The document discusses the evolution and advanced designs of VVER reactors. It describes the current challenges facing nuclear power plants and how generation 3+ designs, such as the VVER-1200, aim to address these through extended lifetimes, reduced costs and construction times. Future innovative designs discussed include the VVER-600, VVER-SCP generation 4 supercritical water cooled reactor, and concepts using tight fuel assemblies for a closed nuclear fuel cycle. The VVER-1200 design for project AES-2006 forms the basis for the further developed MIR-1200 design being implemented in the Czech Republic.

1. Advanced Designs of VVER
Reactor Plant
V.A. Mokhov
VVER-2010. Experience & Perspectives
01-03 November 2010.
Prague. Czech Republic

2. 2
What is VVER?
 Pressurized light water reactor.
 Loop-type reactor plant.
 Horizontal steam generators.
 Hexagonal fuel assemblies.
 A high level of inherent
safety.
 49 Units under operation
(about 1400 reactor-years
of the total operating time).
INTRODUCTION

3. 3
Current challenges
INTRODUCTION
 Competitiveness of nuclear power plants compared
with fossil fuel power plants:
extension of service life and increase in operability;
implementation of load-follow conditions;
reduction in capital costs and construction time, etc.;
 Implementation of nuclear power plants of a wide
power range of 300 – 1800 MWe;
 VVER efficient use in a closed fuel cycle.

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Answer to the current challenges
Development of advanced designs of generation 3+.
The main trends of improvement are:
 extension of the main equipment service life;
 decrease in the metal consumption;
 decrease in the RP dimensions (aimed at containment size
decrease);
 optimal use of the redundancy, independence and diversity
principles in design of safety systems.
 informatization of life cycle, introducing of datacentering
technologies, 3D designing
Development of VVER innovative designs of
generations 3++ and 4.
INTRODUCTION

5. 5
Development of VVER was
initiated at OKB “GIDROPRESS”
and RRC “Kurchatov Institute” in
1955.
The first NPP with VVER (with
power of 210 MW, el.) was
commissioned at Unit 1 of NV
NPP in 1964.
Since that time the RP designs
have been under continuous
improvement, which is aimed at
increasing safety, power,
operational characteristics and
economical efficiency of NPP
with VVER.
EVOLUTION OF VVER

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First designs of low and medium power
(1955 – 1975)
EVOLUTION OF VVER

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Designs of high-power
(1966 – 2003)
EVOLUTION OF VVER

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Modern designs (2000 – 2007)
EVOLUTION OF VVER

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Advanced and innovative designs
EVOLUTION OF VVER
Abbreviations used:
SLE – service life extended;
COM – commissioning;
CtP – concept proposal;
D – design is developed;
DCOM – decommissioned;
UC – NPP under construction;
UO – under operation.

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EVOLUTION OF VVER
Modern NPPs with VVER-1000 reactor plant
Iran
“Bushehr” NPP
China
“Tianwan” NPP
India
“Kudankulam” NPP

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EVOLUTION OF VVER
The basis of the evolutionary development and
improvement of VVER is VVER-1200 RP of
generation 3+ for AES-2006 being under
construction at LNPP-2.

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References of design
Development of design RP V-491 for LNPP-2 was started in 2007.
VVER-1200 for AES-2006
AES-91 with V-428
("Tianwan“ NPP)
LNPP-2 with V-491
MIR-1200

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Main parameters of reactor plant
VVER-1200 for AES-2006
Parameters V-428 VVER-1200
Reactor nominal thermal power, MW 3000 3200
Availability factor 0,8 0,9
Coolant pressure at the reactor outlet, MPa 15,7 16,2
Coolant temperature at the reactor inlet, о
С 290 298,6
Coolant temperature at the reactor outlet, о
С 320 329,7
Maximum linear heat rate, W/cm 448 420
Steam pressure at the outlet of SG steam header (absolute) MPa 6,27 7,0
Primary design pressure, MPa 17,64 17,64
Secondary design pressure, MPa 7,84 8,1
Maximum fuel burnup fraction over FAs in the FAs unloaded (in base
equilibrium fuel cycle), MWD/kgU
49 до 70
Refueling period, month 12 12/(18-24)
Time of fuel residence in the core, year 4 4/5

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VVER-1200 for AES-2006
Vessel
Parameter Value
VVER-
1200
VVER-
1000
(V-428)
Length , mm 11185 11185
Inner diameter, mm 4250 4150
Wall thickness in the
beltline region, mm
197,5 192,5
Mass, t 323 317

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 Corridor arrangement of
tube bundle;
 Increase in vessel diameter:
ID is increased from 4.0 to 4.2 m;
 SG service life
is extended
to 60 years.
VVER-1200 for AES-2006
Steam generator

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Fuel improvement
VVER-1200 for AES-2006

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NPP safety
 The basis for safety assurance is the high level of
RP inherent safety.
 The safety analyses performed for design and
beyond design basis accidents showed that the
established acceptance criteria are met.
 Nomenclature and configuration of safety systems is
necessary and sufficient for safety assurance of
NPP, in line with the requirements of RF regulatory
documents.
VVER-1200 for AES-2006

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NPP safety (continued)
Target value – frequency of severe damage of the core shall
not exceed 10-5
(reactor·year)-1
By the results of PSA
the frequency of severe damage of the core is:
LNPP-2
5.9 10-7
(reactor·year)-1
VVER-1200 for AES-2006

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NPP safety (continued)
VVER-1200 for AES-2006
 Double protective envelope (containment), the internal containment
has the controlled system of preliminary loading.
 Four channels of active safety systems (4x100%) of improved
arrangement and with a number of original solutions.
 Maximum use of the approved technical solutions and equipment.
 Special engineering measures in case of occurrence of beyond
design basis accident:
• device for corium localization (core catcher),
• hydrogen recombiners,
• passive heat removal system based on usage of passive principles
(PHRS) for heat removal from SG and containment.

