The blogger showed the Smolensk nuclear power plant from the inside.
To get to the current nuclear power is an unattainable dream for many. Multi-level security system, radiation and bubbling crater of a nuclear reactor.
Welcome!
Photos and text by Vasily Nikitinskogo
1. Smolensk NPP, Desnogorsk. One of the 10 operating nuclear power plants in Russia, nuclear power plants, which gives 8% of electricity in the Central region and 80% in the Smolensk region. And just a huge structure, the extent of which can not fail to impress.
2. The beginning of the NPP construction was announced in 1973. And in late 1982 and was commissioned the 1st unit. About a throughput mode, many will not speak, for it is impossible, I can only say that he multilevel. At each stage of passage in NPP your kind of protection. And of course, a lot of machinery.
3. First, visiting nuclear power plants, need to be naked. And then dress all white, clean… Down to the socks and bonnets.
4. The perfect souvenir from a nuclear power plant. And it wasn’t gum. Twist hurdy-gurdy, and you have earplugs in hand fall.
5. In principle, special need they have no need for helmets, which also need to wear complete with noise-attenuating headphones.
6. Yes, the shoes are too individual.
7. TA-daaam! The warrior of light to pass ready!
8. Mandatory item of clothing — individual cumulative dosimeter. Each issued his own, which at the end of the day gives up and shows the accumulated dose of radiation.
9. All. We inside. This area of controlled access. Ahead of the reactor. Transitions, galleries, through security we go inside…
10. And get into a control room of nuclear power plants. This is the brain of the station. All controlled from here.
11. The number of buttons, charts, lights and monitors dazzled.
12. I won’t bore complicated technological terms and processes. But here, for example, is the control rods of the reactor.
13. Change — control unit 4. They work here for 8 hours. It is clear that shifts around the clock.
14. Here are controlled and the reactor and the unit itself and the turbine plant. And here cool, quiet and peaceful.
15. Serious key — AZ — “emergency protection”. Safety of nuclear power plants — above all else. The whole system is so perfect that excludes the impact of the external control. Automation, in case of emergency, all can be done without the participation of the people and professionals here on duty, not in vain. By the way, the shutdown of the reactor, in which case, not accident, and controlled by technological procedure. For maintenance purposes, the reactor is also stopped.
16. In 32 years of nuclear power here, there has been no emergency or increase in background radiation. Including classified above zero (minimum) level on the international scale INES. The level of protection of nuclear power plants in Russia — the best in the world.
And again the long rows of toggle switches, monitors and sensors. I don’t understand…
17. Professionals discuss the possible contingencies.
18. And someone sawing a selfie in a place unreachable for ordinary citizens. Noticed that all without helmets? Is that anything they do not accidentally fell.
Smolensk NPP
19. Let’s go upstairs. On the Elevator, but you can walk to the 8th floor via the stairs with a special anti-radiation protection. High.
20. Again — several cordons of protection. And here is the Central hall of unit 1. Such Smolensk NPP three.
21. The main thing here is the reactor. He is huge at the bottom and here you can see only its plateau of security. It’s metal boxes Assembly. They are a kind of tube with biosecurity, covering the technological channels of a nuclear reactor containing fuel assemblies — fuel assemblies from uranium dioxide. All of these channels here 1661. They contain the fuel cells that emit powerful heat energy through nuclear reactions. Between them the driven rods, which absorb neutrons. With their help, nuclear reaction and controlled.
22. There is such unloading and loading the car.
23. Its task is to replace the fuel elements. And to do this it can on the stopped reactor and running. Huge, of course.
24. Yet no one sees…
25. AAH! Stand! Underfoot, the hum and the vibration. Feeling unreal! Power boiling reactor, instantly turn water into steam words can not convey…
26. In fact, the plant workers don’t like it when on a plateau go. “On your desktop, no foot steps …”
27. In fact, positive people.
28. In the hall there is a pool. No, not for swimming. There under the water up to 1.5 years stored spent nuclear fuel. And stands ready TVs — see how long they are? Soon their place will be in the reactor.
29. Inside each tube (TVEL) is a small cylindrical pellets of uranium dioxide.
“With fresh fuel you can sleep in an embrace,” say the workers of nuclear power plants.
30. Ready to be loaded into reactor fuel.
31. Without a doubt, impressive. But the question about radiation is constantly spinning in my head.
32. Called the specialist dosimetrist. Dosimeter in real time in the center of the reactor showed a value slightly higher than on the streets of Moscow.
33. Exhaled. Calmed down. Go ahead.
34. Powerful circulating pumps, inlet coolant water to the reactor.
35. Here the drone is already the strongest. Without the headphones is not enough.
36. A little rest up in the transition. And again a lot of noise — turbine hall of the nuclear power plant.
37. Just a huge hall with an incredible amount of pipes, engines and aggregates. Steam released from the water that cools the reactor, comes on the turbo.
38. Turbine — a whole house! The steam rotates its blades at a speed of exactly 3000 rpm.
So the thermal energy is converted into electrical.
39. Pipes, pumps, pressure gauges…
40. Condenseries exhaust vapor and liquid form can be fed back to the reactor.
41. By the way, the heat from the exhaust steam is used for the city. The cost of such heat is very small. Control of radiation — generally a separate issue. Multi-stage water filtration system, sensors in the whole plant, the city and the region, the continued collection and analyses of environmental samples and a laboratory. Everything is transparent — reports can be viewed on the website of “Rosenergoatom” in real time.
42. To leave a zone of controlled access doesn’t succeed. Three times it is a complete check for radiation, until you can be in shorts.
The plant employs about 4 000 employees and the average salary is around 60 thousand rubles.
43. What can I say, I’m not scared. Control a lot. Everywhere order, cleanliness, health and safety. Still great Man to think and use…
