Research and production complex
"Materials for power plants"
Alexander D. Kashtanov
Deputy director general for research work,
Head of Research & Production Complex "Materials for power plants",
Candidate of Technical Sciences
Research and production complex "Materials for power
plants" performs R&D and production works according to development strategy
of State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM and other industries for which
NRC “Kurchatov Institute” – CRISM “Prometey” works and based on requirements to parameters of
facilities to be manufactured.
Structural materials for use in nuclear engineering
Research and production complex profile:
- Development of new materials (base and welding) including technology of their manufacturing and inspection based on necessary requirements of chief designer and plant parameters according to Industry development program:
- materials for water-cooled nuclear reactor vessels nuclear power units of increased unit capacity and long-life performance as well as for new generation reactor vessels (the 15Kh2MFA steels for new generation nuclear reactor vessels, materials for welding and welding deposit of equipment bodies of nuclear power units);
- materials for advanced sodium-cooled reactors and steam generators of increased unit capacity and long-life performance of NPP with the BN-800, BN-1200 reactors;
- materials for advanced Pb or Pb-Bi reactors for new NPP with the BREST and SVBR-100 reactors;
- materials for high temperature gas-cooled reactor of the VG 400 type and gas reactors used in space engineering;
- materials for metal-concrete containers for permanent disposal and transportation of spent fuel;
- materials for ship machine-building products;
- materials for pipe systems of offshore transport plants of different types and purposes; the semi-finished products made from corrosion-resistant steels and alloys of the 05Х12N2М-VI, 03Х21NН32М3БB-VI (ChS33-VI) types were developed and mastered in industrial production;
- materials for manufacturing of fuel element cans of nuclear power units; production of semi-finished products from the 03Х20N45М4B-VI(ChS42-VI) and the 03Х20N45М4BRTs-VI (ChS43-VI) was mastered;
- materials for high-temperature gas-cooled power plant; industrialization works for production of tube stock and pipes, bar section, press forgings, hot-rolled plates and cold-rolled steel sheet from the KhN55MBTs-VI (ChS57-VI) structurally stable heat-resistant alloy were performed;
- materials for manufacturing of special-purpose multi-layer expansion joints; production of wide-band (up to 1250 mm) rolled steel sheet with thickness of 0.3 mm in coils was mastered;
- materials for gas turbines blades and vanes; the following alloys were developed: the ChS70-VI; ChS70u-VI; ChS88-VI; ChS104-VI, and for single-crystal hollow blades and vanes the following alloys were developed: ChS120-VI; ChS120u-VI.
- Estimate of new material performance including welding joints based on provision of necessary requirements of Chief Designer to plant parameters:
- mechanical properties of materials within the range of operation temperatures taking into account design life;
- resistance to rupture under static and cyclic (to criteria of crack initiation and propagation) loads in air and under influence of coolant taking into account asymmetry, temperature and two load application frequencies;
- creep rupture strength and time yield.
- In-service control of manufacturing of nuclear power plant equipment from new materials:
- for floating power units equipped with the KLT-40S reactor plants, atomic icebreakers as well as marine facilities;
- for stationary reactor units of the WWER type;
- for stationary sodium-cooled reactors and steam generators for the
BN-800 and BN-1200 electric power plants;
- for stationary electric power plants of the BREST and
SVBR-100 types;
- for new high-temperature gas-cooled reactors used in space engineering;
- for metal-concrete containers used for permanent disposal and transportation of spent fuel.
- In-service control and life extension of nuclear power unit equipment of different types and purpose:
- methodological and material engineering support of safe operation and life extension of nuclear power plant equipment of different types;
- development of guideline operation documents for metal-concrete containers used for permanent disposal and transportation of spent fuel.
Main projects of Research and Production Complex:
- Project 1 - Structural materials for advanced nuclear water-cooled power units
- Project 2 - Structural materials for advanced nuclear liquid-metal power units (sodium-cooled)
- Project 3 - Structural materials for advanced nuclear liquid-metal power units (Pb or Pb-Bi-cooled)
- Project 4 - Structural materials for advanced nuclear power units equipped with high-temperature gas-cooled reactors
- Project 5 - Materials for storage and transportation of spent fuel and ship machine-building products
Materials and technologies developed by the Research and Production Complex team ensured creation of all types of home-produced nuclear power plants: nuclear reactors for the NPP with water coolant of the WWER and LWGR type, for NPP with sodium coolant of the BN-350, BN-600, BN-800 and BN-1200 type. Moreover materials for space-based nuclear power units using principles of direct conversion of thermal energy to electrical energy were developed. Materials and technologies for safe transportation, permanent storage and disposal of spent fuel and radioactive waste were created.
Materials developed by the Research and Production Complex team successfully operate over a wide range of temperatures.
