The First Circuit of the Reactor Facility at Akkuyu NPP Unit 1 Successfully Passes Pre-Commissioning Strength Test
Verification of the first circuit’s strength is one of the most important stages in preparing the power unit for commissioning.
Hydraulic tests have been carried out at Unit 1 of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), being built by Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, to verify the strength of the reactor facility’s primary circuit.
During the tests, the pressure in the primary circuit was raised to 24.5 MPa, approximately 1.5 times the reactor facility’s normal operating pressure. This pressure is equivalent to that found at a depth of approximately 2.4 kilometers in the ocean. During the initial stage of the procedure, the water temperature in the primary circuit reached 135°C, which is 35°C higher than the boiling point of water at normal atmospheric pressure.
To conduct the hydraulic tests, the primary circuit was filled with chemically demineralized water. The required pressure and temperature conditions were then established using the main circulation pump units. Throughout the tests, the power unit’s operating personnel monitored the condition of the equipment and pipelines from the Main Control Room using data provided by the automated control system.
Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev commented:
“Thousands of highly complex engineering operations have been carried out during the construction of Unit 1 of the Akkuyu NPP. We are now at the stage where the results of this extensive work are being assessed as a whole. The reliability of the primary circuit is critical to the safe operation of the entire power unit. For this reason, extremely stringent technical requirements apply to the equipment, pipelines, and welded joints.
“The hydraulic tests have been completed successfully. This result is a strong indication of the quality of the installation, welding, and commissioning work, as well as another step toward achieving the unit’s first criticality.”
As a result of the hydraulic tests, the criteria specified in the design of the VVER-1200 reactor facility were met.
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