Creation of the world's first nuclear installation. History and types of nuclear power plants. The history of improving the types of nuclear reactors

The world's first nuclear power plant is the official name of the main attraction of Obninsk, the history and construction of which it was dedicated to. Built in 1951-54, the Obninsk nuclear power plant operated for 48 years until April 29, 2002. With a capacity of only 5 MW, it was hundreds of times smaller than its modern descendants, but it was she who became the firstborn of Mirny Atom. Moreover, the oldest nuclear power plants in the West - British Calders Hill and American Shippingport - were dismantled at the end of their service life. And at the Obninsk NPP, an industry memorial complex has been operating since 2009 - a kind of quasi-museum, which, however, is not so easy to get into.

Before, I showed many milestones of the Soviet atomic project. For example, in Kyrgyzstan, the first uranium mine in the USSR, where ore was mined with a pick and transported on donkeys. Here is the neighboring city in Tajikistan - the city of the first Soviet uranium. This is where the first atomic bomb in the USSR was detonated in 1949, once and for all depriving America of its monopoly on superweapons. Here, from the hills of neighboring Verkh-Neyvinsk, is the center of isotopic enrichment of uranium, and there are also Sarov, Ozersk, Seversk, Zheleznogorsk and other ZATOs, which are so difficult to get into! The Soviet nuclear project, as is commonly believed, began with Beria's report to Stalin on American developments, and with the words of the leader - "We must do it!" Then there was an explosion over Hiroshima, plans for atomic bombing of Soviet cities, a hasty search for uranium in various places from to, and finally, by the 1950s, the creation of not nuclear parity with potential adversaries, but a weapon of retaliation. However, an atomic bomb is only the end result, and the key link in the chain of its creation is a nuclear reactor that "produces" plutonium. The world's first nuclear reactor, nicknamed the Chicago Woodpile for its location and characteristic appearance, was built in 1942 by the Italian Enrico Fermi, and it was purely experimental. In 1943, in Oak Ridge, Tennis, the Clinton Woodpile, or X-1, the world's first "run-down" reactor in continuous operation, was put into operation, and in 1948, for the first time in history, it powered the power grid of the enterprise. The first experimental reactor F-1 in the USSR was launched in 1946 at Moscow Laboratory No. 2 (now the Kurchatov Institute) and operated until 2016, and in 1948 in present-day Ozersk ( Chelyabinsk region) the first industrial production reactor A-1 was put into operation, which provided the first Soviet atomic bomb. However, as often happens, theory was ahead of practice: if the first purely paper project of an atomic bomb in the USSR appeared back in 1940, then in 1945 Academician Pyotr Kapitsa presented a report "On the use of intra-atomic energy for peaceful purposes." The future Obninsk was from the very beginning a little away from the atomic project, as it were above the battle: the laboratory "B" that gave rise to it, founded in 1946 (since 1960 - the Institute of Physics and Power), has never dealt with nuclear weapons.

We will begin the path to the world's first nuclear power plant in the Old City - an area of ​​the 1950s, built back in the days when there was not the city of Obninsk here, but a settlement at Object "B" and a scattering of estates, villages and boarding schools around it. I talked about the Old City with its quiet shady streets, grandiose old pines, silence and cleanliness in the last part, but now we will continue our walk to the beginning of Lenin Avenue. In the frame above, the IPPE Palace of Culture, completed in 1954, almost simultaneously with the nuclear power plant, and although the monument in front of it is to Lenin, this porch remembers the full color of Soviet nuclear and space science.

The Old Town has a surprisingly sterile landscape, as if it were in the 1960s:

And here it is not the 21st century that wedges in, but only the 1980s in the backyard:

One of the oldest buildings in Obninsk is a school (1949), where the children of the first employees of Laboratory "B" studied, and great scientists and designers entered its doors as simply someone's fathers or mothers. A monument in front of the school, however, not to one of the eminent parents of her students, but to Stanislav Shatsky, whom we knew from the previous part - his colony "Vigorous Life" is from here behind a ravine.

The last blocks in front of the IPPE, where the street makes a very noticeable turn - in the perspective of Lenin Avenue, not the building of the institute, but beyond Protva:

Houses on the other side of the block look out at the Institute:

From the facades, the houses in both blocks south and north of Lenin Avenue are the same, and their appearance is clearly at the turn of the 1940s-1950s. But house # 1 from the yard looks completely different:

The main building of the IPPE, looking out from behind the entrance, is in the same style:

At the entrance there are a couple more buildings, one of which is occupied by the institute's offices, the other by a telephone exchange:

I was not given permission to photograph on the territory of the IPPE, and the Obninsk NPP is located on another site, so I was not behind the main entrance. But the Main Building is a building with a very interesting history, and its architecture clearly shows that it was not built at the time of the "songs of the winners": it was a Spanish orphanage. Rather, the building was laid in 1937 as a boarding school for children suffering from tuberculosis, but just on the eve of its opening, the ship "Santai" arrived in Leningrad from Bilbao, and soon the train brought five hundred Spanish children and dozens of their educators to Obninskoye station. Some were the children of Spanish revolutionaries like Dolores Ibarruri, some were just orphans and refugees whose homes were destroyed by the Civil War. The experience of rehabilitation of homeless children in the USSR, born of its own Civil War, was enormous, but it was not easy to cope with the Spanish temperaments: the children disassembled toys and distributed them equally, they fought with daisies in the meadow (in their homeland it was a symbol of children's fascist organizations), the very first football match deprived the building of most of the glass, and once the little Spaniards climbed into the control room of the Obninskoye station and staged a semaphore light show. This whole extravaganza did not last long - during the war, the Spanish children's home was evacuated to Saratov, the grown up Ruben Ibarruri became a pilot and died a hero, and people with Spanish surnames in Russia are not uncommon to this day (for example, as a student I had a classmate Sanchez-Perez). Capital buildings in a beautiful clean place quickly found a new owner - Object "B". And nevertheless, on the day of my arrival at the IPPE there was a fair amount of fuss - a delegation headed by the Kaluga governor and the Spanish ambassador came to open the memorial plaque.

13.Photo courtesy of the press service of AO SSCC RF IPPE

The house from picture 10 served as the apartments of the educators. Judging by its appearance, the IPPE hotel also belonged to the Spanish Children's Home, the facade of which is clearly visible at the end of the Mendeleev Street, which hugs the Institute, if you look to the right while standing facing the entrance.

On the ground floor, behind an inconspicuous door, there is an excellent dining room "Health", among the visitors of which there are many obvious people of science:

And if you turn left at the hotel and walk along the fence of the institute, then at the foot of one of the buildings you can see a nice wooden house.
In the closed territory of the IPPE, near the main building, there are monuments to Dmitry Blokhintsev and Alexander Leipunsky. The first one is better known as one of the founders of the famous Institute for Nuclear Research and the author of a number of discoveries in quantum physics, headed Object B, albeit not for long, but at the most crucial time - 1950-56. Alexander Leipunsky was the scientific director of the institute. He laid the foundations of the IPPE scientific school, the flower of local science is his students and the students of his students, so since 1996 the Institute has been called IPPE named after Alexander Leipunsky. Well, this wooden mansion is known as "Leipunsky's house" - the scientist lived here in 1949-72, until his death. Nowadays it is not a museum, but ordinary and dilapidated municipal housing:

Deeper into the woods, you can see another similar house - these are the remains of the Turliki estate, better known as Morozovskaya dacha. In 1901, a nobleman and famous publicist Viktor Obninsky settled here, the owner of the Belkino estate, familiar to us from the previous part, to which the city owes its name through the railway station. In 1909, Turliki was bought by Margarita Morozova, a half-relative of Savva Morozov, the textual king from. Under her, in the 1910s, wooden buildings were built - Leipunsky's house was originally a mansion of the estate manager, and this is a house for guests of the estate:

And a little further away - and the stone Main House, in an equally sad state:

Basically, it was built during the Obninsk era in the romantic "English" style. An observation tower towered over the roof, and the interiors were decorated with furniture from the Kaluga house of Imam Shamil, the leader of the endless Caucasian war, who surrendered to the Russian authorities. There was heating, elevators, linoleum floors - everything was according to the latest technology of the time. In the 1910s, under Morozova, the house was rebuilt, and there is a version (seemingly not entirely reliable) that the textile princess ordered the project from the founder of Moscow Art Nouveau Lev Kekushev.

