Special Edition www.sci-ru.org 8 2016 RESOURCES FOR THE FUTURE Special Edition Table of Contents August 2016 Special Edition Topics INTRODUCTION Tomsk Polytechnic University: Production of Benefits 2 TPU Rector Petr Chubik speaks about resource efficiency not just as a term but as an ideology. ARCTIC RESEARCH Treasures of the Shelf 8 Natalia Leskova The time has come for mankind to face Arctic research and a range of dangers that come along with it. Alexey Mazurov, First Vice- Rector of TPU, speaks about progressive comprehensive research in the Russian sector of the Arctic. ROBOTIC ENGINEERING SPACE TECHNOLOGY Sweating Robots — Happy People 48 Earth outside the Window 14 Valery Chumakov Valery Chumakov Dmitry Sonkin, assistant professor of TPU Institute Researchers at Tomsk Institute of Physics of Strength and of Cybernetics, reveals the Tomsk scientists’ understanding Materials Science SB RAS print satellites using their 3D printers of the notion “robotic engineering”. and create unique protective window coating. INDUSTRIAL TOMOGRAPHY OIL DEVELOPMENT Seeing the Hidden 54 Recovering the Non-Recoverable 22 Natalia Leskova Natalia Leskova Industrial tomography methods help avoid dramatic accidents Western Siberia is the leader in the number of difficult oil caused by miniscule imperceptible defects. This is the topic of reserves. Andrey Dmitriev, Director of TPU Institute of Natural our conversation with Valery Borikov, Director of the Institute Resources, speaks about scientific and technological miracles of Non-Destructive Testing. that help recover these treasures. NATURAL RESOURCES WATER RESOURCES University of Rarities 58 The Vital Water 28 Valery Chumakov Natalia Leskova Tomsk is the heart of the region known for its immense storages of The health of mankind directly depends on the kind of water it rare elements. Alexander Dyachenko, TPU Vice-Rector for Research drinks. How to make this vital liquid clean and safe for health and Innovations, speaks about the latest university’s achievements without diverting from the path of scientific and technologic in processing and utilizing the most important elements. advance? NUCLEAR MEDICINE POWER ENGINEERING Peaceful Atom for Diagnostics and Cure 66 Green and Efficient Power is Here 34 Natalia Leskova Natalia Leskova Nuclear technology is among the top priority research fields at Is it possible to create new environmentally friendly and also TPU. University’s special pride is its own nuclear reactor where efficient power generation technologies? Valery Zavyalov, unique radiopharmaceuticals are being produced. Director of TPU Institute of Power Engineering, tells all about it. INTERNAITONAL COOPERATION NUCLEAR POWER All Tongues Lead to Tomsk 72 The Thorium Territory 40 Valery Chumakov Valery Chumakov The recently created RASA Center at TPU gathered leading Igor Shamanin, professor of the Institute of Physics and specialists from the most prominent higher education Technology, speaks about the important role of thorium fuel in institutions and laboratories all over the world. Roman Ostvald, the power industry of the future. Deputy Vice-Rector for Research and Innovations, explains the purpose and the goal of the center’s activity. ear colleagues and friends, This is a very special year for Tomsk Polytechnic University. Firstly, this is the anniversary year — we recently celebrated the 120th anniversary of this oldest technical university in our country’s trans-Urals region. Created on the initiative of the great chemist Dmitry Mendeleyev and the distinguished statesman Sergey Vitte, the institute, over the period of its existence, has educated a brilliant galaxy of world famous scientists, developers, and engineers. Today TPU is one of the most rapidly developing higher education institutions in Russia. In 2009, it was awarded the status of Science and Research University, which gave a powerful boost to its fundamental research and exploratory development. The university is steadily advancing in world ratings and is setting yet more ambitious challenges. The satellite "Tomsk-TPU-120", first Russian spacecraft made using 3D technology by TPU students and associates, was launched into space. The Russian Academy of Sciences fruitfully cooperates with Tomsk Polytechnic University. Each September, during the International Forum on Resource Efficiency, we jointly conduct a promising scientific campaign — the Siberian Academic Week. Our goal is to organize scientific interdisciplinary teams of our country’s young scientists headed by leading RAS academicians. Young scientists will create unique projects in areas of green energy, robotic technology and artificial intelligence, rational natural resource usage, and other breakthrough fields. In this sense, Tomsk Polytechnic University is an example for others, in terms of the number of talented young scientists and in the presence of innovational fields. And to prove it all — here is the special edition of the magazine V mire nauki / Scientific American, dedicated to TPU’s scientific achievements, where you will find the widest variety of subjects: from arctic research, oil development, and rare-earth elements to atomic power engineering, nuclear and convergent technologies. In conclusion, I would like to wish the whole team of Tomsk Polytechnic University to continue to hold the bar high, gain new scientific achievements and bright discoveries, and remain in good health! Vladimir Fortov, President of the Russian Academy of Sciences www.sci-ru.org [08] August 2016 | V Mire Nauki: Special Edition 1 Tomsk Polytechnic University: The future generation is arriving. Today we work for it and with it, but soon it will work for itself, for us, PRODUCTION for the country, and for the OF BENEFITS mankind. 