Muravchenko Fedir Mykhailovych

About the life and work of a corresponding member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the Academy of Technological Sciences of the Russian Federation, academician of the International Engineering Academy, doctor of technical sciences, professor, honored worker of science and technology of Ukraine, laureate of the State Prize of the USSR and Ukraine, «Outstanding Engineer of the 20th Century» of the International Academy of Engineering, recipient of many orders and medals, Hero of Ukraine, General Designer Muravchenko Fedir Mykhailovych.

The famous Soviet and Ukrainian scientist, the creator of aviation gas turbine engines, unique engines and gas turbine drives with a large resource and a high degree of reliability, General Designer Fyodor Mykhailovych Muravchenko was born on March 18, 1929 in the village of Zaporizhzhia – Gruduvate of the Synelnyk District of the Dnipropetrovsk Region. He was the eighth son out of nine children of Varvara Myronivna and Mykhailo Yukhimovych. Father and mother worked all their lives in a collective farm on the land of their district, where they instilled a love of work in their children.

Working career of F.M. Muravchenko started in a village forge. At the end of the war, the young blacksmith was just under 15 years old. Fyodor Mykhailovych’s first acquaintance with aviation began with his studies at the Dnipropetrovsk Special School of the Air Force in the first post-war years. This involvement determined the life of F.M. Muravchenko, and he entered the Kharkiv Aviation Institute. After graduating from the institute with a specialty in aircraft engine construction in 1954, he was sent to Zaporizhzhia DKB plant No. 478 (now Motor Sich PJSC).

As a design engineer, Muravchenko, with his characteristic energy and determination, got involved in the development of the AI-20 gas turbine engine and did a lot for the victory of this engine in the competition.

In 1959, F.M. Muravchenko was appointed head of the engine start-up design team. At that time, he foresaw the prospects of an air system for starting a gas turbine engine (GTD), and under his leadership, for the first time in the USSR, an air system for starting a gas turbine engine was developed instead of a complex and cumbersome electric one. Subsequently, the new GTE launch system was widely used on transport and passenger aircraft, where it is still used today to launch almost all large and medium power GTEs. He knew how to deeply understand and analyze the operation of structural elements, find optimal and original solutions in the development of new equipment, which made it possible to significantly raise the technical level of combustion chambers and, for the first time in the world practice of engine building, to reach a resource of 4,000 hours back in 1965. He was one of the first to understand the advantages of using annular combustion chambers. He created a school of designing low-emission combustion chambers, thanks to which all engines developed at the enterprise after 1965 meet the strictest global environmental standards.

In March 1965, he was appointed a leading designer in charge of works related to the ground application of aircraft gas turbine engines. With his direct participation, on the order of the Ministry of Oil and Gas Industry, engines for driving a number of drilling rigs and drives for the intensification of oil production were developed on the basis of the aviation turboprop AI-24: GTP AI-23, AI-23U, AI-23SG. With their help, the main gas and oil deposits in Siberia were explored. A large complex of research and development works was carried out to convert gas turbine engines to diesel fuel and natural gas, to create specialized gas turbines for industry: the GIG-4 steam-gas generator, the 2UVAG water heating plant, etc.

From 1966 to 1968, under his leadership, the AI-20S and AI-23S-1 gas turbine drives were developed for the Burevisnyk hydrofoil vessels, the Sormovych hovercraft, and the Typhoon gas turboprop. These vessels were successfully operated on river and sea shipping lines.

Actuators were developed on the basis of AI-20 and AI-24 aviation turboprop engines, which were also installed on the CM-6 ekranoplan (prototype ship of the Caspian Monster), on GTU-1000 gas turbine units of mobile power plants 5E41 of the Pivnich-1 pipe welding complex and on AI-24PGTE power plants. PAES-1600, PAES-2500.

In 1967, by order of the MAP of the USSR, Muravchenko was appointed deputy chief designer for experimental works, in 1983, chief designer, first deputy head of ZMKB «Progress», in February 1989 he was approved as the responsible manager of the enterprise, and from May 1989 he was appointed general designer of ZMKB «Progress».

Muravchenko F.M. conceived and implemented the concept of creating a family of turbojet engines with a large degree of dual-circuit (in some areas, they have no analogues in world practice), which make it possible to significantly reduce the costs of development, certification and introduction into mass production of aircraft engines and industrial gas turbines.

With the direct participation of F.M. Muravchenko, a large number of works were performed and new engines were created:

1. New modifications of AI-20 and AI-24 turboprop engines for An-8, An-10, An-12, An-24, An-26, An-30, An-32, Be-12, Il-18, Il-20, Il-22, Il-38 aircraft were improved and created.

2. A range of engineering work was carried out to ensure the reliability and increase the resource of engines in operation: AI-20 of all modifications, AI-24, AI-25, AI-25TL, AI-8, AI-9, AI-9B, D-36, D-136, D-18T.

