The power that an internal combustion engine can produce depends on the amount of air and mixed fuel that can be supplied to the engine. If you need to increase engine power, you need to increase both the amount of air and fuel supplied. Supplying more fuel will not have an effect until there is enough air for its combustion, otherwise an excess of unburned fuel will form, which leads to overheating of the engine, which also smokes heavily.

Increasing engine power can be achieved by increasing either its displacement or speed. Increasing the displacement immediately increases the weight, size of the engine and, ultimately, its cost. Increasing the speed is problematic due to the technical problems that arise, especially in the case of an engine with a large displacement.

Supercharging systems, which compress the air supplied to the engine combustion chamber and increase the mass of this air, make it possible to increase engine power for a given displacement and crankshaft speed.

For internal combustion engines, two types of compressors are used: mechanically driven and turbochargers that use exhaust gas energy. In addition, there are also combined systems, for example, turbocompound. In the case of a mechanically driven compressor, the required air pressure is obtained through a mechanical connection between the engine crankshaft and the compressor (clutch). In a turbocharger, air pressure is obtained by rotating the turbine by the flow of exhaust gases.

The turbocharger was first designed by the Swiss engineer Büschi back in 1905, but it was only many years later that it was further developed and used on large-displacement production engines.

In principle, any turbocharger consists of a centrifugal air pump and a turbine connected by a rigid axis to each other. Both of these elements rotate in the same direction and at the same speed. The energy from the exhaust gas flow, which is not used in conventional engines, is converted here into torque, driving the compressor. The exhaust gases leaving the engine cylinders have high temperature and pressure. They accelerate to high speed and come into contact with the turbine blades, which converts their kinetic energy into mechanical rotational energy (torque).

This energy conversion is accompanied by a decrease in gas temperature and pressure. The compressor draws air through the air filter, compresses it and delivers it to the engine cylinders. The amount of fuel that can be mixed with air can be increased, allowing the engine to develop more power. In addition, the combustion process is improved, which allows for increased engine performance over a wide speed range.

There is communication between the engine and the turbocharger only through the exhaust gas flow. The rotor speed of a turbocharger does not depend on the engine speed, but it is largely determined by the balance of energy received by the turbine and given to the compressor.

For engines operating over a wide speed range (in a passenger car), high boost pressure is desirable even at low speeds.

That's why the future belongs to pressure-controlled turbochargers. The small diameter of modern turbines and special sections of gas channels help reduce inertia, i.e. the turbine accelerates very quickly and the air pressure very quickly reaches the required value. The control valve ensures that the boost pressure does not increase above a certain value, above which the engine may be damaged.

An engine equipped with a turbocharger has technical and economic advantages compared to an atmospheric (naturally aspirated) engine.

The main advantages of a turbocharger engine:

the weight/power ratio of an engine with a turbocharger is higher than that of a naturally aspirated engine;

an engine with a turbocharger is less bulky than a naturally aspirated engine of the same power;

The torque curve of a turbocharged engine can be better adapted to specific operating conditions.

In addition, it is possible to create versions based on naturally aspirated engines, equipped with a turbocharger and varying in power.

The benefits of an engine with a turbocharger at altitude are even more noticeable. An atmospheric engine loses power due to air rarefaction, and the turbocharger, providing increased air supply, compensates for the decrease in atmospheric pressure, with almost no deterioration in engine performance. The amount of air forced will be only slightly less than at a lower altitude, meaning the engine essentially retains its power.

Besides:

an engine with a turbocharger ensures better fuel combustion, which leads to lower fuel consumption;

Since a turbocharger improves combustion, it also helps reduce exhaust emissions;

an engine equipped with a turbocharger operates more stably than this;

the naturally aspirated equivalent has the same power, and being smaller in size, it produces less noise. In addition, the turbocharger also plays the role of a kind of muffler in the exhaust system.

Expanding the production of materials with high temperature characteristics, improving the quality of motor oils, the use of liquid cooling of the turbocharger casing, and electronic control of control valves - all this contributed to the fact that turbochargers began to be used on small-scale gasoline engines.

When installing a turbocharger on a gasoline engine, specific requirements arise:

ensuring the tightness of the oil-gas channels of the turbocharger;

improving the quality of turbine materials;

improvement of the control valve;

cooling of the axle housing.

On a normally running engine that is serviced promptly and efficiently, a turbocharger can operate without failure for many years.

