It so happened that almost all MBT (main battle tanks) of the world have a diesel engine. There are only two exceptions: the T-80U and the Abrams. What considerations did Soviet experts follow when creating the famous Eighties, and what are the current prospects for this machine?
How it all began?
For the first time, the domestic T-80U was released in 1976, and in 1980, the Americans made their Abrams. Until now, only Russia and the United States have tanks with a gas turbine power plant in service. Ukraine is not taken into account, because there are exclusively armed with the T-80UD, a diesel version of the famous "eighties."
It all began in 1932, when a design bureau belonging to the Kirov Plant was organized in the USSR. It was in its depths that the idea of creating a fundamentally new tank equipped with a gas turbine power plant was born. It was from this decision which type of fuel for the T-80U tank will be used in the future: conventional diesel or kerosene.
The famous designer J. Ya. Kotin, who worked on the layout of formidable ISs, at one time thought about creating even more powerful and better armed vehicles. Why did he turn his attention to the gas turbine engine? The fact is that he planned to create a tank weighing between 55-60 tons, for normal mobility of which a motor with a capacity of at least 1000 liters was required. from. In those years, such diesel engines could only dream of. That is why the idea arose of introducing aviation and shipbuilding technologies (i.e., GDT) into tank building.
Already in 1955, work began, two promising samples were created. But it turned out that the engineers of the Kirov plant, who had previously created only engines for ships, did not fully understand the technological task. The work was curtailed, and then completely discontinued, since N. S. Khrushchev completely "ruined" all the development of heavy tanks. So at that time, the T-80U tank, whose engine was unique in its own way, was not destined to appear.
However, Nikita Sergeyevich should not be blamed indiscriminately in this case: in parallel, promising diesel engines were shown to him, against which the frankly raw gas turbine engine looked very unpromising. What can I say, if "registered" in production tanks, this engine managed only by the 80s of the last century, and even today many military men are not very happy with such power plants. It should be noted that there are quite objective reasons for this.
Continuation of work
Everything changed after the creation of the world's first MBT, which became the T-64. Soon, the designers realized that it was possible to make an even more advanced tank on its base ... But the difficulty lay in the strict requirements put forward by the country's leadership: it should be as unified as possible with existing machines, not exceed their dimensions, but be able to be used as a means for "Jerk to the English Channel."
And then everyone again remembered about the GDT, since the native T-64 power plant already decidedly did not meet the requirements of the time. It was then that Ustinov decided to create the T-80U. The main fuel and engine of the new tank were supposed to contribute to its highest speed characteristics.
Difficulties
The huge problem was that the new power plant with air purifiers needed to somehow fit into the standard MTO T-64A. Moreover, the commission demanded a block system: in other words, it was necessary to make the engine so that during overhaul it was possible to remove it entirely and replace it with a new one. Without spending, of course, a lot of time on this. And if everything was relatively simple with a relatively compact gas turbine engine, the air purification system delivered engineers a lot of headaches.
But this system is extremely important even for a diesel tank, not to mention its gas turbine counterpart on the T-80U. Whatever fuel is used, the blades of a turbine installation will instantly cling to slag and fall apart if the air entering the combustion chamber is not adequately cleaned of impurities polluting it.
It should be remembered that all engine designers strive to ensure that the air entering the cylinders or the working chamber of the turbine is 100% free of dust. And it is not difficult to understand them, since dust literally devours the insides of the motor. In fact, it acts like a fine emery.
Prototypes
In 1963, the notorious Morozov created a prototype T-64T, on which a gas turbine engine was installed, which has a very modest capacity of 700 liters. from. Already in 1964, designers from Tagil, who worked under the direction of L. N. Kartsev, created a much more promising engine, which could already produce 800 “horses”.
But the designers, both in Kharkov and in Nizhny Tagil, faced a whole range of complex technical problems, because of which the first domestic tanks with gas turbine engines could only appear in the 80s. In the end, a really good engine got only the T-80U. The type of fuel used for its ammunition also favorably distinguished this engine from earlier prototypes, since the tank could use all types of conventional diesel fuel.
It was not by chance that we described the dust aspects above, since it was the problem of high-quality air purification that became the most difficult. The engineers had extensive experience in developing turbines for helicopters ... but the helicopter engines worked in a constant mode, and the issue of dust air pollution at the height of their work was not at all. In general, the work was continued (oddly enough) only with the filing of Khrushchev, raving about missile tanks.
The most “viable” was the “Dragon” project. An engine of increased power was vital for him.