During the revolution and the civil war, roughly the same thing happened to the Turliks ​​as to most of the Russian estates, and since 1918 "Vigorous Life" spread here because of the ravine. And in 1942, Morozovskaya dacha, together with the Spanish orphanage, was occupied by the Headquarters of the Western Front. The roof of the estate was painted in khaki color, the tower was chopped off, and a net of barbed wire was stretched between the trees, on top of which spruce branches were thrown - the estate was not visible from the air. Has grown under the buildings whole system underground communications - the so-called Zhukovsky caves, through the efforts of popular rumor, grew into a kind of medieval catacombs. After the war, the Morozovskaya dacha served as a home for high-ranking guests, primarily Igor Kurchatov, who regularly came to supervise the work of Laboratory "B". Then it was the IPPE dispensary, and in 2016 Turliki was transferred to the city's balance sheet. The manor is now awaiting restoration, but until it is put in order - the entrance to the territory is closed, only the museum sometimes conducts excursions. Nevertheless, the interiors have been preserved in the house. Well, I walked for a long time in the snow along the fence to find a suitable view of the facade:

All this can be seen by simply arriving in Obninsk. But the IPPE is spread over half a city, it is worthy of a large plant (2 km by 500 m) in size, consists of two sites separated by a road, and the Obninsk NPP is located in the very heart of the site that is further away. Having called the museum, I learned that excursions to the world's first nuclear power plant are free of charge, but for groups of at least 15 people, without the possibility of connecting to a ready-made group and without photographing. Then I called the communications director Alexei Yuryevich Gromyko, and you owe the further part of this post to him: he met my proposal with interest, but still another week was spent on all the approvals, calls and letters to the press service, the museum and the security service. As a result, I was allowed to join a group of schoolchildren and take photographs "in designated places" - that is, strictly inside the building of the world's first nuclear power plant. And so, after taking a walk around the city, at the agreed time I was at the checkpoint, where a bus with ninth-graders of one of the Obninsk lyceums was waiting. The following shots with graffiti I took on the way back at dusk - the passageways of the two sites are connected by the same Mendeleev Street:

Laboratory "V" - IPPE has developed over 120 projects of nuclear reactors in its history. But the initial project "AM-1" was deciphered not at all as Atom Mirny, but as Atom Morskoy. No weapons were created here, but nevertheless Laboratory "B" also worked for the scrap: its first project was nuclear reactors for submarines. The huge uranium-graphite reactor was not very suitable for ships, unlike a power plant. The world's first nuclear power plants (in the USSR) and nuclear submarines (in the USA) went into operation almost simultaneously - in 1954, but the creation of a Soviet nuclear submarine dragged on until 1959, and the crews for it were also trained in Obninsk. In the following decades, at IPPE, atomic reactors were created that could stand still, drive, swim, and even fly.

Among the brainchilds of IPPE were not only nuclear reactors of most Soviet nuclear power plants, ships and icebreakers, but also such exotic as mobile nuclear power plants-all-terrain vehicles "Pamir" (in the frame below they are against the background of the Obninsk nuclear power plant) for power supply of geological parties in the remote corners of the Far North or space nuclear reactors "Buk" and "Topaz" with a one-year service life, which ensured the operation of satellite equipment.

Access road of IPPE, diesel locomotive at the bus stop. Equipment of the Obninsk NPP was transported along these tracks:

If there is Leipunsky's house next to the main site, then at the second site, which is located on the site of the village of Pyatkino, there is, accordingly, Kurchatov's house. This is no longer a mansion - a wooden mansion, in which it is difficult to recognize the Stalinist style, was built in 1952-53. Now it is in a protected area, looking out from the top floor of the gate, but it is planned to equip a museum and an interactive educational center for children in it.

The most interesting thing about this house is from the back side: the snow-covered Bench of Three "K", on which Igor Kurchatov, Sergey Korolev and Mstislav Keldysh were sitting. And although it is not known for sure whether they have ever been here all together, it is breathtaking to think what prospects could be discussed on this bench on warm summer nights, without unnecessary officialdom.

At the checkpoint, I handed over a backpack with a laptop, a phone and flash drives to the storage room, and the soldier-guard checked my passport against the list, and together with the guide and the person in charge of the museum, Inna Mikhailovna, I went to the bus. Groups "from 15 people" are here precisely because there is a little less than a kilometer from the checkpoint to the nuclear power plant, and of course, excursionists are not taken on foot through the territory of such a high-security institution. Even the facade of the Obninsk NPP and information posters next to it are forbidden to be removed!

25.Photo courtesy of the press service of AO SSCC RF IPPE

The peaceful atom was created in the strictest secrecy; from the air, the site should have had a minimum of differences from city blocks. Therefore, the Obninsk NPP consists of two buildings - to the left of the main road there is a nuclear power plant with a reactor, to the right - a CHP. It is not entirely obvious to the layman that a nuclear reaction is used to heat a boiler, and even nuclear ships are actually steamers. Likewise, hot steam was supplied to the CHPP from the reactor hall through an underground steam pipeline. On June 26, 1954, the power start-up of the world's first nuclear power plant took place, and when a cloud of steam appeared over the building of the thermal power plant, which was not yet hot enough to turn the turbine, Igor Kurchatov exclaimed "Enjoy your steam!" "Go!" for astronauts. The pipes from which the "light steam" escaped have not survived, they can be seen in the black-and-white photograph with the "Pamirs" (No. 21a), and the current striped pipes are of late Soviet construction.

The current status of the Obninsk NPP is twofold. With a power of 5 MW, by the end of the twentieth century, the "old woman" (as the nuclear scientists affectionately called her) worked mainly for scientific purposes, and also produced isotopes for medicine. Its exploitation did not pay off, the design deadline was long overdue (although the "old woman" kept up cheerfully and could have worked for more years), and in 2002 it was decided to stop the Obninsk NPP - the first of the Soviet nuclear power plants... But they did not break its building, and in parallel with the dismantling of the equipment, an industry memorial complex was being created. For sightseers, it opened in 2009, the conservation work was completed in 2015, but even now the world's first nuclear power plant resembles an operating enterprise rather than a museum, and in its narrow corridors we more than once or twice met concentrated employees. At the entrance, according to the regulations, the group puts on white robes and shoe covers.

The tour goes through 4 sites. The first one is the post of control and radiation safety on the first floor. Recorders and dials of measuring instruments here continuously showed data on the level of radiation and the composition of the air in the working rooms of the station. The valves on the wall on the left correspond to each of the rooms, from where, when pressed, an air sample was taken for analysis.

Small failures in the operation of the world's first nuclear power plant at first occurred regularly, sometimes several times a day, but none of them turned into a serious emergency. For 48 years of operation at the Obninsk NPP, there was not a single dangerous release of radiation in environment or cases of radiation exposure of employees (but at other facilities of the institute in the same 1954, a much more serious incident took place - not with the deceased, but with the injured).

Dosimeters, including a "pencil" - at the workplace this hung on the chest of each employee:

Radiation protection suits. These were used in the repair of equipment in the "hot chamber", where spent fuel assemblies are cut. When putting on such, they also blow from the inside, so that at the slightest depressurization, the person will notice this by the air coming out, and have time to leave the dangerous room while the air comes out of the suit, preventing the infected air from penetrating under the suit.

In general, it is difficult to talk about a nuclear power plant, if only because most of its technology, in principle, is not understandable to people who are far from the topic. For example, the UIM-2D device for measuring the speed of impulses - how many of those reading these lines does this mean anything?

Straight to the station master's office. The situation here, while the nuclear power plant was operating, changed several times, and the current one is recreated as of the 1950s. On the wall - portraits of directors, on the table - a small exposition of measuring instruments:

But the main artifact of this room is the guestbook. Initially, the Obninsk NPP was built in such a secret environment that not even all the participants in the construction knew what exactly they were doing - they just made calculations without being aware of the whole picture. When Pravda wrote about the launch of the Peaceful Atom, not even all the employees of Object "B" knew that they had this Peaceful Atom, and when the peasants who were walking by asked the atomic lobbyists who had covered a glade near the Protva coast, "What are you celebrating?" answered - "Celebrating the lunar eclipse!". But soon Mirny Atom began to open up to the world, and only under the Soviets, more than 60 thousand people visited the Obninsk NPP as part of various delegations (for comparison, now the museum's attendance is 3-5 thousand tourists a year).

An old guestbook with aftographers of Georgy Zhukov, Yuri Gagarin, Ho Chi Minh, Indira Gandhi, Broz Tito and other already legendary personalities of the 20th century is now kept in Moscow. But the current book with inscriptions in all languages ​​of the world looks impressive. Eminent guests visit the world's first nuclear power plant even now - for example, several years ago the British Prince Michael of Kent visited it.

And not far away, behind a door marked by children's drawings and a monument to Kurchatov (he wore a "Sumerian" beard, by the way, because he was very young for his importance and tried to look more respectable among the veterans of physics) ...

The central control panel of the nuclear power plant is located. The strange thing on the left puzzled me with its absolute cosmic appearance, and it was really intended for space. This is nothing more than the aforementioned Buk (or rather, its model), a space nuclear power plant for powering onboard equipment. Since 1970, at least 30 spacecraft have been launched with it.

Nuclear power plant control panel:

Again, like (from his remote control - my current avatar), I can't help but admire technical design Soviet nuclear technology.

On the other hand, there are fuel assemblies for different types of reactors (RBMK, VVR and BN-600). Fuel assemblies are what are loaded into the core of a nuclear reactor. Each assembly is a "bundle" of fuel rods - fuel elements, long rods with nuclear fuel pellets inside, and is designed so that the nuclear reaction is efficient but controllable. The word "TVEL" was also born in Laboratory "B" in 1951, even before the construction of the Obninsk nuclear power plant, and their creator was Vladimir Malykh, whom his colleagues called "the king of TVELs". Today, Russia represented by TVEL with its main production facility in Elektrostal near Moscow accounts for 17% of the world nuclear fuel market, and 100% for some types of reactors.

