His scientific interest in energy systems and complexes had been predetermined genetically. Konstantin Osintsev followed in the footsteps of his ancestors. But when choosing his profession, he could not even imagine that the continuity in his fate would manifest itself in such an amazing way, with a high degree of specificity.
As a young scientist, he headed the department that his grandfather had once headed. And family ties had nothing to do with it. Our conversation is about the right choice, scientific omnivorousness, life without emotions and a strange dream.
Brief information
Konstantin Osintsev is the Head of the Department of Industrial Thermal Power Engineering at South Ural State University, Candidate of Sciences (Engineering), Associate Professor. In 2007, he graduated from the SUSU Specialist’s degree programme. In 2009, he defended his PhD thesis in Thermal Power Plants, Their Energy Systems and Units. He participated in the implementation of research projects jointly with enterprises of the Chelyabinsk Region. Since 2023, he has been the manager of the regional grant of the Russian Science Foundation. He is the author of more than 200 scientific publications, including articles published in international highly rated journals.
– I was lucky that my project practice was taken into account when I was hired at the university. At that time, the legislation allowed a candidate of sciences to immediately begin working as an associate professor. I was happy with the work schedule. I prepared and gave lectures on the main subjects. After a year, some initial fears and uncertainty completely disappeared. And about five years later, in 2013, the SUSU Rector Aleksandr Shestakov offered me to become the head of the department. I was 27 years old then.
– Is this a university record?
– As for record...I don't know, I've never asked myself that question. There were formal grounds for heading the department. Aleksandr Shestakov showed me great trust. He saw only me in this position, and I've been holding this post for more than ten years now.
– Did your relatives help you study at university?
– No. While still at school I was told: "Study yourself!" And there was no help. Actually, I didn't fall in love with physics from the very beginning. I liked chemistry and the humanities more. I wrote essays quite well. By the way, this came in handy later when preparing an endless number of scientific articles. But I got into a free elective course in physics in the eighth grade, where the teacher explained everything very clearly. The subject interested me, I successfully passed the final exams, and I was accepted into the physics and mathematics class.
– Did not you consult with your father and grandfather?
– My grandfather died early. And my father was always at work, feeding a large family with three children. After defending his dissertation, he tested boiler equipment and went on long business trips. So, in essence, I raised myself. Well... not without the help of the team, of course.
– Was your father happy when he found out that you would be heading the department that is connected to your family history?
– There was no reaction at all.
– Well, your grandfather would have definitely been happy with such continuity...
– I doubt I would have heard many words. He was also a reserved person. I think the most that could have happened was that he would have slapped me on the shoulder and said, "Well, not bad."
– …Now we know who you are so emotionless after.
– Everyone in our family is like that. It’s probably typical of a technical mindset.
– You never cry or laugh? Some things can make you emotional, right?
– Anything can happen. I like going to the cinema, to the theatre – to soak up the culture.
– I will risk suggesting that even during a cinema show you think about something of your own, scientific…
– Not always. Postgraduates give me joyful emotions. When, for example, it suddenly turns out that they not only perceived the information that I voiced, but also read additional literature on the topic, conducted research.
Instead of shamanism
– I suggest combining your love for the Russian language and physics. Could you please tell us in simple words about the complex area of your scientific interests.
– I work on the issues related to organic fuel combustion. Different types of coal, natural gas...− everything that is available in Chelyabinsk. In order to get heat or electricity, you need to burn fuel. It will release energy that will be absorbed by water. I develop combustion systems, and also study the impact of fuel and its combustion products on the environment, and the equipment in use. The task is to improve the efficiency. In general, in terms of science, I am a multi-vector person. Experiments, writing articles, data processing, reviews of existing research and methods...I do everything that is of interest to me. I believe it is wrong to waste time on something that is of no interest to you.
– And what are your scientific achievements?
