in the Antarctic, to successfully complete a transantarctic crossing and to help researchers at Imperial College London gather useful data on vehicle emissions, the performance of biofuels and human performance under extreme conditions.[2] Few ground vehicles have, to date, been successful there; researchers who work across the continent tend to rely on air travel, which may be more environmentally damaging.
Development edit
The CIV was originally designed and engineered by Kieron Bradley - chassis designer for the Lotus Formula One team. Later changes and modifications were undertaken by the Expedition team and engineers at Imperial College London.
Specifications edit
- Suspension: all-round independent suspension to cope with rough terrain and sastrugi
- Engine: R259 oilhead BMW motorcycle engine, running on E85 bio-ethanol
- Dimensions: 4.5m long x 4.5m wide
- Weight: 690 kg
- Top speed: 84 mph
Testing edit
The CIV underwent pre-expedition testing in Sweden in March 2009.
See also edit
- Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-1917
- Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1955-1958
References edit
- ^ Moon-Regan Trans Antarctic Expedition. "Moon-Regan Trans Antarctic Expedition".
- ^ Imperial technology supports expedition across the most inhospitable continent on Earth. "Imperial technology supports expedition across the most inhospitable continent on Earth".