Malfunctions may occur as a result of:

insufficient amount of oil;

foreign objects entering the turbocharger;

contaminated oil.

JSC "Sickle and Molot" one of the largest machine-building enterprises in the city of Kharkov and in Ukraine. For 50 years, our company has been producing engines for agricultural machines, a significant part of which has been successfully operating abroad.

Legendary self-propelled combine harvesters SK-3,SK-4,SK-5, "Niva" And " " , high-productivity tractors T-74,DT-75N, TDT-55,HTZ-120- these are just a few examples of agricultural machines equipped with diesel engines of the brand SMD. In the former USSR 100 grain and forage harvesters, as well as most tractors, were equipped with our diesel engines.

At the end 80's years, the plant was reconstructed and was able to produce completely new Ukraine and countries CIS 6-cylinder in-line engine with a power of 220-280 hp. The 4-cylinder engine was also modernized. Its power increased to 160-170 hp, while the technical level of the design of each unit increased, and the unification of parts and units was preserved as much as possible.

Today JSC "Sickle and Molot" produces about a hundred different modifications of in-line 4 and 6 cylinder engines with power from 60 to 280 hp. for agricultural machinery and other machines.

Recently, engines have been installed on new designs of tractors from the Kharkov Tractor Plant - HTZ-120, HTZ-180, , T-156A and others, and are also used on grain harvesters that are produced in Ukraine "Slavutich", and forage harvesters "Olympus" And "Polesie-250"(Ternopil).

In parallel with the production of engines, JSC "Sickle and Molot" carries out additional assembly and sale of tractors DT-75N and. We have the opportunity to modernize tractors T-150(tracked), replacing the engine with an in-line diesel SMD-19T.02/20TA.06 At the same time, the tractor power does not change, and the economical and operational characteristics are improved.

Diesel engines, in addition to tractors and combines, today can be installed on motor graders, asphalt pavers, rollers, cranes, bulldozers, railway cranes and handcars, etc.

The plant has the ability to supply spare parts for engines manufactured at our enterprise upon orders from enterprises, carry out major repairs, install new ones and modernize components and parts.

Catalog of JSC "LEGAS" Moscow 1998

Diesels type SMD- mass-produced agricultural engines; all domestic grain harvesters and more than 60% of tractors are equipped with them. Diesels of this brand are also installed on forage and corn harvesters, excavators, cranes and other mobile equipment. In this regard, information on the issues of use, maintenance and repair, information about the designs of diesel engines and their manufacturers are extremely significant.

In 1957. Head specialized design bureau for engines (GSKBD) was designed and implemented into production at the Kharkov plant "Hammer and sickle" light-weight high-speed diesel SMD-7 48 kW (65 hp) for grain harvester SK-3, which was the beginning of the dieselization process in the combine industry. Subsequently, tractor and combine diesel engines were developed and consistently introduced into mass production. SMD-12, -14, -14A, -15K, -15KF power from 55 (75) to 66 kW (90 hp). Increased power of the diesel engines being developed was ensured by increasing the cylinder displacement or increasing the crankshaft speed. All these types of diesel engines had free air intake into the cylinders.

Further theoretical and experimental research on boosting tractor and combine diesel engines, improving their fuel efficiency, carried out in GSKBD, a rational direction was determined - the use of gas turbine pressurization of air into the cylinders. Along with work on selecting the optimal gas turbine charging system in GSKBD Research was carried out aimed at increasing the reliability of the main parts of diesel engines.

The first domestic diesel engines for agricultural purposes with gas turbine supercharging were combine diesel engines SMD-17K, -18K with a power of 77 kW (105 hp), production of which was started at the plant "Hammer and sickle" in 1968 1969

The use of gas turbine supercharging as a means of increasing the technical level of diesel engines was recognized as a progressive direction, therefore, subsequently created in GSKBD Diesels had forced air injection into the cylinders as a structural element.

The second generation diesel engines include 4-cylinder in-line diesel engines and a V-shaped 6-cylinder diesel engine. For the first time in agricultural engineering, the design used a solution in which the piston stroke is less than its diameter. Production of diesel engines of this type was started at the Kharkov Tractor Engine Plant ( HZTD) since 1972.