Well, the last point is the holy of holies of the nuclear power plant, its reactor. The path to it is along an inconspicuous staircase in the floor, along narrow winding corridors:

First, the corridors lead to the crane control panel. From this control panel, the work did not always go on, but only when the reactor lid was opened to replace active technological channels:

Behind the green windows - as if layouts. In fact, half a meter of protective quartz glass gives this effect:

In the reactor hall, the crane operator's cabin looks like a sullen three-eyed Martian:

At the bottom right, there is a characteristic "sieve", a holding pool for spent canals:

The channels themselves, of course, without fuel and "clean":

When the reactor was closed with a multi-ton cover, the crane operator worked from the control panel on a glazed platform almost above the reactor itself. The chief designer of the Obninsk NPP reactor was Nikolai Dollezhal, who participated in the creation of reactors and subsequent Soviet nuclear power plants.

The guide said the phrase "America is a country of atomic darkness, Russia is a country of atomic light." The United States created an atomic bomb and dropped it on the city, and the USSR, although it was 4-5 years behind in weapons and ships, created the world's first nuclear power plant. In 1956, the first nuclear power plant in Britain gave current, and in 1957 - in the United States. In 1958, the Siberian nuclear power plant near Tomsk was put into operation, ten times more powerful than Obninsk, but still mainly engaged in the production of plutonium. The same applies to the Beloyarsk NPP in the Urals, which was launched in 1964, and is now the oldest operating in Russia. And the first completely civilian nuclear power plant in the country was Novovoronezh, which started operating in the same 1964. But the most famous nuclear power plant in the Soviet Union, sadly, remained, and there is a great injustice in this. When the catastrophe happened there, headlines like "Savages should not be allowed to high technologies" appeared in the foreign press, and their authors clearly managed to forget who exactly these technologies created and first embodied. At the moment, the reactor of the Obninsk NPP has 441 living "descendants"; Japan has drowned out another 40 of its reactors after Fukushima. And Russia continues to build nuclear power plants and supply them with fuel both at home and around the world.

But the museum of the world's first nuclear power plant is unlikely to ever become easily accessible - it is too far from the entrance, and the IPPE is doing too important work to make the passage to it free. Finally - the view of the IPPE from the train, Obninsk NPP owns the high pipe of the main building on the left and the low pipes of the TPP in the middle.

Obninsk forms a well-visible agglomeration, which includes Balabanovo, Borovsk, Maloyaroslavets and many smaller settlements and villages. As already mentioned in the last part, now it is one of the most prosperous corners of Russia. Well, Borovsk is responsible for the historical center of this system, where we will go in the next 3-4 parts.

KALUGA REGION-2018
and a table of contents.
and a table of contents.
... Town.
Obninsk. The world's first nuclear power plant.
Borovsk. Pafnutiev monastery and surroundings.
Borovsk. Centre.
Borovsk. Suburbs and details.
Kaluga. General flavor.
Kaluga. Old bargaining and surroundings.
Kaluga. Churches.
Kaluga. Chambers and mansions.
Kaluga. Cradle of Cosmonautics.

A nuclear power plant or nuclear power plant for short is a complex of technical structures designed to generate electrical energy by using the energy released during a controlled nuclear reaction.

In the second half of the 40s, before the work on the creation of the first atomic bomb was completed, which was tested on August 29, 1949, Soviet scientists began to develop the first projects for the peaceful use of atomic energy. The main focus of the projects was the power industry.

In May 1950, the construction of the world's first nuclear power plant began in the vicinity of the Obninskoye village of the Kaluga region.

For the first time, electricity from a nuclear reactor was received on December 20, 1951 in the state of Idaho in the United States.

To test its functionality, the generator was connected to four incandescent lamps, and did not expect the lamps to light up.

From that moment on, humanity began to use the energy of a nuclear reactor to generate electricity.

First Nuclear Power Plants

The construction of the world's first nuclear power plant with a capacity of 5 MW was completed in 1954 and on June 27, 1954, it was launched, so it began to work.

In 1958, the 1st stage of the Siberian NPP with a capacity of 100 MW was put into operation.

The construction of the Beloyarsk industrial nuclear power plant also began in 1958. On April 26, 1964, the 1st stage generator gave current to consumers.

In September 1964, Unit 1 of the Novovoronezh NPP with a capacity of 210 MW was launched. The second unit with a capacity of 350 MW was launched in December 1969.

In 1973, the Leningrad NPP was launched.

In other countries, the first industrial nuclear power plant was commissioned in 1956 at Calder Hall (Great Britain) with a capacity of 46 MW.

In 1957, a 60 MW nuclear power plant was commissioned in Shippingport (USA).

The world leaders in nuclear power generation are:

1. USA (788.6 billion kWh / year),
2. France (426.8 billion kWh / year),
3. Japan (273.8 billion kWh / year),
4. Germany (158.4 billion kWh / year),
5. Russia (154.7 billion kWh / year).

NPP classification

Nuclear power plants can be classified in several ways:

By type of reactors

• Thermal reactors using special moderators to increase the likelihood of neutron absorption by the nuclei of fuel atoms
• Light water reactors
• Heavy water reactors
• Fast Reactors
• Subcritical reactors using external neutron sources
• Fusion reactors

By the type of energy supplied

1. Nuclear power plants (NPP) designed to generate electricity only
2. Nuclear combined heat and power plants (CHPP) generating both electricity and thermal energy

At nuclear power plants located on the territory of Russia there are heating installations, they are necessary for heating the network water.

Fuels used in nuclear power plants

At nuclear power plants, it is possible to use several substances, thanks to which it is possible to generate atomic electricity, modern nuclear power plants are uranium, thorium and plutonium.

Thorium fuel is not used today in nuclear power plants, for a number of reasons.

At first, it is more difficult to convert it into fuel elements, abbreviated to fuel elements.

Fuel rods are metal tubes that are placed inside a nuclear reactor. Inside

Fuel elements are radioactive substances. These tubes are nuclear fuel storage facilities.

Secondly, the use of thorium fuel presupposes its complex and expensive reprocessing after being used at a nuclear power plant.

Plutonium fuel is also not used in the nuclear power industry, due to the fact that this substance has a very complex chemical composition, the system for full-fledged and safe use has not yet been developed.

Uranium fuel

The main substance that generates energy at nuclear power plants is uranium. Today, uranium is mined in several ways:

• open pit mining
• closed in mines
• underground leaching, by drilling mines.

Underground leaching, by drilling mines, occurs by placing a sulfuric acid solution in underground wells, the solution is saturated with uranium and pumped out back.

Most large reserves uranium in the world are found in Australia, Kazakhstan, Russia and Canada.

The richest deposits are in Canada, Zaire, France and the Czech Republic. In these countries, up to 22 kilograms of uranium raw materials are obtained from a ton of ore.

In Russia, a little more than a kilogram of uranium is obtained from one ton of ore. Uranium mining sites are non-radioactive.

In its pure form, this substance is not very dangerous for humans, a much greater danger is the radioactive colorless gas radon, which is formed during the natural decay of uranium.

Uranium preparation

Uranium is not used in nuclear power plants in the form of ore, and the ore does not react. To use uranium at nuclear power plants, raw materials are processed into powder - uranium oxide, and after that it becomes uranium fuel.

Uranium powder turns into metal "tablets" - it is pressed into small neat cones, which are fired during the day at temperatures above 1500 degrees Celsius.

It is these uranium pellets that go into nuclear reactors, where they begin to interact with each other and, ultimately, provide people with electricity.

About 10 million uranium pellets are simultaneously operating in one nuclear reactor.

Before placing uranium pellets in the reactor, they are placed in metal tubes made of zirconium alloys - fuel elements, the tubes are connected to each other in bundles and form fuel assemblies - fuel assemblies.

It is the fuel assemblies that are called NPP fuel.

How is nuclear power plant fuel reprocessing?

After a year of using uranium in nuclear reactors, it is necessary to replace it.

The fuel cells are cooled down for several years and sent for cutting and dissolution.

As a result of chemical extraction, uranium and plutonium are released, which are reused, and fresh nuclear fuel is made from them.

The decay products of uranium and plutonium are sent to the manufacture of sources of ionizing radiation, they are used in medicine and industry.

Everything that remains after these manipulations is sent to the oven for heating, glass is cooked from this mass, such glass is in special storage facilities.

Glass is not made from the remains for mass use; glass is used to store radioactive substances.

It is difficult to separate the remains of radioactive elements from glass, which can harm the environment. Recently, a new way of disposing of radioactive waste has emerged.

Fast nuclear reactors or fast neutron reactors that run on reprocessed nuclear fuel residues.

According to scientists, the remnants of nuclear fuel, which are now stored in storage facilities, are capable of providing fuel for fast neutron reactors for 200 years.

In addition, new fast reactors can run on uranium fuel, which is made from uranium 238; this substance is not used in conventional nuclear power plants, because it is easier for today's nuclear power plants to process 235 and 233 uranium, of which there is little left in nature.

Thus, the new reactors are an opportunity to use the huge deposits of 238th uranium that have not been used before.

The principle of operation of a nuclear power plant

The principle of operation of a nuclear power plant on a double-circuit pressurized water reactor (VVER).

The energy released in the reactor core is transferred to the primary coolant.

At the outlet of the turbines, the steam enters the condenser, where it is cooled by a large amount of water coming from the reservoir.

