Recovery-annealing facilities delivered to Armenian Nuclear Power Plant for reactor vessel metal
04.09.2020,
14:07
Recovery-annealing (heat treatment) facilities have been delivered to the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant for the metal of the reactor vessel. The plant will be prepared for the final part of the work on extending its service life, which will take place in 2021 - the reactor will be annealed, which will allow it to return to its original state by 80-85%, the press service of Rosatom reports.
YEREVAN, September 4. /ARKA/. Recovery-annealing (heat treatment) facilities have been delivered to the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant for the metal of the reactor vessel. The plant will be prepared for the final part of the work on extending its service life, which will take place in 2021 - the reactor will be annealed, which will allow it to return to its original state by 80-85%, the press service of Rosatom reports.
This unique technological operation will be carried out as part of of the project to modernize and extend the life of power unit No. 2 of the Armenian NPP. “This is an important science-intensive work to improve plant safety. Annealing will restore the characteristics of the metal of the reactor vessel, which will allow it to be safely operated in the future,” said Yuri Sviridenko, manager for the project for extending the life of the plant from the Russian side.
Reactor annealing is the most effective way to restore the physical and mechanical characteristics of the reactor vessel metal, which change during operation under the influence of constant radiation exposure. The reactor vessel is the “heart” of the power unit, and it is its resource that determines the life of the plant's operation.
The vessel is annealed with complete unloading of fuel assemblies into the spent fuel pool. This is necessary for inspection of the vessel and installation of the annealing unit inside the reactor vessel. Using an annealing unit, the reactor vessel is heated to a temperature of 475 degrees, kept at this temperature for several days, after which it slowly cools down. The structure of the metal restores its properties, which increases its service life.
The procedure will be carried out by several Rosatom organizations, each of which is responsible for its own segment of the work.
For the first time, the technology of the recovery annealing of the reactor vessel metal was applied in 1987 at the third power unit of the NovovoronezhNuclear Power Plant. Now this procedure is being carried out at all plants where the service life is being extended. Recovery annealing has already been carried out on VVER-440 reactors of Kola NPP (Russia), Rovno NPP (Ukraine), Kozloduy NPP (Bulgaria) and Loviisa NPP (Finland).
The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant is the only nuclear power plant in the South Caucasus. It produces more than a third of all electricity generated in Armenia. The key project of Russia and Armenia in the field of nuclear energy is the project to modernize and extend the life of the second power unit of the Armenian NPP. Armenia has accumulated unique experience in operating the Armenian NPP. The second power unit was restarted after it ceased operating for 6.5 years. The plant plays an important role for the development of the energy system of Armenia and the entire social and economic life of the country. The general contractor of the project to extend the life of the Armenian NPP is Rusatom Service JSC, whose key contractual obligations are to restore the service life and prolong the operation of the plant as well as increase its safety and efficiency. -0-
This unique technological operation will be carried out as part of of the project to modernize and extend the life of power unit No. 2 of the Armenian NPP. “This is an important science-intensive work to improve plant safety. Annealing will restore the characteristics of the metal of the reactor vessel, which will allow it to be safely operated in the future,” said Yuri Sviridenko, manager for the project for extending the life of the plant from the Russian side.
Reactor annealing is the most effective way to restore the physical and mechanical characteristics of the reactor vessel metal, which change during operation under the influence of constant radiation exposure. The reactor vessel is the “heart” of the power unit, and it is its resource that determines the life of the plant's operation.
The vessel is annealed with complete unloading of fuel assemblies into the spent fuel pool. This is necessary for inspection of the vessel and installation of the annealing unit inside the reactor vessel. Using an annealing unit, the reactor vessel is heated to a temperature of 475 degrees, kept at this temperature for several days, after which it slowly cools down. The structure of the metal restores its properties, which increases its service life.
The procedure will be carried out by several Rosatom organizations, each of which is responsible for its own segment of the work.
For the first time, the technology of the recovery annealing of the reactor vessel metal was applied in 1987 at the third power unit of the NovovoronezhNuclear Power Plant. Now this procedure is being carried out at all plants where the service life is being extended. Recovery annealing has already been carried out on VVER-440 reactors of Kola NPP (Russia), Rovno NPP (Ukraine), Kozloduy NPP (Bulgaria) and Loviisa NPP (Finland).
The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant is the only nuclear power plant in the South Caucasus. It produces more than a third of all electricity generated in Armenia. The key project of Russia and Armenia in the field of nuclear energy is the project to modernize and extend the life of the second power unit of the Armenian NPP. Armenia has accumulated unique experience in operating the Armenian NPP. The second power unit was restarted after it ceased operating for 6.5 years. The plant plays an important role for the development of the energy system of Armenia and the entire social and economic life of the country. The general contractor of the project to extend the life of the Armenian NPP is Rusatom Service JSC, whose key contractual obligations are to restore the service life and prolong the operation of the plant as well as increase its safety and efficiency. -0-
