As follows from the serial number, this is the sixth station named after the astronomer Edmond Halley: they replaced each other on the Brunt Ice Shelf (75˚35'S, 26˚39'W). from the late 1950s. The first four were gradually covered with snow: in a year it arrives at 1.5 m. The fifth found itself in another danger: due to the progressive melting of the ice, it can float away on a breakaway iceberg, since the glacier is sliding into the ocean at a speed of 400 m / year.
At the same time, this important post cannot be abandoned: it was here in 1985 that a hole in the ozone layer was discovered, and this is just one of the results of observing the melting of ice, studying the magnetic field of the Earth and the upper part of its atmosphere, monitoring the phenomena of "space weather".
The £ 26m new station was commissioned to the project's authors through an international competition in 2004 (the then winning engineers of Faber Maunsell have since become part of AECOM). It took so long to implement the plan, as construction in Antarctica can only take 9 summer weeks a year. Therefore, the construction of the station took 4 years, although the workers worked around the clock during the season. Also, the construction was complicated by the limitation of cargo by weight: nothing heavier than 9.5 tons cannot be transported on ice. Even the use of standard parts designed for easy assembly did not speed up the process much.
Halley VI station is 4 m above the ice level, so it will take a long time to get snow. In addition, each of its supports is equipped with runners, so it can be easily transported to a new place by a bulldozer (for example, away from a crack in the ice). It consists of 8 modules, one red - with a bar, salons, billiard room, etc., and 7 blue - standard. Their purpose can be easily changed depending on the current needs, turning bedrooms into laboratories, and vice versa. The total area of the station is 1510 m2. Blocks of three and five modules are separated by a fire bridge. The station faces the prevailing wind direction: in combination with the aerodynamic shape of the modules, this prevents the formation of large snowdrifts and drifts.
The project takes into account the difficult conditions of stay in Halley VI: in winter, when the number of employees is reduced to 16 (in summer there are 70), the polar night lasts 50 days and the temperature drops to -40. The wind speed reaches 36 m / s, and in daylight there is a "snowy haze" when, due to the whiteness of the landscape, a person loses orientation in space.
For better insulation from the outside, the facades are covered with high-performance fiberglass, the windows are triple-glazed, and the dome of the red module is covered with translucent panels with nanogel insulation.
Large window openings and transparent corridor ceilings reduce energy costs during daylight hours. The quality of the insulation is 100 times higher than the existing British standards: air suction is 0.1 m3 / m2 / h at a pressure of 50 Pa.
Water in Antarctica is extracted from ice, then filtered and purified; waste water also needs to be treated so that it does not pollute the environment. All of this consumes a lot of energy, so saving water is vital for the plant. In Halley V, a person consumed 120 liters / day (the average Briton consumes 160 liters), while in Halley VI it is only 20 liters / day. This result is achieved with the help of a vacuum drain system (such as is used on ships and aircraft), pressure regulators and timers-regulators of water outlet for mixers and showers.
Heating is almost entirely carried out by the heat generated during the operation of energy generators.
Particular attention is paid to the psychological state of the researchers: on the polar night, the illumination of public areas, gently intensifying in the morning, simulates dawn, and large glazing surfaces provide a connection with the surrounding landscape. The interior is designed in the "spring range" of bright, but not flashy colors, cedar wood is also used, the smell of which will help to cope with sensory deficiency.
N. F.
