Faculty of Electrification in Agriculture

Founded in 1974, the department of Farm Electrification was renamed in 2008 and now it is the Electric Power Engineering department. 90 % of the teaching staff have scientific degrees and titles (6 Doctors of science and 43 Candidates of Science). Within 2007-2009 all of the leading lecturers of the department receive good professional retraining at the universities of Europe: the Czech agricultural University, University of Hoenheim (Germany) and Folksuniverity (Sweden). Many of the students and post-graduates are trained abroad. As long as the department exists there have been prepared more than 2500 specialists, who work not only in the Stavropol Krai, but also in other regions of the Russian Federation.

The rise of the department is impossible without development of scientific fields, which meet the requirements of the agro-industrial complex. Considerable research have been carried out in terms of:

- electrophysical effects on the seeds;

- development of brand-new designs of linear governing electric motors;

- creation of new ways of control and digital measuring transducers and devices;

- design of purpose-built devices for magnetic treatment of water and seeds;

- creation of original multifunctional protection means of induction motors;

- implementation of a light regime control system in greenhouses;

- study of properties of magnetic fluids;

- creation and implementation of the automated control system for managing the service of a rural electrician.

The staff and students of the department have more than 200 author's certificates and RF patents for inventions. Many scientific developments such as devices of magnetic treatment for substances, portable digital devices for moisture measure of seeds, a device of multifunctional protection for induction motors were successfully implemented and applied to agricultural production.

At present the Department has 6 chairs, with 30 educational and scientific laboratories, including 3 computer labs, a study for course and diploma projects, 3 lecture auditoria equipped with modern multimedia equipment. Except the basic speciality “Farm Electrification and Automation” the department trains students in «Electric Power Supply» and prepares bachelors and masters in «Agricultural engineering» and «Electric Power Engineering».

There have been established 7 laboratories in the department including a unique automated systems laboratory for commercial accounting of electric power (ASKUE) on the basis of the Chair of Automatics, Electronics and Metrology, due to which the master’s students are being trained.

Scientists have developed a fundamentally new linear control motors, which allow to replace traditional electric motors with gearboxes. In connection with the use of modern equipment the staff continues the search for technical solutions in order to determine the quality of seed grain of agricultural crops. 

The teaching staff of the University has created a cone concentrator of solar energy which allows heating of the heat carrier up to the temperature of 300-400 degrees. This setting can be used all year round for heating and hot water supply of remote agricultural enterprises, farms, etc. The rotary wind-turbine is going through the implementation stage now designed for power supply of individual consumers at the expense of wind energy.

The Department has made more than 200 treaties with enterprises and organizations on practical training of students and creative cooperation. Strategic partners of the Department in a number of areas have become the leading enterprises of the region: JSC Concern «Energomera», «Stavropol Electromechanical plant», the municipal unitary enterprise «Gorelektroset», a filiation of «Western electrical networks» JSC «Stavropolenergo». Students take an active part in scientific work being co-authors in publications and scientific developments, which have received a high estimation in the Russian and regional competitions.

Scientific and research work at the Department of Physics (a head of the Department, Professor G. P. Starodubtseva) has been intensified in 1999 since the accredited Educational and Scientific Testing Laboratory (ESTL) had been established. Under the leadership of  Doctor of Science (Agriculture), Professor G. P. Starodubtseva a scientific school «Interaction of electromagnetic fields with biological objects» is functioning nowadays. The staff of the Department, post-graduates and students are carrying out scientific and theoretical research on the influence of pulsed electric fields and EHF on the sowing quality of seeds.

For pest control, increase crop yields, improvement of water quality there have been offered technologies of electrophysical effect on biological objects: electromagnetic, ozonation, effects of pulsed fields of high frequency, application of field with corona discharge. 

Modern material and technical base of the Department allowed to move to a new innovative level of scientific researches, to increase the competitiveness of developments, to sign state contracts with the agriculture ministries of the Russian Federation and the SK and business contracts with agricultural enterprises of the southern and North-Caucasian Federal districts.

The growing demand for engineering, as evidenced by the high level of competition among applicants, gives the right not to have a doubt in the future of the Department.