Experience in using uranium-erbium fuel in power-generating units with RBMK-1000 reactors

The main reasons for and the results of switching to uranium-erbium fuel in the units of the Lengingrad, Kursk, and Smolensk nuclear power plants are presented. It is shown that uranium-erbium fuel made it possible to regulate the steam coefficient of reactivity, upgrade the control rods, lower the power density in the core, increase the reliability of the fuel assemblies, increase burnup, decrease the volume of spent fuel, and improve the commercial indicators. The prospects for improving the characteristics of uranium-erbium fuel for RBMK-1000 reactors are also presented. __________ Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 100, No. 3, pp. 165–170, March, 2006.     

Behavior of uranium-erbium oxide fuel pellets during cyclic heat treatment

The results of studies of the behavior of uranium-erbium fuel pellets during identical repeated heat tests with analysis of the changes of the microstructure, density, geometric dimensions, and resinterability are presented. It is shown that depending on quality some pellets break down in the course of these tests while others remain whole and swell or densify and decrease in size. It was determined that the pellets break down because the erbium oxide distribution in the molding powder and the pellets is nonuniform. Adjustment of the process regime eliminated pellet breakdown during cyclic heat treatment.     

Experience in Operating the BN-600 Unit at the Belyi Yar Nuclear Power Plant

Data on the experience in operating the BN-600 reactor with sodium coolant in the first and second loops are presented. It is shown that the equipment and the systems in the sodium loops, which have operated for more than 23 years, are highly realiable. The average installed capacity utilization factor for this period reached about 74%. The losses due to rupture of the heat-transfer pipes in the steam-generator modules and the sodium leaks from the loops were about 0.3%. Disruptions of normal operation are detected reliably and contained by the safety systems present in the unit. Unique experience in performing maintenance and repair work on the sodium equipment has been gained on the BN-600 reactor.     

核电厂丧失厂外电的经验反馈

核电厂厂用电系统的功能是为核电厂设施提供安全可靠的电源,核电厂供电安全对核安全至关重要。福岛第一核电厂就是在丧失厂用电及最终热阱的情况下发生了严重的核事故。厂用电系统具备两列相互独立的厂外电源作为工作电源和辅助电源。文章通过收集国内外运行核电厂丧失厂外电事件,对运行核电厂丧失厂外电的机组状态、事件发生原因进行了分析,提出了应对厂外电失效的改进措施和建议。     

秦山第二核电厂燃料管理策略改进的经济性分析

秦山第二核电厂经过几个燃料循环后,为了提高经济性,准备改进燃料管理策略.因此在燃料管理策略改进前,应先进行经济性评估.从经济性角度,比较了年度1/4换料与18个月换料这两种燃料管理策略的优劣.     

大亚湾核电站核燃料的采购管理

本文介绍核电站核燃料采购各循环市场状况和主要特点 ,并结合广东大亚湾核电站的实例阐述核电站核燃料采购的合同模式和管理要点     

核电厂应急监测探讨

核电厂应急监测是一种要求有快速的事故响应能力的动态实时监测,与一般的环境监测是不同的。现有的法规和标准对应急监测给出了一些规定,但是在具体操作中还有一些问题。针对核电厂应急监测的分类、布点、项目、实施和管理人员、能力保持等方面的问题进行了探讨,并提出了应急监测开展的思路。     

三门核电站放射性废物处理工艺

介绍了三门核电站在线与离线相结合的放射性液体废物处理工艺,以及前端分类收集、后端共用一套超压/灌浆/固化设备集中处理的放射性固体废物处理工艺及其特点。     

浅谈核电厂换料大修经验反馈

根据核电厂换料大修的特点,介绍大修经验反馈的可行性和必要性,同时按照时间节点,将大修经验反馈分成大修前、大修中和大修后3个阶段分别进行详细说明和讨论,并分别对其反馈方式、可行性等方面内容进行研究。最后总结了目前大修经验反馈工作中存在的主要问题和不足,并提出了改进方法的建议。     

Database for Decommissioning Power-Generating Units at the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant

It is shown that the database plays a role and has a place in the decommissioning of a nuclear power plant. The technical requirements for the program structure and the functional possibilities of the database are formulated.     

