NSUU: Intelligent Transport Systems

History

2023: Project Development

Scientists at Nizhny Novgorod Lobachevsky State University have developed a model for transporting goods to ships using wind on balloons. This was reported in the press service of the university at the end of February 2023.

The project is being implemented by the NNSU Technology Transfer Center within the framework of the Intelligent Transport Systems direction with grant support from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. According to the developers, their system will allow lifting and moving loads weighing up to 30 tons without using cranes, platforms and berths.

It is noted that it is possible to use the lifting force created by the wind speed of 30-50 km/h. To do this, the cargo on a helium balloon must be raised to a height of at least a kilometer from the ground. Then, according to the principle of a pendulum, using winches, a lifting block and control cables, the cargo is transferred on board the ship or on land.

One of the main operating conditions of the system is the shell of a balloon in the form of a plate. It will provide increased load capacity and stability. The model is economical and simple, requiring no additional platforms, shipping vessels or berth. To control the installation, only three people need to participate, "explained Vladimir Paltsev, co-author of the development, leading researcher at the NNSU Technology Transfer Center.

According to him, given the huge length of the sea border and many rivers, port-free loading and unloading of ships is especially relevant for Russia. The technology may also be in demand in Southeast Asia and Oceania. He added that representatives of Arab countries showed particular interest in the development.

According to the authors of the project, the created transportation system is being developed for cases when it is necessary to transfer cargo in a short time, and there is no necessary infrastructure for this.^[1]

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