Sergei Egorov, director of science and innovation at Atomenergoproekt JSC, explained to RG how over this long period approaches in the design and construction of nuclear energy facilities have changed.
You represent the largest design institute of the Rosatom State Corporation. What is your role and key competencies?
Sergey Egorov: Atomenergoproekt is the general designer of all high-power nuclear power plants built in Russia and abroad. These include the Tianwan nuclear power plant in China, Kudankulam in India and Akkuyu in Turkey. And he also participated as a general contractor in the construction of the Novovoronezh-2 nuclear power plant (two power units with VVER-1200 reactors). Atomenergoproekt offers a full range of work and services for the scientific development of promising nuclear power plant projects. We provide your design and support in the construction stage, as well as legal protection of key products and innovative technologies used in the projects.
What does this mean?
Sergey Egorov: Atomenergoproekt’s portfolio includes about 600 results of intellectual activity, of which more than 220 foreign patents for inventions in more than 30 countries, 82 Russian patents for inventions and utility models, 195 computer programs and databases, 79 scientific works and 16 knowledge. -how in the field of R&D results. In addition, some 400 applications for inventions are at various stages of examination in foreign patent offices.
In 2022, a group of specialists from Atomenergoproekt completed the development of an import-independent version of the BARS 3.0 software. In addition to nuclear industry companies, Roscosmos, the United Shipbuilding Corporation, the Russian Navy and other educational organizations and institutions are also interested. “BARS 3.0” is used to justify security, perform probabilistic security analysis, and analyze the reliability of systems and elements. The capabilities of our program are significantly superior to those of its foreign counterparts, in particular, Risk Spectrum PSA, previously used by companies in the nuclear industry.
By the end of this year we expect to receive 65 foreign and 12 Russian patents for inventions, 20 certificates of registration of computer programs and databases. Registration of 20 know-how is also being completed. Within the framework of the international patent procedure, 75 official applications for patent examination from foreign offices were processed after nine months; By the end of the year this figure should reach 100.
In 2023, more than 150 royalty payments will be made for the creation and use of intellectual property results with a total value of about 26 million rubles.
How long can a modern nuclear power plant operate and what does its life cycle management system include?
Sergei Egorov: The possible and actually achievable periods are on the order of 100 years. The nuclear power plants in our projects have been in operation for 60 years. The other half of this period can be achieved by measures to extend the life of power units.
The life cycle management system of a nuclear power plant includes everything related to its appearance and completion of work: development (research, equipment design, system design, buildings and structures), packaging, manufacturing and supply of elements and materials , construction ( construction and installation), commissioning, commissioning of the facility, the operation process itself, which is accompanied by maintenance and repair of equipment and ends with dismantling.
Today, third and third generation nuclear power units are being built and operated. What are the requirements for fourth generation reactors?
Sergey Egorov: The Generation IV expert forum in the early 2000s selected six designs that could correspond to this generation. These are fast neutron reactors with gas cooling, with lead coolant, with sodium coolant (power units of this type BN-600 and BN-800 operate at the Beloyarsk NPP in Russia. – Ed.) , molten salt reactor, supercritical pressure water reactor. (SKD) and ultra-high temperature reactor.
Such designs include conditions that practically eliminate a serious accident in “fast” reactors due to the special properties of the coolant. In addition, there is the possibility of generating fuel during the transition to a closed fuel cycle, burning actinides (the longest-lived radioactive isotopes) and strengthening safety barriers.
Could a robot replace a person on the control panel of future nuclear power plants with reactors of this type?
Sergey Egorov: Technically this is possible and we are carrying out such developments. But there is a point related to the responsibility for performing a certain operation by a robotic complex. After all, now the full responsibility for this lies with the organization operating the nuclear power plant, which has competent employees. But in the case of robots, a different mechanism is needed, which is implemented differently, both from a legal and technical point of view.
We are already looking at analogues. It is interesting, for example, the experience of testing the operation of unmanned systems and robots on public roads and in aviation. There, the execution of the operations themselves is entrusted to the mechanism, and the ability to stop them in case of danger remains in the hands of the person.
Is the international program for evaluating new nuclear power plant projects, the Multinational Design Evaluation Program (MDEP), still relevant and how are Russian nuclear scientists involved in it?
Sergey Egorov: The MDEP initiative provides a unique opportunity for communication, business communication and interaction between developers of nuclear power plant projects and the community of national regulatory authorities representing the interests of the participating countries. Here it is important to highlight the highest level of professional discussion on particularly significant aspects related to security. This is also an opportunity to conduct a comparative analysis of the design solutions proposed by different states.
The flagship nuclear power plant project with VVER reactors, presented in this program by Russia, is being built in several countries. Communication in international format allows further study of design decisions not only within the framework of national licensing procedures and construction control of nuclear power plants, but also by exchanging opinions and forming a common MDEP position on key decisions .
The structure of the engineering division includes a joint scientific and technical council (UNTS). What does it do and what rights does it have?
Sergey Egorov: The main tasks of the council are to resolve those project problems that require the concentration of a professional public to develop a common position. After all, we have scientific discussions among colleagues and disagreements when choosing one solution or another. The practical aspect of the council’s activities is assistance in organizing research and knowledge-intensive work, developing technological solutions and developing a methodology to achieve the necessary results. And, of course, ONTS is a platform to share plans and have the support of the professional community in their implementation.
