Rosenergoatom Kursk nuclear power plant. Kursk NPP (Kurchatov)

News

February 21, 2019
Kursk NPP: experts confirmed the high level of RPS development at the enterprise
High level development Production system Rosatom (PSR) at the Kursk NPP was confirmed by the final developmental peer review, held on February 19, 2019.

February 21, 2019
Kursk NPP: in Kurchatov the results of the municipal stage of the Engineering Forum “Romantics of the Arctic” were summed up within the framework of the Rosatom School project
In the satellite city of Kursk NPP, the results of the municipal (qualifying) stage of the Engineering Forum “Romantics of the Arctic”*, organized as part of the Rosatom School project, were summed up.

KURSK NPP

Location: near Kurchatov (Kursk region)
Reactor type: RBMK-1000
Number of power units: 4

Kursk NPP It is one of the top four nuclear power plants in the country of equal capacity and is the most important node of the Unified Energy System of Russia. The main consumer is the Center energy system, which covers 19 regions of the Central federal district Russia.

The share of Kursk NPP in the installed capacity of all power plants in the Black Earth Region is more than 50%. It supplies electricity to most industrial enterprises Kursk region.

The nuclear power plant uses boiling-type channel reactors with a graphite moderator and water coolant. This reactor is designed to produce saturated steam under pressure 7.0 MPa.

Kursk NPP is a single-circuit plant: steam supplied to the turbines is generated directly in the reactor during the boiling of the coolant passing through it. Ordinary purified water is used as a coolant, circulating through closed loop. Water from the cooling pond is used to cool the exhaust steam in the turbine condensers. The surface area of ​​the reservoir is 21.5 km2.

The station was built in two stages: the first - power units No. 1 and No. 2, the second - No. 3 and No. 4. Power unit No. 5 of the third stage is in the stage of mothballing.

It is planned to build a replacement station - Kursk NPP-2. Commissioning of power units No. 1 and No. 2 under the VVER-TOI project is planned for 2021 and 2023. In 2013, it is planned to prepare the territory for the construction of an industrial site, reconstruct the existing construction base facilities, and construct construction base facilities and a residential village. The construction of a replacement station will attract significant investments to the Kursk region and increase tax payments to the regional and local budgets.

In 2009, Kursk NPP was awarded the title “Best NPP in Russia” in an annual competition in the field of safety culture. In 2010–2011 The environmental management system of the Kursk NPP was recognized by an independent audit as meeting the requirements of the Russian national standard and regulatory document mandatory certification systems for environmental requirements.

Distance to the satellite town (Kurchatov) – 4 km; to the regional center (Kursk) – 40 km.

OPERATING POWER UNITS OF KURSK NPP

Nuclear power plant in Russia, located in the city of Kurchatov, Kursk region, 40 km west of Kursk on the banks of the Seim River. The station consists of four power units with a total capacity of 4 GW.
Two stages of the Kursk NPP (two power units each) were put into operation in 1976-1985. Kursk NPP became the second station with RBMK-1000 type reactors after the Leningrad NPP, launched in 1973...

Tour of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant - below the cut!

Dawn over the cooling pond, whose area is ~ 21.5 sq. km.

First of all, we were taken to the reactor hall:

The reactor core is a stack of graphite blocks. Each block is a graphite block 25x25x60cm, in which there is a cylindrical hole with fuel. The blocks are assembled into 2488 columns, which, together with the technological channels, form a cylinder with a diameter of 11.7 m and a height of 7 m. The rector is surrounded by a light protective casing and steel protective plates; There are also ring tanks with water installed around the rector, and all gaps are filled with sand. On the surface of the reactor there are protective tiles made of heavy concrete in a steel shell, which serve as protection against ionizing radiation.

A technological channel is a pipe structure where fuel assemblies (FA) are located, washed by a coolant flow. The coolant (water) is supplied to each process channel from below through lower water communications, the steam-water mixture is removed from the upper part of the channels, then entering the separator drum.

