Russia’s Novovoronezh nuclear plant has completed upgrades of the turbine generator set 14 (TG-14) at unit 5, and the turbine was brought to full power again on 28 September, according to Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom.
The repair, which started in June 2017, lasted 105 days. The project was implemented as part of the introduction of the Rosatom Production System (RPS) at the plant, which aims to optimise process operations and improve efficiency. The upgrades included repairs to high and medium pressure rotors and replacement of the blades and diaphragms which will increase the turbine electric power capacity by 15MWe.
Deputy Chief Engineer for Operations at unit 5, Nikolay Stepin, said it was very complex technological operation. “The turbine rotor was dismantled and, taken, using a special transportation package, to the Power Machines works in St Petersburg where the blades were changed. Then, it was delivered to the power unit where a set of adjustments and assembling work was done,” he said.
Rosatom said the turbine upgrade was a unique operation which was undertaken for the first time. “Novovoronezh NPP, which is Russia’s flagship plant, traditionally undertakes innovations in nuclear power. We are the pilot site for construction of VVER units. We were the first in the world to extend the service life of a nuclear plant, and this experience is now being duplicated at foreign NPPs,” said NPP Chief Engineer Sergey Vitkovsky.
