Education in “Electrical engineering” at the Naval Academy began with its foundation. The first official information about the education in the subject “Electrical engineering” is from 1895.
Department “Electrical engineering” was established as a separate teaching unit in 1962, headed by Lieutenant commander eng. Panayot Hlebarov. During the first years after the department foundation, the efforts of the staff were focused on creating educational facilities, furnishing the laboratories with the necessary technical aids and the development of curricula and syllabuses. Multiple textbooks and methodological issues have been printed.
The graduates and the teachers continue to develop the laboratory training base in the department. At present the department has seven laboratories and a lecture hall for conducting lectures, practical classes and laboratory exercises. In 2013 a laboratory for ship devices and systems for voltage over 1000 volts was established, which includes specialized equipment: voltage sources – 10kV, 15kV, 20kV, 50kV; protective switching devices; current or voltage transformers; personal and collective protective means; specialized equipment – high voltage probes; quality analyzer of electrical energy; thermo-vision camera; infrared thermometer; 5kV mega ohm meter.
The laboratory for ship power systems and ship electric drives was established in 2014. It comprises electrical machines and converters (frequency inverters), regulators, digital control with programmable logic controllers(PLC)
, and measuring and control equipment for registration. All normal and emergency modes of ship energy systems are tested in this laboratory.
The “FESTO” laboratory, simulators – engine room simulator “TRANSAS”4000, 5000 (in the department “Ship power plants”) and the simulator for electrical automatization (in BMQC) also provide adequate training for the students in specialty “Ship electrical equipment”.
In 2013 new curricula and syllabuses were developed, which have taken into account the trends and requirements for maintenance of ship equipment, in accordance with the amendments to the Convention for training of seafarers STCW 78/95.
The attention of the department staff in recent years has been focused on improving the teaching methodology, creating teaching materials and on the qualification of the teaching staff. The quantity and quality of the scientific production is constantly improving. Papers are being written and reported at scientific sessions and conferences.
At present a procedure for the consecutive accreditation of the specialties is in progress. The materials for it have been submitted to the National Agency for Assessment and Accreditation (NAAA). The “N.Y.Vaptsarov” Naval Academy is accredited by NAAA for education in the educational and scientific degree “Doctor” in the scientific specialty “Electrical power supply and electrical equipment by sectors (ship power supply and electrical equipment) until 31.05.2018.