On April 2, 2026, the First Vice-President of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Head of the Section of Physical-Technical and Mathematical Sciences of the NAS of Ukraine, academician of the NAS of Ukraine Vyacheslav Bogdanov, academician-secretary of the Department of Mechanics and Machine Science of the NAS of Ukraine, academician of the NAS of Ukraine Volodymyr Nazarenko, scientific secretary of the Section of Physical-Technical and Mathematical Sciences of the NAS of Ukraine, Doctor of Technical Sciences Serhiy Bespalov, and scientific secretary of the Department of Mechanics and Machine Science of the NAS of Ukraine, Candidate of Technical Sciences Yevhen Zadvornyi visited the G.S. Pysarenko Institute of Strength Problems of the NAS of Ukraine.
The G.S. Pysarenko Institute of Strength Problems of the NAS of Ukraine is a leading Ukrainian scientific institution conducting fundamental and applied research on current problems of deformable solid mechanics, strength of materials, and structures. Throughout its history, the Institute’s scientific activity has focused on studying the strength of materials and structures under real operating conditions, especially under extreme temperatures and force loads. This has been largely possible thanks to the preservation and modernization of the Institute’s powerful testing base, which, in addition to modern experimental equipment, includes a complex of unique test stands that constitute a national treasure of Ukraine. The scientific and applied research results obtained at the institution are used to solve urgent practical problems in high-tech industries of Ukraine, particularly in aviation, energy, and defense sectors.
At the current stage, the general concept of the Institute’s scientific development is the organic combination of fundamental and applied theoretical and experimental research, which enables solving pressing problems of strength of materials and structures at a high scientific level and bringing research results to significant practical use. The Institute’s scientific priorities are based on the further development of a powerful and unique experimental base along with the development of new models and methods of computational analysis for assessing the strength and life of structural elements under complex thermo-force loading conditions.
The Director of the Institute, Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine Oleksandr Chyrkov, acquainted the honored guests with the scientific infrastructure of the institution, its scientific schools, main results of scientific and scientific-technical activities, modern developments and projects, as well as the current state of material and technical support. He provided a brief historical overview of the creation and development of the Institute, described its structure, personnel composition, and experimental capabilities, and outlined prospects for further development. Special attention was paid to issues of developing international cooperation, expanding the material and technical base, interaction with higher education institutions, and involving students and graduates of specialized universities in the scientific activities of the Institute.
The guests from the Presidium of the Academy familiarized themselves with the results of experimental research of scientific departments whose staff participate in the scientific research work of the Center for Mechanical Testing of Materials and Structural Elements. In particular, in the Department of Mechanics of Structural Materials, where long-term strength of materials is studied, the experimental setups AIM-5-2 have been comprehensively modernized. The implemented technical solutions ensure high stability of temperature and force loading regimes during tests lasting over 50 hours, guaranteeing reproducibility and reliability of results. The renewal of the technical base allowed the Center to confirm its measurement capabilities certificate in the field of long-term strength testing.
In the Department of Strength of Materials and Structural Elements in Thermo-Force Fields and Gas Flows, the guests were introduced to installations and equipment created and manufactured at the Institute, developed methodologies, and results of applying an original technology of vacuum ion-plasma thermo-cyclic nitriding of surface layers of machine parts and tools to enhance their strength, wear, and corrosion resistance. The developed comprehensive methodology and available equipment allow processing the surface layer of special-purpose products operated under conditions of increased wear, thermo-cyclic loading, and various climatic conditions.
The guests also inspected the Shared Use Center for Scientific Instruments, created on the basis of the modern testing machine Instron 8802. Highly qualified scientific personnel ensure the Center’s operation not only at the technical but also at the methodological level using their own experience and original, advanced scientific and technical developments, effectively turning it into a center of excellence. For almost 20 years, the Center has provided services for comprehensive research of mechanical properties of various types of materials according to international standards in the temperature range from -198°C to +1200°C (tension, compression, low- and high-cycle fatigue, fracture mechanics) for institutions of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and enterprises of key sectors of Ukrainian industry.
The guests from the NAS of Ukraine Presidium visited the unique complex of gas-dynamic test stands, which is classified as a scientific object constituting a national treasure of Ukraine. These stands allow modeling the operation of highly loaded structural elements under conditions of high-temperature (up to 3300 K), high-speed aggressive gas flow, the parameters of which change over time according to real operating conditions. The complex provides experimental research of the performance of advanced materials and structural elements used in Ukrainian power engineering, rocket-space, and aviation technology.
During the final discussion of the visit results, emphasis was placed on the need to preserve the unique complex of the Institute’s testing stands and installations, issues of further modernization and expansion of the experimental base, updating infrastructure, strengthening international cooperation and support for young scientists, as well as finding ways to increase the creative potential of the institution’s scientific team under current complex conditions. The Academy’s leadership representatives noted that the G.S. Pysarenko Institute of Strength Problems of the NAS of Ukraine is a specialized scientific institution where fundamental and applied research aimed at solving modern scientific and technical tasks contributes to the country’s energy independence, enhancing state security and defense capability, and post-war recovery of Ukraine.
Information from the G.S. Pysarenko Institute of Strength Problems of the NAS of Ukraine
Photo: NAS of Ukraine Press Service
