Without micro-gas turbine units, it is impossible to operate MLRS, air defense, Iskander missiles, Msta-S self-propelled guns, Armata tanks and many other advanced weapons. Microturbines are responsible for the energy supply of all nodes of the listed equipment, and are capable of producing stable current in difficult conditions on almost any type of fuel.
The production of power plants of this class is carried out by the only enterprise in the country − SKB Turbina as part of the High-Precision Complexes holding, where the film crew of the Military Acceptance program of the Zvezda TV channel recently visited.
Read about how microturbines are designed and where they are used in our material.
Microturbines for big things
The task of the microturbine, according to Eduard Bazhenov, General Director of SKB Turbina, is to supply all energy sources at the facility with an auxiliary power unit. These include energy sources associated with hydraulic drives, electric drives, radar complexes, communication control systems, etc.
For example, the Tornado-C complex is a huge tractor that carries 12 guides for 12 missiles with a caliber of 300 millimeters. The tractor itself drives at the expense of a conventional diesel engine, and the launch of missiles is provided by just the same microturbine.
The power of the gas turbine unit for the Tornado-S MLRS is 16 kilowatts. This is enough to provide energy, for example, to a private house. Moreover, such a microturbine can work on almost any fuel. In addition to the standard diesel engine, "Military Acceptance" tested the unit with kerosene, alcohol and even their mixtures. The result did not change, the machine consistently produced high-quality current.
How does a micro-gas turbine plant work
The scheme of operation of a gas turbine unit is similar to the scheme of operation of a jet aircraft engine. The air is taken from the atmosphere and compressed in the compressor. Then, with the help of a fuel-oil unit, fuel is supplied, which burns in the combustion chamber, creating enormous pressure and temperature. Further, hot compressed gases, coming out of the chamber, are triggered on the turbine. The turbine rotates the compressor, which, in turn, rotates the generator, and it already generates electrical energy.
A very important advantage of any gas turbine unit is a confident start in the cold. On the set of the "Military Acceptance", the Chelyabinsk microturbine for Tornado-C was tested at a temperature of -50.2 ° C. Similar temperatures are observed in Oymyakon, the harshest place on Earth with permanent residents. In such conditions, when the engine itself froze, the oil in the oil tank and the fuel in the fuel system froze, the unit started on the first attempt. After checking the frost, the microturbine was immediately tested by heavy rain and also started up successfully.
Another interesting detail is the start of the gas turbine engine using a pneumatic start. Conventional engines, such as car engines, are powered by a battery. And in the microturbine there is an impeller, which rotates during normal operation using the movement of exhaust gases. Before starting, exhaust gases can be simulated by applying compressed air to the turbine wheel and starting the engine.
Turbines from Chelyabinsk
SKB Turbina is located in Chelyabinsk and is now part of the Rostec State Corporation's High-Precision Complexes holding. However, the Design Bureau was founded back in 1970, when new, then experimental T-80 tanks were being tested in the country. Their main advantage is gas turbine engines. The main engine was developed in Kaluga, and the auxiliary engine was Chelyabinsk, manufactured by SKB Turbina.
Only two countries in the world still use gas turbine engines for tanks as the main one: Russia and the United States. But if the Americans only slightly redesigned the helicopter engine for the Abrams tank, then domestic designers developed the unit from scratch to make the tank not only fast, but also reliable.
In addition, the Abrams tank does not have a permanent auxiliary unit – its gas turbine clings to the car temporarily and then is removed after the tank is started and serviced. In the case of Russian technology, the microturbine is always with the machine in any conditions.
In NATO technology, diesel generators are usually used to supply electricity. Russian micro-gas turbine installations are installed on all air defense systems, on all modern tanks, new self-propelled guns, on Iskanders, on multiple rocket launchers. The accuracy of the output current parameters for microturbines is higher than for diesel engines, and the deviation from the nominal value is significantly less.
From the point of view of simplicity, the possibility of restoration, maintainability, the impact of external factors (dust, dirt, water), micro-gas turbine installations manufactured by SKB Turbina are optimal today. At the same time, Rostec is the only developer and manufacturer of this class of machines in the entire former Soviet Union.
