Information system for regional monitoring of sections of radioactive contamination for the example of Moscow oblast’

Conclusions The results and recommendations obtained in this work made it possible to employ them effectively in the development of an information system for monitoring sections of radioactive contamination in Moscow oblast’. The program system developed makes it possible to form as an output document an illustrated atlas “Sections of radioactive contamination of Moscow oblast’” comprising approximately 40 pages. It includes in the form of a booklet a 1:500,000 map of radioactive anomalies, lists of the characteristics of separate anomalies, as well as the graphical results of a statistical analysis of the primary data according to different information sections. Moscow Scientific and Industrial Association “Radon”. Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 77. No. 5, pp. 362–370, November, 1994.     

Plutonium use in nuclear power in Russia

Conclusions The following concept of plutonium utilization based on the evolutionary development of the traditional technology in our country arises: The main problem of any short-term program of dealing with plutonium must be solved — reliable and safe storage of separated energy plutonium and freed weapons plutonium before utilization in reactors. Plutonium (mainly energy plutonium) is utilized primarily in BN-800 fast reactors and the development of technology using weapons plutonium in BN-600 reactors starts. In the future attention should be focused on nuclear-power centers patterned after the Industrial Association “Mayak” (RT-1 plant, Complex 300, BN-800) with reliable nonproliferation of weapons plutonium. It is extremely important to speed up work on the completion of Complex 300: This work must be completed before BN-800 is ready. In the future efforts must be concentrated on the following: development and implementation, in BN-800, of an economically more efficient plutonium-burning core; the possibility of building light-water reactors with the required degree of safety for effective plutonium utilization must be justified (including a “cold” core based on cermet fuel); and, development and implementation of technology for a safe and an ecologically acceptable closed nuclear fuel cycle based on plutonium and²³³U with burnout of Am, Np, and Cm. Ministry of Atomic Energy of the Russian Federation. Institute of Physics and Power Engineering. A. A. Bochvar All-Union Scientific-Research Institute of Standardization in Machine Building. Special Design Office for Machines. Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 76, No. 4, pp. 326–332, April, 1994.     

Setting standards for the safe level of radioactive contamination of water and bottom sediments in bodies of water

In this paper, we propose standards which can be used to simply and reliably monitor the content of technogenic radioactive substances in rivers and other bodies of water. We introduce the concept of “maximum safe concentration” and “reference monitored concentration” of radionuclides in water, and also the “maximum concentration of radionuclides in bottom sediments.” To determine the maximum safe concentration of radionuclides in water, we have used the basic public health principle established in NRB-96: to not exceed the limit of an effective dose of 1 mSv/y for external and internal radiation exposure for a critical population group, considering overall water use. To define the degree of radioactive contamination of the bottom of bodies of water, we propose using the maximum concentration of radionuclides in bottom sediments: a concentration less than that for which the bottom sediments may be classified in the category of “low activity solid radioactive wastes” according to OSP-72/87. We offer a calculation scheme and numerical values for the proposed standards for some radionuclides most frequently encountered in practice and examples of their use. State Institute of Applied Ecology NPO Taifun. Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 86, No. 5, pp. 398–407, May, 1999. Original article submitted December 30, 1998.     

Optimization of the technology and a pilot reprocessing of liquid radioactive wastes from the pacific ocean fleet

Liquid radioactive wastes are produced during the operation and utilization of submarines. A shipborne station for reprocessing radioactive waters on the service ship “Pinega” has been developed and implemented for the purification of wastes from the Far East. The stricter quality requirements for purified water and the need to purify the wastes to ecologically safe standards for discharging into the sea made it necessary to modernize the station with maximum utilization of existing equipment. New solutions to technological problems, making it possible to purify 200 m³ of liquid wastes to the standards for discharging into the open ocean and to bitumenize the secondary wastes (the charge processed and hydroxide slags), have been developed. 1 figure, 3 tables, 7 references. Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 86, No. 1, pp. 27–32, January, 1999.     