The pressure compensator is a rather complex and cumbersome design, which serves to equalize the pressure fluctuations in the circuit during the operation of the reactor, arising from the thermal expansion of the coolant. The pressure in the 1st circuit can reach 160 atmospheres (VVER-1000).

In addition to water, molten sodium or gas can also be used as a heat carrier in various reactors.

The use of sodium makes it possible to simplify the design of the reactor core shell (in contrast to the water circuit, the pressure in the sodium circuit does not exceed atmospheric), to get rid of the pressure compensator, but it creates its own difficulties associated with the increased chemical activity of this metal.

The total number of circuits may vary for different reactors, the diagram in the figure is shown for VVER type reactors (Water-to-Water Power Reactor).

RBMK type reactors (High Power Channel Type Reactor) use one water loop, and BN reactors (Fast Neutron Reactor) use two sodium and one water loops.

If it is impossible to use a large amount of water for condensation of steam, instead of using a reservoir, the water can be cooled in special cooling towers (cooling towers), which, due to their size, are usually the most visible part of a nuclear power plant.

Nuclear reactor device

A nuclear reactor uses a nuclear fission process in which a heavy nucleus splits into two smaller fragments.

These fragments are in a very excited state and emit neutrons, other subatomic particles, and photons.

Neutrons can cause new fissions, as a result of which even more of them are emitted, and so on.

This continuous, self-sustaining series of cleavages is called a chain reaction.

At the same time, a large amount of energy is released, the production of which is the purpose of using a nuclear power plant.

The principle of operation of a nuclear reactor and a nuclear power plant is such that about 85% of the fission energy is released within a very short period of time after the start of the reaction.

The rest is generated by the radioactive decay of fission products after they have emitted neutrons.

Radioactive decay is the process by which an atom reaches a more stable state. It continues after the completion of the division.

The main elements of a nuclear reactor

• Nuclear fuel: enriched uranium, uranium and plutonium isotopes. The most commonly used is uranium 235;
• Coolant for the output of energy that is formed during the operation of the reactor: water, liquid sodium, etc.;
• Regulating rods;
• Neutron moderator;
• Sheath for radiation protection.

The principle of operation of a nuclear reactor

In the reactor core there are fuel elements (TVEL) - nuclear fuel.

They are collected in cassettes, including several dozen fuel rods. The coolant flows through the channels through each cassette.

Fuel rods regulate the power of the reactor. A nuclear reaction is possible only with a certain (critical) mass of the fuel rod.

The mass of each rod is individually below the critical one. The reaction starts when all the rods are in the core. By immersing and removing fuel rods, the response can be controlled.

So, when the critical mass is exceeded, fuel radioactive elements emit neutrons that collide with atoms.

The result is an unstable isotope that decays immediately, releasing energy in the form of gamma radiation and heat.

Particles, colliding, impart kinetic energy to each other, and the number of decays increases exponentially.

This is a chain reaction - the principle of operation of a nuclear reactor. Without control, it happens with lightning speed, which leads to an explosion. But in a nuclear reactor, the process is under control.

Thus, heat energy is released in the core, which is transferred to the water that bathes this zone (primary circuit).

Here the water temperature is 250-300 degrees. Further, the water gives off heat to the second circuit, after that - to the turbine blades that generate energy.

Conversion of nuclear energy into electrical energy can be represented schematically:

• Internal energy of the uranium core
• Kinetic energy of fragments of decayed nuclei and released neutrons
• Internal energy of water and steam
• Kinetic energy of water and steam
• Kinetic energy of turbine and generator rotors
• Electric Energy

The reactor core consists of hundreds of cassettes united by a metal shell. This shell also plays the role of a neutron reflector.

Control rods are inserted among the cassettes to adjust the reaction rate and emergency protection rods of the reactor.

Nuclear heating plant

The first projects of such stations were developed back in the 70s of the XX century, but due to the economic shocks that came in the late 80s and tough public opposition, none of them was fully implemented.

The exception is the Bilibino nuclear power plant of small capacity, it supplies heat and electricity to the village of Bilibino in the Arctic (10 thousand inhabitants) and local mining enterprises, as well as defense reactors (they are engaged in the production of plutonium):

• Siberian NPP supplying heat to Seversk and Tomsk.
• Reactor ADE-2 at the Krasnoyarsk Mining and Chemical Combine, since 1964 has been supplying thermal and electrical energy for the city of Zheleznogorsk.

At the time of the crisis, the construction of several nuclear power plants based on reactors similar to VVER-1000 was started:

• Voronezh AST
• Gorky AST
• Ivanovskaya AST (only planned)

Construction of these ASTs was halted in the second half of the 1980s or early 1990s.

In 2006, the Rosenergoatom concern planned to build a floating AST for Arkhangelsk, Pevek and other polar cities based on the KLT-40 reactor unit used on nuclear icebreakers.

There is a project for the construction of an unattended AST on the basis of the Elena reactor, and a mobile (by rail) Angstrem reactor installation

Disadvantages and advantages of nuclear power plants

Any engineering project has its positive and negative sides.

Positive aspects of nuclear power plants:

• Lack of harmful emissions;
• Emissions of radioactive substances are several times less than coal e. plants of similar capacity (ash-coal TPPs contain a percentage of uranium and thorium sufficient for their profitable extraction);
• A small amount of fuel used and the possibility of its reuse after processing;
• High power: 1000-1600 MW per power unit;
• Low cost of energy, especially heat.

Negative sides of nuclear power plants:

• Irradiated fuel is dangerous and requires complex and expensive reprocessing and storage measures;
• Variable power operation is undesirable for thermal reactors;
• The consequences of a possible incident are extremely grave, although its probability is rather low;
• Large capital investments, both specific, per 1 MW of installed capacity for units with a capacity of less than 700-800 MW, and general ones, necessary for the construction of the station, its infrastructure, as well as in the event of possible liquidation.

Scientific developments in the field of nuclear energy

Of course, there are drawbacks and concerns, but at the same time nuclear energy seems to be the most promising.

Alternative methods of obtaining energy, due to the energy of tides, wind, the Sun, geothermal sources, etc. currently have a low level of energy received, and its low concentration.

The necessary types of energy production have individual risks for the environment and tourism, for example, the production of photovoltaic cells, which pollutes the environment, the danger of wind farms for birds, and changes in wave dynamics.

Scientists are developing international projects for new generation nuclear reactors, for example, GT-MGR, which will improve the safety and increase the efficiency of nuclear power plants.

Russia has begun construction of the world's first floating nuclear power plant, it allows solving the problem of energy shortages in remote coastal regions of the country.

The USA and Japan are developing mini-nuclear power plants with a capacity of about 10-20 MW for the purposes of heat and power supply of individual industries, residential complexes, and in the future - individual houses.

A decrease in the plant's capacity implies an increase in the scale of production. Small-sized reactors are created using safe technologies that greatly reduce the possibility of nuclear material leakage.

Hydrogen production

The US government adopted the Atomic Hydrogen Initiative. Together with South Korea, work is underway to create nuclear reactors a new generation capable of producing large quantities of hydrogen.

INEEL (Idaho National Engineering Environmental Laboratory) predicts that one unit of a next-generation nuclear power plant will produce the equivalent of 750,000 liters of gasoline per day.

Research is being funded on the possibility of producing hydrogen at existing nuclear power plants.

Fusion energy

An even more interesting, albeit relatively distant, prospect is the use of nuclear fusion energy.

Fusion reactors, according to calculations, will consume less fuel per unit of energy, and both the fuel itself (deuterium, lithium, helium-3) and the products of their synthesis are non-radioactive and, therefore, environmentally friendly.

At present, with the participation of Russia, the construction of the international experimental thermonuclear reactor ITER is underway in the south of France.

What is efficiency

Coefficient of performance (COP) is a characteristic of the efficiency of a system or device in terms of energy conversion or transmission.

It is determined by the ratio of useful energy used to the total amount of energy received by the system. Efficiency is a dimensionless quantity and is often measured as a percentage.

NPP efficiency

The highest efficiency (92-95%) is the advantage of hydroelectric power plants. They generate 14% of the world's electrical power.

However, this type of stations is the most demanding on the site of construction and, as practice has shown, is very sensitive to the observance of operating rules.

The example of the events at the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP showed what tragic consequences can be caused by neglect of operating rules in an effort to reduce operating costs.

NPPs have high efficiency (80%). Their share in global electricity production is 22%.

But nuclear power plants require increased attention to the problem of safety, both at the design stage, and during construction, and during operation.

The slightest deviation from strict safety regulations for nuclear power plants is fraught with fatal consequences for all mankind.

In addition to the immediate danger in the event of an accident, the use of a nuclear power plant is accompanied by safety problems associated with the disposal or disposal of spent nuclear fuel.

The efficiency of thermal power plants does not exceed 34%; they generate up to sixty percent of the world's electricity.

In addition to electricity, thermal power plants produce heat energy, which in the form of hot steam or hot water can be transmitted to consumers over a distance of 20-25 kilometers. Such stations are called CHP (Teplo Electro Central).

TEC and CHP are not expensive to build, but unless special measures are taken, they have an adverse effect on the environment.

The adverse impact on the environment depends on the type of fuel used in the heating units.

The most harmful products of combustion of coal and heavy oil products, natural gas less aggressive.

