Aspects of the scientific legacy of Academician V.P. Goryachkin

Abstract

Possessing deep knowledge of mathematics and general mechanics, V.P. Goryachkin applied them to the design analysis of agricultural machines. Thereby at the beginning of the twentieth century, he established a new scientific discipline, which he called “Agricultural Mechanics”. Within the framework of this science, he also solved some theoretical problems of the tractor. He was engaged in the design of tractor equipment and recommendations for its development during numerous tests at the Machine Testing Station headed by him and within the framework of the government commission. The purpose of the research was to identify the theoretical and practical contribution of V.P. Goryachkin in the establishing of the tractor science and the domestic tractor construction. In accordance with the methods used in the history of science and technology, the author established that V.P. Goryachkin developed the theory of the driving and driven wheels of the tractor, justified proposals for improving the characteristics of the engine and the location of its longitudinal axis relative to the tractor’s travel direction, established the relationship between the tractor power and the operating speed, solved the constructive and power problems of coupling the tractor with a plow, formulated recommendations for improving mechanical propulsion and engines. Conducting numerous tests of tractors in the 1920s, and participating in the work of the government commission, V.P. Goryachkin contributed much to the development of the tractor industry. His recommendations greatly helped determine the pace and trends in the development of tractor construction in the USSR. Based on the conducted research, the author states that by his theoretical research and practical achievements, V.P. Goryachkin made a significant contribution to the history of domestic tractor construction, so his name should be mentioned along with other pioneers of the domestic tractor industry.