TOMSK, Mar 17 – RIA Tomsk. Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) is ready to provide all universities of Russia with a virtual copy of its research nuclear reactor, where students can practice skills in preparation for launching and irradiating elements in its core, the TPU vice-rector for digital affairs Alexander Fadeev told RIA Tomsk on Tuesday.
Reactor on any computer
According to the vice-rector, the university staff made a virtual copy of the TPU research nuclear reactor. Students in virtual reality can work in such a laboratory and perform tasks on preparing the reactor for launch and on irradiating elements in its core. In total, about 220 similar laboratory facilities were created in TPU.
“In the demo version, the first mission (task - Ed.) is available on our website, anyone can download it and try to walk around the real reactor. After the release of the series "Chernobyl" our virtual rector had a burst of popularity... We are ready to provide the universities of the Russian Federation with the full version on a non-repayable basis. For this, it is enough for the university to contact us in any form", - Fadeev said.
© РИА Томск. Таисия Воронцова
TPU vice-rector for digital affairs Aleksandr Fadeev
He specified that such a virtual laboratory runs on a regular computer, as well as on a computer using VR technologies: virtual reality glasses, joysticks and controllers.
The TPU vice-rector for digital affairs Alexander Fadeev added that basically all virtual laboratories are designed for students of 1-2 courses: “With the help of such laboratories, the student gets acquainted with equipment, safety precautions and makes the first labs in a virtual environment. Then, his process of adaptation to real installations is reduced by almost seven times".
According to him, during the performance of tasks in a virtual laboratory, a student of any university will be able to keep notes, which the teacher will check then. In addition, the head of the educational process will be able to credit part of the results of a student who has been trained using a virtual laboratory.
TPU has virtual laboratories for senior courses. The largest of them - is the virtual geological testing ground of a university in Khakassia. These are several hundred hectares, where students study rocks, the interlocutor of the agency added.
About the TPU reactor
The TPU Nuclear Research Reactor is the only operating university nuclear reactor in Russia. It was launched in 1967 and has since been upgraded numerous times. In total, more than 650 million rubles have been allocated for modernization, renewal of the scientific and technological equipment fleet over the last 10 years.
© Валерий Доронин
As it specified on the website of the university, the reactor - is a unique educational platform. Every year 430 students are trained here. In practice they gain knowledge of nuclear power plant management, physical protection of nuclear power facilities, nuclear and radiation safety.
Moreover, among the Russian operating reactors only in Tomsk, at the TPU reactor, foreign citizens can be trained. They are preparing to work at nuclear facilities in their countries. Since 2015, students from Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria, India, China, Tanzania, Brazil, Zambia, Iran and Vietnam have been trained here.
The reactor is carrying out promising research in the field of environmental management and materials science, nuclear medicine. TPU is one of the leading Russian centers for the development and production of radiopharmpreparations - medicines containing radioisotopes.
Thus, on the basis of the reactor scientists receive a diagnostic isotope technetium-99m. There is also the only production of scarce radioactive phosphorus-32 in Russia.
Tomsk Polytechnic University - is the leading technical university of the country. It's founded in 1896 as Tomsk Technological Institute of Practical Engineers of Emperor Nicholas II. It became the first engineering university in the Asian part of the country. Today TPU - is the largest technical university beyond the Urals; enters the top 10 universities of Russia and the top 400 universities of the world. Since 2013 participates in the "5-100" program to increase competitiveness in the world.