INVESTIGATION OF THE COOLANT TEMPERATURE AT THE CORE ENTRANCE FOR THE REACTOR IN THE TIANWAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT (CHINA)

• Published in: Atomic energy (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2007-08, Vol.103 (2), p.598-604
• Main Authors: SAUNIN, Yu. V, DOBROTVORSKII, A. N, SEMENIKHIN, A. V
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; China; Circuits; Coolants; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Entrances; Exact sciences and technology; Fission nuclear power plants; Heat transfer; Installations for energy generation and conversion: thermal and electrical energy; Nuclear engineering; Nuclear power generation; Nuclear power plants; Nuclear reactor components; Nuclear reactors; Reactors
• ISSN: 1063-4258; 1573-8205
• DOI: 10.1007/s10512-007-0095-y

Tests to determine the coolant temperature at the core entrance have been performed for the first time on power generating units with VVER-1000 reactors in the No. 1 unit of the Tianwan nuclear power plant at the physical startup stage. Such tests are needed to increase the operational reliability of the shielding on the basis of the margin up to a crisis of heat transfer. If the results of the tests performed on the No. 1 unit are confirmed by planned tests on the No. 2 units of the nuclear power plant, then the possibility of performing such tests only on the first units will be validated, which will decrease the time required to put serially produced power generating units into operation. Experiments have validated the possibility of eliminating tests on mixing of the circuit flows in subsequent units with VVER reactors to decrease the time and cost of putting a unit into operation provided that tests are performed to determine the coolant temperature.