“Romashka” reactor-converter

On August 14, 1964, the “Romashka” reactor-converter—the world's first setup with direct (thermoelectric) conversion of heat from²³⁵U fission into electricity—was started up at the I. V. Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy and service-life nuclear tests were begun. In 1999, 35 years have passed since the “Romashka” reactor-converter was first started up and trials began. “Romashka” successfully operated for about 15000 hours and generated ∼6100 kW·h of electricity. The startup and successful tests of the “Romashka” reactor-converter recieved in its time high marks from the world scientific community and they demonstrated that the world's first operating nuclear reactor-converter, capable of generating electricity without the participation of any moving working bodies or mechanisms, was developed in the short time of about 3 years in the Soviet Union, and it was shown experimentally that the system was capable of prolonged operation. The technology created in the process of developing the “Romashka” reactor-converter and, specifically, the thermoelectric silicon-germanium transducers have found application in operating space nuclear (reactor and isotopic) power systems. 3 figures. Russian Science Center “Kurchatov Institute”. Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 88, No. 3, pp. 176–183, March, 2000.     

Securing safe operation of VVÉR reactor systems in nuclear power plants

The safe operation of VVéR reactors has been discussed throughout the entire design process, taking account of the normative documentation, including the international requirements (IAEA, EUR). After the first domestic normative document “Basic principles for securing the safety of nuclear power plants” was approved in 1973, work began on the reconstruction of the first-generation VVéR-440 power-generating units. The measures taken to increase safety concerned all types of reactors VVéR-440 and-1000. Information on implementing these measures is presented. __________ Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 101, No. 2, pp. 87–93, August, 2006.     

Revision of data on the activity of wastes dumped in the arctic seas

The physical meaning of the term “strontium unit,” which was used in the Northern and Pacific-Ocean fleets of the Soviet Union in the 1970s–1980s, is explained. It is shown that the strontium unit is the analog of a biological hazard index. Estimates are made of the real activity of the wastes dumped in the Kara Sea and in the bays of Novaya Zemlya in 1964–1991 on the basis of the data on the typical radionuclide composition of solid radioactive wastes. 1 figure, 3 references. Russian Science Center “Kurchatov Institute.” Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 87, No. 6, pp. 475–479, December, 1999.     

Challenge End-Plugged FRC Concept

A fusion concept is proposed in which plug mirror cells are applied at the ends of a field-reversed configuration (FRC) to improve overall confinement by reducing the end-loss rate in the scrape-off layer. As such this combines a closed “toroidal” system with an open “mirror” system. Arguments are presented that the plug cells would produce a dramatic increase in confinement of the FRC itself, as well as being significantly better than a stand-alone mirror system. This approach is based on more-or-less existing technology and does not require pulsed, high-density operation.     

Method for liquidating the consequences of the chernobyl accident

Conclusions The proposed method is a safe, technically feasible, and economically acceptable solution to the problem of liquidating the focus of the environmental contamination at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The radioactive substances, materials, and objects will be removed from “Cover” and imperfect storage sites within the 100-km zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and placed in storage sites which meet modern requirements. The storage of the wastes will be controllable and monitorable. The object “Cover” will be liquidated. Main Scientific Center of the Russian Federation — Physics and Power Engineering Institute. Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 78, No. 3, pp. 214–217, March, 1995.     

Testing of a system for measuring the nonuniformity of energy release in a BBER-440 core according to indications of detectors located outside the reactor

Conclusions As a result of this work, the structure and composition of the technical means of an extrareactor system for measuring the nonuniformity of energy release in a BBER-440 core were determined. They make it possible to solve the problem posed with maximum utilization of standard systems without affecting the latter. Analysis of the measurement error in the average axial distribution of enerry release showed that the system for extrareactor measurement of the nonuniformity of energy release satisfies the technical requirements for it. It can be calibrated not only according to data from neutron-measurement channels but also according to neutron-physical calculations simulating the calibration tests. The first sample of an extrareactor measurement system was installed in the third power-generating unit of the “Kozlodui” nuclear power plant. The results of testing the system during the 13th run confirmed that the measurement method, the algorithm, and the software are successful and also that the instrumentation is reliable. A similar system has also been installed in the second power-generating unit of the “Kozlodui” nuclear power plant, and the system will be installed in the first and fourth power-generating units. The modified systems software made it possible to include the system in the general computer network and to output the measurement results on a monitor. Russian Science Center “Kurchatov Institute”. AL SNIIP. All-Russia Scientific-Research Institute of Nuclear Power Plants “Kozlodui” Nuclear Power Plant. Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 84, No. 3, pp. 203–210, March, 1998.     

