TsAGI presents the WCRC "Supersonic" at NAUKA 0+ Festival
20 October 2020
What new challenges in the field of high speeds are facing domestic and world aviation today? How to create a supersonic passenger aircraft that meets modern environmental and economic requirements? What is the role of world-class scientific centers in the development of key supersonic technologies? These and other questions were answered by scientists of the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute named after Professor N.E. Zhukovsky (a part of the NRC “Zhukovsky Institute”) and the Moscow Aviation Institute as part of the NAUKA 0+ All-Russian Science Festival on October 10.
At the central site of the festival in Moscow, the Institute organized a presentation “The World-class Research Center (WRCR) ‘Supersonic’- a breakthrough to new speeds!” It was attended by TsAGI General Director, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Kirill Sypalo, TsAGI Chief Scientific Officer, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Sergey Chernyshev, TsAGI Head of Aeroacoustics, Professor, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Viktor Kopiev, Head of the Department of the Moscow Aviation Institute, Professor, Doctor of Technical Sciences Alexander Efremov.
During the presentation of the WCRC, TsAGI scientists talked about its creation, initiated by the Institute in 2019 within the framework of the Science National Project, and its further development. The main goal of the Center is to form a domestic base of fundamental knowledge on the subject of supersonic passenger aircraft. The consortium of WCRC included: Baranov CIAM, GosNIIAS, GkNIPAS, Gromov FRI, Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics of the RAS, Lomonosov Moscow State University, MAI, Perm Federal Research Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, etc.
This August the project was approved at the meeting of the Council for State Support for Creation and Development of World-Class Research Centres performing R&D in priority S&T areas in Russia. At the moment, the development program and management structure of the WCRC “Supersonic” have been approved. It includes five scientific laboratories in the areas of aerodynamics and conceptual design of low sonic boom supersonic passenger aircraft, aeroacoustics and vibration, strength, flight safety, gas dynamics and power plants.
’Research in the field of supersonics is one of the key directions in the development of aviation science in Russia. Within the framework of the WCRC, we will be able to solve a number of fundamental, search and applied problems of engineering and technology using scientific and experimental infrastructure. Thereby we will achieve qualitatively new environmental and economic indicators of the supersonic passenger aircraft necessary for their serial production. All this will make it possible to create a supersonic airliner that has no analogues in the world,’ said Kirill Sypalo, General Director of TsAGI, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
During the online discussion, Kirill Sypalo spoke about the unique design solutions of supersonic passenger aircraft, such as an aerodynamic design with a low sonic boom level and a remote control system, a windowless “glass” cockpit, an isogrid design of the forward fuselage section, an overhead arrangement of engines, etc. It is aimed to reach such flight parameters as 1900 km/h, a range of more than seven thousand km, an acceptable noise level during takeoff and landing, a safety level corresponding to the standards of promising civil aircraft.
Sergey Chernyshev, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, TsAGI Chief Scientific Officer, made a report on the activities of the Institute and the Laboratory of Aerodynamics and Conceptual Design of Low Sonic Boom Supersonic Transport (SST). He said that among the main challenges facing aviation science in connection with the creation of supersonic transport are lower sonic boom level, the compliance of the noise level in the airport area with the ICAO requirements, the achievement of a compromise between environmental friendliness and high lift-to-drag ratio, the development of a highly efficient power plant, widespread use of artificial intelligence on board, etc. ’All these challenges will be taken up in next
Head of the TsAGI Aeroacoustics, professor, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Victor Kopiev delivered an interesting lecture on the scientific activities of the Aeroacoustics and Vibration Laboratory. In a form accessible to young people he talked through many fundamental problems in this area where one of the main ones is the reduction of the jet noise of the SST engine. To solve it, young minds and fresh ideas are needed. In turn, Head of the department of the Moscow Aviation Institute, professor, Doctor of Technical Sciences Alexander Efremov introduced the online audience to the Artificial Intelligence and Flight Safety Laboratory.
In addition, the scientists answered the questions of the participants. Among the topics that are of interest to young people today are the availability of supersonic flights for the population, the use of promising power plants, the problem of sonic boom, Russia’s prospects in the supersonic aircraft market, etc.
You can watch the video of the presentation of the WCRC “Supersonic” here.
The All-Russian Science Festival NAUKA 0+ is an annual event organized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the Moscow Government, Lomonosov Moscow State University, the Russian Academy of Sciences. This year, for the 15th time, the festival will open its doors to everyone who is interested in science. The event is held online and offline in 80 regions of Russia; in Moscow alone 90 festival sites are open. The NAUKA 0+ program includes over two thousand events, including a lecture hall, laboratories, exhibitions, guided tours, scientific quests and competitions, etc.