The newest power unit No. 4 of the Beloyarsk NPP with a fast neutron reactor BN-800 was put into commercial operation in deadlines.
This is one of the most important events of the year in the Russian nuclear energy industry, reports the press service of the Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant.
The order to this effect was signed on October 31, 2016. CEO Concern "Rosenergoatom" Andrey Petrov on the basis of the received permission from the State Corporation "Rosatom". Before this, the regulatory body Rostechnadzor carried out all the necessary checks and issued a conclusion on the compliance of the introduced facility project documentation, technical regulations And regulations, including energy efficiency requirements.
Power unit No. 4 of the Beloyarsk NPP with the BN-800 reactor was first included in the country’s unified energy system and began generating electricity on December 10, 2015. During 2016, there was a gradual development of power at the stages of power start-up, and then at the stages of pilot operation, inspections and tests of equipment and systems were carried out at various power levels and in various operating modes.
The tests ended in August 2016 with a 15-day comprehensive test at 100% power level, during which the power unit confirmed that it was capable of stably carrying the load at rated power in accordance with the design parameters, without deviations.
By the time it was put into commercial operation, the fourth power unit of the Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant had generated more than 2.8 billion kWh.
It should become a prototype of more powerful commercial power units BN-1200, the decision on the feasibility of construction of which will be made based on the operating experience of the BN-800. It will also test a number of technologies for closing the nuclear fuel cycle, necessary for the development of the nuclear energy industry of the future.
Russia, as experts note, ranks first in the world in technologies for constructing “fast” reactors.
Thus, in Russia there is one more operating nuclear power plant unit. Now, a total of 35 power units are in operation at 10 nuclear power plants (excluding power unit No. 6 of the NVNPP, which is at the stage of pilot operation), with a total installed capacity of all power units of 27.127 GW.
Beloyarsk NPP (BNPP) put into operation in April 1964. This is the first nuclear power plant in the country's nuclear power industry, and the only one with reactors of different types on the same site. The first power units of the Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant with thermal neutron reactors AMB-100 and AMB-200 were stopped due to exhaustion. The only power unit in the world with a fast neutron reactor of industrial power level, BN-600, is in operation. , as well as BN-800, put into commercial operation in October 2016. The power units of fast neutron nuclear power plants are designed to significantly expand the fuel base of nuclear power and minimize radioactive waste through the organization of a closed nuclear fuel cycle.
The oldest American energy magazine "POWER" is one of the most influential and authoritative international professional publications in this area, awarded its “Power Awards” for 2016 to the project of the 4th power unit of the Russian Beloyarsk NPP (branch of the Rosenergoatom Concern, Zarechny, Sverdlovsk region) with a unique fast neutron reactor BN-800, which will be used for processing a number of technologies necessary for the development of nuclear energy. This was reported by the RIA Novosti news agency.
We would like to remind you that recently one of the most important events of the year in the Russian nuclear energy industry took place at the Beloyarsk NPP - power unit No. 4 (BN-800) was put into commercial operation on time. The order on this was signed on October 31, 2016 by the General Director of Rosenergoatom Concern Andrey Petrov on the basis of the received permission from the Rosatom State Corporation.
As noted on the magazine’s website, the power unit with the BN-800 reactor won in the “Best Plants” category. It differs from the other award nomination “Plant of the year” in that the latter assumes that the nuclear power plant will be put into commercial operation within one to two years before the award. In turn, in the “Best Stations” nomination the most promising and innovative projects, which indicate the vector of development of the entire industry.
When determining the winner, the possibility of using a nuclear power unit to solve a set of problems, in particular, energy production and radioactive waste disposal, was taken into account. The jury also noted the special significance of the BN-800 reactor in the implementation Russian approach to close the nuclear fuel cycle.
This is not the first time that Russian nuclear projects have received recognition in the United States. The completed first unit of the Iranian Bushehr nuclear power plant and unit No. 1 of the Indian Kudankulam nuclear power plant were previously named projects of 2014 according to another authoritative American magazine Power Engineering. These power units operate Russian thermal neutron reactors VVER-1000.
Great achievement for Russia
“Fast neutron reactors have vital importance to implement Russia's ambitious plans in nuclear energy.
The successful construction, inclusion in the network and testing of the country’s first BN-800 reactor at the Beloyarsk NPP is a major achievement in the right direction,”
- the magazine notes.