– I am absolutely indifferent to achievements. I don’t even know what to attribute to this... A PhD, the title of Associate Professor, a won grant, research works at enterprises... Probably, the main achievement is a specific contribution to the development of our direction in thermal power engineering and related areas. It’s good when what we have done works smoothly.
– Heading a department involves a lot of administrative work. But I would still ask you about your scientific dream...
– I have had it since my PhD defence. But...it's a strange dream. There is a lot of regulatory documentation in heat power engineering, which everyone always refers to. It contains scientifically proven ideas and developments. The principle is: "Everything written in the documentation is correct. Everything else is not necessarily correct. Prove it!" So I dream that what we do will be reflected in the next reprint of the documentation. If a link to the works by K. Osintsev appears there, then my 20 years of work have not been in vain.
–Could you please tell me, were you an experimenter as a child? This is generally typical of boys, especially those predisposed to science...
– When I was just starting to figure out if I liked physics, I came across a popular science book that told me what you can make from scrap materials. I made a body with a shifted centre of gravity. It was very difficult to hold it in one position. I was praised by my teacher and got an “A” for that craft. And then my classmates said that it was impossible to create such a body, and that it smacked of shamanism. They demanded proof. I gave them the craft with the words “take it apart, I don’t mind”. When they took it apart, they understood what the secret was, how physics works, and they didn’t accuse me of shamanism anymore.
By the way, it is precisely ignorance of physics and chemistry that opens up flights of fancy. People begin to think that the world is full of spirits and miracles. Although in fact, everything can be scientifically justified, unless you delve into string theory or quanta, which is not interesting to me at all.
Intrigue for freshmen
– Do you have a favourite physical law?
– I won't be original to say that I really like the laws of thermodynamics. The first, second, third one... And they even say there is a zero one, if you dig in. Everything is clear there, and everything is applicable to any thing. The first law of thermodynamics is comparable to what I liked in chemistry. A substance cannot disappear anywhere. If it interacts with something, then other substances are obtained − the law of conservation of mass. So, energy does not disappear into anywhere. It just changes.
I like to intrigue freshmen with the second law of thermodynamics. For example, I ask: "How miraculously does a refrigerator work since heat is transferred from a cold body to a hot one, and this contradicts the laws of physics..." And it fits in your head that this is possible due to the involvement of work from the outside, that is, by connecting the refrigerator compressor to the electrical network. Then this does not contradict either the first law of thermodynamics or the second one.
– What is the most valuable quality for a department head?
– Perhaps, it is precisely the lack of emotion. In general, a stable nervous system is very helpful in terms of overcoming stressful situations. Phlegmatic people have a better chance of making the right decision, or at least not making things worse.
– What do you focus on when communicating with schoolchildren?
– We explain to high school students that a technical specialty is not that difficult, even if they have the most general ideas about chemistry, physics, and mathematics. One of those schoolchildren who simply came to us one day on an excursion now works as a teacher at SUSU. We lead gifted children to the heights from the very school. Not only to scientific heights, but also simply engineering ones.
More than once I have heard from our graduates: "If I had chosen the specialty I had initially thought about, I would hardly have been so happy...". Therefore, I would advise the following to high school students: before making a final decision, you need to actively familiarize yourself with all areas of study, finding out what your heart lies in. Especially since SUSU promotes this.
– Do you offer a large number of "activities"?
– Yes, we do. For example, we show a typical post-Soviet compact installation. The department acquired it back in the late 90s of the last century. If you twist it with your hands, you get a certain result. And then we introduce the department's developments, thanks to which the installation already has its own physical and mathematical model. That is, the data was "driven" into the program, processed, visualized, and now the same installation is on your computer or phone. You can even make a hologram of it if you try really hard. And the surprised schoolchild says: “This is amazing! I thought SUSU was a static institution where they only teach some basics...".
We keep up with the times. Young people appreciate it. There were cases when guys who entered universities in Moscow and St. Petersburg, after some time transferred back to Chelyabinsk, to SUSU. They say it's no worse here, and my parents are nearby. It's true. And it will be even more interesting.