Safety of nuclear power plants with VVER, RBMK, EGP and BN reactors

In compliance with to the federal laws in the area of use of nuclear power, safety codes, standards and regula­tions, in 2003 extensive activities related to upgrading of plant components and systems were carried out to improve their safety level and bring to compli­ance with the current requirements.

All the major activities of «Ros­energoatom» were continued, first of all, - in the area of nuclear safety enhancement and implementation of the nuclear power plant centralized control:

- improvement of the centralized con­trol of safe NPP operation by depart­ments of the operating utility - «Rosenergoatom»;

- improvement and enhancement of efficiency of the activities at the con­cern's Emergency Response Center; effective scientific and engineering support of NPP operation by Rosenergoatom's research center - VNIIAES, other supporting research or design-and-engineering institutes;

- enhancement of the material-and- technical base and preparedness of the industry's Emergency-Engineering Center to respond to design basis and beyond-design basis accidents о enhancement of the material and technical base and improvement of operation of the training centers for operational and maintenance person­nel;

- allocating the funds for activities on NPP safety improvement from the centralized sources. The major priorities in plant operation are as follows:

- ensuring nuclear, radiation, opera­tional, fire and environmental safety, and safety precautions; о economical efficiency; о safety culture;

- compliance with safety codes and standards.

WER-type plant safety

In all the operating power units of the VVER plants a comprehensive assess­ment of the plant compliance with the current nuclear safety codes, standards and regulations were continued with the purpose of implementation of the meas­ures incorporated in the VVER Plant Safety Improvement Concepts.

Following the operating NPP safety improvement concepts, the high-priority measures were developed and are being implemented to improve the oper­ational quality and safety culture, to minimize the accident probability, and to eliminate and/or compensate the exist­ing non-compliance with the current codes, standards and regulations. The implementation of these measures will allow improving the reliability of the existing barriers and in-depth protection against radioactive releases. The meas­ures reflected in the safety improve­ment concepts are aimed at resolution of the following basic, safety-relevant challenges:

- diagnostics of the main equipment and pipe metal conditions, implemen­tation of the non-destructive metal testing methods;

- replacement of the obsolete equip­ment;

- minimization of the common-cause failure probability;

- improvement of the operational and accident management procedures;

- upgrading of the safety important systems in order to improve their reliability.

The safety improvement concepts are systematically implemented in the framework of the NPP upgrading and renovation programs.

A result of implementation of a set of upgradings was the lifetime extension of the Novovoronezh-3 and 4, and the Kola-1. The justification documents were prepared for the lifetime extension of the Kola-2.

During the life cycle of the nuclear power plants, «Rosenergoatom» inspects and assesses the safety level at all the NPP units, as stipulated by the Nuclear Safety Convention. The obtained results demonstrate that at all the operating VVER-type NPPs an acceptable safety level is maintained, and measures aimed at their continued reliability and safety improvement are taken.

2 Переведите на русский язык следующие английские словосочетания:

1) atmosphere of openness, confidence;

2) cooperative spirit;

3) safety and reliability of operating NPP;

4) the personnel of the NPP ;

5) practical activities;

6) safe production of electrical power;

7) ecologically acceptable;

8) economically efficient;

9) for the welfare of the state and people;

10) to improve the safety level.

3 Найдите в тексте английские эквиваленты следующих словосочетаний:

1) повышение безопасности энергоблоков АЭС;

2) централизованное управление АЭС;

3) обеспечение безопасной эксплуатации АЭС;

4) кризисный центр концерна;

5) совершенствование и повышение эффективности работы;

6) эффективная научно-техническая поддержка;

7) укрепление материально-технической базы;

8) учебные центры подготовки эксплуатационного и ремонтного персонала;

9) обеспечение ядерной, радиационной, технической, пожарной, экологической безопасности и техники безопасности;

10) соблюдение норм и правил по безопасности.

4 Найдите в тексте слова, имеющие общий корень с данными словами. Определите, к какой части речи они относятся, и переведите их на русский язык:

1) reliable;

2) person;

3) to require;

4) to improve;

5) to manage;

6) to minimize;

7) to prepare;

8) central;

9) to enhance;

10) to justify.

5 Задайте к выделенному в тексте предложению все типы вопросов (общий, альтернативный, разделительный, специальный: а) к подлежащему, б) к второстепенному члену предложения).

The justification documents were prepared for the lifetime extension of the NPP.

6 Выполните анализ данных предложений, обратив внимание на следующие грамматические явления: формы и функции инфинитива, инфинитивные конструкции (сложное дополнение, подлежащее), существительное в роли определения, функции слов one (ones), that (those), условные предложения:

1) In all the operating power units of the VVER plants a comprehensive assessment of the plant compliance with the current nuclear safety codes, standards and regulations were continued with the purpose of implementation of the measures incorporated in the VVER Plant Safety Improvement Concepts.

2) Following the operating NPP safety improvement concepts, the high-priority measures were developed and are being implemented to improve the operational quality and safety culture, to minimize the accident probability, and to eliminate and/or compensate the existing non-compliance with the current codes, standards and regulations.

3) The implementation of these measures will allow improving the reliability of the existing barriers and in-depth protection against radioactive releases.

4) The measures reflected in the safety improvement concepts are aimed at resolution of the following basic, safety-relevant challenge.

5) The obtained results demonstrate that at all the operating VVER-type NPPs an acceptable safety level is maintained, and measures aimed at their continued reliability and safety improvement are taken.

7 Ответьте на вопросы по тексту:

1) What does the management of the concern "Rosenergoatom" declare?

2) When were extensive activities carried out to improve the safety level?

3) What are the major priorities in plant operation?

4) What are basic, safety-relevant challenges?

5) How are the safety improvement concepts implemented?

6) What is stipulated by the Nuclear Safety Convention?

7) What is the situation at all the operating VVER-type NPPs?