TPPs are the main sources of electricity in Russia, the United States and most European countries.

However, there are exceptions, for example, in Norway, electricity is generated mainly at hydroelectric power plants, and in France, 70% of electricity is generated at nuclear power plants.

The first power plant in the world

The very first central power plant, the Pearl Street, was commissioned on September 4, 1882 in New York City.

The station was built with the support of the Edison Illuminating Company, led by Thomas Edison.

Several Edison generators with a total capacity of over 500 kW were installed on it.

The station supplied electricity to an entire New York area of ​​about 2.5 square kilometers.

The station burned to the ground in 1890, with only one dynamo surviving, now in the Greenfield Village, Michigan.

On September 30, 1882, the first hydroelectric power station, the Vulcan Street in Wisconsin, went into operation. The author of the project was G.D. Rogers, CEO of the Appleton Paper & Pulp.

A generator with a capacity of approximately 12.5 kW was installed at the station. There was enough electricity for Rogers' house and two of his paper mills.

Gloucester Road Power Station. Brighton was one of the first cities in the UK with an uninterrupted supply of electricity.

In 1882, Robert Hammond founded the Hammond Electric Light Company, and on February 27, 1882, he opened the Gloucester Road Power Plant.

The station consisted of a dynamo brush that was used to power sixteen arc lamps.

In 1885, the Gloucester power plant was purchased by Brighton Electric Light. Later, a new station was built on this site, consisting of three dynamo brushes with 40 lamps.

Power plant of the Winter Palace

In 1886, a power plant was built in one of the courtyards of the New Hermitage.

The power plant was the largest in all of Europe, not only at the time of construction, but also over the next 15 years.

Previously, candles were used to illuminate the Winter Palace; from 1861, gas lamps were used. Since the light bulbs had greater advantage, the development of the introduction of electric lighting was started.

Before the building was completely switched to electricity, lighting with lamps was used to illuminate the palace halls during Christmas and new year holidays 1885 year.

On November 9, 1885, the project for the construction of an "electricity factory" was approved by Emperor Alexander III. The project included the electrification of the Winter Palace, the buildings of the Hermitage, the courtyard and the surrounding area for three years until 1888.

There was a need to exclude the possibility of vibration of the building from the operation of steam engines; the location of the power plant was provided in a separate pavilion made of glass and metal. It was placed in the second courtyard of the Hermitage, since then called "Electric".

What the station looked like

The station building covered an area of ​​630 m², consisted of an engine room with 6 boilers, 4 steam engines and 2 locomotives, and a room with 36 electric dynamos. The total power reached 445 hp.

The first to illuminate part of the ceremonial premises:

• The entrance hall
• Petrovsky hall
• Great Field Marshal Hall
• Hall of arms
• Georgievsky hall

Three lighting modes have been proposed:

• full (festive) turn on five times a year (4888 incandescent lamps and 10 Yablochkov candles);
• working - 230 incandescent lamps;
• duty (night) - 304 incandescent lamps.
  The station consumed about 30 thousand poods (520 tons) of coal per year.

Large thermal power plants, nuclear power plants and hydroelectric power plants in Russia

The largest power plants in Russia by federal districts:

Central:

• Kostromskaya GRES, which runs on fuel oil;
• Ryazan station, the main fuel for which is coal;
• Konakovskaya, which can operate on gas and fuel oil;

Ural:

• Surgutskaya 1 and Surgutskaya 2. Stations, which are one of the largest power plants in the Russian Federation. They both run on natural gas;
• Reftinskaya, which operates on coal and is one of the largest power plants in the Urals;
• Troitskaya, also coal-fired;
• Iriklinskaya, the main source of fuel for which is fuel oil;

Privolzhsky:

• Zainsk state district power station operating on fuel oil;

Siberian Federal District:

• Nazarovskaya GRES, which consumes fuel oil as fuel;

Southern:

• Stavropolskaya, which can also operate on combined fuel in the form of gas and fuel oil;

Northwestern:

• Kirishskaya on fuel oil.

The list of power plants in Russia that generate energy using water are located on the territory of the Angara-Yenisei cascade:

Enisey:

• Sayano-Shushenskaya
• Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric power station;

Hangara:

• Irkutsk
• Bratsk
• Ust-Ilimskaya.

Nuclear power plants of Russia

Balakovo NPP

Located near the city of Balakovo, Saratov region, on the left bank of the Saratov reservoir. Consists of four VVER-1000 units commissioned in 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1993.

Beloyarsk NPP

Located in the city of Zarechny, in Sverdlovsk region, the second industrial nuclear power plant in the country (after the Siberian).

Four power units were built at the station: two with thermal reactors and two with a fast neutron reactor.

Currently, the operating power units are the 3rd and 4th power units with BN-600 and BN-800 reactors with an electric capacity of 600 MW and 880 MW, respectively.

BN-600 was commissioned in April 1980 - the world's first industrial-scale power unit with a fast reactor.

BN-800 was put into commercial operation in November 2016. It is also the world's largest power unit with a fast neutron reactor.

Bilibino NPP

Located near the city of Bilibino of Chukotka autonomous region... Consists of four EGP-6 units with a capacity of 12 MW each, commissioned in 1974 (two units), 1975 and 1976.

Generates electrical and thermal energy.

Kalinin NPP

Located in the north of the Tver region, on the southern shore of Lake Udomlya and near the city of the same name.

It consists of four power units with VVER-1000 reactors with an electrical capacity of 1000 MW, which were commissioned in 1984, 1986, 2004 and 2011.

On June 4, 2006, an agreement was signed on the construction of the fourth power unit, which was commissioned in 2011.

Kola nuclear power plant

Located near the town of Polyarnye Zori, Murmansk region, on the shores of Lake Imandra.

Consists of four VVER-440 units commissioned in 1973, 1974, 1981 and 1984.
The station's capacity is 1760 MW.

Kursk NPP

One of the four largest nuclear power plants in Russia, with the same capacity of 4000 MW.

Located near the city of Kurchatov, Kursk region, on the banks of the Seim River.

Consists of four RBMK-1000 units commissioned in 1976, 1979, 1983 and 1985.

The station's capacity is 4000 MW.

Leningrad NPP

One of the four largest nuclear power plants in Russia, with the same capacity of 4000 MW.

Located near the town of Sosnovy Bor in the Leningrad Region, on the coast of the Gulf of Finland.

Consists of four RBMK-1000 units, commissioned in 1973, 1975, 1979 and 1981.

The power of the station is 4 GW. In 2007, production amounted to 24.635 billion kWh.

Novovoronezh NPP

Located in the Voronezh region near the city of Voronezh, on the left bank of the Don River. Consists of two VVER units.

Provides 85% of the Voronezh region with electric energy, 50% provides the city of Novovoronezh with heat.

Station capacity (excluding) - 1440 MW.

Rostov nuclear power plant

Located in the Rostov region near the city of Volgodonsk. The electric capacity of the first power unit is 1000 MW, in 2010 the second power unit of the station was connected to the grid.

In 2001-2010, the plant was named "Volgodonskaya NPP", with the launch of the second power unit of the NPP, the station was officially renamed into Rostov NPP.

In 2008, the nuclear power plant produced 8.12 billion kWh of electricity. The installed capacity utilization factor (ICUF) was 92.45%. Since its launch (2001), it has generated over 60 billion kWh of electricity.

Smolensk NPP

Located near the city of Desnogorsk, Smolensk region. The station consists of three power units with RBMK-1000 reactors, which were commissioned in 1982, 1985 and 1990.

Each power unit includes: one reactor with a thermal power of 3200 MW and two turbine generators with an electrical power of 500 MW each.

US nuclear power plants

Shippingport NPP with a rated capacity of 60 MW, opened in 1958 in Pennsylvania. After 1965, there was an intensive construction of nuclear power plants throughout the United States.

Most of America's nuclear power plants were built 15 years later after 1965, before the onset of the first serious accident at a nuclear power plant on the planet.

If the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is recalled as the first accident, then this is not so.

The accident was caused by violations in the reactor cooling system and numerous errors of the operating personnel. As a result, nuclear fuel melted. Elimination of the consequences of the accident took about one billion dollars, the elimination process took 14 years.

After the accident, the government of the United States of America adjusted the safety conditions for the operation of all nuclear power plants in the state.

This, accordingly, led to the continuation of the construction period and a significant rise in prices for the objects of the "peaceful atom". Such changes have slowed down the development of the general industry in the United States.

At the end of the twentieth century, there were 104 operating reactors in the United States. Today, the United States ranks first on earth in terms of the number of nuclear reactors.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, four reactors in America have been shut down in 2013, and construction has begun on four more.

In fact, at the moment in the United States there are 100 reactors operating at 62 nuclear power plants, which produce 20% of all energy in the state.

The last reactor built in the United States was commissioned in 1996 at the Watts Bar Power Plant.

The US government adopted new energy policy guidelines in 2001. It includes a vector for the development of nuclear energy through the development of new types of reactors, with a more suitable efficiency factor, new options for reprocessing spent nuclear fuel.

The plans by 2020 included the construction of several dozen new nuclear reactors with a total capacity of 50,000 MW. In addition, to achieve an increase in the capacity of existing nuclear power plants by about 10,000 MW.