3. Created and put into serial production: the first domestic turbojet engine with a high degree of double-circuit D-36, the engine has 6 modifications and is used on An-72, An-74, An-74TK-300, Yak-42 aircraft; one of the most powerful D-18T engines in the world for heavy transport aircraft An-124 «Ruslan», An-225 «Mriya»; the D-136 turboshaft engine for the Mi-26 helicopter, which has no analogues in the world in terms of power and carrying capacity; highly reliable AI-25TL and DV-2 turbojet engines for training and training aircraft L-39 and L-59 manufactured in the Czech Republic; the generation of new engines of the D-436 family (6 modifications) for passenger aircraft Tu-334, An-148 and amphibious aircraft Be-200; turboprop engine TV3-117VMA-SBM1 and auxiliary AI9-3B for An-140 aircraft.

4. State and certification tests have been developed and are undergoing: the 5th generation D-27 aircraft engine is the first propeller engine in world practice that provides the unique parameters of the An-70 medium transport aircraft; AI-222 turbojet engine for Yak-130 combat training aircraft, AI-450 turboshaft engine for Ka-226 and Mi-2M helicopters.

5. New engines are undergoing bench tests: the first in Ukraine turbojet engine with an afterburner combustion chamber AI-222-25F for Chinese training and combat aircraft L-15, turbojet engine AI-22 for passenger aircraft Tu-324.

6. Design work on the creation of new modifications of the D-436, D-27, AI-222 and AI-450 families of engines for various classes of aircraft is currently intensively underway.

D-336 gas turbines with a capacity of 4-10 MW have been created and put into mass production, and gas pumping stations in Ukraine, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan are being re-equipped with them.

Gas turbine drives for mobile power plants, AI-2500 GTE cogeneration units, AI-336E block-module power plants, and MST-198, MST-20 power generators have been developed and are in operation.

Field tests of special equipment are being carried out: an AI-19HIG inert gas generator on a car chassis for extinguishing fires in closed spaces, a low-power AI-45 gas pumping unit, TM-50, TM-210 refrigerating units.

A combustion chamber for a gas turbine drive of a power plant with a capacity of 65 MW has been developed and is being tested.

New modifications of gas turbine drives of various capacities are being designed.

Fyodor Mykhailovych Muravchenko had a broad technical outlook, extensive practical experience, and used advanced scientific and technical achievements in his work. Great engineering erudition, constant work on improving one’s technical knowledge made it possible to quickly and at a high technical level solve complex issues related to the creation of advanced aviation equipment. The general designer devoted a lot of time to improving the environmental parameters of the gas turbine, these works were always a priority topic at the enterprise. As a result, all the company’s engines meet the strictest global standards.

For extensive research work on the creation of aircraft engines F.M. Muravchenko was awarded the degree of Doctor of Technical Sciences in 1991, professor since 1999, academician of the Engineering Academy of Ukraine since 1992, academician of the International Academy of Engineering since 1999, in May 2003 he was elected a corresponding member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and in December 2003 a corresponding member of the Academy of technological sciences of the Russian Federation. Co-author of the national program «Development of the Aviation Industry of Ukraine», author (co-author) of more than 170 scientific works and 42 copyright certificates and patents.

Fyodor Mykhailovych Muravchenko went through a long career path from a design engineer to the head of State Enterprise ZMKB «Progres», the main developer in Ukraine of aircraft engines for aircraft and helicopters of the most diverse class, as well as ground-use engines, fully devoting himself to the creation of advanced aviation equipment. For successful activity in the field of creation of new models of aviation equipment, Fedir Mykhailovych Muravchenko was awarded high government awards:

– medal «For Labor Valor» (1966);

– the Order of the Labor Red Banner (1971);

– the Order of the October Revolution (1981);

– State Prize of the USSR (1984);

– the State Prize of Ukraine in the field of science and technology (1994);

– the Order of Merit III, II, I degree (1994, 1999, 2005);

– Certificate of Honor of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (1999);

– the title of Hero of Ukraine (with the award of the State Order, 2002);

– with the honorary title «Honored Worker of Science and Technology of Ukraine» (2003);

– the Order of Friendship of the Russian Federation (2004);

– Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise V degree (2009).

F.M. Muravchenko left a legacy of a multi-thousand-strong team of designers, researchers and manufacturers capable of solving unique tasks of creating the most advanced aviation equipment. With direct participation, long-term programs for the development of civil aviation in Ukraine and the conversion of aircraft engines for use in the national economy were developed. Famous designer, scientist, manager F.M. Muravchenko left a bright mark in the history of aircraft engine construction not only among the CIS countries, but also in the entire aviation world.

Fyodor Mykhailovych Muravchenko died on February 8, 2010