Snow and Ice Related Research

The interest for different aspects of snow and ice started in 1985 by the construction of Icy-Rider, a go-cart looking vehicle, which driving force is extracted from freezing water. Icy-Rider (paper in Swedish) attracted world-wide attention. The principle of the energy extraction of the pressure volume work of freezing water has resulted in other new product development.

This principle was used in the development of a measurement device for determining frost depth in the ground and also for measurement of the ice cover thickness on lakes and rivers.

Nordell explained the origin of a rare natural phenomenon - Large Rotating Ice Discs on River Waters. (Se photo 1 and photo 2). He also showed that condensation of humid air could explain sudden collapse of snow- covered buildings in warm clear weather.

A more recent field of work is the development of the historically old technique of storing snow/ice for large-scale cold storage. This field connect both his interest in snow/ice and thermal energy storage. The Sundsvall Snow Storage.

The Antarctic ice melts because of the geothermal heat flow. Only a fraction of this heat flow is conducted through the ice. The remaining part is trapped under the ice. Consequently, the temperature at the bottom of the ice cover is always exactly at its melting point of the ice. This melting point varies with pressure, so, by knowing the pressure, i.e. the weight of the ice at that point the temperature under the temperature is always defined exactly by its melting point. (Antarctic Melt Flow)

Nordell has also been studying dowsing for more than 20 years and suggested an explanation to why and how the dowsing reflex occurs.