Recently, it became popular to study several specialties at once: complete bachelor’s or specialist studies in one sphere, and then apply for master’s degree studies in another one. The third-year postgraduate student of the SUSU Power Engineering Faculty Evgeniy Sirotkin told us about how he transferred from the sphere of metallurgy to power engineering, and what large scientific project is now taking the bigger part of his time.
− Why did you decide to enroll to the Metallurgical Faculty?
− Being an 11-grade student in high school, I knew exactly that my future specialty must be from the engineering sphere. I got admitted to the university in 2009; back then it was possible compete for governmental funding in 20 specialties. In my list were the Faculty of Mechanics and Technology, and Aerospace Faculty, and other engineering faculties. But in the result I decided to get enrolled to the Faculty of Physics and Metallurgy. Now I am very glad that I found myself exactly at the Metallurgical Faculty. At the Faculty, a strong background in the engineering area is provided. Training was very serious, and the discipline was quite strict, which is also very important.
− What was your graduation thesis related with?
− After finishing bachelor’s studies in 2013, we wrote graduation thesis based on real-life equipment which is exploited at factories. We used engineering documentation of the equipment and introduced our enhancements. I worked over a diploma paper themed “Equipment and technology of a radial forging machine” under supervision of Doctor of Engineering Sciences, Professor Grigoriy Koval. I took a machine which is installed at one of our metallurgical enterprises as a foundation for the thesis. Such equipment is used for manufacturing high-quality metal products of various cross-section profiles.
− Why did you decide to transfer to the Power Engineering Faculty?
− After defense of the thesis I realized that I would like to master another profession. Therefore, when applying to the master’s degree studies, I decided to change my major and got admitted to the Power Engineering Faculty, to the Department of Renewable Power Resources. During the admission I had already had an idea of research project that I wanted to bring to reality. Having successfully passed all the exams, I started my studying. From the first months we started actively conduct research activity, and soon afterwards me and the team went to perform at a conference which was held under support of the Russian Academy of Sciences. For that we should thank the leadership of the Faculty and the Department who provided us with all necessary resources for conducting research activity.
− In what contests did you participate?
− One of the first contests in which I won with my scientific work was UMNIK Federal program. By the middle of the second year of master’s degree study I had, as I thought, a well-formulated research project which assumed commercialization. But that time I didn’t make it even to the final. One year later, the project was sufficiently improved and, being already a postgraduate student, I once again submitted an application and won the contest. The UMNIK program is intended precisely for young researchers and innovators; it allows you to work on your research and development project more thoroughly and seriously through receiving financial support. Therefore I highly recommend young developers to take part in this program.
− Tell us more details about your project.
− Wind turbine is a large project in which many acknowledged scientists and developers take part. The work is being done in partnership with several large industrial enterprises. I in particular work over developing a control system which would provide secure operation of the wind turbine under any climatic conditions, for example, in the Arctic. We performed testing at the coast of the Barents sea: 20 wind turbines of various manufacture were tested. In the result our turbine proved to be the most durable. At the moment, development of a serial sample of the wind turbine is conducted in collaboration with the Kuntsevo Engineering Bureau AO.
− Why are you interested in placing such turbines precisely in the North?
− At the moment, the only source of power supply in the Arctic is diesel generators which require constant provision with fuel. Its shipping is very expensive and moreover very unreliable because of the weather unpredictability. Besides, nowadays the government carries our general policy for developing the “green power engineering”. In this regard, large corporations started re-equip their branch enterprises with more environmentally friendly and reliable equipment. In the nearest decades the most optimal source of power supply in the Arctic will be precisely wind turbines.
− In what other projects did you participate?
− I happened to take part in developing a system of boost accumulator charging for KAMAZ trucks. Then I participated in designing power-efficient tram modules in collaboration with Uralvagonzavod OAO. Also, I was involved in a project for creating an electro spinning installation and a technology for producing nano fiber – this project was implemented at the production base of the Scientific and Production Institute of Educational Equipment and Technology.
− What are you planning to do in the nearest future?
− Regarding the project, now it has moved to the next stage – the development of a serial sample, and this is what I’m going to work on. After finishing my postgraduate study I am going to defend my candidate’s dissertation on the topic of my project, and then I am planning to work over commercial implementation of the project. I can confidently say that studying at the faculties of Metallurgy and Power Engineering provided me with broad-based knowledge and an excellent engineering background, which allows me qualitatively do my job.