The next stage in developing power and improving the fuel efficiency of combine and tractor diesel engines was developments in cooling the charge air supplied to the cylinders. Research conducted in GSKBD, Kharkov Institute of Transport Engineers and Kharkov Polytechnic Institute, showed the ineffectiveness of further development of boosting diesel engines with forced air supply due to a significant increase in its temperature. The design used cooling of the air supplied to the cylinders, resulting in increased density and increased air charge of the cylinder without a significant increase in thermal tension.

The first diesel engines with intercooling (third-generation diesel engines) were also beaten by others, comparable in terms of performance to promising foreign diesel engines of this class.

The SMD engine is a diesel engine, well known to workers at machine and tractor stations (MTS), which were widespread during the existence of the USSR. The production of these engines began in 1958 at the Kharkov plant “Sickle and Hammer” (1881). Serial production of the family of SMD engines intended for aggregating various types of agricultural machinery (tractors, combines, etc.) was discontinued due to the cessation of the enterprise's activities (2003).

The line of these power units includes:

• 4-cylinder engines with in-line cylinders;
• inline 6-cylinder;
• V-shaped 6-cylinder units.

Moreover, any SMD motor has very high reliability. It is embedded in original design solutions, which, even by modern standards, provide a sufficient margin of operational safety for these motors.

Currently, SMD type power units are produced at the Belgorod Motor Plant (BMZ).

Specifications

OPTIONS	MEANING
Slave. cylinder volume, l	9.15
Power, l. With.	160
Crankshaft rotation speed, rpm. nominal/minimum (idling)/maximum (idling)	2000/800/2180
Number of cylinders	6
Cylinder arrangement	V-shaped, camber angle 90°
Cylinder diameter, mm	130
Piston stroke, mm	115
Compression ratio	15
Cylinder operating order	1-4-2-5-3-6
Supply system	Direct fuel injection
Fuel type/brand	Diesel fuel “L”, “DL”, “Z”, “DZ”, etc., depending on the ambient temperature
Fuel consumption, g/l. With. hour (rated/operating power)	175/182
Turbocharger type	TKR-11N-1
Starting system	Starting engine P-350 with remote start + electric starter ST142B
Starter fuel	A mixture of A-72 gasoline and motor oil in a ratio of 20:1
Lubrication system	Combined (pressure + spray)
Engine oil type	M-10G, M-10V, M-112V
Engine oil quantity, l	18
Cooling system	Water, closed type, with forced ventilation
Motor resource, hour	10000
Weight, kg	950...1100

The power unit was installed on tractors T-150, T-153, T-157.

Description

Diesel 6-cylinder V-shaped SMD engines are represented by a number of models SMD-60...SMD-65 and more powerful SMD-72 and SMD-73. All of these engines have a piston stroke less than the cylinder diameter (short-stroke version).

At the same time, in engines:

• SMD-60…65 uses turbocharging;
• SMD-72…73 charge air is additionally cooled.

The partitions between adjacent cylinders, together with the end walls of the crankcase, give the structure the necessary rigidity. Each cylinder block has special cylindrical bores into which cylinder liners made of titanium-copper cast iron are installed.

The layout of all engine components takes into account all the advantages provided by the V-shaped arrangement of cylinders. Placing the cylinders at an angle of 90° made it possible to place the turbocharger and exhaust manifolds in the camber between them. In addition, due to the displacement of the cylinder rows by 36 mm relative to each other, it was possible to install two connecting rods of opposite cylinders on one crankpin of the crankshaft.

The layout of the gas distribution mechanism parts differs from the generally accepted one. Its camshaft is common to two rows of cylinders and is located in the center of the crankcase. On the flywheel side, at its end there is a gear block, which includes gears for driving the gas distribution mechanism and the fuel pump.

During operation, the motor provides coarse and fine cleaning of diesel fuel. Engine oil is purified by a full-flow centrifuge.

The power unit is cooled with water. In winter, antifreeze can be used. The circulation of liquid in a closed cooling system is carried out thanks to a centrifugal water pump. A six-row tubular-plate radiator and a six-bladed electric fan also take part in the cooling process.

The SMD 60 engine cooling system also provides thermosiphon circulation of the coolant inside the water jacket of the starting engine. However, it is able to provide cooling of the latter only for a short time. To avoid overheating, the operating time of the starting engine at idle speed should not exceed 3 minutes.

Maintenance

Maintenance of the SMD 60 engine comes down to constant monitoring of its operation and regular maintenance specified in its operating instructions. Only if these conditions are met, the manufacturer guarantees:

• long-term and trouble-free operation of the power unit;
• maintaining power characteristics throughout the entire service life;
• high efficiency.

