Flushing of safety systems into the open reactor has begun at Unit 3 of the Kudankulam NPP in India. The work is being carried out by ASE specialists together with their Indian colleagues. The operation is aimed at post-installation cleaning of the pipelines of the emergency core cooling system – this is a mandatory stage before the final assembly of the reactor and the start of comprehensive tests.
The process takes place in two stages. First, the pressure compensator and the first and second stage hydro-accumulators are filled with water, after which the liquid is drained into the reactor vessel – this is the passive part of the operation. Then the safety system pumps are started: they take water from the spent fuel pool and supply it under pressure to the reactor. At this active stage, the equipment operation is checked in a mode close to operational.
The completion of the flushing means that the installation of the main components of the safety system is finished, and the plant proceeds to testing the primary circuit. This will be followed by cold and hot run-in, automation checks, and preparation for the physical start-up campaign.
Andrey Petrov, President of ASE, noted that work at the site is proceeding on schedule. According to him, the successful completion of this stage confirms the reliability of Russian nuclear technologies and the effectiveness of cooperation with India.