Analysis of the national legislation governing the complete salvaging of nuclear-powered submarines

The normative-legal documents pertaining to the field investigated are analyzed. It is noted that they correspond to the generally acknowledged approaches to ensuring nuclear and radiation safety. The inconsistencies between different forms of regulation are investigated. The changes in the normative-legal regulation and ensuring safety made in connection with the introduction of the law “On technical regulation” are examined. The discrepancies between the different parts of the federal legislation are indicated, and the importance of constant monitoring of the normative legal base for complete salvaging of nuclear-powered submarines is noted. __________ Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 101, No. 1, pp. 17–22, July, 2006.     

Nuclear fuel and the characteristics of aerosol formation in the object “Cover”

High-temperature atomization of materials, transfer of elements into the gas phase and the condensation of the elements, occurred during the active stage of the accident at least at a local point of the reactor. As a result of these processes, in some cases the ratio Pu/U in large spherical particles of the dispersed phase differ substantially from the ratio characteristic for the average nuclear fuel in the fourth power generating unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Therefore, the term “average nuclear fuel” with respect to materials containing nuclear fuel in the object “Cover” is inadequate. Moscow Technological Center “Cover,” Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. Yu. N. Lobach Science Center “Institute of Nuclear Research,” Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 82, No 1, pp. 39–44, January, 1997     

Increasing the operational reliability of the collectors of PGV-1000,-1000M steam generators

The possibilities for lowering the tensile stresses acting in the zone of weld seam No. 111 are studied. Stresses above the yield point can arise in this zone during operation because of the presence of stress concentrators and deep ribs and cuts, formed when the steam generator is manufactured, on the inner surface of pockets in the collectors. The tensile stresses can be decreased without decreasing the pressure of the medium in the second loop by using mechanical compressing devices. A variant for producing a compressive stress on branch pipe Du 1200 using a collapsible ring is examined. The reliability of the unit attaching the coolant collector to the branch pipes of PGV-1000 in the zone of weld seam No. 111 can be increased by effectively removing deposits from the pockets. It is suggested that a mechanical compressing device be used to decrease the stresses on the inner surface of a pocket in the collector and to decrease the cycling damage in the region of weld seam No. 111. __________ Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 108, No. 1, pp. 9–12, January, 2008.     

Utilization of new substrate materials for FPP fabric for Petryanov filters

The results-of an investigation of the possibility of using spanbond material and technical coarse fabric as substrates for preparing FPP-15-1.5 fabric for Petryanov filters are presented. It is shown that the technical coarse fabric possesses the most acceptable properties. The results of this work have been adopted in the pilot production of Petryanov filters at the Industrial Association “Mayak”. 6 tables, 8 references. Industrial Association “Mayak”. Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 87, No. 4, pp. 261–266, October, 1999.     

Effect of repositioning of rhodium direct-charge detectors in a RBMK-1000 reactor on fuel and emitter-material burnup coefficients

Scientific-Technical Center “Atomtekhénergo.” Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant. N. V. Sultanov Institute of Nuclear Reactors, Russian Scientific Center “Kurchatovskii institut.” Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 76, No. 6, pp. 470–473, June, 1994.     