Unit No. 4 of the Beloyarsk NPP with a fast neutron reactor with liquid metal coolant sodium BN-800 (from “fast sodium”) with an installed electrical capacity of 880 MW was put into commercial operation on Tuesday. It is the world's most powerful operating fast neutron reactor.
Experts called this event historic not only for Russian, but also for global nuclear energy. Experts emphasize that the experience in design, construction, startup and operation of fast neutron power reactors, which Russian nuclear scientists will gain on the BN-800, will be necessary for the development of this area of nuclear energy in Russia.
Recognized Leadership
Fast neutron reactors are considered to have great advantages for the development of nuclear energy, ensuring the closure of the nuclear fuel cycle (NFC). In a closed nuclear fuel cycle, due to the full use of uranium raw materials in fast neutron breeder reactors (breeders), the fuel base of nuclear energy will significantly increase, and it will also be possible to significantly reduce the volume of radioactive waste due to the “burning out” of dangerous radionuclides. Russia, as experts note, ranks first in the world in technologies for constructing “fast” reactors. The Soviet Union was a leader in the construction and operation of industrial-scale "fast" power reactors.. The experience of creating and operating this installation made it possible to understand and solve many problems in the field of BN-type reactors.
Since 1980, the third power unit of the station with a BN-600 reactor with an installed electrical capacity of 600 megawatts has been operating at the Beloyarsk NPP. This unit not only generates electricity, but also serves as a unique base for testing new structural materials and nuclear fuel.
History of BN-800
In 1983, a decision was made to build four nuclear units with the BN-800 reactor in the USSR at once - one unit at the Beloyarsk NPP and three units at the new South Ural NPP. But after Chernobyl, the Soviet nuclear energy industry began to stagnate, and the construction of new reactors, including “fast” ones, stopped. And after the collapse of the USSR, the situation worsened even more; there was a threat of loss of domestic nuclear energy technologies, including BN reactor technologies.
Attempts to resume construction of at least one BN-800 unit were made several times, but in the mid-2000s it became clear that the capabilities of the nuclear industry alone might not be enough for this. And here the decisive role was played by the support of the country’s leadership, which approved a new program for the development of nuclear energy in Russia. There was also a place in it for the BN-800 at the fourth unit of the Beloyarsk NPP.
It was not easy to complete the block. To finalize the project, taking into account improvements, the purpose of which was to increase its efficiency and safety, a real mobilization of the forces of scientific, design and engineering organizations in the nuclear industry was required. Difficult tasks also faced equipment manufacturers, who had to not only restore the technologies used to create the equipment of the BN-600 reactor, but also master new technologies.
And yet the power unit was built. In February 2014, loading of nuclear fuel into the BN-800 reactor began. The reactor was launched in June of the same year. Then the design of the fuel assemblies had to be modernized, and at the end of July 2015 the BN-800 reactor was restarted, and specialists began to gradually increase its power to the level necessary to start generating electricity. On December 10, 2015, the unit was connected to the network and supplied its first current to the Russian power system.
The BN-800 unit should become a prototype of the more powerful commercial power units BN-1200, the decision on the feasibility of building which will be made based on the operating experience of the BN-800.
The BN-1200 head unit is also planned to be built at the Beloyarsk NPP.
- one of the most influential and authoritative international professional publications in this field - awarded its Power Awards for 2016 to the project of the fourth power unit of the Russian Beloyarsk NPP with a unique fast neutron reactor BN-800, which will test a number of technologies necessary for the development of nuclear energy .
This is not the first time that Russian nuclear projects have received recognition in the United States. The completed first unit of the Iranian Bushehr nuclear power plant and the first unit of the Indian Kudankulam nuclear power plant were previously named projects of 2014 by another authoritative American magazine Power Engineering. These power units operate Russian thermal neutron reactors VVER-1000.
Great achievement for Russia
“Fast neutron reactors are of utmost importance for the implementation of Russia’s ambitious plans in nuclear energy. The successful construction, inclusion in the network and testing of the country’s first BN-800 reactor at the Beloyarsk NPP is a major achievement in the right direction,” the magazine notes.
Unit No. 4 of the Beloyarsk NPP with a fast neutron reactor with liquid metal coolant sodium BN-800 (from “fast sodium”) with an installed electrical capacity of 880 MW was put into commercial operation on Monday. It is the world's most powerful operating fast neutron reactor.
Experts called this event historic not only for Russian, but also for global nuclear energy. Experts emphasize that the experience in design, construction, startup and operation of fast neutron power reactors, which Russian nuclear scientists will gain on the BN-800, will be necessary for the development of this area of nuclear energy in Russia.
