Department History

From boilers – to nuclear reactor (UA)

Department of nuclear power plants and engineering thermal physics (NPP and ITF) was founded in 1903 as a department of the steam boiler in the mechanical department of Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. First head was appointed heating engineer known then, boiler technology specialist Professor Alexei Y. Stupin, who headed the department until 1928.

Department received its present name in 1985.

At different times the department was headed by:

• prof. Stupin Stupin О. Y. (1903 – 1928)
• prof. Usenko Т. Т. (1928 – 1930)
• prof. Kondak М. А. (1930 – 1931, 1934 – 1938)
• docent Serdyukov P. Т. (1931 – 1934)
• academician Тоlubinskiy V. І. (1938 – 1964)
• prof. Оrnatskiy А. P. (1964 – 1976)
• prof. Dashkiev Yu. G. (1976 – 1989)
• docent Кon’shin V. І. (1989 – 1994)

                       Michael A. Kondak                                  Vsevolod I. Tolubinskyy

Since 1995 head of the department is doctor of technical sciences, professor, Honored Worker of Science of Ukraine Yevgen Pysmennyy.

Since the establishment, Department passed a difficult way of development, which was closely associated with the history of the NTUU “KPI”, the achievements of science, technical progress the requirements of production, social and political events in the country and world at all. In this way the department more than once changed its name and let out professionals on the needs of manufacturing companies, design agencies, research institutions in the field of thermal power equipment, boiler fabrication and thermal studies.

Department of the first days of its activities continuously carry out research work and already in 1903 had training and research laboratory based on thermal power station NTUU “KPI”, which was equipped with advanced boiler techniques of that time. In 1938, the department joined the faculty of thermal power KPI titled “Boilers chair”. In 1957, the department was established the problem laboratory of heat transfer and gas dynamics, which direction of research was determined thermophysical problems of such fields as nuclear energy, space and aviation equipment, electronics, boiler fabrication.

Currently, the Department of NPP and ETPh is a member of the faculty of thermal power engineering NTUU “KPI” and continuing it’s historical tradition, prepares Bachelors, Specialists, Masters and highly qualified (Ph.D.) in three specialties:

• “Nuclear power engeneering”, specialty opened in 1985 at the Institute for Nuclear Research, USSR Academy of Sciences and scientific topics of Problem heat and gas dynamics laboratory NTUU “KPI” in the field of research heatgidrodynamics processes in the active zones of nuclear reactors;
• “Thermophysics”, specialty opened in 1964 on the scientific and industrial base of Problem heat and gas dynamics laboratory NTUU “KPI” and the Institute of Technical Thermal Physics (Institute of Engineering Thermophysics) USSR;
• “Boilers and reactors”, specialty of designing boilers existed in the department since its founding until 1985, when boilers specialty in NTUU “KPI” was replaced by a new specialty “Nuclear power stations and installations” (from now Department has an appropriate name). Over time, this specialty became known as “Nuclear power engeneering” .In 1996 boilers specialty at the Department restored and expanded in nuclear reactors.

The department is trained in 4 groups each academic year a total of about 400 students.

Courses at the Department has developed scientific and industrial base, based on department cooperation with research institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU), energy profile design organizations, nuclear and thermal power plants, companies of power engineering, installation and repair of the equipment of thermal power plants.

To ensure a permanent connection with base NASU institutes and enterprises outside the “KPI” and conducting the educational process on their research and production base the department has branches:

• Nuclear Research Institute (NRI) and the Institute of Technical Thermal Physics (Institute of Engineering Thermophysics) in NASU in Kyiv;
• the Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety (SEC NRS) Ukraine, Kyiv;
• nuclear power plants, Rivne NPP, Khmelnitsky NPP, Zaporizhzhya NPP;
• heat engineering plant “Tekom”, Monastyrysche Cherkasy region.