Taking account of the effect of the curvature of VVÉR-1000 fuel assemblies on the power of the fuel elements

A comparative analysis is made of the deterministic and statistical methods of taking into account the effect of the curvature of VVéR-1000 fuel assemblies on the power of fuel elements. The fuel-element distribution of the energy release in the core for any random distribution of the gaps between the fuel assemblies is simulated, using the MEX code, on the basis of precise calculations (MCU code) and design calculations (BIPR-7 and PERMAK codes). The Monte Carlo method (Zazor code) was used to model the nominal density distribution of gaps in the core for different degrees of curvature of the fuel assemblies. It is shown that the power gain, obtained for the fuel elements by the probabilistic-statistical method, due to the curvature of the fuel assemblies is smaller and makes it possible to substantiate core safety with large perturbations, in contrast to the deterministic “maximum gaps near the most-energy stressed fuel element” method. 5 figures, 1 table, 3 references. Special Design Office “Gidropress.” Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 87, No. 3, pp. 210–213, September, 1999.     

“Yennisei” space nuclear power system

March 1, 2000 is the 25th anniversary of the power start-up of a prototype of the “Yenisei” space nuclear power watem, which is to supply power to the spacecraft for a direct television roadcasting system, on the stand “1” at the Russian Science Center “Kurchatov Institute.” During the nuclear power tests, which continued for 5000 hours, the, subsequent finishing work, and a study of the state of individual components, it was demonstrated that the unit functions, properly under standard conditions. and the technology for preparing the unit for power tests and a procedure for starting up the unit and for performing power tests and the subsequent final adjustments together with an investigation of the critical component that determine the service life were developed. The results of the final adjustments and the investigations pointed the way to making the required improvements to the power-generating chanels in order to quarantee a service life of at least 15 years and then to increase it to 3 years at subsequent stages of the development work. The history of the development of the “Yenisei” nuclear power system is presented, the basic parameters and the results of comprehensive tests are described, and the international collaboration with the US is discussed. 7 figures, 1 table. Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 88, No. 2, pp. 95–108, February, 2000.     

Load characteristic of charged neutron detectors with a hydrogen-containing scatterer

Conclusions Our investigations showed that the double-cut method is suitable for mechanical polarization of fuel assemblies. The investigations made it possible to develop turnkey industrial equipment for cutting spent fuel assemblies, having different geometries, with a maximum size of up to 170 mm. The cutting unit is operating successfully at the Industrial Association “Mayak.” All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Thermophysical Apparatus. Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 77, No. 3, pp. 194–203, September, 1994.     

Contributions of the “Saturn” to Modern Stellarator-Torsatron Research

It has been 40 years since the startup and first plasma from the Saturn stellarator-torsatron. The l = 3 stellarator-torsatron “Saturn” was the first of a series of torsatron-like devices built in Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology (KIPT) in the 1970s: later appeared “Vint-20”, “U-3”, “U-3M”. The Saturn device was used for comparative investigations on the same device two magnetic configurations in stellarator and torsatron regimes and for experimental examination of their effects on plasma confinement. The thorough measurements of magnetic structure in both regimes demonstrated their high equivalence. Investigations of torsatron without toroidal coils supported the principal possibility to have a spatial divertor configuration, which was later realized in U-3, the first torsatron with a divertor. The results on Saturn, obtained for the first time with a pure torsatron configuration, have opened the prospect for torsatrons to be an alternative to tokamaks in the development of a fusion reactor. After various magnetic configurations were studied, the Saturn device was used for providing investigations of confinement of injected hydrogen plasma and of ECR plasma in different gases. In this paper we summarize the main Saturn results and try to find the bridge between them and the present experiments on existing stellarator-type fusion devices with an aim to see what particular Saturn results were supported by those obtained later.     

Validation of lifetime extension of power-generating units with RBMK reactors

A list of measures for extending the lifetime of power-generating units with RBMK reactors is presented. The normative approaches and criteria are indicated, an assessment of the technical possibility of lifetime extension, primarily for the critical components, of at least 15 years is examined. The technical measures for safe operation after the lifetime has been exhausted are examined for the No. 1 unit of the Leningrad nuclear power plant. Finally, validation is given for the possibility of subsequent safe operation of the critical components, equipment, and pipelines of the multiple forced circulation loop up to 2018. __________ Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 100, No. 4, pp. 328–335, April, 2006.