Fast neutron reactors are considered to have great advantages for the development of nuclear energy, ensuring the closure of the nuclear fuel cycle (NFC). In a closed nuclear fuel cycle, due to the full use of uranium raw materials in fast neutron breeder reactors (breeders), the fuel base of nuclear energy will significantly increase, and it will also be possible to significantly reduce the volume of radioactive waste due to the burning of dangerous radionuclides. Russia, as experts note, ranks first in the world in technologies for constructing “fast” reactors.
The Soviet Union was a leader in the construction and operation of industrial-scale "fast" power reactors. The world's first such unit with a BN-350 reactor with an installed electrical capacity of 350 megawatts was launched in 1973 on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea in the city of Shevchenko (now Aktau, Kazakhstan). Part of the reactor's thermal power was used to generate electricity, the rest was used to desalinate seawater. This power unit operated until 1998 - five years longer than its design life. The experience of creating and operating this installation made it possible to understand and solve many problems in the field of BN-type reactors.
Since 1980, the third power unit of the station with a BN-600 reactor with an installed electrical capacity of 600 megawatts has been operating at the Beloyarsk NPP. This unit not only generates electricity, but also serves as a unique base for testing new structural materials and nuclear fuel.
History of BN-800
In 1983, a decision was made to build four nuclear units with the BN-800 reactor in the USSR: one at the Beloyarsk NPP and three at the new South Ural NPP. But after Chernobyl, the Soviet nuclear energy industry began to stagnate, and the construction of new reactors, including “fast” ones, stopped. And after the collapse of the USSR, the situation worsened even more; there was a threat of loss of domestic nuclear energy technologies, including BN reactor technologies.
Attempts to resume construction of at least one BN-800 unit were made several times, but in the mid-2000s it became clear that the capabilities of the nuclear industry alone might not be enough for this. And here the decisive role was played by the support of the Russian leadership, which approved a new program for the development of nuclear energy. There was also a place in it for the BN-800 at the fourth unit of the Beloyarsk NPP.
It was not easy to complete the block. To finalize the project, taking into account improvements, the purpose of which was to increase its efficiency and safety, a real mobilization of the forces of scientific, design and engineering organizations in the nuclear industry was required. Difficult tasks also faced equipment manufacturers, who had to not only restore the technologies used to create the equipment of the BN-600 reactor, but also master new technologies.
And yet the power unit was built. In February 2014, loading of nuclear fuel into the BN-800 reactor began. The reactor was launched in June of the same year. Then the design of the fuel assemblies had to be modernized, and at the end of July 2015 the BN-800 reactor was restarted, and specialists began to gradually increase its power to the level necessary to start generating electricity. On December 10, 2015, the unit was connected to the network and supplied its first current to the Russian power system.
The BN-800 unit should become a prototype of the more powerful commercial power units BN-1200, the decision on the feasibility of building which will be made based on the operating experience of the BN-800. The BN-1200 head unit is also planned to be built at the Beloyarsk NPP.
News
April 1, 2020
Beloyarsk NPP received a license to operate BN-600 for another five years
The license to operate the power unit with the BN-600 reactor at the Beloyarsk NPP has been extended until 2025.
March 28, 2020
The head of Zarechny and the director of the Beloyarsk NPP addressed residents on the situation with coronavirus
Head of the city of Zarechny Sverdlovsk region Andrey Zakhartsev and the director of the Beloyarsk NPP Ivan Sidorov recorded a video message in connection with a case of coronavirus infection identified in the territory.
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BELOYARSK NPP
Location: near Zarechny (Sverdlovsk region)
Reactor type: AMB, BN-600, BN-800
Number of power units: 4 (in operation - 2)
Beloyarsk NPP named after. I. V. Kurchatova is the first-born of the large nuclear power industry of the USSR. Beloyarsk NPP is the only nuclear power plant in Russia with power units of different types.
After 17 and 22 years of operation, power units No. 1 and No. 2 were shut down in 1981 and 1989, respectively; they are now in long-term mothball mode with fuel unloaded from the reactor and correspond, according to the terminology of international standards, to the 1st stage of decommissioning of a nuclear power plant .
Currently, the Beloyarsk NPP operates two power units - BN-600 and BN-800. These are the world's largest power units with fast neutron reactors. In terms of reliability and safety, the fast reactor is one of the best nuclear reactors in the world.