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Consortium participants
MIR-1200
ŠKODA JS a.s.
More than 50 years of activities in nuclear power industry.
A partner of world nuclear companies and power societies..
One of the leading engineering and production companies all over the world
The company made 21 sets of pressurized water reactors with power of
440 MW and 3 reactors with power of 1000 MW.
JSC “ATOMSTROYEXPORT”
The leading State Engineering company controlled by State Corporation “Rosatom”.
~ 20% of the competitive world market.
Supply of NPPs of new generation completely meeting the international requirements and
IAEA and EUR standards.
OKB “GIDROPRESSS”
Designs and production documentation for NPPs with VVER.
Modernized designs notable for improved safety, reliability, efficiency and
competitiveness.

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MIR-1200
 Evolutionary design based on approved solutions with
improved safety level (VVER-1000 for “Tianwan” NPP and VVER-
1200 for AES-2006).
 Meets EUR requirements.
 Construction license for
two Units (LNPP-2).
 Decision on construction
of Baltic NPP.
 Service life is 60 years.
 Net energy power
is 1113 МВт (el.)

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MIR-1200
Implementation of the project in Czech Republic
 Localization of at least 70 % of supplies of equipment and services in Czechia;
 Substantial portion of supplies and services from the Suppliers of Slovakia;
 Bringing down the unemployment rate;
 Substantial progress in technical education;
 Standing a better chance
for Czech and Slovak companies in participation in the projects, based on similar
technology, in the third countries.

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The Project offers the specific participation of
Czech and Slovak companies in the following
activities
 Supplies of civil structures;
 Production of components (machine, electrical);
 I&C;
 Mounting;Mounting;
 Commissioning work;Commissioning work;
 Services for the Units under operation.Services for the Units under operation.
MIR-1200

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VVER-600 design concept
 Power is 600 MWel;
 Two circulation loops;
 Main equipment based on VVER-1200 (LNPP-2):
 direct borrowing of equipment;
 reference character;
 regular manufacturing of equipment does not require
considerable expenses.
 Safety assurance in line with the requirements for NPP of
generation 3+;
 Design service life is 60 years;
 Core melt retention in the reactor vessel during
severe BDBA.
VVER-600

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Main equipment layout
VVER-600

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Main equipment layout (cont.)
VVER-600
Ø36 m
PressurizerPressurizer
ECCS
accumulator-1
RCP
set
Spent fuel
pool
Steam generator
Reactor

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ECCS HA
Main equipment layout (cont.)
VVER-600
Passive heat
removal system
Main coolant
pipeline
Reactor
PressurizerPressurizer
Steam generator
2nd
stage
HA

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For the effective use of VVER in the closed nuclear fuel
cycle a version is studied for the innovative core with the
tight fuel rod grid
VVER-600 SR (Generation 3++)
Expected characteristics of
fuel cycle:
- conversion factor is about
0,7 - 0,8
(0,4 for VVER-1200);
- consumption of natural
uranium is about 130 t/GWe
(197 t/GWe for VVER-1200)

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VVER-SCP (Generation 4)
Innovative trend in development of VVER technology is RP
VVER-SCP cooled with water of supercritical pressure.
The given RP is a logic development of VVER connected
with further increase in water parameters.
Reactors cooled with water of
supercritical pressure, SCWR,
present one of options of the
International Forum
Generation IV.

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VVER-SCP (Generation 4)
Main parameters:
Thermal power, MW 3830
Electric power, MW 1700
Efficiency, % 43
Fuel UO2
+PuO2
Coolant water
Pressure 24.5 MPa
Inlet coolant temperature, °С 290
Outlet coolant temperature, °С 540
Conversion factor 0.9

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VVER-SCP (Generation 4)
Main parameters of
fuel assembly:
Parameter Value
Width across flats, mm 205
Quantity of fuel rods in FA, pcs. 252
Fuel rod diameter and cladding
thickness, mm
10.7×0.55
Fuel pellet diameter, mm 9.4
Pitch of fuel rod triangular grid, mm 12
Quantity of guiding tubes for RCCA,
pcs.
18
Central tube, pcs. 1
Diameter and thickness of guiding
and central tubes, mm
12×0.55
Jacket thickness, mm 2.25

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 OKB "GIDROPRESS" in cooperation with design and
scientific organizations provides VVER evolutionary
development to satisfy the latest requirements for NPP
safety and economic efficiency.
 The development of innovative designs for VVER of
generation 3++ and 4 that would meet the up-to-date
challenges of Russian and world-wide nuclear power
engineering is in progress
CONCLUSION

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Thank you
for your attention!