CREATION OF THE FIRST DIESEL ENGINES FOR TRACTORS IN THE USSR

Abstract

It was decided to use the achievements in diesel engineering to create the first domestic diesel engines for mass-produced tractors. The preservation of technological dimensions in the production of diesel made it possible to use the main equipment of domestic factories that had machines with rigid spindles. (Research purpose) The research purpose is to establish the key points that influenced the creation of the first tractor diesel engines by the Scientific Automotive Institute, the choice of the type and characteristics of these engines, to identify the factors that influenced the embodiment of these structures in metal. (Materials and methods) The article presents the sources stored in the funds of the Russian State Archive of Economics, printed sources of periodicals, works of the Tractor Research Institute, materials from the funds of the Research Museum of the Scientific Automotive Institute. (Results and discussion) The Scientific Automotive Institute carried out work on the design of diesel engines together with the Kharkov and Stalingrad tractor plants. The design of the diesel engine had to match the equipment of the factories. When choosing materials for the designed diesel engine, the specification of materials adopted at the plant was used to the maximum. (Conclusions) Tests of prototypes of diesel engines of the Scientific Automotive Institute showed that the main problem when creating a diesel engine were materials, their heat treatment and manufacturing quality. Built using existing technologies, the diesel could not operate without significant wear and failures. Diesel parts required great precision in processing. Careful selection of steels, special heat treatment of sleeves, piston rings, etc. were necessary. The engine oil commonly used on tractors and automobiles was also not suitable for diesel engines with their high stresses in rubbing parts. Diesels required exceptionally clean fuel, which had to be cleaned during production.