The possibility of further expansion of the Beloyarsk NPP with power unit No. 5 with a fast reactor with a capacity of 1200 MW is being considered - the main commercial power unit for serial construction.
According to the results of the annual competition, Beloyarsk NPP in 1994, 1995, 1997 and 2001. was awarded the title “Best NPP in Russia”.
Distance to the satellite town (Zarechny) – 3 km; before regional center(Ekaterinburg) – 45 km.
OPERATING POWER UNITS OF BELOYARSK NPP
| POWER UNIT NUMBER | REACTOR TYPE | INSTALLED POWER, M W | START DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | BN-600 | 600 | 08.04.1980 |
| 4 | BN-800 | 885 | 10.12.2015 |
| Total installed capacity 1485 MW |
40 km from Yekaterinburg, in the middle of the most beautiful Ural forests, is the town of Zarechny. In 1964, the first Soviet industrial nuclear power plant, Beloyarskaya, was launched here (with an AMB-100 reactor with a capacity of 100 MW). Now the Beloyarsk NPP remains the only one in the world where an industrial fast neutron power reactor, the BN-600, operates.
Imagine a boiler that evaporates water, and the resulting steam spins a turbogenerator that generates electricity. This is roughly how it works nuclear power plant. Only the “boiler” is the energy of atomic decay. The designs of power reactors can be different, but according to the operating principle they can be divided into two groups - thermal neutron reactors and fast neutron reactors.
The basis of any reactor is the fission of heavy nuclei under the influence of neutrons. True, there are significant differences. In thermal reactors, uranium-235 is fissioned under the influence of low-energy thermal neutrons, which produces fission fragments and new neutrons that have high energy(so-called fast neutrons). The probability of a thermal neutron being absorbed by a uranium-235 nucleus (with subsequent fission) is much higher than a fast one, so the neutrons need to be slowed down. This is done with the help of moderators—substances that, when colliding with nuclei, neutrons lose energy. The fuel for thermal reactors is usually low-enriched uranium, graphite, light or heavy water are used as a moderator, and ordinary water is used as the coolant. Most operating nuclear power plants are constructed according to one of these schemes.
Fast neutrons produced as a result of forced nuclear fission can be used without any moderation. The scheme is as follows: fast neutrons produced during the fission of uranium-235 or plutonium-239 nuclei are absorbed by uranium-238 to form (after two beta decays) plutonium-239. Moreover, for every 100 fissioned uranium-235 or plutonium-239 nuclei, 120−140 plutonium-239 nuclei are formed. True, since the probability of nuclear fission by fast neutrons is less than by thermal ones, the fuel must be enriched to a greater extent than for thermal reactors. In addition, it is impossible to remove heat using water here (water is a moderator), so you have to use other coolants: usually these are liquid metals and alloys, from very exotic options such as mercury (such a coolant was used in the first American experimental reactor Clementine) or lead - bismuth alloys (used in some reactors for submarines - in particular, Soviet Project 705 submarines) to liquid sodium (the most common option in industrial power reactors). Reactors operating according to this scheme are called fast neutron reactors. The idea of such a reactor was proposed in 1942 by Enrico Fermi. Of course, the military showed the most ardent interest in this scheme: fast reactors during operation produce not only energy, but also plutonium for nuclear weapons. For this reason, fast neutron reactors are also called breeders (from the English breeder - producer).
What's inside him
The active zone of a fast neutron reactor is structured like an onion, in layers. 370 fuel assemblies form three zones with different enrichment of uranium-235 - 17, 21 and 26% (initially there were only two zones, but in order to equalize the energy release, three were made). They are surrounded by side screens (blankets), or breeding zones, where assemblies containing depleted or natural uranium, consisting mainly of the 238 isotope, are located. At the ends of the fuel rods above and below the core there are also tablets of depleted uranium, which form the end screens (zones reproduction). The BN-600 reactor is a multiplier (breeder), that is, for 100 uranium-235 nuclei split in the core, 120-140 plutonium nuclei are produced in the side and end screens, which makes it possible for expanded reproduction of nuclear fuel. Fuel assemblies (FA) are a set of fuel elements (fuel rods) assembled in one housing - special steel tubes filled with uranium oxide pellets with various enrichments. So that the fuel rods do not come into contact with each other and the coolant can circulate between them, thin wire is wound onto the tubes. Sodium enters the fuel assembly through the lower throttling holes and exits through the windows in the upper part. At the bottom of the fuel assembly there is a shank that is inserted into the commutator socket, at the top there is a head part, by which the assembly is grabbed during overload. Fuel assemblies of different enrichments have different mounting locations, so it is simply impossible to install the assembly in the wrong place. To control the reactor, 19 compensating rods containing boron (a neutron absorber) to compensate for fuel burnout, 2 automatic control rods (to maintain a given power), and 6 active protection rods are used. Since uranium’s own neutron background is low, for controlled startup of the reactor (and control at low power levels) an “illumination” is used - a photoneutron source (gamma emitter plus beryllium).