Types of maintenance (MOT) are determined by the timing of their implementation depending on the number of engine hours worked:

1. Daily maintenance – every 8…10 engine hours.
2. TO-1 – after 60 hours.
3. TO-2 – every 240 mph.
4. TO-3 – 960 mph.
5. Seasonal maintenance - before the transition to the spring-summer and autumn-winter periods of operation.

The list of work that must be carried out for each type of maintenance is given in the engine operating instructions. In this case, work requiring disassembly of the power unit must be carried out only in enclosed spaces.

Malfunctions

Failures of SMD 60 engines are rare and arise, as a rule, due to violation of the rules of their technical operation.

FAULT	REMEDY METHODS
The release of crankcase oil through the exhaust pipe.	1. Long-term operation of the engine at low and/or idle speeds.
	2. Coking of cast iron sealing rings on the turbocharger rotor shaft.
	3. Large gap between the rotor shaft and the turbocharger bearing.
Release of motor oil through the flywheel housing.	1. The self-clamping oil seal is destroyed.
	2. The gearbox O-ring has been cut off.
There is no oil supply to the valve mechanism.	1. The camshaft bushing rotates.
	2. Clogged oil passages of the cylinder head.
	3. Loosening of the camshaft gear.
Extraneous knocks in the engine:
1. A loud, sharp knock.	The nozzle is broken.
2. Detonating knock.	The injection angle is incorrect.
3. Unclear knocking sound.	Broken valve guide; sticking of the pusher; connecting rod bearings were melted; the connecting rod bottom cover is loosened; crankshaft liners are melted.

Tuning

Motors used to power agricultural machines and mechanisms are not subject to tuning. Developed for specific operating conditions, they are, as a rule, perfectly balanced and interference with their design does not lead to positive results.

Families of such engines are presented by manufacturers in the form of wide lines with different power levels. At the same time, they are installed on certain types of special equipment, from which consumers choose those that most fully meet their requirements.

What criteria are considered key for choosing the “best”? Are there fundamental differences in the approach to design on different continents? Let's try to find answers to these questions.

EUROPE: IN ECONOMY MODE

At a recent press conference in London, the head of the Peugeot-Citroen concern, Jean-Martin Foltz, quite unexpectedly for many, spoke about hybrid cars: “Look around: there are less than 1% of such cars in Europe, while the share of diesels reaches half.” According to Mr. Foltz, modern diesel is much cheaper to produce, while being no less economical and environmentally friendly.

The times when diesel engines left a black trail behind them, rumbled all over the street and were noticeably inferior in liter power to gasoline engines are over. Today, the share of diesel engines in Europe is 52% and continues to grow. The impetus is given, for example, by environmental bonuses in the form of reduced taxes, but above all by the high cost of gasoline.

A breakthrough on the diesel front occurred towards the end of the 90s, when the first engines with a “common rail” - a common fuel rail - went into production. Since then, the pressure within her has been steadily increasing. In the latest engines it reaches 1800 atmospheres, but until recently 1300 atmospheres was considered an outstanding indicator.

Next in line are systems with a double increase in injection pressure. First, the pump pumps fuel into the storage tank up to 1350 atm. Then the pressure is raised to 2200 atm, under which it enters the nozzles. Under this pressure, fuel is injected through smaller diameter holes. This improves the spray quality and increases the dosage accuracy. Hence the gain in efficiency and power.

Pilot injection has been used for several years now: the first “batch” of fuel enters the cylinders a little earlier than the main dose, which results in softer engine operation and cleaner exhaust.

In addition to the common rail, there is another technical solution to raise the injection pressure to unprecedented heights. Pump injectors have moved from truck engines to passenger diesel engines. Volkswagen, in particular, is committed to them, providing healthy competition to the “general ramp”.

One of the stumbling blocks on the path of diesel has always been environmental. If gasoline engines were criticized for carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons in the exhaust, then diesel engines were criticized for nitrogen compounds and soot particles. The introduction of Euro IV standards last year was not easy. Nitrogen oxides were dealt with using a neutralizer, but a special filter catches soot. It lasts up to 150 thousand km, after which it is either changed or “calcined”. At the command of the control electronics, exhaust gases from the recirculation system and a large dose of fuel are supplied to the cylinder. The exhaust temperature rises and the soot burns out.