The fuel assembly is assembled from 18 fuel elements (fuel rods) mounted in a frame (pictured above left). Two assemblies, located one above the other, assembled on one central rod, form a fuel cassette, which is installed in each fuel channel. Fuel reloading is carried out at power using a loading and unloading machine (yellow thing on the right), located in the central hall. One or two fuel channels may be overloaded every day.

Spent fuel is extremely radioactive and tends to spontaneously ignite at high temperatures, therefore, after removal, they are stored in a cooling pool (located in the reactor hall) for 3-5 years, and then, after the decay heat has reduced, they are sent for storage or reprocessing.

In the reactor hall, the radiation background is 1000 times higher than normal (106 μSv/h), so it is not recommended to stay there for a long time.

By the way, before entering the territory of the KuNPP, the background radiation is 11 µR/h, while at Krasnaya Proshchad the background radiation is 18 µR/h (the safe norm is 25 µR/h). In the premises of the KuNPP, measurements showed 4 microroentgens/h (except for the reactor hall, of course). In total, during the press tour we received approximately 5 μSv, which corresponds to ~ 3-day norm. Although there is big difference: receive such a dose in 72 hours or in 25 minutes, but in any case this amount is far from the maximum permissible maximum safe value, yes.

The Kursk nuclear power plant was built according to the same design as the Chernobyl one, but after well-known events, the construction of new reactors for this project was stopped.

Photo for memory:

"Resident Evil", yeah ;)

Then we headed to the turbine hall:

This is a gigantic room (800 meters long), in which there are two turbines, with generators with a capacity of 500 MW each.

The Kursk NPP is a single-circuit plant: the steam supplied to the turbines is generated directly in the reactor during the boiling of the coolant passing through it. Ordinary purified water circulating in a closed circuit is used as a coolant. It consists of two parallel loops. Half of the reactor's fuel channels (about 840 channels) are connected to each loop. The circulation of the coolant in each loop is carried out using electric circulation pumps, three of which are working, the fourth is in reserve.

Water with a temperature of 270 C is pumped into the pressure manifold, and then into the distribution group manifolds that supply the reactor process channels. The steam-water mixture formed in the technological channels is transferred to the separator drum, where separation into steam and water occurs. From the separators, steam is directed to the turbine. To cool the exhaust steam in the turbine condensers, water from the cooling pond is used.

The steam condensate exhausted in the turbine, after mixing with separated water, returns through the lowering pipelines to the suction manifold of the main circulation pumps.

The hall is quite noisy; all staff wear protective headphones. We were given earplugs, but no one used them.

There are a lot of different things; I want to spin it, but I can’t:

And this is the central control panel of the nuclear power plant electrical networks:

Kursk NPP produces electricity via 9 power lines:

6 lines of 330 kV each, 4 of which are intended for power supply to the region, 2 for the north of Ukraine.

3 lines of 750 kV, of which 1 line is for the Oskol Electrometallurgical Plant, 1 line for the north-east of Ukraine and 1 line for the Bryansk region.

One 110 kV line supplies voltage to the nuclear power plant and is used for backup power supply and its own needs.

The 5th power unit is 90% ready, but the question of the feasibility of commissioning has not yet been resolved - this could lead to a depreciation of electricity in the region. And mistrust in reactors of this type raises many questions.

Zafukushisim?

After the control room we went to look at the power unit control panel:

The shield is huge: everything glows and blinks; a lot of levers and buttons. In total, 3 people work behind the shield, each of whom simultaneously controls 2500(!) indicators.

To get to work at the control panel, an engineer must undergo more than 1000 hours of training, i.e. training lasts several years.

And the console engineers are regularly checked by psychologists, otherwise you never know...

There is a camera installed in the reactor hall, but I think, if anything, it will not help much:

At the end of the press tour they showed us training center, where they played out one of the many emergency scenarios for us. It was very interesting, it’s a pity there was nothing to record the video with.