2 V Mire Nauki: Special Edition | [08] August 2016 INTRODUCTION PU Rector Petr Chubik speaks about resource efficiency not as a term but an ideology. In the Beginning Was the Word Strategic Plan was introduced by the European Com- Christians have a parable. Three bricklayers were mittee in 2011, and in 2013 our country started the asked what they were doing. The first one said, “I am program for increasing the competitiveness of leading laying bricks.” The second one replied, “I am earning Russian universities (the program of getting five Rus- money to feed my family.” And the third one answered, sian universities into the top 100 world higher education “I am building a temple that will last a thousand facilities by year 2020. — Editor’s note). years.” Our university associates also “lay bricks” — they give lectures, conduct scientific experiments, de- Cheap but Not Easy velop new technologies, but in the wide sense of the What is resource efficiency? I always say this to my word they are building a temple — the temple of science students: efficient means fast, better (higher quali- and education. Of course, it is not a thousand years old ty), cheaper. As we know, there are five main types yet, but even 120 years is a decent age. TPU initially of resources: material, finances, labor, time, and in- was created as a polytechnic higher education institu- formation. Resource efficiency is the ability to ob- tion, a sort of “multiconfessional temple.” For example, tain a faster, higher quality, and cheaper result with today we provide education and research in such var- less resource spending. A while ago it was believed ious fields as nuclear physics, geology and petroleum that the problem with these conditions has no solu- engineering, biotechnology, mechanical engineering, tion, since we have to choose “either — or”: either bet- chemistry, power engineering, etc. In 2009, when we ter (higher quality), or cheaper, because “good is never started working on the development program as par- cheap.” This conclusion is very well illustrated by the ticipants of the federal contest for TPU as a national well known example from the American mathemati- research university, we faced the question: what gen- cian George Dantzig. When the first powerful comput- eral idea, what “religion” do we want to practice in our ers appeared, he entered into the machine the data on “temple”? What could unite various fields of scientif- various products’ calories and prices and tried to find ic and educational activity into one vector of develop- the cheapest menu with the daily norm of calories. ment? We had many disputes and conducted a dozen The computer produced the following result: “Drink of brainstorm sessions, until one day this general ba- 18 liters of vinegar daily.” sis was found: all of our most promising projects, edu- Today’s world is much more multidimensional and cational programs are in one way or another related to complicated. There are no simple schemes and for- the issue of efficient resource usage, i.e. resource ef- mulas. Many modern technologies make it possible ficiency. And at the same time, in 2009, we formulat- to obtain a higher quality product faster and with less ed our “creed,” our mission: “To increase the country’s spending. competitiveness, providing training of the engineer- To illustrate, I will provide the following exam- ing elite, generation of new knowledge and innovative ple. During Soviet times, many large greenhouse ideas, and creating resource-efficient technology.” We facilities were built in the Tomsk Region, and all of were able to foresee the trends that later got developed them were getting virtually free heat from the Sibe- in the world scientific and educational — as well as po- rian Chemical Complex stations. When the country litical — agendas. For example, the Resource Efficiency entered the market relations, it turned out that the www.sci-ru.org [08] August 2016 | V Mire Nauki: Special Edition 3 Introduction advisor Victor Panin and director Sergey Psakhie In Russia, the idea of resource have been heading our departments for many years now; they also are a part of the TPU scientific coun- efficiency is not really sought- cil. We are working on composite materials, on unique after. This is why for one unit materials with double reinforcing, on 3D technology that we use for manufacturing goods, including those of products we spent up to under space conditions.