It is noteworthy that most new diesel engines can run on biodiesel fuel: it is based on vegetable oils, not petroleum products. This fuel is less aggressive to the environment, so its mass share in the European market should reach 30% by 2010.

In the meantime, experts note the joint development of General Motors and FIAT - one of the “Engines of the Year 2005”. Thanks to electronics, a small-displacement diesel engine is able to quickly change injection parameters and thereby provide greater torque and faster engine starting. Extensive use of aluminum, which significantly reduced weight and size, combined with sufficient power of 70 hp. and a considerable torque of 170 N.m allowed the 1.3-liter engine to gain a large number of votes.

Considering all the achievements on the diesel front, we can safely say that the near future of Europe lies with these engines. They become more powerful, quieter and more comfortable for everyday driving. Taking into account current oil prices, none of the existing types of engines can supplant them in the Old World.

ASIA: MORE POWER PER LITER

The main achievement of Japanese engine engineers over the last ten years is high liter power. Driven into narrow limits by legislation, engineers manage to achieve excellent results in a variety of ways. A striking example is variable valve timing. In the late 80s, the Japanese Honda with its VTEC system made a real revolution.

The need to vary the phases is dictated by different driving modes: in the city, the most important thing is efficiency and torque at low speeds, on the highway - at high speeds. The wishes of buyers in different countries also differ. Previously, engine settings were constant, but now it has become possible to change them literally on the go.

Modern Honda engines are equipped with several types of VTEC, including a three-stage device. Here the parameters are adjusted not only at low and high speeds, but also at medium speeds. This way it is possible to combine the incompatible: high specific power (up to 100 hp/l), fuel consumption in the 60–70 km/h mode at 4 liters per hundred and high torque in the range from 2000 to 6000 rpm.

As a result, the Japanese successfully produce high power from very modest volumes. The record holder for this indicator for a year in a row remains the Honda S2000 roadster with a naturally aspirated 2-liter engine producing 250 hp. Despite the fact that the engine appeared back in 1999, it is still among the best - second place among the 2005 contenders with a volume of 1.8–2.0 liters. The second indisputable achievement of the Japanese is hybrid installations. “Hybrid Synergy Drive” produced by Toyota has been among the winners more than once, gaining the highest number of points in the “economical engine” category. The stated figure of 4.2 l/100 km for such a rather large car as the Toyota Prius is certainly good. The power of Synergy Drive reaches 110 hp, and the total torque of the gasoline-electric installation is outstanding - 478 N.m!

In addition to fuel efficiency, the environmental aspect is emphasized: the emissions of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides from the engine are 80 and 87.5% lower than required by Euro IV standards for gasoline engines, and 96% lower than the requirements for diesel engines. Thus, Synergy Drive fits within the strictest framework in the world - ZLEV, planned for introduction in California.

In recent years, an interesting trend has emerged: in relation to hybrids, we are less and less talking about absolute records of efficiency. Let's take the Lexus RX 400h. This car consumes a completely normal 10 liters in the urban cycle. With one caveat - this is very little, considering the power of the main engine is 272 hp. and a torque of 288 N.m!

If Japanese companies, primarily Toyota and Honda, manage to reduce the cost of units, sales of hybrids could jump by an order of magnitude in the next 5–10 years.

AMERICA: CHEAP AND CHEAP

On American car forums after the “Engine of the Year” competition, debates inevitably arise: how is it that there is not a single engine of our design among the winners! It's simple: Americans, despite the ongoing fuel crisis, have not been very successful in saving gasoline, and they don't even want to hear about diesel fuel! But this does not mean that they have nothing to brag about.

For example, Chrysler engines of the Hemi series, which shone on powerful models (they are traditionally called “oil cars” in the USA) back in the 50s. Their name comes from the English hemispherical - hemispherical. Of course, a lot has changed over half a century, but, as before, modern Hemi cars have hemispherical combustion chambers.

Traditionally, the line of engines is headed by units of indecent displacement by European standards - up to 6.1 liters. Once you open the prospectus, the difference in approaches to design catches your eye. “Class-leading power”, “fastest acceleration”, “low noise levels”... fuel consumption is mentioned in passing. Although he, of course, is not indifferent to engineers. It’s just that the priorities are slightly different - dynamic characteristics and... low cost of the unit.