And this is a spare control panel.

There are fewer lights and buttons here, but engineers will be able to carry out all the basic manipulations with the reactor, yes. Pay attention to the red sealed buttons;)

The red album contains diagrams and drawings of the reactor elements, but I think that the engineers know them by heart, because in the event of an accident they will not have time to look at the diagrams.

There are lamps in the room with different color temperature, so the white balance is so interesting:

Eh, I wish I could spin it:

This ended the tour of the interior of the nuclear power plant and we went to explore the surroundings.

But before that, everyone went through regular radiation and passport control.

I pass the last control:

The device is interesting: arms/legs are inserted into special slots, the panel is moved all the way, and if everything is clean, the door opens.

If it doesn't open, then you're out of luck...

And these are the cooling sprinklers:

Water from the circuit is sprayed into mist, quickly cooled and fed back into the circuit.

Huge fish live in the pools:

It seems to me that KuNPP employees organize picnics and fly-fishing competitions at these fountains, but they don’t tell anyone about it.

If the power is turned off at the station and the reactor stops cooling, then a diesel generator will come to the rescue:

There are 6 of them installed for each reactor, with a total capacity of 78 MW.

The generator startup time is only 15 seconds. To do this, the temperature of diesel fluids is constantly maintained at 50 degrees. I think that this is not a cheap pleasure, but it is better not to skimp on such systems.

The operation of the diesel engines should be enough for 8 hours, during which time the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the military can be connected to restore the power supply to the station. But for unforeseen situations, a huge amount of water is stored at the station, which can be pumped into the reactor for passive cooling. At a flow rate of 40 cubic meters per hour, there will be enough water for three days (!). At maximum consumption, the supply will run out in 2 hours, but by this time even larger volumes will have been brought from the nearest fire stations, so everything is fine with cooling.

Finally, we were shown a warehouse of spent fuel containers:

These containers will be loaded onto special wagons and rolled away to a secret testing site. Such things.

By the way, they fed us in the most luxurious way, yes:

That's it.

I thank the Rosenergoatom concern for providing accreditation to visit the Kursk NPP.

Thank you for your attention!

Kursk Nuclear Power Plant is located 40 km west of Kursk, on the banks of the Seim River.
The decision to build was made in the 60s in connection with the growing energy consumption of the region, after which in 1976-1985 two stages of nuclear power plants (two power units each) were put into operation. It is proposed to stop the completion of the fifth power unit, since its commissioning will lead to a fall in electricity prices in the region. This, according to RosAtom management, is undesirable.

1. First we were taken to the museum, where there was such a cross-sectional diagram of the reactor

4. The Kursk Nuclear Power Plant works like this: in the reactor, when water boils (which flows in a closed circuit), steam is formed. It is supplied to the turbines. Water from the cooling pond is used to cool the exhaust steam in the turbine condensers. The surface area of ​​the reservoir is 21 square km.

5. Huge fish live in the pond. They prevent the water from becoming overgrown - they eat algae. I once saw something similar to the Patriarchal

6. Just in case, they hung a sign

7. View of the nuclear power plant. The pipes have the same purpose. They look different because they serve different power units

8. And this is diesel. It will take about 15 seconds to deploy diesel engines in the event of an emergency. At this time, water will be supplied from reserve tanks to cool the reactor. The capacity of the tanks is enough for about a minute

9. Unclear cylinders. Readers kindly suggested that these are diesel fuel separators, and in the foreground is a filter

10. And one more. Again I will give the floor to the reader who suggested: “judging by the color of the cylinders and markings - cylinders with carbon dioxide fire extinguishing systems”

11. By the way, in Fukushima all the diesel engines were on the coast and were washed away by the first wave. At Kurskaya they are located at different heights and are distributed throughout the station. This will allow maintaining the supply of electricity for the needs of the station under any conditions. The Japanese also managed to look for the necessary plugs to restore the power supply for almost a day after the disaster.

