In Hangzhou, under the supervision of scientists from Zhejiang University, the creation of the world’s most powerful centrifuge has been completed. Construction started in 2020 and its first phase has already been completed. In total, it is planned to produce three centrifuges with 18 blocks for experiments in the fields of geology, materials science, construction and basic sciences. The installation will be able to create acceleration of the order of 500 g, opening up wide opportunities for applied and scientific research.
Image source: ifeng
Today, the most powerful centrifuge is located at the center of the US Army Corps of Engineers. It is capable of creating an acceleration of up to 350 g, while all bodies on Earth near its surface experience a gravity force of 1 g. There is no exact data yet on the capabilities of the Chinese centrifuge of the CHIEF (Centrifugal Hypergravity and Interdisciplinary Experiment Facility) project, but it is assumed that it can be 50% more powerful than the American one.
The CHIEF centrifuge will be able to reproduce the conditions of greatly increased gravitational influence on models of engineering solutions – from mechanisms to building structures. This will allow you to avoid mistakes and prevent accidents during the construction of dams, tunnels and other complex structures.
Fundamental physics will also be able to use this installation, simulating a multiply increased gravity, in which space and time will be compressed: the curvature of space will increase, and time will begin to flow more slowly. These phenomena can be recorded only with the help of ultra-sensitive instruments, for example, atomic clocks, which have sufficient accuracy.