Department of Integrated Developments

Yu.N. Kuznetsov Director of the Department

Main Activities Research reactors Nuclear power reactors of a new generation Underground nuclear power and district heating plants Nuclear reactors for district heating and desalination Decommissioning of power, research and production reactors Management of radioactive waste Study of severe accidents at light water reactors

The Department has developed reactors of various types for basic and applied research.

Research reactors built to NIKIET's designs or with its participation

Ðîññèÿ/Russia

* Under construction

CIS and other countries

Pulse fast neutron reactor IBR-2

The world's only operating batch-type pulse reactor with a mechanical reactivity modulator has an in-core neutron flux in a pulse up to 1.2·10¹⁷ neutr./(cm²·s) with the average reactor power of 2 MW. It is used for beam studies in condensed media physics.

IBR-2 Reactor

Nuclear district heating plant with RUTA reactor facility

A water-cooled water-moderated pool-type reactor facility was designed for nuclear district heating plants. Its development relied on considerable expertise in the design, manufacture and operation of pool-type research reactors. The coolant operates under low pressure and temperature, which together with simple design promises reliable performance of the plant. Wide use of inherent safety features provides a high safety level of the new facility. Due to this, it can be sited in the immediate vicinity of consumers with a significant reduction of heat losses and transportation costs.

Integration of RUTA plants into the heat supply systems affords:

• heat and hot water supply to small and medium-size towns in fuel-deficient regions;
• a perceptible cut in fossil fuel consumption for district heating;
• tangible alleviation of environmental impacts caused by industrial activities.

Another promising application of RUTA lies in the field of salt water desalination. The facility can be used as a source of low-grade heat for production of cheap high-quality distillate at distillation desalination facilities.

RUTA Reactor 1 - leak detection system 2 - core 3 - concrete 4 - control rod drive 5 - primary heat exchanger 6 - pile cap 7 - reactor water pool 8 - reactor hall crane

Nuclear Cogeneration Plant with VK-300 Reactors

Together with other Russian Institutes, NIKIET has designed an underground nuclear cogeneration plant with a vessel-type boiling reactor VK-300 to be built at the site of the Krasnoyarsk Underground Reprocessing Complex to replace the decommissioned ADE reactor and to supply the Complex and the neighbouring town of Zheleznogorsk with electricity and heat. The VK-300 facility meets all the safety standards and requirements of the Russian nuclear power industry and is consistent with the IAEA recommendations. The VK-300 prototype - VK-50 reactor facility - has been in operation at the National Research Centre NIIAR (Dimitrovgrad) since 1965.

The VK-300 reactor facility, rated for 750 MWth, produces saturated steam and generates:

• up to 200 MW of electricity and 400 Gcal/h of heat in the heat supply mode;
• 250 MW of electricity in the condensing mode.

Compact arrangement of reactor components allows building such plants not only on the surface but underground as well.

	1 - reactor 2 - primary containment 3 - refuelling machine 4 - emergency cooling tank 5 - bridge crane 6 - secondary containment
Layout of the VK-300 cogeneration plant building ( click to view full size )

Construction of this underground plant within the Krasnoyarsk Complex can set the stage for integration of safe and economically efficient cogeneration units with VK-300 reactors into the Russian power industry.

Development of the lead-on nuclear cogeneration plant with the VK-300 reactor facility has been started pursuant to the “Statement of intents concerning the design, construction and commissioning of a nuclear heat and power plant in Arkhangelsk District".

Decommissioning of power and research reactors

A project to seal the reactor cavity of the shutdown reactor AMB-100 at the Beloyarsk NPP is a first step towards decommissioning of water-graphite power reactors. The sealing is expected to enhance the safety of Beloyarsk 1 during its mothballing and preparation for decommissioning, due to smaller release of aerosols and other radioactive materials to the reactor hall and adjacent rooms.

	1 - extra sealing of doors in the room housing drives of the control and protection system 2 - risers and drives of the control and protection system 3 - bottom plate 4 - top plate 5 - channel risers 6 - sealing of channel risers and holes in the top plate 7 - shielding plates 8 - graphite stack 9 - shell 10 - biological shielding tank 11 - room with control and protection system drives
Reactor cavity of the AMB-100 reactor at the Beloyarsk NPP ( click to view full size )

The Department is carrying on conceptual studies on an innovative decommissioning technique for on-shore nuclear plants.

Other activities

Work is in progress under an ISTC (International Scientific and Technological Centre) project aimed at conceptual, computational and experimental development of a new nuclear technology based on a reactor with circulating liquid metal fuel, which allows efficient transmutation of long-lived fission products, utilisation of energy- and weapon-grade plutonium, and burning of minor actinides.

An experimental loop PVP-3 is being developed around the research reactor MIR (NIIAR) for integrated in-pile studies on severe accidents at light-water power reactors.

The Department performs feasibility studies on new nuclear plant designs, including comparison of advanced plants.

IVG.1 Reactor

IGR Reactor

VVR-K Reactor