In general, the Chernobyl experience was completely ignored

12. From the diesel plant we move to the radioactive waste storage facility under construction

13. Cocoon blocks are designed for storing and transporting spent nuclear fuel from RBMK-1000 reactors. They are a reinforced concrete container with a wall thickness of about 25 cm

15. All places are carefully marked

17. And these are radiation pollution sensors. If the light is green, everything is fine

18. And if the light turns red, then the entire station management runs to the shelter. And he exercises command behind tightly closed hermetic doors. Arrival time at the shelter is up to 15 minutes

19. There are personal protective kits at the entrance

20. And here is the hall itself, from where they will monitor the state of affairs at the emergency station. To the right and behind me are very secret maps on which all the security sensors in the station are marked. But they weren’t allowed to take them off =(

In general, many things are not allowed to be filmed because a piece of the fence or the camera might get into the frame. This will undermine the security of the country. At the same time, the technologies used at the station themselves are not secret.

21. Boxes of individual dosimeters. Everyone is given one with zero readings. At the exit they look at what dose of radiation you have received

22. We move to the turbine hall. This is a paradise for graphics lovers, but time is naturally limited

23. Its length is about 800 meters and it is common to all four nuclear power plant units

29. Each power unit of the Kursk NPP is equipped with two K-500-65/3000-2 turbines with generators with a capacity of 500 MW each

30. This inscription indicates the permissible maximum load on the surface
(800 Kg/S per 1 sq.m.)

32. Local fire extinguishing system

33. CPU - central control panel. In this case - the control panel of the first power unit

34. I can’t imagine how engineers figure all this out. The pointer instruments on the control panel on the right are selsyn receivers. They show the immersion depth of the control rods

36. And here is the heart of the station - the reactor. It is located in a concrete shaft measuring 21 by 21 m and 25 m deep. This shaft houses the active zone - a masonry of graphite “bricks”.

Each such brick is a graphite block with a base of 25x25 cm and a height of 20-60 cm. Each block has cylindrical holes into which fuel, control and protection systems and other necessary things are installed.

The blocks are assembled into 2,488 columns, of which approximately 1.5 thousand have fuel channels installed.

This entire graphite masonry with channels forms a cylinder 7 m high and 11 m in diameter, which is surrounded by upper and lower steel protective plates.

There is a light cylindrical casing on the sides. To prevent graphite oxidation and improve heat transfer, the reactor space is filled with a mixture of helium and nitrogen.

37. The unloading and loading machine is designed for reloading nuclear fuel in an operating or shutdown reactor

“First concrete” is planned in accordance with the Directive schedule for the construction of power unit No. 1 of Kursk NPP -2 for May 2018. From this moment the main period of construction of this power unit will begin. Its physical launch is scheduled for November 2022, power unit No. 2 - in November 2023.

Currently, the laying of concrete in the so-called “concrete base” - concrete preparation for the foundation slab of the reactor building of power unit No. 1 has been completed. A total of 710 cubic meters of concrete have been laid on a site measuring 77 by 83 meters.

Work began after a sand and gravel “cushion” with a volume of more than 630 thousand cubic meters of sand and gravel mixture was formed on October 23 under the main building of the power unit. It is the foundation of the object being built on this site. Specialists carried out the necessary checks for its density and resistance to deformation and began to perform the following technological tasks.

As the foundation was being constructed, the builders placed sensors under it for an automated stress-strain state monitoring system (ASC STS), which will record the pressure on the ground from the building being constructed. ASK VAT is a never-sleeping guardian of the stability and reliability of a building.

Work on the “concrete footing” was carried out by specialists from Trest LLC Rosspetsenergomontazh» - a subcontractor contracted to perform the entire range of civil works on the reactor building. Its specialists have extensive experience in the construction of nuclear and thermal power plants in Russia and neighboring countries.

In addition to laying the “concrete” at the site of the first power unit, the formation of a sand and gravel cushion at the base of other objects – the turbine building and the auxiliary reactor building – continues, and other work is being carried out.

