VVER-TOI | POWER PLANT DESIGN


Since the VVER-TOI design uses the same engineering approaches as its predecessor, it requires no changes in the basic conceptual, structural and layout solutions for the power plant, though a new equipment layout is required


area is also the support shell, though the welded joint is excluded (there are four vessel welds, in comparison with five or six welds in the classic designs). The angle between the axes of the even and odd nozzles has changed to 78° (the classic design provides for 55°). Fewer welded joints mean faster manufacturing of


the reactor vessel, and lower labour costs for welding, cleaning and non-destructive testing in proportion to the deposited metal, which also results in better reliability of the reactor vessel design.


Kursk II — leading the way Kursk II is the first project to use the VVER-TOI and it has four new power units with a capacity of 1300MW each. AEM-Technology (a subsidiary of AtomEnergoMash,


Rosatom’s mechanical engineering division), the only Russian manufacturer capable of making a complete nuclear steam generator, is also the manufacturer for the VVER-TOI. The company started manufacturing the first VVER-


TOI in 2018. The reactor vessel and steam generators for Kursk II-1 were manufactured in 2020 and shipped in April 2021. The manufacturing of equipment for the Kursk II-2 is currently under way. The complete steam generator set for unit 2 will be shipped in the first half of 2022. According to Igor Kotov, director general of AEM


Technology, the Kursk II project is the next stage in the development of Russian VVER technology. “AEM-technology is the largest manufacturer of this equipment, and VVER-TOI manufacturing is a challenge for us. It is an opportunity to show our ability to quickly adapt manufacturing processes to meet new challenges maintaining high standards. Despite the quarantine restrictions, we succeeded in manufacturing the first set of equipment with a new Russian reactor of VVER-TOI type,” says Kotov. AEM-technology facilities manufacture up to four sets of equipment per year. The company backlog of orders for the period up to 2025 is worth 193 billion rubles. The company’s manufacturing plan for nuclear plant equipment for the period to 2028 includes 24 reactor vessels with internals and 93 steam generators. The extensive investment programme, providing for the commissioning of 388 new equipment items and associated investment, is around 9.7 billion rubles. AEM-technology facilities are now manufacturing equipment for nuclear units at Rooppur (Bangladesh), Akkuyu (Turkey), Kudankulam (India), Tianwan (China), Xudapu (China) and Kursk II (Russia). ■


Power Machines tests half speed turbine


Above: Leningradsky Metallichesky Zavod tested the prototype of a domestic low-speed turbine with a capacity of 1255MW


In July, Leningradsky Metallichesky Zavod (LMZ) announced it had completed testing for the prototype of a domestic low-speed turbine with a capacity of 1255MW.


The new generation low-speed turbine was designed and developed by


employees of the special design bureau Turbina at LMZ to meet the requirements of the VVER-TOI. Power Machines has been managing the project for several years. The company has consistently implemented a set of research and development efforts, experimental testing for new units on bench-scale and full-scale test units, and pre-production engineering. The recent tests, which were overseen by customer representatives, verified


the correct assembly and accuracy of the alignments for all turbine wheel space components at the LMZ test bench by rotating the barring gear. The prototype was produced in a new 7bn-ruble manufacturing facility dedicated to producing power equipment with a capacity above 500MW, including low-speed turbines for nuclear power plants with a capacity of more than 1200MW. There is also the possibility of expanding the product line to a capacity of 1800MW. Manufacturing the prototype of a low-speed high-power turbine is the most


important innovative project for the Russian power industry as a whole, says Anton Viktorov, head of the nuclear power division of Power Machines. It allows the company to enter the market for low-speed high-power turbines and compete in this segment with international power engineering companies. “The current national policy for development in the nuclear industry has


created comprehensive conditions for the development of a new technology for the Russian market for producing low-speed turbine plants and the import substitution of high-tech equipment,” Viktorov adds. ■


www.neimagazine.com | October 2021 | 47


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