Hemi engines do not have variable phases. They are not so forced and cannot even come close to the best Japanese units in terms of liter power. But they use a clever MDS system (Multi Displacement System - a system of several volumes). As the name hints, its meaning lies in turning off four of the eight cylinders of the engine, when it is not necessary to use all 335 “horses” and 500 Nm of torque, for example, in a 5.7-liter engine. It takes only 40 milliseconds to turn off. GM has used similar systems before, and this is Chrysler's first experience. According to the company, MDS allows you to save up to 20% of fuel, depending on your driving style. Bob Lee, vice president of Chrysler's engine division, is very proud of the new engine: “Cylinder deactivation is elegant and simple... the benefits are reliability and low price.”

Naturally, American engineers do not limit themselves to switchable cylinders. They are also preparing completely different developments, for example, fuel cell power plants. Judging by the appearance of more and more new concept cars with just such engines, their future is painted in rosy tones.

Of course, we noted only the most striking features of the “national engine building”. The modern world is too small for fundamentally different cultures to exist side by side without influencing each other. Perhaps one day they will come up with a recipe for an ideal “global” motor? For now, everyone prefers to go their own way: Europe is preparing to switch almost half of its fleet to rapeseed oil; America, although trying not to notice the changes taking place in the world, is gradually weaning itself from voracious mastodons and is considering converting the entire country’s infrastructure to hydrogen fuel; Well, Japan... as always, takes advantage of high technologies and the stunning speed of their implementation in life.

DIESEL "PSA-FORD"

In the near future, production of two new engines will begin, developed jointly by the Peugeot-Citroen concern and Ford (Ford engineer Phil Lake introduces them to journalists). 2.2 liter diesel engines are intended for commercial and passenger cars. The common rail system now operates at a pressure of 1800 atm. Fuel is injected into the combustion chamber through seven 135-micron holes in piezoelectric injectors (previously there were five). It is now possible to inject fuel up to six times per crankshaft revolution. The result is cleaner exhaust, fuel economy, and reduced vibration.

Two compact low-inertia turbochargers were used. The first is responsible exclusively for the “lower end”, the second is activated after 2700 rpm, providing a smooth torque curve reaching 400 N.m at 1750 rpm and a power of 125 hp. at 4000 rpm. The engine weight has been reduced by 12 kg compared to the previous generation thanks to the new cylinder block architecture.

2007 Edition: Zelenograd entrepreneur

MODERNIZATION OF CONVERSION EQUIPMENT IS A PROFITABLE BUSINESS IN THE HANDS OF PROFESSIONALS

In 1999, the company “Batmaster” was created in Zelenograd, which has been successfully operating to this day. The main areas of activity are the overhaul and sale of road, earth-moving, all-terrain equipment, the supply of diesel engines after overhaul and modernization, the design and manufacture of pistons for gasoline and diesel engines using isothermal and liquid stamping, the supply of spare parts, consultations on engineering technology, and more.

Today we are talking with the management of the company - director Oleg Anatolyevich Sinyukov and the head of the diesel modernization project, candidate of technical sciences Sergei Valentinovich Koroteev.

Oleg Anatolyevich. I was just looking through your price lists, which present, so to speak, the entire model range - road, excavation, earthmoving and drilling machines, excavators and heavy tracked transporters. The impression is that this is a technique that we saw in photographs in films of the 60s and 70s. This is true?

O.S. Yes, this equipment was indeed designed during these years, but most of it, offered by our company, has a modern filling. We are talking about engineering equipment that was produced back in the Soviet Union, and, in general, the issues of its modernization did not arise before the then leadership of the relevant departments, due to the fact that new equipment was replacing old equipment. When the Soviet Union sank into oblivion, a lot of conversion equipment appeared on the market, and they began to use it in the national economy. Few people have been involved in the modernization of this technology, and we have entered this niche.

-Tell us a little about the background to the creation of the company?

O.S.In the first time after the creation of “Batmaster” in Zelenograd, the issue of expanding the portfolio of orders came first. The fact that by this time we had accumulated experience in the repair and maintenance of this equipment, and had our own specialists, meant absolutely nothing here. Anything new is greeted with caution. It was necessary to find customers who would be in demand for our services for modernizing equipment. We had to do quite a lot of work.

- Where did the name “Batmaster” come from?

O.S.BAT is an abbreviation for Large Artillery Tractor.

-What is the modernization of old conversion equipment?

