OREANDA-NEWS. May 23, 2011. The first dummy fuel assembly (DFA) was loaded in the reactor of Unit 4 at Kalinin nuclear power plant, which is under construction. This very important operation started at 22H03M on May 18.

Assembling of the dummy reactor core precedes one of the key events of the beginning of summer, i.e. pressure tests and flushing of the primary circuit.

The dummy fuel is loaded by the refueling machine which has passed adjustment and now operates routinely (automatically, in cycles). The dummy core is planned to fully load within about 8 days, with a total of 163 DFAs to be loaded. The operation started after “cleanness” acceptance of elevation +36 of the reactor building, bays of fuel hold-up and wet loading pool; a related record was signed on May 18.

A set of dummy fuel assemblies simulates geometry characteristics of the reactor core. Its loading is required to avoid damages to and greasing of fuel assemblies at the stages of flushing and running of the primary equipment during startup and adjustment. The DFAs do not contain nuclear-hazardous components.

According to the program, installation and adjustment organizations are responsible for this operation. The work of their divisions is controlled by units of Kalinin NPP: centralized repair shop, nuclear safety and reliability department, and reactor shop No. 2.