TsAGI’s Young Specialists Takes Part in Scientists-to-Schools Action
14 February 2023
A major task of Decade of Science and Technologies declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin is to involve talented schoolchildren into advanced research and contemporary development. This involvement will allow pupils to know more about engineering specialties, and, possibly, to decide about their future job. In particular, the idea could be implemented by Scientists-to-Schools National Action which started in February with support of Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russian Union of Rectors, etc. Cand. Sc. Ivan Amelyushkin, Senior Researcher at TsAGI (a part of NRC “Zhukovsky Institute”), was involved in the Action.
Early February, the young scientist gave his lecture, ‘History and Prospects of Aerohydrodynamics and Aircraft’, accompanied by physical experiments, at Lomonosov Boarding School, Moscow Region, Ernst Thälmann Settlement. The lecture and experiments were a part of Flight Physics, a unique course co-organized by Oleg Druzhinin, Rotorcraft Engineer at TsAGI, Natalia Muratova, Leading Specialist at TsAGI, and MIPT students.
In the first part, Ivan Amelyushkin spoke on the evolution of aerohydrodynamics, from first turbulent flow observations in the second millennium B.C. up to date, to the cutting-edge superlight tiltrotor concepts and hyperloops that are moved inside vacuum tubes by electromagnetic field. He showed a number of aerodynamic effects during his lecture, such as vortex flow control, modeling of different-altitude vortices, combustion experiments, large-lightning experiments, voice change with special gas— sulfur hexafluoride, streamline visualization, etc.
All this was provided by special laboratory facilities of the Interactive Museum of Physics and Math, whose collection was prepared jointly with Association of Museums of Cosmonautics of Russia. Quite recently, it has been replenished by high-frequency large-vortex-ring generator, hydrodynamic engine and pump, adaptive wings, etc. All this will allow showing and studying such phenomena as formation and control of vortex rings, operation of mechanisms through change in pressure, vaporing and condensing, wing lift emergence, and significant change of wing shape without high-lift devices used at takeoff, landing and cruise mode.
The Interactive Museum of Physics and Math is a branch of Russia’s Association of Museums of Cosmonautics. The project is authored by young scientists and specialists from TsAGI. The museum includes such mobile exhibits as a gas-discharge piano for creating large lightning, a laser facility, a vortex gun, an electric wheel, Stirling engines, a Crookes radiometer, tools for low-temperature experiments, etc. The collection also includes genuine videos, photos and proceeded data from observation of aerohydrodynamic processes.