USA is the leader in the number of nuclear power plants in the world

Thanks to the implementation of this program, the construction of four new reactors began in America in 2013 - two of which at the Vogtl nuclear power plant, and the other two at VC Summer.

These four newest design reactors are the AR-1000, manufactured by Westinghouse.

In which country did the world's first nuclear power plant appear? Who and how created the pioneer in the field of nuclear energy? How many nuclear power plants are there in the world? Which nuclear power plant is considered the largest and most powerful? Do you want to know? We will tell you about everything!

Prerequisites for the creation of the world's first nuclear power plant

The study of the reaction of atoms has been carried out since the beginning of the 20th century in all developed countries of the world. The fact that people managed to subjugate the energy of the atom was first announced in the United States, when on August 6, 1945, they carried out tests by dropping an atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In parallel, a study was conducted on the use of the atom for peaceful purposes. Developments of this kind were also in the USSR.

It was in the USSR that the world's first nuclear power plant appeared. The nuclear potential was used not for military, but for peaceful purposes.

Back in the 40s, Kurchatov spoke of the need for the peaceful study of the atom in order to extract its energy for the benefit of people. But attempts to create atomic energy were interrupted by Lavrenty Beria, in those years it was he who oversaw projects for the study of the atom. Beria believed that atomic energy could be the strongest weapon in the world, capable of making the USSR an invincible power. Well, in fact, he was not mistaken about the strongest weapon ...

After the explosions in Herosima and Nagasaka, the USSR began an intensive study of nuclear power. Nuclear weapons at that time were the guarantor of the country's security. After the tests of Soviet nuclear weapons at the Semipalatinsk test site, the active development of nuclear energy began in the USSR. Nuclear weapons had already been created and tested, it was possible to focus on the use of the atom for peaceful purposes.

How was the world's first nuclear power plant created?

For the atomic project of the USSR in 1945-1946, 4 nuclear power laboratories were created. The first and fourth in Sukhumi, the second in Snezhinsk and the third near the Obninskaya station in the Kaluga region, it was called laboratory V. Today it is the Physics and Power Engineering Institute named after Leiputsky.

The world's first nuclear power plant was called Obninsk.

It was created with the participation of German physicists, who, after the end of the war, were voluntarily - forcibly discharged from Germany to work in the atomic laboratories of the Union, in the same way they did the same with German scientists in the United States. One of the arrivals was the nuclear physicist Hines Pose, who for some time headed the Obninsk laboratory V. So the first nuclear power plant owes its opening not only to Soviet, but also to German scientists.

The world's first nuclear power plant was developed at the Kurchatov Laboratory No. 2 and at NIIkhimmash under the leadership of Nikolai Dollezhal. Dollezhal was appointed chief designer of the nuclear reactor of the future nuclear power plant. The first nuclear power plant in the world was created in the Obninsk laboratory B, all the work was supervised by Igor Vasilyevich Kurchatov himself, who was considered the "father of the atomic bomb", and now they wanted to make him the father of nuclear energy.

At the beginning of 1951, the NPP project was only at the development stage, but the building for the nuclear power plant had already begun to be built. Heavy iron and concrete structures that could not be remodeled or expanded already existed, and the nuclear reactor was still not fully designed. Later, the builders will have another headache - to insert a nuclear installation into an already finished building.

It is interesting that the first nuclear power plant in the world was designed in such a way that fuel rods - thin tubes that are placed in a nuclear installation - were placed not with uranium pellets, as it is today, but with uranium powder made of uranium and molybdenum alloys. The first 512 fuel rods for the NPP start-up were made at the plant in the city of Elektrostal, each of them was tested for strength, they were made by hand. Hot water of the required temperature was poured into the TVEL, by the reddening of the tube, scientists determined whether the metal can withstand high temperatures. There were a lot of defective products in the first batches of TVELs.

Interesting facts about the world's first nuclear power plant

1. The Obninsk nuclear power plant, the first nuclear power plant in the USSR, was equipped with a nuclear reactor called AM. At first, these letters were deciphered as "the sea atom", tk. planned to use the installation on nuclear submarines, but later it turned out that the design was too large and heavy for a submarine and AM began to decipher as "peaceful atom".
2. The world's first nuclear power plant was built in a record short time... It took only 4 years from the start of construction to its commissioning.
3. According to the project, the first nuclear power plant cost 130 million rubles. In terms of our money, this is about 4 billion rubles. This is the amount allocated for its design and construction.

Launch of the world's first nuclear power plant

The start-up of the world's first nuclear power plant took place on May 9, 1954, the nuclear power plant was operating in an idle mode. On June 26, 1954, she gave the first electric current, and an energetic start-up was carried out.
What power was produced by the first nuclear power plant in the USSR? Only 5 MW - the first nuclear power plant operated at such a small capacity.

The world community took the news that the world's first nuclear power plant was launched with pride and glee. For the first time in the world, a person used the energy of the atom for peaceful purposes, this opened up great prospects and opportunities for the further development of energy. Nuclear physicists of the world called the launch of the Obninsk station the beginning of a new era.

During its operation, the first nuclear power plant in the world failed many times, the devices suddenly broke and gave a signal for an emergency shutdown of the nuclear reactor. Interestingly, according to the instructions, it takes 2 hours to start the reactor again, but the station workers learned to restart the mechanism in 15-20 minutes.

Such a quick response was necessary. And not because the power supply did not want to be cut off, but because the first nuclear power plant in the world became a kind of exhibition exhibit and foreign scientists came there almost every day to study the work of the station. To show that the mechanism is not working is to get into big problems.

Consequences of the launch of the world's first nuclear power plant

At the 1955 Geneva Conference, Soviet scientists announced that they had built an industrial nuclear power plant for the first time in the world. After the lecture, the audience gave a standing ovation to the physicists, even though applause was prohibited by the rules of the meeting.

After the first nuclear power plant was launched, active research began in the field of the application of nuclear reactions. Projects of atomic cars and airplanes appeared, the energy of atoms was even going to be used in the fight against grain pests and for sterilization medical materials.

Obninsk NPP has become a kind of impetus for the opening of nuclear power plants around the world. By studying its model, it was possible to design new stations and improve their work. In addition, using the NPP operation schemes, a nuclear icebreaker was designed and a nuclear submarine was improved.

The first nuclear power plant operated for 48 years. In 2002, her nuclear reactor was shut down. Today, on the territory of the Obninsk NPP, there is a kind of museum of nuclear energy, which is visited by both ordinary schoolchildren and famous personalities with excursions. For example, the British Prince Michael of Kent recently came to the Obninsk NPP. In 2014, the first nuclear power plant celebrated its 60th anniversary.

Opening of nuclear power plants of the world

The first nuclear power plant in the USSR was the beginning of a long chain of discoveries of new nuclear power plants in the world. New nuclear power plants used more and more advanced and powerful nuclear reactors. Nuclear power plant with a capacity of 1000 MW has become commonplace in modern world electric power industry.

The first nuclear power plant in the world worked with a graphite-water nuclear reactor. After that, many countries began to experiment with the device of nuclear reactors and invented new types of them.

1. In 1956, the world's first nuclear power plant with a gas-cooled reactor opened - the Calder Hall nuclear power plant in the United States.
2. In 1958, the Shippingport nuclear power plant was opened in the United States, but with a pressurized water reactor.
3. The first nuclear power plant with a boiling nuclear reactor - the Dresden nuclear power plant, opened in the United States in 1960.
4. In 1962, the Canadians built a nuclear power plant with a heavy water reactor.
5. And in 1973, the light saw the Shevchenko nuclear power plant, built in the USSR - this is the first nuclear power plant with a breeder reactor.

Nuclear energy today

How many nuclear power plants are there in the world? 192 nuclear power plants. Today, the world nuclear power plant map covers 31 countries. There are 450 power units in all countries of the world, 60 more power units are under construction. All nuclear power plants in the world have a total capacity of 392,082 MW.

Nuclear power plants in the world are concentrated mainly in the United States, America is the leader in terms of installed capacity, but in this country, nuclear power accounts for only 20% of the entire energy system. 62 nuclear power plants in the USA have a total capacity of 100 400 MW.

The second place in terms of installed capacity is occupied by the leader of nuclear power plants in Europe - France. Nuclear energy in this country is a national priority and accounts for 77% of the total electricity production. There are 19 nuclear power plants in France with a total capacity of 63,130 MW.

France is also home to a nuclear power plant with the world's most powerful reactors. The Sivo nuclear power plant operates two water-cooled power units. The capacity of each of them is 1561 MW. No other nuclear power plant in the world can boast of such strong reactors.
The third place in the ranking of the most "advanced" countries in nuclear energy is occupied by Japan. It is in Japan that the most powerful nuclear power plant in the world is located in terms of the total amount of energy generated at nuclear power plants.

The first nuclear power plant in Russia

It would be wrong to hang the label “the first NPP in Russia” on the Obninsk NPP, since Soviet scientists who came from all over the USSR and even from outside it worked on its creation. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, all atomic power began to belong to those already independent countries on whose territory they were located.

After the collapse of the USSR, independent Russia inherited 28 nuclear reactors with a total capacity of 20,242 MW. Since gaining independence, the Russians have opened 7 more power units with a total capacity of 6,964 MW.