To create sand and gravel “pillows,” sand is used from a deposit near the village of Lipino, Kursk region. The reserves explored here will completely cover the needs of the construction of not only the first and second power units, but also in the future power units No. 3 and No. 4 of Kursk NPP-2. In the sand quarry, then during delivery to the site and during laying, incoming sand quality control is organized. Materials that do not meet quality requirements are not allowed to be backfilled.

Create on site tsya necessary infrastructure. By the end of this year, it is also planned to complete the construction of a 330/10 kilovolt (kV) substation at the construction site of the Kursk NPP-2 replacement station. The substation will provide power supply for construction work and construction base facilities.

The construction of the railway bridge spans and access roads to the construction site has been completed. Thanks to this, it will now be possible to deliver materials to the right bank of the Seim River, to the territory of the construction base.

The road bridge has already been built, and its launch has significantly improved transport links between settlements Kurchatovsky district. In addition, this year there will be reconstruction and repair of five highways with a total length of 17.5 km, necessary for the construction of a replacement station. These and other issues are under constant control of the operational headquarters for the construction of Kursk NPP-2.

The construction of the replacement station confirms the reputation of Rosatom and Rosenergoatom as the most important investment donors in the regions of their presence and specifically in the Kursk region. From 2013 to the present, about 13 billion rubles have been spent at the facility.

Kursk NPP-2 is the flagship project of the country’s nuclear industry. This is an export product of our country, evidence of its high scientific and technological development. New blocks are more powerful, they use latest technologies safety and effectiveness. They will replace the existing power units of the Kursk NPP and will operate almost until the end of the 21st century.

VVER-TOI units are intended, among other things, for construction abroad. Rosatom has the world's largest nuclear power plant construction program and in order to conclude contracts with potential foreign customers, it is necessary short terms commission the same reactor within the country. This is what is planned at Kursk NPP-2.

The 2017 plan for the development of capital investments is 16.5 billion rubles, next year expenses will amount to about 22 billion. The largest funds are allocated for 2019 and 2021 - 37 billion rubles each.

Reference.

Kursk NPP-2 is a replacement station for decommissioned power units of the currently operating Kursk Nuclear Power Plant. Commissioning of the first two power units of NPP-2. with the new type of VVER-TOI reactor is planned to be synchronized with the decommissioning of power units No. 1 and No. 2 of the existing nuclear power plant.

VVER-TOI (standard optimized and computerized power unit of VVER technology) meets modern Russian and international safety requirements, has a longer service life and greater installed power compared to reactors of existing nuclear power plants.

The developer and technical customer of the facility is Rosenergoatom Concern JSC. The general designer and general contractor is JSC ASE EC.

Vadim Petrov

:When I was offered to go to the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, I didn’t think much about it. If there is an enchanting failure, like at Balakovskaya, then I will have the next black pictures, and I will write the text :). If it doesn't happen, then it will be easy for me good material. It turned out the second.

The Kursk nuclear power plant is located 40 kilometers west of the city of Kursk, on the banks of the Seim River. The town of Kurchatov is 3 km from it. The decision to build the station was made in the mid-60s. Construction began in 1971. The need for energy capacity was caused by the rapidly developing industrial and economic complex of the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly.

The Kursk NPP is a single-circuit plant: the steam supplied to the turbines is generated directly in the reactor during the boiling of the coolant passing through it. Ordinary purified water circulating in a closed circuit is used as a coolant. Water from the cooling pond is used to cool the exhaust steam in the turbine condensers. The surface area of ​​the reservoir is 21.5 square meters. km.

(Total 33 photos)

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2. An alarm system with a set of sensors is installed throughout all premises of the station. In short, green means everything is fine. Yellow - you need to tick. Red - in general, there is no need to rush anywhere. In fact, there are three levels of radiation, and each level has its own actions and rules.

