Ilsur Metshin inspected the Center for Engineering Systems in Construction “Systems” at the KSUAE

(KZN.RU, March 22, Ksenia Shvetsova). Today Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, visited the Center for Engineering Systems in Construction “Systems”. It opened in January on the basis of Kazan State University of Architecture and Engineering (KSUAE). In the center, students are trained on modern equipment, and their achievements are actively being introduced into production.

The head of the city talked to the students, examined the equipment. He noted that thanks to training in a modern, technologically developed center, students receive the knowledge that will help in the future to create large-scale and extraordinary projects.

The center was established in less than a year by university specialists on the basis of an old laboratory building for conducting laboratory workshops for students of the direction of “Power Engineering and Gas Supply and Ventilation”. Today the center combines scientific and educational competencies for training in the areas of “Power Engineering and gas supply, ventilation, water supply and water disposal of buildings, structures and settlements”, “Housing and communal infrastructure”. The center also provides professional retraining in the field of construction and housing and communal services. In total, 6686 people study in the center.

“This is already the fourth center on the basis of our university. We are planning to open the fifth one soon. We found the new correct form of work with students, business and university interaction, because 80% of the equipment was provided by partner companies that are interested in teaching students. In the future, our graduates are very profitable to hire”, said Rashit Nizamov, the rector of KSUAE. He added that about 15 million rubles had been spent on the reconstruction of the building.

“The building looks as if not 15 million, but 150 million was spent on it! I can see the non-standard architectural solutions and design approaches. The building is very well designed”, said Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan.

Talking about the work of the center, Rinat Safiullin, an associate professor of the department “Power Engineering and Gas Supply and Ventilation” of the KSUAE, the center's director, noted that all the equipment that is used in teaching students during laboratory work is in working condition and is used for the center’s life support. Thus, ventilation in the conference room is provided by a ventilation unit equipped with a heat exchanger. It allows using the secondary heat from the outgoing air and saving up to 60% of energy. All samples of equipment on which students study are united in thematic stands.

Heating and air conditioning systems are installed to ensure a comfortable microclimate and clean air in the hall called “Heat generation and microclimate”. “The adjustment of all parameters is carried out automatically and remotely from the control room. And at the top, there is a screen on which the installation mnemonic scheme is displayed. The stand allows carrying out a series of laboratory work on the adjustment of ventilation and air conditioning systems. Interestingly, one stand with the equipment can be used for 5-6 laboratory work”, said R. Safiullin, the head of the center.

A special pride of the center is a stand for testing a different type of heating devices, which allows students to study the operation and regulation of automated heating systems. “Hot water is prepared in the control unit and its parameters are regulated from a computer, heating devices with all necessary measuring equipment are installed in a special box”, said R. Safiullin.

“Thanks to this stand, we can visually picture what ventilation and heating should be in buildings. Everything is very clear”, noted I. Metshin. “We see very modern equipment. And it is important that there is a platform where students learn all this. Besides the fact that they will understand the design, they will be able to work with their hands”. The Mayor also asked if all the students of the faculty have the opportunity to study on the equipment. “We have a discipline called “installation of heating systems”, within the framework of which they study here”, said R. Safiullin.

Then, the head of the city assessed the individual heating system.

Fourth-year students have been working in the hall of water supply and water disposal. “In general, we perform a lot of laboratory work in this center. For example, we are given a scheme by which we must tie a radiator and we are doing this. Well, and other various works. We like the fact that we can try our hand at practice”, said student Fanis Gatiatullin.

The center is also provided with renewable energy equipment. Thus, the head of the city was shown the work of a wind generator and a photovoltaic module. “Students measure current characteristics and investigate the generation of electrical energy. The work of these devices in practice can be seen on the current wind turbine in combination with a solar panel. They are installed at the facade of the center and are used to illuminate the territory”, explained R. Safiullin.

Students Kirill Shashov from Yelabuga and Aidar Khalikov from Zelenogorsk demonstrated how they work on the installation of a binding unit for heating devices. The lesson for students was conducted by Yulia Gareeva, an associate professor of the Department “Power Engineering, Gas Supply and Ventilation”, a certified expert of the WorldSkills movement on the competence of “Plumbing and Heating”.

“What thoughts on work after the university?” I. Metshin asked them. “I would like to work as a designer in “Tatinvestgrazhdanproekt”, Kirill replied. Aidar wants to become an engineering designer.

“This is definitely a sought-after profession. We are building a lot of new things, so we definitely need such trained personnel”, said the Mayor and wished them success.

On the basis of the center, it is planned to prepare students for various competencies according to the WorldSkills standards with the possibility of obtaining at least a second degree. “I think this is a good platform to prepare participants for competitions. This is an important area of work, and we plan to move in this direction”, the university rector shared his plans.

Yulia Gareeva said that today, a 3rd-year student Dmitry Malinov is a member of the Russian national team in the competence “Plumbing and Heating”. “Now he is at the training camp in Moscow, preparing for the championship. We wish him good luck”, she said.

“Is there a difference in the quality of training of our children and children from other countries? Is there something we missing, that we need to pull up?” asked I. Metshin.

“Probably, we don’t have enough time to prepare”, answered Y. Gareeva. She added that students from other countries begin training at least 2 years before the championship stages. “We have a maximum preparation time of 1 year”, she said. I. Metshin noted that the preparation system requires revision, and asked the expert to prepare proposals.

Scientific and innovative developments that are being introduced into production created on the basis of the Center for Engineering Systems in Construction “Systems”. Students are directly involved in these developments. Thus, a method has been developed to improve the energy efficiency of heating boilers for housing and communal systems using a thermoelectric plant. It allows for generating electricity to cover its own needs. “This development has already been implemented at the operating boiler plant of the AO “Kazenergo”, said Evgeny Vdovin, the vice-rector of KSUAE for research work.

In addition, facilities for non-aggregate cleaning and regeneration of industrial effluents have been developed, which are successfully operated at Kazan CHPP-1, Kazan Motor-Building Production Association, Murmansk CHPP, Zainsk State District Power Plant, and other facilities. “Another development is the technology of river water purification for the sewage treatment plant and external communications department of the PAO “Kazanorgsintez”. It allows increasing the productivity of sewage treatment plants by 20%”, said E. Vdovin. He noted that there are still a lot of developments and projects of university students applied in practice and created, including on the basis of other centers. Thus, in the architectural and educational spaces “BFFT.space” and “Studio A1”, projects have been developed for the restoration of unique historical objects both in Russia and abroad.

“Our success in training highly qualified personnel is demonstrated by students winning international competitions”, added the vice-rector of the KSUAE. “The students win competitions with the participation of leading foreign architectural and construction schools, including from Harvard, Toronto, Virginia, and other universities”.

“Well done everyone. It is very important that students participate in international competitions, show their ideas. It gives them confidence in themselves that they are talented, able to compete with experts not only in Russia, but also outside the country”, said I. Metshin. “We hope that new knowledge will be realized later by new, beautiful, extraordinary objects that will live for centuries in Kazan and beyond”.

Iskander Giniyatullin, the deputy chairman of the Executive Committee, Airat Faizov, the chairman of the Committee on Children and Youth Affairs, and others also took part in the inspection.