The T-72 is one of the most reliable and effective combat vehicles in service with many armies in the world. But many years have passed since its creation, and today the T-72 tank, despite its wide distribution, is considered morally and technically obsolete. When designing the tank, the fact that its operation will be carried out in various climatic zones from hot Africa to the cold Arctic was taken into account. Many experts pointed to the failure of the engineers, namely the fact that, for example, the tanks were supplied to Africa with frost-resistant rubber installed on the road wheels, but were not equipped with such necessary equipment as air conditioners.
The military, who directly operate the tank, argue that air conditioning is not just a luxury for the tank's crew, but also a means of influencing the combat effectiveness of equipment. So installed in tanks thermal imagers at an air temperature above 50 ° C very often fail, and the gunner sees on the screen not a clear image of the target, but its blurred outline. The lack of the necessary air conditioning system leads to the fact that the temperature inside the tank rises to 60 ° C, which is not only the reason for the failure of the electronic equipment, but also the disruption of the crew's performance.
More than forty years have passed since the creation of the T-72 tank, and during this period the requirements for the technical configuration, dynamics and power-to-weight ratio of the combat vehicle have changed. As a result of various types of modernization, the total weight of the tank increased to forty tons, and this is reflected in the maneuverability and tactical and technical data.
A significant part of the tank's energy resources is spent on autonomous power supply of electrical systems and power supply of various devices. Moreover, a huge amount of fuel is consumed to maintain a continuous supply of energy. In modern tanks, this problem was solved through the use of an autonomous auxiliary power unit (APU) power, which is significantly less than the main engine power installed on a combat vehicle. It is impossible to solve in a similar way the problem of uninterrupted power supply to the T-72 due to the lack of space for placing the unit.
To solve problems with the installation of an additional power unit and air conditioning units, engineers see the only way out - modernizing the engine, which should be not only powerful, but also compact. Specialists of the State Enterprise "Kharkov Armored Repair Plant" together with the KKBD modernized the chassis of the T-72B tank by creating a completely new engine compartment and equipping it with the necessary units and equipment.
To date, the experimental machine is in the stage of life tests. As a replacement for the outdated V-46-6, the 5TDF engine was installed on the modernized model, which was finalized and improved by KKBD engineers. The power of the improved version of the engine exceeds 1000 hp.
The main advantage of the 5TDF / 6TD family engine is its unique ability to maintain maximum power at high temperatures up to + 55 ° C. Engine operation at high temperatures is a normal mode recommended by the developers. The permissible coolant temperature is + 115 ° C, if necessary, the engine can be operated with a temperature indicator of + 125 ° C, but only for a short time, no more than one hour.
In the process of implementing the project related to the modernization of the chassis of the T-72 tank, the aft armor plate of the hull was redesigned to provide additional space in the engine compartment. The tract of the air intake in the MTO roof was also changed, new supports for the engine were installed, exhaust gases were removed on the left side, the design of the flue and air cleaner was changed, the fan drive is connected to the engine drive, which ensures uninterrupted operation. The use of an improved transmission scheme and power plant made it possible to reduce the weight of the tank by eliminating the use of a parasitic gearbox - a guitar. The reduction in weight has a beneficial effect on efficiency levels and overall performance.
It should be noted that in the improved model of the T-72 tank, the performance of the cooling system of the power unit is increased by 37%, and this despite the fact that the energy consumption for ensuring the operation of the fan is significantly reduced by 24%. Despite the significant increase in power, the new engine is 6% more economical than the previous one.
The created design and the installed MTO are much more compact and allow placing in the engine-transmission compartment a part of the air conditioner components and an additional power unit EA-10, the power of which is 10 kW.
A significant increase in power made it possible to increase the security of the T-72 tank through the use of dynamic protection of the tower. A similar system is installed to protect the BM "Bulat". Significant changes associated with the improvement of dynamics and tactical and technical data allow us to say that a new history begins for the T-72, which is a continuation of glorious traditions.