It is difficult to determine where the first nuclear power plant was opened in Russia, since basically, Russian nuclear scientists are opening new reactors in existing nuclear power plants. The only plant, all of whose power units were opened in independent Russia, is the Rostov NPP, which may even be called "the first nuclear power plant in Russia."

The first nuclear power plant in Russia was designed and built back in the days of the USSR, in 1977 the construction works, in 1979 her project was finally approved. Yes, we have not confused anything, work at the Rostov NPP began earlier than the scientists completed the final project. In 1990, construction was frozen, and this despite the fact that the 1st block of the station was 95% ready.

The construction of the Rostov NPP was resumed only in 2000. In March 2001, the first nuclear power plant in Russia officially began operating, although so far with one nuclear reactor instead of the planned four. In 2009, the second power unit of the station began to operate, in 2014 - the third. In 2015, the first nuclear power plant in independent Russia acquired the 4th power unit, which, by the way, has not yet been completed and put into operation.

The first nuclear power plant in Russia is located in the Rostov region near the city of Volgodonsk.

US nuclear power plants

If the first nuclear power plant in the USSR appeared in 1954, the nuclear power plants of America were replenished only in 1958. Considering the incessant competition between the Soviet Union and the United States in the field of energy (and not only energy), 4 years was a serious lag.

The first US nuclear power plant is the Shippingport nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania. The first nuclear power plant in the USSR had a capacity of only 5 MW, the Americans went further, and Shippingport already had 60 MW of power.
The active construction of the US nuclear power plant continued until 1979, then an accident occurred at the Three Mile Island station, due to the mistakes of the station workers, nuclear fuel melted. Eliminating the accident at this nuclear power plant in the United States for 14 years, it took more than a billion dollars. The Three Mile Island accident temporarily suspended the development of nuclear power in America. However, today the United States has the largest number of nuclear power plants in the world.

As of June 2016, the map of US nuclear power plants includes 100 nuclear reactors, with a total capacity of 100.4 GW. 4 more reactors with a total capacity of 5 GW are under construction. US nuclear power plants generate 20% of all electricity in this country.

The most powerful nuclear power plant in the United States today is the Palo Verde nuclear power plant, it can provide electricity to 4 million people and give a capacity of 4,174 MW. By the way, the US nuclear power plant Palo Verde is included in the top "The largest nuclear power plants in the world." There, this nuclear station is in 9th place.

The largest nuclear power plants in the world

A nuclear power plant with a capacity of 1000W once seemed to be the unattainable pinnacle of nuclear science. Today, the map of nuclear power plants in the world includes the huge giants of nuclear energy with capacities of 6, 7, 8 thousand megawatts. What are the largest nuclear power plants in the world?

The largest and most powerful nuclear power plants in the world today include:

1. Nuclear power plant Paluel in France. This nuclear power plant operates on 4 power units with a total capacity of 5,528 MW.
2. French nuclear power plant Graveline. This nuclear power plant in the north of France is considered the largest and most powerful in its country. This nuclear power plant operates 6 reactors with a total capacity of 5,460 MW.
3. Hanbit NPP (also called Yongwan) is located in the southwestern part of South Korea on the coast of the Yellow Sea. Its 6 nuclear reactors have a capacity of 5,875 MW. Interestingly, the Yongwan NPP was renamed to Hanbit at the request of the fishermen in the Yongwan town, where the station is located. Fish sellers did not want their products to be associated around the world with nuclear power and radiation. This reduced their profits.
   4. Hanul NPP (formerly Khulchin NPP) is also a South Korean nuclear power plant. It is noteworthy that the Hanbit NPP, it surpasses only 6 MW. Thus, the capacity of Hanul station is 5,881 MW.
   5. Zaporizhzhya NPP is the most powerful nuclear power plant in Europe, Ukraine and the entire post-Soviet space. This station is located in the city of Energodar. 6 nuclear reactors provide a power of 6,000 MW. The construction of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant began in 1981, in 1984 it was commissioned. Today, this station generates a fifth of all electricity in Ukraine and half of all atomic energy in the country.

The most powerful nuclear power plant in the world

NPP Kashiwazaki-Kariva - such an intricate name is the most powerful nuclear power plant. It operates 5 boiling-boiling nuclear reactors and two advanced boiling-boiling nuclear reactors. Their total capacity is 8,212 MW (for comparison, we know that the first nuclear power plant in the world was only 5 MW). The most powerful nuclear power plant in the world was under construction from 1980 to 1993. Here are a few interesting facts about this nuclear power plant.

1. As a result of a powerful earthquake in 2007, Kashiwazaki-Kariva received many different damages, several containers with low radioactivity wastes overturned, and radioactive water leaked into the sea. Due to the earthquake, the filters of the nuclear power plant were damaged and radioactive dust left the station.
2. The total damage from the 2007 earthquake in Japan is estimated at $ 12.5 billion. Of these, 5.8 billion losses were “taken away” by the most powerful nuclear power plant in the world, Kashiwazaki-Kariva.
3. Interestingly, until 2011, the most powerful nuclear power plant could be called another Japanese nuclear power plant. Fukushima 1 and Fukushima 2 were essentially the same nuclear power and together produced 8,814 MW.
4. The large total capacity of a nuclear power plant does not at all mean that it uses the strongest nuclear reactors. The maximum power of one of the reactors at Kashiwazaki-Kariva is 1315 MW. The plant achieves a large final capacity due to the fact that 7 nuclear reactors are operating in it.

More than 60 years have passed since the opening of the first nuclear power plant in the world. During this time nuclear power made a step forward, developing new types of nuclear reactors and increasing the capacity of nuclear power plants thousands of times. Today, the world's nuclear power plants are a huge energy empire, which is developing more and more every day. We are sure that the state of the world's nuclear power plants today is far from the limit. Nuclear energy has a great and bright future.

Nuclear power plant - complex required systems, devices, equipment and structures intended for the production of electrical energy. The station uses uranium-235 as fuel. The presence of a nuclear reactor distinguishes a nuclear power plant from other power plants.

At a nuclear power plant, there are three mutual transformations of energy forms

Nuclear power

turns into heat

Thermal energy

goes into mechanical

Mechanical energy

converted to electrical

1. Nuclear energy turns into thermal

The core of the station is the reactor - a structurally separated volume where nuclear fuel is loaded and where a controlled chain reaction takes place. Uranium-235 is fissioned by slow (thermal) neutrons. As a result, a huge amount of heat is generated.

STEAM GENERATOR

2. Thermal energy is converted into mechanical

Heat is removed from the reactor core by a coolant - a liquid or gaseous substance passing through its volume. This heat energy is used to produce water vapor in a steam generator.

ELECTRIC GENERATOR

3. Mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy

The mechanical energy of the steam is directed to the turbine generator, where it is converted into electrical energy and then goes through the wires to the consumers.

What does a nuclear power plant consist of?

A nuclear power plant is a complex of buildings that house technological equipment... The main building is the main building, where the reactor hall is located. It houses the reactor itself, a storage pool for nuclear fuel, a refueling machine (for refueling), all this is watched by operators from block board control (MCR).

The core element of the reactor is the core (1). It is housed in a concrete shaft. Mandatory components of any reactor are a control and protection system that allows the selected mode of a controlled fission chain reaction to occur, as well as an emergency protection system - to quickly terminate the reaction when emergency... All this is mounted in the main building.

There is also a second building where the turbine hall (2) is located: steam generators, the turbine itself. Further along the technological chain, there are capacitors and high-voltage power lines extending beyond the station site.

On the territory there is a building for reloading and storage in special pools of spent nuclear fuel. In addition, the stations are equipped with elements of a circulating cooling system - cooling towers (3) (a concrete tower tapering upwards), a cooling pond (a natural reservoir, or artificially created) and spray pools.

What are the types of nuclear power plants?

Depending on the type of reactor, a nuclear power plant can have 1, 2 or 3 coolant operation circuits. In Russia, the most widespread are double-circuit nuclear power plants with VVER-type reactors (pressurized water power reactor).

NPP WITH 1-CIRCUIT REACTORS

NPP WITH 1-CIRCUIT REACTORS

The single-circuit scheme is used at nuclear power plants with RBMK-1000 reactors. The reactor operates in a unit with two condensing turbines and two generators. In this case, the boiling reactor itself is a steam generator, which makes it possible to use a single-loop circuit. The single-circuit scheme is relatively simple, but in this case, radioactivity spreads to all elements of the unit, which complicates biological protection.

Currently, there are 4 nuclear power plants with single-loop reactors operating in Russia.

NPP WITH 2-CIRCUIT REACTORS

NPP WITH 2-CIRCUIT REACTORS

The double-circuit scheme is used at nuclear power plants with pressurized water reactors of the VVER type. Water is supplied to the reactor core under pressure, which is heated. The energy of the heat carrier is used in the steam generator to form saturated steam. The second circuit is not radioactive. The unit consists of one 1000 MW condensing turbine or two 500 MW turbines with corresponding generators.

Currently, there are 5 nuclear power plants operating in Russia with double-circuit reactors.

NPP WITH 3-CIRCUIT REACTORS

NPP WITH 3-CIRCUIT REACTORS

The three-circuit scheme is used at NPPs with fast reactors with sodium coolant of the BN type. To exclude contact of radioactive sodium with water, a second circuit with non-radioactive sodium is constructed. Thus, the circuit turns out to be three-circuit.