Experienced facilities
In general, there was nothing surprising in this, since increased mobility, compactness and a reduced silhouette were important for such machines. In 1966, the designers decided to take a different path and presented to the public a pilot project, the heart of which became two GTD-350s at once, giving out, as you can easily understand, 700 liters. from. The power plant was created in the NGO named after V. Ya. Klimova, where by that time there were enough experienced specialists involved in the development of turbines for aircraft and ships. It was they who, by and large, created the T-80U, whose engine for its time was a truly unique development.
But it soon became clear that even one gas turbine engine is a complicated and rather capricious thing, and even their spark does not have absolutely any advantages over the usual monoblock scheme. Therefore, by 1968, an official decree of the government and the USSR Ministry of Defense was issued on the resumption of work on a single version. By the mid-70s, a tank was ready, which later became known throughout the world under the designation T-80U.
Main characteristics
The layout (as in the case of the T-64 and T-72) is classic, with a rear MTO, the crew is three people. Unlike previous models, here the driver was given three triplexes at once, which greatly improved the visibility. Even such an incredible luxury for domestic tanks as the heating of the workplace was provided here.
Fortunately, there was plenty of heat from the red-hot turbine. So the T-80U with a gas turbine engine is justifiably a favorite of tankers, since the working conditions of the crew in it are much more comfortable when comparing this car with the T-64/72.
The body is made by welding, the tower is cast, the angle of inclination of the sheets is 68 degrees. As in the T-64, combined armor made up of armor steel and ceramics was used here. Thanks to rational tilt angles and thickness, the T-80U tank provides increased chances of crew survival in the most difficult combat conditions.
There is also a developed system for protecting the crew from weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear. The layout of the combat compartment is almost completely similar to that of the T-64B.
Engine compartment specifications
The designers still had to arrange the gas turbine engine in the MTO longitudinally, which automatically resulted in a slight increase in the dimensions of the machine compared to the T-64. GTE was made in the form of a monoblock weighing 1050 kg. Its feature was the presence of a special gearbox that allows you to remove the maximum possible from the motor, as well as two gearboxes at once.
For food, four tanks were immediately used in the MTO, the total volume of which is 1140 liters. It should be noted that the T-80U with a gas turbine engine, for which fuel is stored in such volumes, is a rather "gluttonous" tank that consumes 1.5-2 times more fuel than the T-72. And therefore, the dimensions of the tanks are appropriate.
GTD-1000T was created using a three-shaft scheme, has one turbine and two independent compressor units. The pride of the engineers is an adjustable nozzle unit that allows you to smoothly control the turbine speed and significantly increases its T-80U service life. What kind of fuel is recommended to be used to extend the durability of the power unit? The developers themselves say that high-quality aviation kerosene is most optimal for this purpose.
Since there is simply no power connection between the compressors and the turbine, the tank can confidently move on the ground even with very poor bearing capacity, and the engine will not stall even when the machine stops abruptly. And what does the T-80U “eat”? The fuel for its engine may be different ...
Turbine plant
The main advantage of the domestic gas turbine engine is its fuel omnivorous. It can work on
aviation fuel, any type of diesel fuel, low-octane gasoline intended for automobiles. But! T-80U, the fuel for which should only have reasonable fluidity, is still very sensitive to “unlicensed” fuel. Refueling with non-recommended types of fuel is possible only in a combat situation, since it entails a significant reduction in the resource of the engine and turbine blades.
The engine is started due to the promotion of compressors, for which two autonomous electric motors are responsible. The acoustic visibility of the T-80U tank is significantly lower than its diesel counterparts, both due to the characteristics of the turbine itself and due to the specially arranged exhaust system. In addition, the car is unique in that both hydraulic brakes and the engine itself are used during braking, due to which the heavy tank stops almost instantly.
How is this done? The fact is that when you press the brake pedal once, the turbine blades begin to rotate in the opposite direction. This process gives a huge load on the material of the blades and the entire turbine, and therefore it is controlled by electronics. Because of this, if sharp braking is necessary, immediately step on the gas pedal completely. At the same time, hydraulic brakes are immediately activated.
As for the other qualities of the tank, it has relatively small fuel "appetites." The designers managed to achieve this far from immediately. To reduce the amount of fuel consumed, the engineers had to create an automatic turbine speed control system (SAUR). It includes temperature sensors and regulators, as well as switches physically connected to the fuel supply system.
