History of the institute

From the VTI History

In the early twentieth century our country was short of fuel. This situation
became critical after the First World and Civil wars. Urgent problem of accelerated economic development on a recent technical basis was acutely put forward. At that time power engineering was considered to be the basis of the economy, and the firsteconomical and political decree of the government was the State plan for theelectrification of Russia (GOELRO) adopted in December, 22.

The important part in the implementation of the plan was assigned to scientistsand specialists, but to do so they were to be property organized. The All-Union Thermal Engineering Institute (VTI) became such an organization.

The idea to establish such an organization was set forth by V.I. Grinevitsky and K.V. Kirsh, the professors of the Imperial Moscow Technical School (IMTS). They took even practical steps. Necessary financial means were expected to get obtained by subscription; for this purpose the special appeal was issued. By 1921 the sum
of the donations had attained a quarter of the required one.

VTI was established by the Soviet of Labor and Defense in July, 13, 1921
“for the purpose of systematic studying and working-out the vital practical issues
in heat engineering and for solving related technical and economic problems, as well as for training high-skilled specialists”.

Constituent document granted VTI the rights to receive everything demanded for the work within the USSR and abroad on a par with the enterprises of great
national importance.

In the acknowledgement of public service and in order to perpetuate the memory of the founders and the heads of the Moscow thermal engineering school, theinstitute was named «The Grinevitsky and Kirsh Thermal Engineering Institute».

The first regulation of the institute has conferred considerable rights on the
Research Counsel. The Counsel was entitled to elect a director, two deputy directors and a scientific secretary.

Leonid KonstantinovichRamzin (1887-1948) - the first director of VTI -was appointed by the Higher National Economy Counsel for a term of 5 years, with a
reserve that he could be dismissed on the submission of the Research Counsel.
Professor Boris Mikhailovich Oshurkov was a vice-director. Ramzin was a director of VTI over 10 years.

From 1923 to 1992 the institute was bearing the name «All-Union Thermal
Engineering Institute» (VTI). It was handed over the building in SimonovskayaSloboda, which had been intended for the Second Moscow Tram Power Station. VTI changed the layout of the building with its own forces and set up 10 various boilers,
2 turbines and other equipment that served as a basis for the present experimental heating and power plant.

Inauguration of the institute and the power plant took place in May, 31, 1925.

According to its purpose, VTI carried-out the commercial testing of thermal power plants, adjustment of furnaces, and thermal engines, as well as consultation of the professors; took orders for carrying-out of analysis, investigation and commercial surveys.

Adjustment and rationalization activity that was economically effective in the industry and favored professional advance of VTI personnel,was supplemented with engineering and construction-erecting works. In addition to its own rigs the institute constructed commercial plants, and even power stations.

In 1922 the State Commission headed by L.K. Ramzin, and involving a number of VTI workers, made an acceptance, startup and mastering of the high-power (at that time) thermal power station in Kashira constructed under the GOELRO plan.

In the twenties the institute undertook an investigation into steam turbines. The first works on the power and heat supply were carried-out; in 1928 CHPP of VTI
began to supply the near-by industrial enterprises with heat. Works on firing peat and Moscow Province coal, drying fuels and other products were performed.

L.К.Ramzin- the head of VTI, and at the same time the professor of the Moscow Higher Technical School-was, of course, a man of an outstandingengineering talent and organizing abilities. He was «the first engineer among scientists and the first scientist among engineers».

In 1930 the process of «Prompartiya» did much harm to VTI. L.K. Ramzin and a big group of VTI workers were arrested; many of them did not come back to the
institute. It was subsequently established that no Prompartiya had been at all.
In March, 25, 1991 L.K. Ramzin was fully exonerated and the sentence was renderedunlawful. True, the unjustified sentence did not prevent the dismissing of the prisoner, returning him to practical activity and awarding him the Stalin Prize of the first classand the Order of Lenin in 1943.

But every cloud has a silver lining. In the thirties of the 20th century the young people took the place of the old guard and became VTFs pride soon after. In those years VTI performed the works that provided a change-over to the pulverized coal combustion, commercially implemented at the Shterovskaya state regional power plant, the works on water chemistry; the works on coal firing processes were placed on a broad footing; the world’s first industrial once-through boiler was put in operation at VTI heating and power plant (nowadays the heating and power plant
of MOSENERGO).

At that time more profound organization work on the differentiation of the
scientific-and-technological activity in the field of heat engineering began. Specialized organizations were established on the basis or with the inclusion of VTI’s
departments and services. A part of themes passed to them. The institute kept up close ties with these organizations and nowadays fruitfully co-operates with them.

The Great Patriotic War was a severe test for the Soviet power engineers. With the advent of war, many of VTI workers went to the front and took an immediate part in the military operations; 56 of them have been killed.

One of the basic problems, posed before VTI during the Great Patriotic War, was to accommodate the growth of energy systems of the Ural and Siberia, which
became the main arsenal of the Red Army.

The war did not come to the end yet, but works on restoration of power industry in the liberated regions of the USSR had already been organized.

The vital role in making VTI a leading research organization in power generating industry was played by Aleksey SergeevichGorshkov and VasiliyEphimovichDoroshchuk that headed the institute in the post war period (from 1948 to 1967andfrom 1971 to 1985, respectively). Under the direction of them the experimental base of VTI, both in Moscow and at the branches of the institute, was considerably
expanded (in particular, at the Zuyevskaya TPS).The unique Ramzin once-through boiler for the steam pressure of 30 MPa and the steam temperature of 600°C was put in operation at the experimental CHPP of VTI; construction of the new building
began; dwelling houses for VTI workers,a kindergarden and a young pioneer camp were built.

VTI was twice decorated with the Order of the Red Banner (in 1946 and 1971, in commemoration of the 25th and the 50th anniversaries of its establishment) for
outstanding public services in the field of the power engineering development.

Perestroykaand the disintegration of the USSR affected VTI too. Its branches became independed organizations. In January, 1992, the institute was given a new name: «Аll-Russia Thermal Engineering Institute». In the August of that year VTI acquired «An Open Joint Stock Company» status as the result of privatization.

The problem of the institute’s development, preserving its scientific authority, staff potential and technology base under new conditions was being solved in those years by one of the chief scientists in the sphere of heat-power engineering, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences GurgenGurgenovichOlchovsky that was leading VTI from 1985 up to 2010.

In 2010, the Institute was headed by a prominent scientist-teplotekhnik, an experienced Manager, correspondent member of the Russian Academy of Sciences AleksandrViktorovichKlimenko. With his active work for several years, the Institute has significantly increased the volumes of their research and expanded their subject matter, has been significantly renewed the instrument base, established the Centre for collective use of scientific equipment, and new scientific and technological unit «Branch systems of a heat supply» and «Energy surveys»,intensified training and certification of highly qualified scientific personnel, strengthened ties with the profile universities of the country to attract promising young scientists.

The institute is not only the building and equipment, but the people workinghere as well. The founders of VTI created the style and the traditions which are living up to the present: the independence of technical position; the statement of problems which are of practical significance; the complex (integrated) solving of these problems; conscientiousness and the responsibility of performers; good will and the
decency of human relations.

Since its inception VTI shows capability to work loyally in conjunction with many organizations to attain tangible results and in doing so, follows the rule: business interests are higher than natural contradictions.

The leaders and the workers of VTI endeavor to uphold these traditions anddevotion to the institute at the nowadays complicated period.