September 27 2022

China intends to improve the level of technology for operations in ice conditions

St. Petersburg State Maritime Technical University (SPbGMTU) and Harbin Engineering University (HEU) solemnly held an online opening ceremony of the Russian-Chinese laboratory of polar technologies and equipment and the first meeting of the laboratory’s academic council. The Academic Council consists of leading experts from SPbGMTU, HEU and specialized organizations in Russia and China, the press service of the Russian university reports.

An agreement to establish a joint laboratory under the Belt and Road Initiative was signed between the universities in 2019. The project was supported by the governments of Russia and China and included in the action plan within the framework of the years of Russian-Chinese scientific, technical and innovation cooperation.

The co-heads of the laboratory, Vice-President of HEU Han Duanfeng and Director of the International Cooperation Department of SPbGMTU Professor Kirill Rozhdestvensky spoke about the results and promising areas of cooperation. Members of the academic council took part in the discussion. For example, Wu Gang, an employee of Research Institute No. 708 Maric, one of the designers of the Chinese Snow Dragon icebreaker, said that he was designing equipment and machinery for the Arctic. “My supervisor studied at LSI (Leningrad Shipbuilding Institute). We have a good understanding of Russian-made icebreakers. We want to improve the level of our technology, we need new methods and concepts for the operation of ice ships,” Wu Gang said.

Professor of the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) Alexander Bekker emphasized that the work of the laboratory will enhance the opportunities of universities in the study of the Arctic. Kirill Sazonov, head of the laboratory of the Krylov State Research Center (KSRC), singled out for research the problem of the movement of large-capacity vessels in ice conditions, the need to calculate the characteristics of ice formations and study the properties of ice.

Professor Vladimir Tryaskin spoke about the important task of designing icebreaker structures according to new requirements for ice loads, and creating special software. Professor Vadim Goncharov spoke about research in the field of Arctic ecology and about the importance of involving students in work.

Source: https://portnews.ru/news/336143/