3. Civil Defense headquarters is located in shelter No. 1.

4. E... bow, excuse me, a self-portrait in the uniform that we were given. We stripped, again, sorry, down to our underpants, leaving the most important thing with us: our passport and camera.

6. Unloading and loading machine designed for fuel transfer. The process can occur both when the reactor is stopped and when it is running.

7. Before the accident Chernobyl nuclear power plant In the USSR, there were extensive plans for the construction of RBMK reactors, but after the accident, plans to build these power units at new sites were curtailed. After 1986, two RBMK reactors were put into operation: RBMK-1000 at Smolensk NPP (1990) and RBMK-1500 at Ignalina NPP (1987) (the plant is located in Lithuania and is now completely decommissioned). Another RBMK-1000 reactor of the 5th block of the Kursk NPP is under construction. Existing reactors underwent comprehensive reconstruction and modernization, significantly increasing their safety.

8. The central hall is designed to accommodate systems complexes, transport and technological equipment and structures for the assembly and storage of fresh fuel, for reloading and storage of spent fuel, for the repair and replacement of reactor equipment. The central hall houses equipment and technological systems: Reactor plateau, covered with assemblies; Spent fuel pools (SP) for spent fuel and spent process channels; Loading and unloading machine (RZM); Balcony with stand for hanging fresh fuel; Central locking crane and cantilever mobile crane; Training stand; Decontamination unit for fuel assembly suspensions (FA), etc.

9. In each central hall there are two spent nuclear fuel storage pools. Each spent fuel tank is filled with water for cooling the spent fuel assemblies and biological protection of personnel. This is a traditional shot of a fuel rod glowing underwater.

10. We all take pictures of the hole into which Enigma almost fell. He stepped on another metal piece that covers the pool. And the lid did a somersault and flew into the black and blue depths. Enigma remained upstairs, slightly surprised. After that, we quickly left the roof of the cooling pool.

11. One of the many control rooms.

12. Dosimeters.

13. Outdoor switchgear control room.

14. I quote: “Each power unit of the Kursk NPP is equipped with two K-500-65/3000-2 turbines with generators with a capacity of 500 MW each. Single-shaft, double-flow turbines: one cylinder high pressure(CVD) and four cylinders low pressure(TsND). A separator-superheater (SSC) is installed between the HPC and the LPC. Three-phase generators, with water and hydrogen cooling. Turbogenerators are block connected to an open electrical substation. The energy for the nuclear power plant’s own needs comes from the auxiliary transformer.”

15. A huge machine room, common to all four power units.

17. Mushroom glade - electric motors for automatic drive of all kinds of valves.

18. Filming could only be done in halls or rooms. We were asked to cover our lenses with covers while walking through the corridors. If someone didn’t have it or had a point-and-shoot camera, the security officer took the camera and gave it to him in the next room where he could film.

19. Block control panel.

21. Our accompanying person is Vasily Ivanovich Zubov. He can talk about the station for hours. Just have time to ask.

23. Exit. All are clean - the green signal is on.

24. Splash pool against the backdrop of power units. The pool serves to cool the water that circulates in the diesel cooling system. To prevent the pool from becoming overgrown, fish are bred in it: catfish, grass carp and Japanese carp.

25. Power unit No. 5 of the Kursk NPP is a third-generation unit with the most advanced nuclear physical characteristics, equipped with reliable control and protection systems. Its construction began on December 1, 1985, after the 90s it continued intermittently and in the mid-2000s it was finally stopped, despite the fact that the power unit already had high degree readiness - the equipment of the reactor shop is installed at 70%, the main equipment of the RBMK reactor - at 95%, the turbine shop - at 90%. In March 2011, it became known that the commissioning of the 5th power unit of the Kursk NPP may require 3.5 years and 45 billion rubles excluding VAT in 2009 prices, and that the final decision on continuing construction will be made in 2012. The option of using a new VVER-1200 reactor at the 5th power unit is also being considered, which, in fact, will require a complete change in the design.