The Department of "Thermal Engineering and Nuclear Energy" was founded in 1948 under the name "Steam Boilers and Engines" as part of the Machine-Technological Faculty of the State Polytechnic. Its founder and first head was Prof. Eng. Yakim Ivanov Yakimov, who led the department until his death in 1965. The first regular assistants of Prof. Y. Yakimov were: Eng. Simeon Batov and Eng. Stefan Donchev.
As early as 1948, Prof. Y. Yakimov taught only two disciplines: steam engines and steam boilers to students from the mechanical engineering department, while the exercises were conducted by assistants S. Batov and St. Donchev. In 1950, Eng. Marin Oprev joined the department as an assistant in steam engines. At that time, the department also included the group specializing in rolling stock with heads: Eng. Svetoslav Matakiyev (1950-53) and Eng. Alexander Atanasov (later professor). From 1960, this group became an independent department.
A turning point in the development of the Department of "Steam Engines and Boilers" was 1953, when the Machine-Electrical Institute (MEI) was created, and the specialty "Thermal Engineering" was established within the mechanical engineering faculty.
This necessitated the expansion of educational activities, introducing courses on steam engines, steam boilers, and fuel technology, condensing equipment, thermal engineering measurements and instruments, gas turbines, and automatic control of thermal processes. At the same time, academic staff began teaching new courses to students who were not thermal engineers. Thus, the following disciplines emerged:
- thermal engineering and the thermal part of CHP plants - for electrical engineers, taught by S. Batov.
- thermal engineering - for mechanical engineers - non-thermal engineers, taught by M. Oprev.
- thermal engineering - for engineer-chemists, taught by St. Donchev.
- thermal power plants - for hydraulic engineers, taught by S. Batov and others.
In 1953, Eng. Nikola Todoriev and Eng. Garabed Mumdzhiyan joined as assistants, beginning to deliver lectures respectively on thermal engineering measurements and instruments and on condensing systems. In 1955, following the proposal of Prof. Ya. Yakimov, the department was officially renamed "Thermal Power Engineering". Nevertheless, students continued their training within the general specialty "Thermal Engineering", with specialization in thermal power engineering occurring during the preparation of their thesis. This arrangement lasted until 1962, when the specialty "Thermal Power Engineering" was established.
During the period 1953-1962, the Department of "Thermal Power Engineering" developed gradually as a leading entity in Bulgaria's energy sector. Its composition was augmented by the following assistants: Eng. D. Uzunov (1958), Eng. Chem. M. Yovchev (1959), Eng. Iv. Chorbadzhiski, Eng. E. Pangelov, Eng. G. Glukhov, and Eng. St. Stoyanov (1961), Eng. St. Nozharova (1962), Eng. T. Barumov and Eng. N. Hadzhigenova (1963). At the same time, some changes occurred in the core disciplines taught. In 1959-1960, N. Todoriev became the titular lecturer for the discipline of Steam Boilers and Fuel Technology, M. Oprev for the discipline of Steam Engines, and S. Batov for the discipline of Thermal Power Plants (TPP). New disciplines were also introduced: Economics of Energy and Nuclear Energy (St. Nozharova, 1962) and Automatic Control for the specialties PT and MAHH (G. Mumdjian, 1962).
Following the death of Prof. Ya. Yakimov in 1965, Assoc. Prof. Simeon Batov was elected head of the Department of Thermal Engineering, a position he held until 1985. The department continued to develop along the path of improving taught disciplines and introducing new disciplines to meet the needs of the nuclear energy sector being established in Bulgaria. New assistants were recruited (T. Ganchev – 1965, K. Shushulov – 1966, Al. Kiriy and M. Marinov – 1967, M. Lakov – 1968), and new courses on nuclear power facilities (G. Glukhov, 1968), water treatment and water-chemical regime of thermal and nuclear power plants (M. Yovchev, 1969), and dosimetry and radiation protection (M. Lakov, 1970) were introduced. Thus, the prerequisites were created for the specialization "Thermal Engineering" to evolve into "Thermal Engineering and Nuclear Energy", which was legally formalized in 1973. From then until the present (1998), the department has retained and defended its name "Thermal Engineering and Nuclear Energy". Moreover, it has managed to preserve its unique specialization in Bulgaria, "Thermal Engineering and Nuclear Energy", which has sequentially passed through various stages of development. In 1984, in connection with the introduction of the so-called three-tier education system, the specializations "Thermal Engineering", "Nuclear Energy", and "Industrial Thermal Engineering" were formed alongside the main specialization. In 1988, two separate specializations, "Thermal Engineering" and "Nuclear Energy", were already established. In 1992-1993, these specializations were merged into the broad-profile specialization "Energy Engineering and Technologies". From 1995, by decision of the Academic Council of TUT, the specialization "Thermal Engineering and Nuclear Energy" was restored with two specializations: thermal engineering and nuclear energy. From the 1998-1999 academic year, the department, uniquely in Bulgaria, obtained the right to prepare bachelors and masters in Thermal Engineering and Nuclear Energy. It retains the right to prepare Doctor of Engineering degrees in the same specialization.
The department conducts active scientific activities, leading and participating in scientific and international projects, organizing scientific conferences and forums, including the popular scientific-technical conference "Thermal and Nuclear Energy Problems of the Republic of Bulgaria".
Certain changes in the overall work of the department occurred after its relocation from the building near the monument on Boulevard "V. Levski" to Building No. 2 of the Technical University - Sofia (in the Dervenitsa district). It became necessary in practice to begin constructing a new educational-technological material base in accordance with the new laboratory conditions and the requirements for minimizing energy costs. The department's efforts are directed towards creating an educational base with the following characteristics:
- Modern compact and economical test rigs with a developed information and control part.
- Use of actually operating energy facilities (heating bodies, elements of subscriber stations, etc.) after their modernization and adaptation for educational purposes.
- Formation of specialized computer classrooms for the three main educational and research directions in the department, equipped with modern specialized software.
- Use of simulators of energy facilities (blocks) created in the department or provided for use.
- Extensive use of the information base, models, and illustrative materials of the energy companies partnering with the department.
The department receives valuable support from state and private companies that seek engineering personnel such as: thermal power plants, nuclear power plants, heating companies, the Ministry of Energy, the State Agency for Nuclear Regulation, the Commission for Energy and Water Regulation, companies involved in the construction and maintenance of energy facilities - fuel supply, equipment and spare parts, repair activities, engineering and scientific services, etc.
International and national research and engineering projects carried out by department members.
Active work of PhD students and outstanding students in creating the educational base.
Overall, the aim is for the department to become a modern center (staffed and technically equipped) for training and research in the field of thermal and nuclear energy. Naturally, the emphasis is on the following characteristics of thermal and nuclear energy facilities: environmental friendliness, nuclear safety, energy efficiency.
The academic staff, assisted by their engineers, technicians, master specialists, and lab assistants, has aimed to provide their students not only with specific modern and transferable technical knowledge, but also with to prepare engineers with a high sense of responsibility towards Bulgaria - engineers capable of working in one of the most challenging sectors of industrial society - Thermal Engineering and Nuclear Energy.