Zigzags of history
It is interesting that the history of world nuclear energy began precisely with the fast neutron reactor. On December 20, 1951, the world's first fast neutron power reactor, EBR-I (Experimental Breeder Reactor), with an electrical power of only 0.2 MW, was launched in Idaho. Later, in 1963, a nuclear power plant with a Fermi fast neutron reactor was launched near Detroit - already with a capacity of about 100 MW (in 1966 there was a serious accident with the melting of part of the core, but without any consequences for environment or people).
In the USSR, since the late 1940s, Alexander Leypunsky has been working on this topic, under whose leadership the foundations of the theory of fast reactors were developed at the Obninsk Institute of Physics and Energy (FEI) and several experimental stands were built, which made it possible to study the physics of the process. As a result of the research, in 1972, the first Soviet fast neutron nuclear power plant came into operation in the city of Shevchenko (now Aktau, Kazakhstan) with a BN-350 reactor (originally designated BN-250). It not only generated electricity, but also used heat to desalinate water. Soon the French nuclear power plant with the fast reactor Phenix (1973) and the British one with the PFR (1974), both with a capacity of 250 MW, were launched.
However, in the 1970s, thermal neutron reactors began to dominate the nuclear power industry. This was due to various reasons. For example, the fact that fast reactors can produce plutonium, which means this can lead to a violation of the law on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. However, most likely the main factor was that thermal reactors were simpler and cheaper, their design was developed on military reactors for submarines, and uranium itself was very cheap. The industrial fast neutron power reactors that came into operation around the world after 1980 can be counted on the fingers of one hand: these are Superphenix (France, 1985−1997), Monju (Japan, 1994−1995) and BN-600 (Beloyarsk NPP, 1980) , which in currently is the only operating industrial power reactor in the world.
They're coming back
However, at present, the attention of specialists and the public is again focused on nuclear power plants with fast neutron reactors. According to estimates made by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2005, the total proven reserves of uranium, the cost of extraction of which does not exceed $130 per kilogram, is approximately 4.7 million tons. According to IAEA estimates, these reserves will last for 85 years (based on the demand for uranium for electricity production at 2004 levels). The content of the 235 isotope, which is “burned” in thermal reactors, in natural uranium is only 0.72%, the rest is uranium-238, “useless” for thermal reactors. However, if we switch to using fast neutron reactors capable of “burning” uranium-238, these same reserves will last for more than 2500 years!
Reactor assembly shop, where individual parts of the reactor are assembled from individual parts using the SKD method
Moreover, fast neutron reactors make it possible to implement a closed loop fuel cycle(it is not currently implemented in the BN-600). Since only uranium-238 is “burned,” after processing (removing fission products and adding new portions of uranium-238), the fuel can be reloaded into the reactor. And since the uranium-plutonium cycle produces more plutonium than decays, the excess fuel can be used for new reactors.
Moreover, this method can be used to process surplus weapons-grade plutonium, as well as plutonium and minor actinides (neptunium, americium, curium) extracted from spent fuel from conventional thermal reactors (minor actinides currently represent a very dangerous part of radioactive waste). At the same time, the amount of radioactive waste compared to thermal reactors is reduced by more than twenty times.