Thanks to SAUR, the wear of the blades was reduced by at least 10%, and with competent use of the brake pedal and gear shifting, the driver-mechanic can reduce fuel consumption by 5-7%. By the way, what is the main type of fuel for this tank? T-80U in ideal conditions should be refueled with aviation kerosene, but high-quality diesel fuel is also suitable.
Air cleaning systems
A cyclone air purifier was used, providing 97% removal of dust and other foreign impurities from the intake air. By the way, at “Abrams” (due to normal two-stage cleaning) this indicator is close to 100%. It is for this reason that the fuel for the T-80U tank is a sore subject, since it is consumed significantly more if we compare the tank with its American competitor.
The remaining 3% of the dust settles on the turbine blades in the form of caked slag. To remove it, the designers provided an automatic vibration cleaning program. It should be noted that special equipment for underwater driving can be connected to the air intakes. It allows you to cross rivers up to five meters deep.
The transmission of the tank is standard - mechanical, planetary type. It includes two boxes, two gearboxes, two hydraulic drives. There are four speeds forward and one back. Road wheels rubberized. The tracks also have an internal rubber track. Because of this, the T-80U tank has a very expensive chassis.
The tension is carried out due to the mechanisms of the worm type. Combined suspension, it includes both torsion bars and hydraulic shock absorbers on three rollers.
Weapon characteristics
The main gun is a model 2A46M-1 gun, the caliber of which is 125 mm. Exactly the same guns were placed on the T-64/72 tanks, as well as on the well-known self-propelled anti-tank gun "Octopus".
Armament (as on the T-64) was fully stabilized in two planes. Experienced tankers say that the range of a direct shot at a visually observable target can reach 2100 m. The ammunition is standard: high-explosive fragmentation, subcaliber, and cumulative shells. A loader can simultaneously be up to 28 shots, several more can be located in the fighting compartment.
The auxiliary weapon was the 12.7-mm cliff machine gun "Utes", but the Ukrainians have long put any similar weapons, focusing on the requirements of the customer. A huge drawback of the machine-gun installation is the fact that only the tank commander can shoot from it, and for this, in any case, he has to leave the reserved space of the machine. Since the initial ballistic of the 12.7 mm bullet is very similar to that of the projectile, the most important purpose of the machine gun is also the sighting of the gun without the cost of basic ammunition.
Ammunition
Mechanized ammunition was placed by designers around the entire perimeter of the tank’s habitable volume. Since a large part of the entire MTO of the T-80 tank is occupied by fuel tanks, for the sake of preserving the volume, the designers were forced to place horizontally only the shells themselves, while the propellant charges were vertical in the drum. This is a very noticeable difference between the “eighties” and the T-64/72 tanks, in which shells with expelling charges are located horizontally, at the level of the rinks.
The principle of operation of the main gun and the charging device
Upon receipt of the appropriate command, the drum begins to rotate, simultaneously bringing the selected type of projectile to the loading plane. After that, the mechanism stops, the projectile and the expelling charge are sent to the gun using a rammer fixed at one point. After the shot, the sleeve is automatically captured by a special mechanism and placed in the freed cell of the drum.
"Carousel" loading provides a rate of fire of at least six to eight rounds per minute. If the automatic loader fails, the gun can be charged manually, but the tankers themselves consider this development unrealistic (too complicated, dreary and long). The tank uses the TPD-2-49 model sight, stabilized in the vertical plane regardless of the gun, which allows determining the distance and is aimed at the target at ranges of 1000-4000 m.
Some modifications
In 1978, the T-80U tank with a gas turbine engine was somewhat modernized. The main innovation was the appearance of the 9K112-1 Cobra missile system, fired from by 9M112 missiles. The missile could hit an armored target at a distance of up to 4 kilometers, and the probability of this was from 0.8 to 1, depending on the characteristics of the terrain and the speed of the target.
Since the rocket completely repeats the dimensions of a standard 125-mm shell, it can be located in any tray of the loading mechanism. This ammunition is “sharpened” exclusively against armored vehicles, the warhead is only cumulative. Like a conventional shot, structurally, the rocket consists of two parts, the combination of which occurs during standard operation of the loading mechanism. It is guided in semi-automatic mode: the gunner must firmly hold the capture frame on the attacked target for the first seconds.
Guidance or optical, or directional radio signal. To maximize the probability of hitting a target, the gunner can choose one of three missile flight modes, focusing on the combat situation and the surrounding area. As practice has shown, this is useful when attacking armored vehicles protected by active counteraction systems.