UST: News

Interview with the Chief designer of SkyWay transport systems Albert Golubenko

We offer to your attention an interview with Albert Golubenko, Chief designer of the SkyWay project designing Company, who commented on construction work to create transport systems in EcoTechnoPark: lightweight urban, urban high-speed and cargo SkyWay complexes. During the conversation you will find out what current tasks the design team faces, how it will implement the basic engineering solutions of SkyWay technology relating to track structure and rolling stock, as well as how they plan to organize traffic of string transport on all parts of routes.

Translation of the video:

Mikhail Kirichenko: Good day! Here is Mikhail Kirichenko. You are watching SkyWay news, where we tell you about the developments and implementation of breakthrough transport technologies. We go on with a series of reports about the key professionals of our Company, who directly influence the quality and rate of implementing the ideas of SkyWay author Anatoly Yunitskiy. Today our companion is Albert Golubenko, Chief designer of transport complexes. Good afternoon, Albert!

Albert Golubenko: Good afternoon!

M.K.: Could you please clarify for our partners, spectators and me what is a transport complex? How many of them will be built in EcoTechnoPark near Maryina Gorka? We often hear there will be three or four lines: cargo, urban, passenger, lightweight ... All of it seems confusing for people. Could you put the things right? What are we building?

A.G.: They are functionally divided and functionally implemented. In the first place, I have to say that EcoTechnoPark is intended for the demonstration of SkyWay technologies. Not only its transport component, but also all the components around it. Landscaping solutions, environmental solutions, the way our transport will interact with the external medium at minimal damage to it. Primarily it is demonstration, but the engineering staff of our Company treats EcoTechnoPark as a test site, because the technology is fundamentally new. This technology has no regulatory documents. We shall have to do them based on EcoTechnoPark, therefore EcoTechnoPark consists of three lines, or rather three transport complexes. The first one is called a high-speed complex, but it is combined with the so-called urban line. The high-speed transport is mounted, i.e. it runs on wheels, it is supportive. An urban transport will move under it in suspended condition. In this case we demonstrate both urban and high-speed routes, as well as the possibility of their combination. The way of their operation in a complex. It is interesting for us with the aim of perfecting complexes, for testing and analysis of the complex's operation. At that section we shall have to check the control system, action of the transport, reliability of its units. We shall simulate some emergency situations to understand the reaction of the control system. In general it is the same regarding the urban transport. The second one is called a lightweight complex. It is a circle; transport can ride on a circular scheme in it. One branch of this circle is called semi-rigid.

M.K.: The lower one, isn't it?

A.G.: The main thing is that it is quite straight. It can be arranged at different height. More important is that it is more straight and even. The second part of this circle is a sagging system. It has spans of 200, 400 and 200 meters. They look more like sagging threads.

M.K.: And the supports there are about 14 meters high.

A.G.: Yes, such is the height. This line demonstrates the possibility to pass over complicated areas. For example, creek valleys and cleavages in the mountains or water obstacles.

M.K.: As well as the versatility of SkyWay. Different types of transport can be used on the same line.

A.G.: Now I am going to speak about the third line. It is the line for cargo transport. It will demonstrate discrete transport, sort of a truck with a body. It will be also suspended. The same line will demonstrate SkyWay transport of continuous technology, sort of a conveyor.

M.K.: Like a conveyor belt.

A.G.: Right. Like a conveyor belt. All our urban vehicles can move along different lines I just spoke about. Naturally, a high-speed vehicle is a separate thing. Due to its speed and features, it cannot be used on other lines. However, all the other types of vehicles including the cargo one can ride on all the tracks including the urban line for suspended transport. Suspended urban lines can also be used for cargo vehicles, for transporting containers. It means our transport technology can be quickly adapted to transferring various types of payload, be it passengers, containers, piece goods or bulk cargo.

M.K.: One more positive aspect and benefit of such arrangement in transportation of people and cargo is its unification resulting in reduction of cost in designing, production and operation.

A.G.: Certainly. Unification of components is a general world trend. The more is the batch quantity, the less is the cost of articles. You can see it in passenger cars. The brands are different, but they are based on some typical platforms.

M.K.: The so-called "brand engineering".

A.G.: Yes, therefore we have the same thing. I said that we try to balance quality and price.

M.K.: Optimum price-quality trade-off.

A.G.: Unification is one of the elements to optimize the quality and keep the price reasonable.

M.K.: Thank you. Obviously, it should be added that all these three transport complexes in EcoTechnoPark are being built simultaneously. They will be commissioned.

A.G.: With some shift in time, the tasks are very complicated, but we have to finish it.

M.K.: Are you getting prepared to do targeted projects that the SkyWay General designer Anatoly Yunitskiy mentioned early this year?

A.G.: For all the Departments headed by the Chief designer, by me EcoTechnoPark is a partial task for the demonstration to customers. However, the basic function for these Departments is the development of the generic solutions, designing of a range of modules that would allow to develop targeted projects various in degree of complexity by cost and quality. Based on the modules we should correspond to a customer and his possibilities.

M.K.: Thank you very much. Today's interview was very informative, very insightful. Many things that we heard today were new for our audience and me. Support our project. Sign up to our YouTube channel. Stay tuned for the news update on the official website of our Company. In other words, if you stay with us in addition to the movie "Men in black" you will always have something else to see.