Scientific research results and process documents elaborated by the Research and Production Complex formed the basis of regulatory documents of Rostekhnadzor ("Rules and norms in nuclear power engineering").
Equally important direction of the Research and Production Complex works is a development of
materials for ship machine-building.
Principally it is a development of materials and provision of safe operation of shipboard-type shaft lines, steering gear, powerful gears for marine gearbox and geared-turbine sets, rotors and vaned units for steam and gas turbines for marine use. This direction as well as other uses principles of development of through industrial engineering technologies, production quality assurance and management systems; besides a full range of special technological measures for increase of strength and endurance of products in case of increase of specific operating loads on material was taken.
Taking into account that fact that traditional materials and technologies do not always meet requirements of new equipment designers the Research and Production Complex realizes research works in the field of new technologies of metallic materials development with special performances:
- high anti-friction properties, wear-resistance, thermal resistance (for friction pair);
- high strength, cyclic strength and thermal resistance;
- high corrosion resistance in aggressive medium;
- high radiation resistance.
Research and Production Complex has a great experience in testing of structural materials and component in different medium, wide range of temperatures including high-temperature vacuum and gas-shielded testing of heat-resistant materials and alloys (gas used for these tests may be of different composition). It has an unique experience in wide range of studies on influence of neutron irradiation on change of structural materials performances which ensures service life extension of reactors vessels and nuclear power unit in-vessel components.
Direction of methodological and materials research support of safe operation of nuclear power unit equipment is one of leading direction of CRISM “Prometey” Research and Production Complex "Materials
for power plants". Over a number of years research and development works of this direction specialists keep the lead in the field of provision of safe operation and service life extension of nuclear power unit equipment of different types. Effective activity with regard to solving of wide range of research and methodology and material science problems are provided by efforts of the Research and production complex laboratories:
laboratory of strength and service life of power plant equipment and laboratory of in-service control of nuclear power plant equipment.
Main directions of these laboratory activities are the following:
- Development of new conception and approaches for estimate of
strength and life of structural materials from the perspective of
fracture mechanics.
- Elaboration of procedures and regulatory documents for estimate of consistency and service life of main equipment of nuclear power units and forecasting of change of nuclear power plant equipment structural material performances taking into account their operation conditions.
- Analysis of current state and expert evaluation of nuclear power
unit equipment state, evaluate of residual life and elaboration of
remedial measures ensuring service life extension.
- Expert evaluation of causes of failure and rupture of nuclear power unit components, elaboration of structural-and-technological measures and technical means to avoid them.
- Development of original applications and ANSYS integrated means for analysis of stress-strain state and defect propagation in component of power plant units.
Materials damage models as part of nuclear power unit were elaborated based on experimental regularities of materials behaviour under combined influence of permanent static and cyclic thermal and mechanical loads, neutron irradiation and corrosion medium. The following procedures and regulatory documents are elaborated based on experience and knowledge:
- to estimate consistency and service life of the nuclear power unit equipment;
- to forecast change of material performances taking into account their operation conditions;
- to perform expertise of the nuclear power unit equipment state;
- to estimate its residual service life;
- to elaborate structural-and-technological measures and facilities for service life extension.
NRC “Kurchatov Institute” – CRISM “Prometey” ensures material engineering support in service and service life extension of the nuclear power unit equipment almost at all NPPs of Russia and Ukraine. New developments of “Prometey” are in demand in construction of new generation NPP with increased safety and service life like as WWER of the NPP-2006 project and WWER-TOI, floating NPP with the KLT-40S reactor plant, transport nuclear power units including new generation atomic icebreaker.
In the process of long-term work in the field of nuclear power engineering
NRC “Kurchatov Institute” – CRISM “Prometey” established strong creative and business relations with main organizations of
ROSATOM Group.
By order of Leading operating organization Rosenergoatom Concern OJSC the Institute works on in-service support and substantiation of service life extension option for existing reactor plants.
By order of design organizations (JSC "Afrikantov OKBM", OKB “Gidropress”, SC "NIKIET") it performs works of design support of new NPPs, works closely with design organizations and manufacturers of reactor equipment as well as with scientific centers such as Scientific Research Institute of Atomic Reactors, State Science Center of Institute of Physics and Power Engineering of Russian Federation,
National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute".
Experience of the Research and Production Complex specialists in the field of nuclear power engineering is in demand for creation of new petrochemical equipment.
Research and Production Complex is equipped with a software system ensuring information and calculation support of all scientific research works.
Scientific and technical level of development, highly professional and competent personnel attract interest on a worldwide basis. Research and Production Complex team performed and is performing works according to contracts concluded with companies of Finland, Hungary, Germany, France, Spain, India, Chine etc. as well as according to international projects.
Since 1991 every two years CRISM
"Prometey" have been holding the
International Conference «Material Issues in Design, Manufacturing and Operation of Nuclear Power Plants Equipment»
(MAINSTREAM).