宁德核电站排放口消泡系统改进

为改善宁德核电站排放口水质,避免对公众环境造成不良影响,2013年4月开始,宁德核电站开展消泡剂选型试验及排放口消泡工作。本文主要介绍了宁德核电站消泡系统技术参数的确定,以及改进后的消泡系统的优点,为后续正式消泡系统的设计提供参考。     

核电厂火灾PSA方法浅析

作为PSA工作中不可缺少的一部分,核电厂火灾PSA正在发挥着越来越重要的作用。本文对核电厂火灾PSA的发展、应用和研究的基本情况进行了论述。     

关于Davis-Besse核电站事件的分析与认识

针对2002年Davis-Besse核电站反应堆压力容器（RPV）上封头腐蚀事件,从4个方面进行了事件原因分析。为避免Davis-Besse事件的重发,提出了几点具体的措施和建议。     

Post-chernobyl period at the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant: Advances and prospects

Conclusion The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant reverberated throughout the world of nuclear power, mainly at nuclear power plants with RBMKs. We feel that this article in some measure will convince both specialists and nonspecialists to have a more objective few both of current safety levels and the prospects of future improvements. Kursk Nuclear Power Plant. Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 83, No. 2, pp. 79–94, August, 1997. Journal version.     

Characterization of crud deposited on fuel rods under HWC environment in Kuosheng Nuclear Power Plant

Under normal water chemistry conditions, the oxygen and hydrogen peroxide produced by water radiolysis in the coolant of boiling water reactors(BWRs) can lead to intergranular stress corrosion cracking in the constituent materials of plant components. This fact has led to the wide-scale adoption of hydrogen water chemistry(HWC) in the nuclear industry to counteract these effects.This study seeks to characterize the metallic composition and the surface properties of the constituent materials of plant components in order to determine their effects on the accumulation of chalk river unidentified deposits(crud) on fuel rods in the BWR Unit-1 of the Kuosheng Nuclear Power Plant in Taiwan. Inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy was used to calculate the concentrations of surface crud and gamma spectrometry was used to determine the radioactivity of the corrosion products, as well as their axial distribution across the surface of the fuel rods. X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used to identify the crystalline phase and morphology of the crud as irregular shapes and flakes. The amount of crud deposited during the fourth fuel cycle exceeded that of the third fuel cycle due to extended burn-up time. Our analytical results indicate that the implementation of HWC had no significant effect on the characteristics of subsequent crud.     

Experience of Operating an Integrated Selective-Sorption Liquid-Radwaste Reprocessing Plant at SRC Zvezdochka

Atomic Energy - The colligated results of 20 years of operating at SRC Zvezdochka an integrated treatment plant, created as part of international scientific and technical cooperation, for liquid...     

Observation of Radioactive Aerosol Emissions from the Sarcophagus at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant

It is shown that high wind velocity outdoors results in a higher concentration of radioactive aerosols in the ventillation exhaust from the sarcophagus. Aerosol samples from manholes in the roof of the sarcophagus have been collected, for the first time ever, in January–December 2002 on trilayer filter packets. The ¹³⁷Cs concentration in outgoing flows is 0.7–2.3 Bq/m³. The activity median aerodynamic diameter of the aerosol carrier particles is 0.7–1.8 m. At the same time, the ¹³⁷Cs concentration in the atomspheric layer at the ground dear the sarcophagus was 1000 times lower and the carrier-particle sizes 2–4 times larger.     

Reliability of the Coolant Flow Rate Measuring System at the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant

Age assessment and control of the reliability of the coolant flow-rate measurement system of the RBMK-1500 reactor at the Ignalina nuclear power plant are examined. A statistical analysis is made of the data obtained from measurements of the techanical characteristics of SHADR-32M flow meters. A mathematical model of the aging of flow meters and reliability estimates is constructed. A strategy is developed for replacing SHADR; this strategy makes it possible to support the required relaibility of the entire coolant flow-rate measurement system.