The second main circulation pump GCNA-1391 for Unit 1 of the first nuclear station in Belarus passed acceptance tests at the Central Design Bureau of Machine Building (a subsidiary of AtomEnergoMash). “We are through with the second main circulation pump for Belarus. As usual, the customer’s representatives were present at the tests. Now we are preparing documents. In broad terms, we are running ahead of the schedule with Belarus NPP,” noted Procurement Director Yuri Kozlov.
Main circulation pumps, which are the company’s key product, are always tested for performance and reliability before being shipped to the customer. All the tests are carried out at the company’s testing site located in Sosnovy Bor, Leningrad Region. The test bench for GCNA-1391 imitates the first reactor circuit. During the tests, the circulation pump pumps a coolant – high pressure water at 300 C – through a closed circuit to simulate real operating conditions at a nuclear unit. The test runs several days when engineers and technical experts keep monitoring functions of the system. A range of sensors and computers allow detecting the smallest deviation from the normal working mode.
In June, AtomMash (a part of Rosatom’s engineering division) finished the welding of two half-vessels for Belarusian NPP Unit 2. After assembling the lower and upper halves of the reactor vessel, the company started welding the final ring seam. The operation took 10 days with the welding seam area continuously heated up to 200 C. Once the welding job was finished, the reactor vessel was placed into the heat treatment furnace. Afterwards, the manufacturer will carry out a complete set of quality assurance operations, including an X-ray examination.
“Our plant uses a ring seam welding technology that is tried and reliable. The welding went just as planned. There are a number of important operations ahead, among them machining, female thread cutting for main connection pins, and a fit-up test of the reactor internals. We stick to the working schedule approved,” Production Manager Vitaly Shishov says.
Alongside the reactor vessel, the plant is manufacturing its internals and a reactor vessel head.