The proposal to create the AM reactor of the future nuclear power plant was first made on November 29, 1949 at a meeting of the scientific leader of the atomic project I.V. Kurchatov, director of the Institute of Physical Problems A.P. Aleksandrov, director of NIIKhimash N.A. Dollezhal and the scientific secretary of the Scientific and Technical Council of the industry B.S. Pozdnyakov. The meeting recommended including in the CCP R&D plan for 1950 "a project of a reactor on enriched uranium with small dimensions only for power purposes with a total heat release capacity of 300 units, an effective power of about 50 units" with graphite and water coolant. At the same time, instructions were given to urgently carry out physical calculations and experimental research for this reactor.

Later I.V. Kurchatov and A.P. Zavenyagin explained the choice of the AM reactor for priority construction by the fact that "it can be more than in other units, the experience of ordinary boiler room practice is used: the general relative simplicity of the unit makes construction easier and cheaper."

During this period, options for the use of power reactors are being discussed at different levels.

PROJECT

It was considered advisable to start with the creation of a reactor for a ship power plant... In justifying the design of this reactor and for "fundamental confirmation ... of the practical possibility of converting the heat of nuclear reactions of nuclear installations into mechanical and electrical energy"It was decided to build in Obninsk, on the territory of Laboratory" B ", a nuclear power plant with three reactor installations, including the AM installation, which became the reactor of the First NPP).

By the decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR of May 16, 1950, R&D on AM was entrusted to LIPAN (Institute of IV Kurchatov), ​​NIIKhimmash, GSPI-11, VTI). In 1950 - early 1951. these organizations carried out preliminary calculations (P.E. Nemirovsky, S.M. Feinberg, Yu.N. Zankov), preliminary design studies, etc., then all work on this reactor was, by the decision of I.V. Kurchatov, transferred to Laboratory "B". Appointed scientific supervisor, chief designer - N.A. Dollezhal.

The project provided for the following reactor parameters: thermal power of 30 thousand kW, electric power - 5 thousand kW, reactor type - thermal neutron reactor with graphite moderator and natural water cooling.

By this time, the country already had experience in creating reactors of this type (industrial reactors for producing bomb material), but they differed significantly from power reactors, to which the AM reactor belongs. Difficulties were associated with the need to obtain high coolant temperatures in the AM reactor, from which it followed that it would be necessary to search for new materials and alloys that could withstand these temperatures, resistant to corrosion, did not absorb neutrons in large quantities, etc. these problems were obvious from the beginning, the question was how soon and how successfully they could be overcome.

CALCULATIONS AND STAND

By the time of the transfer of work on AM to Laboratory "B", the project was determined only in general outline... There were many physical, technical and technological problems that had to be solved, and their number increased as the work on the reactor continued.

First of all, this concerned the physical calculations of the reactor, which had to be carried out without having many of the data necessary for this. In Laboratory "B", some questions of the theory of thermal neutron reactors were studied by D.F. Zaretsky, and the main calculations were carried out by the group of M.E. Minashin in the department of A.K. Krasin. M.E. Minashin was especially worried about the lack of exact values ​​of many constants. It was difficult to organize their measurement on site. On his initiative, some of them were gradually replenished mainly due to measurements carried out by LIPAN and a few in Laboratory B, but on the whole it was impossible to guarantee the high accuracy of the calculated parameters. Therefore, in late February - early March 1954, the AMF stand was assembled - the critical assembly of the AM reactor, which confirmed the satisfactory quality of the calculations. Although the assembly could not reproduce all the conditions of a real reactor, the results supported hope for success, although many doubts remained.

On this stand on March 3, 1954, a chain reaction of uranium fission was carried out for the first time in Obninsk.

But, taking into account that the experimental data were constantly refined, the calculation method was improved, until the launch of the reactor, the study of the size of the reactor loading with fuel, the behavior of the reactor in non-standard modes, were calculated the parameters of the absorbing rods, etc.

CREATION OF FUEL

Another important task - the creation of a fuel element (fuel element) - was brilliantly accomplished by V.A. Malykh and the team of the Technological Department of Laboratory "B". Several related organizations were engaged in the development of the fuel element, but only the option proposed by V.A. Small, showed high efficiency. The search for a design was completed at the end of 1952 with the development of a new type of fuel element (with a dispersion composition of uranium-molybdenum grains in a magnesium matrix).

This type of fuel element made it possible to reject them during pre-reactor tests (in Laboratory B, special stands were created for this), which is very important for ensuring the reliable operation of the reactor. The stability of the new fuel element in the neutron flux was studied at LIPAN at the MR reactor. Working channels of the reactor were developed at NIIKhimmash.

Thus, for the first time in our country, perhaps the most important and most difficult problem of the emerging nuclear power industry was solved - the creation of a fuel element.

CONSTRUCTION

In 1951, simultaneously with the beginning in Laboratory "B" research works on the AM reactor, construction of the building of the nuclear power plant began on its territory.

The head of the construction was P.I. Zakharov, chief engineer of the facility -.

As D.I. Blokhintsev, “the NPP building in its most important parts had thick walls made of reinforced concrete monolith to provide biological protection from nuclear radiation. Pipelines, cable ducts, ventilation, etc. were laid in the walls. It is clear that alterations were not possible, and therefore, when designing the building, whenever possible, reserves were provided for the anticipated changes. For the development of new types of equipment and for the implementation of research work, scientific and technical assignments were given for "third-party organizations" - institutes, design bureaus and enterprises. Often these assignments themselves could not be complete and were refined and supplemented as the design progressed. The main engineering solutions ... were developed by the design team headed by N.A. Dollezhal and his closest assistant P.I. Aleshenkov ... "

The style of work on the construction of the first NPP was characterized by quick decision-making, speed of development, a certain developed depth of initial studies and ways of finalizing the adopted technical solutions, a wide coverage of variant and insurance areas. The first nuclear power plant was built in three years.

START

At the beginning of 1954, testing and testing of various systems of the station began.

On May 9, 1954, the loading of the NPP reactor core with fuel channels began in Laboratory B. With the introduction of the 61st fuel channel, a critical state was reached, at 19 hours 40 minutes. A self-sustaining chain reaction of fission of uranium nuclei began in the reactor. The physical start-up of the nuclear power plant took place.

Recalling the start-up, he wrote: “Gradually, the reactor's power increased, and finally, somewhere near the building of the thermal power plant, where steam was supplied from the reactor, we saw a jet that was escaping from the valve with a resounding hiss. A white cloud of ordinary steam, and, moreover, not yet hot enough to rotate the turbine, seemed to us a miracle: after all, this is the first steam produced with atomic energy. His appearance was the reason for hugs, congratulations "with light steam" and even tears of joy. Our jubilation was shared by I.V. Kurchatov, who took part in the work in those days. After receiving steam with a pressure of 12 atm. and at a temperature of 260 ° C, it became possible to study all the units of the nuclear power plant in conditions close to the design ones, and on June 26, 1954, in the evening shift, at 17:00. 45 minutes, the steam supply valve to the turbine generator was opened, and it began to generate electricity from the nuclear boiler. The world's first nuclear power plant is under industrial load. "

“In the Soviet Union, the efforts of scientists and engineers have successfully completed the design and construction of the first industrial nuclear power plant with a useful capacity of 5,000 kilowatts. On June 27, the nuclear power plant was put into operation and gave electricity to industry and Agriculture adjacent areas. "

Even before the start-up, the first program of experimental work at the AM reactor was prepared, and until the closure of the station, it was one of the main reactor bases where neutron-physical research, research in solid state physics, testing of fuel elements, EGC, production of isotope products, etc. were carried out. The NPP trained the crews of the first nuclear submarines, nuclear icebreaker"Lenin", personnel of Soviet and foreign nuclear power plants.

NPP start-up for young team the institute was the first test of its readiness to solve new and more complex problems. In the initial months of work, individual units and systems were adjusted, the physical characteristics of the reactor, the thermal conditions of the equipment and the entire station were studied in detail, various devices were modified and corrected. In October 1954, the station was brought to its design capacity.

“London, July 1 (TASS). The announcement of the launch of the first industrial nuclear power plant in the USSR is widely noted in the British press, the Moscow correspondent of the Daily Worker writes that this historic event “is of immeasurably greater significance than the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

Paris, July 1 (TASS). The London correspondent of Agence France Presse reports that the news of the launch in the USSR of the world's first industrial power plant operating on atomic energy was met with great interest in London circles of atomic specialists. England, the correspondent continues, is building a nuclear power plant at Calderhall. It is believed that she will be able to enter service no earlier than in 2.5 years ...

Shanghai, July 1 (TASS). Responding to the commissioning of a Soviet nuclear power plant, Tokyo radio broadcasts: the United States and England are also planning the construction of nuclear power plants, but they plan to complete their construction in 1956-1957. The fact that the Soviet Union was ahead of Britain and America in the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes indicates that Soviet scientists have made great strides in the field of atomic energy. One of the outstanding Japanese specialists in the field of nuclear physics, Professor Yoshio Fujioka, commenting on the message about the launch of a nuclear power plant in the USSR, said that this is the beginning of a "new era."

 

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