MOSCOW, June 26, Antonina Matveeva. Experts have created a theory of the formation of atmospheric vortices and explained how hurricanes can be prevented. Whether it will be possible to bring the idea to life is discussed in the article .
«People Died»
Work on the project began back in 2008. Professor and Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences of the Snezhinsky Institute (Chelyabinsk Region) Sergei Bautin headed the research group and founded a school at the educational institution, where destructive climate phenomena were studied.
“Once I saw a documentary about a tornado,” he recalls in a conversation with. “They touched on the cause of its occurrence, they said that people were dying. I realized that the problems I was working on described flows that were based on the same physical laws. I decided to try to solve the problem using established methods.»
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Recently, the issue of natural disasters has really become an issue. Thus, due to the recent hurricane that took place in Moscow in June, ten people were injured and two died. A similar incident took place in May: a storm in Cherkessk claimed the life of one and injured six more. According to climatologists, such extreme phenomena in Russia will only become more frequent.
To combat the problem, scientists from the Snezhinsky Institute developed a gas-dynamic theory of ascending swirling flows. According to it, atmospheric vortices formed under the influence of cyclones are formed due to the inertial force of the Earth’s rotation around its own axis.
The mass of the planet is enormous (approximately 5.976 sextillion tons), and, despite its slow motion, the speed is enough for a large upward flow of air over a flat surface to turn into a vortex. At the same time, in the Northern Hemisphere, natural vortices spin counterclockwise, and in the Southern Hemisphere, vice versa.
Calculations have shown for the first time the amount of energy that accompanies the movement of a typhoon, adds Irina Krutova, a member of the research group and head of the department of higher and applied mathematics at the institute.
A powerful explosion
The mathematicians did not stop there. Based on the calculations, they came up with a hypothesis: it is possible to destroy tornadoes.
As it turned out, if explosions are produced around the eye of a cyclone, its development can be prevented. According to Bautin, despite the different types, forms and scales, they are based on the same laws of nature. This means that they can be influenced a priori.
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The main thing is that the explosions are in the right places and have sufficient power. They can be made at any stage of tornado development, but only after the necessary calculations. The force of impact must be very large: it is necessary to detonate a charge with a power of about four hundred kilotons of TNT, which is equivalent to a nuclear bomb.
However, if you know the speed of the upward flow around the center of the cyclone, as well as its parameters and distance, then you can get by with less power.< br />
“From the point of view of modern military knowledge, this is a feasible task. An explosion is necessary with any tested and available object for these purposes. The question is resources and desire. We also need the approval of the security forces. What capabilities do they have, what is the situation in the state,” says the professor.< br />
In this way, it is possible to select an explosive device with a significantly lower energy output to stop the vortex, affecting only the upward movement in the cyclone.
Vortex power plants
Now scientists are studying natural phenomena based on pure enthusiasm, without additional funding. At the same time, students are engaged. Nevertheless, they try to prove on their own that the idea can be brought to life.
For example, they recreated a tornado using liquid pressure, an ordinary water pipe and their calculations. And we tried to prevent it inside the structure.
During the research, mathematicians made another discovery — they proposed the concept of a vortex power plant, which could become an alternative to modern energy sources.
“Having studied the movement of air in a typhoon, you can obtain an analogue artificially and extract energy from it. A powerful fan creates an upward air flow when it begins to spin. You can make a device with horizontal blades rotate,” says Bautin.
Irina Krutova adds that research continues and the project has great potential.
“We are now actively studying the landscape zone of the earth at various altitudes. The more intense the tornado, the higher this part,” she explains.
In addition In addition, scientists are putting all their efforts into simulating disasters in the laboratory. The more accurately they reproduce their effect, the more people will be saved.