Reboot blindly
Unlike thermal reactors, in the BN-600 reactor the assemblies are located under a layer of liquid sodium, so the removal of spent assemblies and the installation of fresh ones in their place (this process is called reloading) occurs in a completely closed mode. In the upper part of the reactor there are large and small rotary plugs (eccentric relative to each other, that is, their axes of rotation do not coincide). A column with control and protection systems, as well as an overload mechanism with a collet-type gripper, is mounted on a small rotary plug. The rotary mechanism is equipped with a “hydraulic seal” made of a special low-melting alloy. In its normal state it is solid, but to reboot it is heated to the melting point, while the reactor remains completely sealed, so that releases of radioactive gases are practically eliminated. The reloading process shuts down many steps. First, the gripper is brought to one of the assemblies located in the in-reactor storage of spent assemblies, removes it and transfers it to the unloading elevator. Then it is lifted into the transfer box and placed in the spent assemblies drum, from where, after being cleaned with steam (from sodium), it enters the spent fuel pool. On next stage the mechanism removes one of the core assemblies and moves it to the in-reactor storage facility. After this, the required one is removed from the fresh assembly drum (in which the fuel assemblies that came from the factory are pre-installed) and installed in the fresh assembly elevator, which supplies it to the reloading mechanism. The last stage is the installation of fuel assemblies into the vacated cell. At the same time, certain restrictions are imposed on the operation of the mechanism for safety reasons: for example, it is impossible to simultaneously release two adjacent cells, in addition, during overload, all control and protection rods must be in the active zone. The process of reloading one assembly takes up to an hour, reloading a third of the core (about 120 fuel assemblies) takes about a week (in three shifts), this procedure is performed every micro-campaign (160 effective days, calculated at full power). True, now the fuel burnup has increased, and only a quarter of the core is overloaded (approximately 90 fuel assemblies). In this case, the operator does not have direct visual feedback, and is guided only by the indicators of the column rotation angle sensors and grippers (positioning accuracy - less than 0.01 degrees), extraction and installation forces.
The reboot process includes many stages, is performed using a special mechanism and resembles a game of “15”. The ultimate goal is to get fresh assemblies from the corresponding drum into the desired slot, and spent ones into their own drum, from where, after being cleaned with steam (from sodium), they will fall into the cooling pool.
Smooth only on paper
Why, despite all their advantages, have fast neutron reactors not become widespread? This is primarily due to the peculiarities of their design. As mentioned above, water cannot be used as a coolant, since it is a neutron moderator. Therefore, fast reactors mainly use metals in a liquid state - from exotic lead-bismuth alloys to liquid sodium (the most common option for nuclear power plants).
“In fast neutron reactors, thermal and radiation loads are much higher than in thermal reactors,” explains PM Chief Engineer Beloyarsk NPP Mikhail Bakanov. “This leads to the need to use special structural materials for the reactor vessel and in-reactor systems. The fuel rod and fuel assemblies are made not of zirconium alloys, as in thermal reactors, but of special alloyed chromium steels, which are less susceptible to radiation 'swelling'. On the other hand, for example, the reactor vessel is not subject to loads associated with internal pressure - it is only slightly above atmospheric."
According to Mikhail Bakanov, in the first years of operation the main difficulties were associated with radiation swelling and cracking of the fuel. These problems, however, were soon solved, new materials were developed - both for fuel and for fuel rod housings. But even now, campaigns are limited not so much by fuel burnup (which on the BN-600 reaches 11%), but by the resource life of the materials from which the fuel, fuel rods and fuel assemblies are made. Further operational problems were associated mainly with leaks of sodium in the secondary circuit, a chemically active and fire-hazardous metal that reacts violently to contact with air and water: “Only Russia and France have long-term experience in operating industrial fast neutron power reactors. Both we and the French specialists faced the same problems from the very beginning. We successfully solved them, from the very beginning providing special means for monitoring the tightness of the circuits, localizing and suppressing sodium leaks. But the French project turned out to be less prepared for such troubles; as a result, the Phenix reactor was finally shut down in 2009.”
“The problems really were the same,” adds Nikolai Oshkanov, director of the Beloyarsk NPP, “but they were solved here and in France different ways. For example, when the head of one of the assemblies at Phenix bent in order to grab and unload it, French specialists developed a complex and rather expensive system for “seeing” through a layer of sodium. And when we had the same problem, one of our engineers suggested using a video camera, placed in a simple structure like a diving bell - a pipe open at the bottom with argon blown in from above. When the sodium melt was displaced, the operators, using video communication, were able to capture the mechanism, and the bent assembly was successfully removed.”
Fast future
“There would not be such interest in fast reactor technology in the world if it were not for the successful long-term operation of our BN-600,” says Nikolai Oshkanov. “The development of nuclear energy, in my opinion, is primarily associated with the serial production and operation of fast reactors . Only they make it possible to involve all natural uranium in the fuel cycle and thus increase efficiency, as well as reduce the amount of radioactive waste by tens of times. In this case, the future of nuclear energy will be truly bright.”
