Rosatom has for the first time used a new device that it says performs all types of non-destructive testing automatically and without the use of a polar crane and a reloading machine. The Kalinin plant is just over 200 miles north-west of Moscow, in the Tver region of Russia.
The "modular delivery manipulator", guided by a television monitoring system, was employed at unit 1 of the Kalinin nuclear power plant to inspect the reactor vessel and internal components.
Maksim Milyaev, deputy head of the plant's central repair shop, said the device enables vertical and horizontal movement of its camera, as well as its full rotation.
"The capabilities of the manipulator can significantly simplify the control procedure, reducing the [radiation] dose to operating personnel," Milyaev said. "Its main advantage is the speed of surface scanning and the exclusion of camera relocation operations, which allows for a reduction in the repair time of the power unit and a reduction in cost of up to RUB65 million [USD860,000] per year," he added.
"Inspecting the condition of a reactor and its internal equipment to ensure they fully comply with design parameters and safety requirements is key to receiving regulatory approval to extend the operation of a nuclear power unit," Alexander Dorofeev, chief engineer at the Kalinin plant, added.
The unit, which has been undergoing large-scale upgrade work since November last year, is licensed to operate until 2025. After the successful completion of all the modernisation work, its service life may be extended to 2044, Rosatom said.
The Kalinin nuclear power plant consists of four power units with water-cooled power reactors (VVER-1000) with an installed capacity of 1000 MW each.