O.S. The heart of the car is the engine. A lot depends on the motor; there are many indicators that allow you to determine what condition the motor is in. In addition, in Soviet times there was no talk about such parameters as efficiency. There was a lot of fuel, a wide variety of oils too. The equipment had to go into the field, withstand the battle, and few people were interested in what would happen to it next.

But when this technology entered the national economy, it was given slightly different tasks—issues of efficiency and ecology came to the fore. Almost all of these cars had 12-cylinder engines. And if earlier a driver, when going on a mission to a site, for example, to clear snow, was forced to carry a barrel of oil with him, as it literally flew down the drain, now, after modernization, oil consumption has decreased several times, fuel consumption by 5-7%.

But in order to modernize internal combustion engines at such a high level, quite highly qualified specialists were needed?

O.S. Certainly . And one of these specialists is sitting next to you. This is Sergey Valentinovich Koroteev, whom I would position as the best specialist in optimizing cylinder-piston groups of internal combustion engines in Russia. No one knows this question better than him. We brought him to work in 2000, then a working group was created under his leadership, which successfully
. The tests were successfully carried out at the research and development center for testing and development at the central testing site in Dmitrov.

-Sergey Valentinovich, how did you react to the offer of the Batmaster company to become the manager of this project?

S.K. By the time I received a business proposal for cooperation from the Batmaster company, I already knew them as a group of specialists who could set serious tasks and bring them to concrete implementation.

I myself had previously been involved in the design of cylinder-piston engine groups for some of the country's leading factories. At one time, at the Elion plant, I headed a division that produced modern liquid-stamped pistons for environmentally friendly cars. But when, for a number of reasons, this program, as they say, did not work, I received an invitation from the Batmaster PG.

So I easily got involved in the work.

-What is your know-how?

S.K. Almost all the engines that we have in our country today are piston engines. We manufacture the main part - the piston according to our documentation using modern technologies.

The equipment we are talking about, based on the ATT tractor (ICE 12h-15/18), was designed in the 50s. It was replaced in the early 80s by another - based on the MTT tractor, where a diesel engine (12chn-15/18) of a new design was installed. These machines turned out to be so successful that they still operate successfully in the national economy. What's good about this technique? It is easy to maintain, unpretentious, and reliable. But despite these advantages, it is absolutely not economical. We were just working to make these cars more economical.

If you imagine how a piston works, you will understand that during reciprocating motion, complex processes occur inside the engine. Your readers will probably be interested to know that the piston inside a running engine heats up more than 300 degrees Celsius, pressure acts on it more than 100 atmospheres, tens of times per second.

The method of liquid or isothermal stamping that we use in the production of pistons is one of the progressive technological processes that allows us to obtain dense cast piston blanks with a reduced allowance for machining. Pressure is used here as a factor of effective influence on solidification and the processes occurring during this process - shrinkage, gas evolution, segregation. Compressive stresses arising under the influence of pressure reduce the tendency to crack formation and improve the physical and mechanical properties of the workpiece (dense, shell-free structure, high hardness). The high silicon content in the piston material provides increased wear resistance.

We use piston rings whose quality level significantly exceeds the requirements of the ISO standard. Radial Ring Thickness Accuracy does not exceed 0.02 mm. at a norm of 0.2-0.3 mm. The drop in tangential force in captive condition at a temperature of 300 ° C does not exceed 5% when the norm is 8%. To eliminate scoring and burns and ensure quick running-in, the method of micro-honing (oil pockets) of the working chrome-plated surface of the piston rings was used.

The use of these innovations made it possible to reduce the gaps in the piston-cylinder liner interface by more than 2 times. Small clearances and optimal piston design ensure improvement of all engine performance indicators. The efficiency of fuel combustion increases, mechanical losses due to friction, oil and fuel consumption are significantly reduced, which significantly increases the efficiency of the diesel engine. The toxicity of exhaust gases and noise levels are reduced, and power is increased.

O.S. In this case, the situation developed this way. From one of our clients, the trust SNDSR OJSC “Surgutneftegas”, an order was received for a track builder (used for clearing roads of snow) - to install a diesel engine of a different brand. The customer was extremely dissatisfied with the performance of the previous diesel engine, precisely because of its low service life and uneconomical operation.

We looked at models of Russian and imported engines. It turned out that it was impossible to install any of the new diesel engines without seriously reworking the car. In general, we followed a path that turned out to be successful, i.e. By changing materials and designs, we changed the engine parameters for the better. Which was brought to life.

