The extraordinary seed sown by predecessors, a colossal dragon lurking in the depths of space.
Doing what others dare not, achieving what others cannot,
He blazes a trail of his own, forging ahead relentlessly.
Dispelling the fog of science, clearing away the dust of time,
We behold the golden heart of a scientist.
— "Touching China" 2023 Figure: Yu Hongru
As the "sky" on the ground, wind tunnels witness China's achievements in the development of vital national assets such as the Dongfeng series missiles and the Shenzhou series spacecraft.
The JF-12 hypersonic wind tunnel, an emblem of China's aerospace prowess, has recently completed acceptance tests and is now operational. This large-scale scientific apparatus is instrumental in conducting experiments related to aviation and space exploration.
China's technological expertise in this domain is globally recognized, with the JF-12 employing the "detonation-driven high-enthalpy shock wave wind tunnel technology." The pioneering work behind this technology can be credited to the esteemed Chinese Academy of Sciences academician and renowned mechanician, 96-year-old Yu Hongru.
Yu has dedicated five decades to the relentless pursuit of wind tunnel technology research.
Today, Professor Yu continues to mentor younger generations,
His wisdom and humility have also inspired countless new stars.
Salute to Academician Yu Hongru,
His contributions and dedication
Will forever shine on the pinnacle of science.
An explosion occurred in the laboratory.
Yet, he was praised.
In 1928, Yu Hongru was born in Guangfeng County, Jiangxi Province. At the age of 28, he was admitted to the Institute of Mechanics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, where he worked under the guidance of his mentor, Guo Yonghuai. He was involved in the construction of a shock wave wind tunnel, which was dubbed the "cradle of aircraft." This wind tunnel was capable of artificially generating controllable airflow, simulating the complex flight conditions of aircraft in the air. This enabled the discovery of design flaws and improvements.
In 1958,
Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Established the shock tube group.
YU Hongru, only 30 years old, was appointed as the group leader.
At that time, the economic foundation of New China was weak,
With power shortages,
Unable to follow the development path of foreign wind tunnels.
YU Hongru chose a more cost-effective approach:
Hydrogen-oxygen combustion propulsion.
However, this method is highly prone to explosion,
With a very high level of danger.
"Once a house was completely demolished in an explosion. After the blast, Mr. Qian Xuesen and Mr. Guo Yonghuai were the first to offer praise," recalled Yu Hongru.
Qian Xuesen and Guo Yonghuai were considering that while the house could be rebuilt after being demolished, without understanding the cause of the explosion, it wouldn't be possible to improve preventive measures. "As long as no one is injured, we bear the responsibility of learning from failures and accidents," Yu added.
With the encouragement and support of predecessors, after numerous trials and retrospections, Yu Hongru led the team to finally blaze a new trail in the research of wind tunnels in China.
In August 1958, the core component of China's first generation shock tube for shock wave tunnels was successfully developed. In 1969, China's first large-scale hypersonic wind tunnel, the JF-8 shock wave wind tunnel, was completed. Its performance is comparable to international large-scale shock wave wind tunnels, yet it was constructed at an extremely low cost, with processing fees totaling only 80,000 CNY.
The JF-8 shock wave wind tunnel has played a crucial role in testing various key aircraft models. The DF-5 ballistic missile, which participated in the National Day Parade in 2019, has also undergone testing here.
When asked by reporters about his feelings upon witnessing the Dongfeng-5 ballistic missile passing by Tiananmen Square's rostrum, Yu Hongru responded, "We've lent a hand, but the main work is still done by others."
"No one objected
Could be mediocre work"
1980s
In order to conduct hypersonic flight experiments
Developed countries began to build
Large free-piston driven hypersonic shock tunnels
However, Yu Hongru proposed disruptively
Using detonation-driven method
To generate high enthalpy experimental airflow
The idea of using detonation propulsion was met with unanimous opposition. However, Yu Hongru said, "I'm not afraid of opposition. If nobody opposes, it might be mediocre work." He didn't give up but continued his research single-mindedly.
In 1988, Yu Hongru completed fundamental experiments on detonation-driven propulsion in Germany. Upon returning to China, he developed a relatively mature detonation propulsion method.
In 1998,
YU Hongru finally led the construction of
the world's first
Explosion-Driven High-Enthalpy Shock Tunnel JF-10. "The nation's scientific endeavor
requires us to pave the way."
This was the advice from YU's mentor, GUO Yonghuai.
YU Hongru, like his mentor before him,
became a guiding light for the next generation of young people.
Under his guidance,
In 2012,
China completed construction of
the world's first large-scale hypersonic shock tunnel JF-12,
which replicated hypersonic flight conditions,
signifying a leap from "simulation" to "reproduction,"
providing crucial support
for China's major aerospace missions.
When the JF-12 wind tunnel
won the Second Prize of National Science and Technology Progress Award,
YU Hongru insisted on putting his name
at the very end.
"Work should be passed down from generation to generation,
Young people will feel a sense of accomplishment
and gain prestige and credibility
Once the work is well carried out,
People's time is limited,
No one can work for a lifetime,
This job must be passed on."
Success without me is unnecessary.
Success with me is inevitable.
Salute!
