Russian engineers have patented a device for starting tank diesel engines at low temperatures. The development is intended to improve the reliability of starting armored vehicles in winter conditions; the documents have been published in the open registry of Rospatent.
The system uses a combined pneumatic start, feeding into the cylinders a mixture of flammable liquid, oil, and compressed air. The air cylinders are connected to an air distributor and an aeration mixer through reducers and a controlled valve. This ensures that the mixture is supplied at the beginning of the compression stroke, accelerating fuel ignition.
Unlike existing solutions, the new design reduces the consumption of starting fluid and ensures even distribution of the mixture across the cylinders. In their development, the engineers abandoned the use of hydrogen and natural gas because of increased explosion hazard and low lubricating capability.
Before winter operation, the system is configured to supply the fuel mixture, while in summer it operates in the standard air-start mode. After the engine reaches stable revolutions, the electronics automatically stop the supply of the auxiliary mixture.
The authors of the development emphasized that the use of oil in the starting fluid additionally protects the cylinder-piston group from wear and increases compression at the moment of startup. This reduces the load on the starter and increases the service life of the power unit.
Retired Colonel Anatoly Matviichuk noted that Russian tanks significantly outperform Western ones because they were originally designed for harsh geographic and climatic conditions — winter, muddy seasons, and heavy clay soil.
Earlier, "Pervyi tekhnicheskii" in a major feature tried to imagine which combat vehicles exactly will replace "Proryv" in the coming decades. The T-90M will become the last in the current line of combat vehicles, Rostekh stated.