Due to this, engine performance parameters have improved, ranging from its efficiency, which amounts to 7% savings on fuel and more than 5 times savings on oil, to improved environmental performance.

To make it clearer, I will explain with a specific example. If you have been paying attention, sometimes there are cars called “Hurricane”. When such a car goes down the road, it is completely enveloped in a cloud of smoke, a plume of this smoke stretches behind it for several meters, from which drivers and passengers of other cars that happen to be, unfortunately, nearby are suffocating. So, after the modernization process, the environmental performance of such a car improves by several orders of magnitude; this, of course, is not a European standard, but diesel engines practically stop smoking.

-You position yourself as a company that uses high-tech technologies. Can you give an example?

S.K. We use a variety of promising developments in component parts, and some of the developments have no analogues in the West. The Germans come to us, look and are surprised. For example, in Russia a new process of high-speed chrome plating of piston rings has been developed, which makes it possible to increase the strength of chromium and its adhesion to the piston ring, and this is an additional resource for the operation of component parts. Our related partners completed this work for us - according to the documentation for new piston rings developed in our design bureau.

-We talked about modernization, but judging by the price list, are you also doing major repairs?

O.S. A major overhaul includes upgrading the engine and repairing the machine itself.

-Where does this happen? Do you have your own base?

O.S. In Zelenograd we have a workshop where these works are carried out.

-What is the price range? How profitable is it for the client to modernize equipment?

S.K. The service life of the cylinder-piston group of a standard diesel engine B-401 is 800 hours. “Our” CPG will operate for at least 8000 motor hours, i.e. 10 times more. Trucks can operate even longer – up to 15,000 motor hours. Old technology does not have such a resource. This is the first question. The second issue is cost-effectiveness. During controlled operation at Surgutneftegaz, oil consumption due to waste, according to their data, decreased by 10 times. Accordingly, harmful emissions into the atmosphere and the cost of operating these machines have decreased.

To create a company for such a project, you need to be sure that the work will last for several years. How many pieces of engineering equipment were in Russia by the time you decided to create your own company?

O.S. In fact, there is quite a lot of equipment, and not only in Russia, but also in the CIS countries, as well as in countries that at one time received it from the Soviet Union. This is Africa, Asia, part of European countries.

Currently, Russian enterprises have to fight with foreign manufacturers in the market for modernizing equipment produced in the Soviet Union. As far as I know, foreigners give a very high assessment to the developments of the domestic school of mechanical engineering.

Some types of equipment allow you to carry out a large range of activities from earthmoving to clearing roads from snow, as well as pulling out stuck equipment with a powerful winch and lifting operations with a crane. And all this is concentrated into a single complex, capable of moving independently at a fairly high speed.

Foreign manufacturers have equipment designed for specific purposes, but I have never seen anything similar to Soviet machines with such a set of functions.

-Who are your main customers?

O.S. These are oil and gas producing enterprises that have been operating such machines for more than 30 years, using them mainly for maintaining roads in winter, digging and building temporary bridges. Our partners include Surgutneftegaz, Lukoil, road repair and maintenance companies such as Severavtodor, Surgutneftedorstroyremont and other serious enterprises.

Speaking of specialists. Is there a problem with lower and middle level personnel everywhere now? Where do you get the footage?

O.S. We train young specialists, for this we have a core team of fairly mature professionals. We hire specialists in various areas, some of them have certain knowledge in the automotive field, and train them on site.

-Do you take part in exhibitions, and if so, which ones?

O.S. We participate in exhibitions. Here in front of you is a diploma from the 2006 International Exhibition of Military Products. We also received a diploma for participation in the exhibition “Automotive Technologies and Materials” in Manege, and took part in the international exhibition in 2003 - “Automotive Components - New Technologies”.

-And there you had the opportunity to compare your technologies with others. What conclusions did you draw?

O.S. There are factories that simply repair various types of diesel engines, but as for modernization, this is such a narrow area of ​​work that today we have no competitors. In any case, I haven't heard of them.

And the last question. What other additional, so to speak, areas are you going to explore in the near future?

O.S. In the future, we are considering the issue of manufacturing a larger number of parts and assemblies for engineering equipment. Currently, design documentation is being developed and a search is underway for subcontractors who have the ability to fulfill our orders for components. We will try to establish ourselves in this niche in the near future.