VVER reactors: clean and

reliable source of energy in the

past and in the future
V. Mokhov, N. Trunov

International Conference on
Opportunities and Challenges for Water
Cooled Reactors in 21-st Century 1
9 “Reactors with water
moderator combine high
breeding factor with simple
and compact design. In our
opinion, they are promising
reactors for a large-scale
nuclear power engineering
of the nearest future” *
* - quotation from the report of
I.V.Kurchatov in Harwell,
England, April,1956

2
Contents

9 History, main features and peculiarities of VVER

technology
9 Operation experience and the indicators achieved
9 Goals of development and the challenges of today
9 Development of VVER technology
9 Advance designs of large power
9 Advance designs of large power
9 Innovative designs of reactor plants

3
Main design features of VVER

9 Reactor core with hexahedral assemblies;

9 Horizontal steam generators;
9 Transportability of main equipment by railway;
9 Arranging the spent fuel pool inside the
containment;
9 Absence of openings in the reactor bottom;
9 Reactor vessel from forged shells without
longitudinal welds;
9 Fuel rod claddings of zirconium-niobium alloy;
9 Reactor vessel of carbon alloy steel;
9 SG tubes of stainless steel with relatively thick wall

4
Main safety features of VVER
9 Distinctive features of all VVER reactor plants are wide usage
of RP inherent safety principle.
9 Capability of VVER RP to limit the development of initiating
events as well as of their consequences under accident
conditions during a long period within the boundaries of design
safety criteria, and is assured by the following structural and
design features:
– increased coolant volume above the core;
– increased coolant volume in the primary circuit in respect to fuel
mass and thermal power of the core;
– increased capacity of the pressurizer;
– reliable natural circulation;
– considerable water inventory in horizontal steam generators on
the secondary side.

5
VVER history
9 1955 – beginning of activities on
VVER
9 1964 – commissioning of the
first VVER
9 1971 – first standard VVER-440
9 1980 - commissioning of the first
VVER -1000

9 The oldest VVER at Unit 3 of Novovoronezh NPP has been

operated since 1971 without replacement of SG, reactor top
head and other main components (license till 2016)

6
VVER history

9 Totally there are 51 NPP Units with VVER in operation (about

20% of population of the pressurized light water reactors)
9 To date accumulated operating life is more than 1290 reactor-
years
9 39 Units have been commissioned in the world since 1999 and
8 of them are Units with VVER reactors

7
Operating NPPs with VVER reactors and
NPPs under construction

52 NPPs
under
construction in
the world, of
which

14
Units with VVER
reactors

8
 Load factor, %

0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
19
70
19
72
19
74
19
76
19
78
19
80
19
82
19

PWR
84
19
86
Indicators achieved

19
88
19

VVER
90

Years
19
92
19
94
Load factor time history

19
96
19
98
VVER-Russia

20
00
20
02
20
04
20
06
20
08
9
 Operating factor, %

19

30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
70
19
72
19
74
19
76
19
78
19
80
19
82
19
84
19
86
Indicators achieved

19
88
19

Years
90
19
92
19
94
19
96
Operating factor time history

19
98
20
00
20
02
20
04
PWR
VVER

20
06
20
08
VVER - Russia

10
 Indicators achieved
Malfunctions in NPP operation
trips
70
important to safety
60 metal defects relealed
Number of malfunctions

50
40
30
20
10
0
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Years

11
 Trend of the reactor scrams in Russia
and worldwide (according to WANO
methodology)
1,2
1,11 Russia Worldwide
1,07
Scrams per 7000 hrs. of Unit operation

1 0,95
0,87

0,8
0,72 0,73
0,66
0,75
0,65 0,72 0,6
0,6 0,51 0,55
0,55 0,48 0,49
0,56 0,57 0,49
0,42 0,41 0,44
0,5
0,4 0,34
0,27 0,27
0,25

0,2
0,11

0
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Years
12
 Collective radiation dose per personnel,
VVER Units
1,49
1,5
1,48
1,4
1,4 Russia
1,3 1,3 Worldwide
1,3
1,2
Man - Sieverts per unit

1,2
1,2
1,1 1,1
1,1

1
1
0,9 0,9
0,9 0,9
0,9
0,9 0,9 0,8
0,9 0,8 0,79
0,8
0,8 0,7 0,76
0,7
0,7
0,7
0,6 0,6 0,59
0,6 0,57
0,6 0,57
0,5 0,56
93

94

95

96

97

98

99

00

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08
19

19

19

19

19

19

19

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20
Years
13
Goals of development

9 Challenges of today
– The goal is set to redouble the generation of electric energy at
nuclear power stations of Russia by 2030 having brought it to
25%-30% of total volume of generation. For this purpose 26 NPP
Units are to be built. Solution of the problem on the basis of VVER
technology.

14
Goals of development
9 Four Units of new advanced
VVER-1200 design are
under construction
9 Commissioning - 2012

15
Goals of development

Challenges of today
– Competitiveness of NPP with fossil-fired power plants:
• Reduction of capital costs and construction period.
• Increase in efficiency and load factor.
• Implementation of load-follow modes.
– Implementation of NPP of the following power range
1600…1200…1000…600…300 MW
– Effective use of VVER in the closed fuel cycle

Safety criteria:
– Meeting the safety requirements of Russian regulations,
IAEA recommendations and EUR requirements;

16
Generations of nuclear power reactors

17
 Goals of development
New designs of OKB “GIDROPRESS”

VVER -1200
9
9
700 - 1600

9 VVER-1500

AES-2006
AES-92 V-392М
VVER-1000

V-320 V-392, V-412 V-491

NPP electric power, MW

V-413, V-428 В-466 V-466Б

AES -91 AES -91/99 “Belene” NPP

VVER-640
400-
600
100-
300

1980 - 1990 - 1997 - 2006

Year of design development
18
 Goals of development
New designs of OKB “GIDROPRESS”
700 - 1600

V-392М ВВЭР-1300
V-491 VVER-1200А

VVER -SCP
NPP electric power, MW

AES-2006

VVER-640 VVER-600
400-
600

VVER-300
100-
300

2006 - 2009 - 2015

Year of design development
19
 Comparison of VVER designs

42
Net efficiency of Unit (%)

40

38

36

34

32
VVER-1000 VVER-1500 AES-2006 VVER-600 VVER-300 VVER-SCP

20
Comparison of VVER designs
to 100 years
Service life (years)
70

60

50

40

30

20
VV ER
92 28 66
B 00 0 6 6 00 0 0
s in
V-3 V-4 - 4 - 15 20 R- -3 c i e
V ER
AE
S- VV
E ER den
VV VV Ten nology
tech
NPP Main equipment Replaceable equipment

21
Conditions necessary for development
9 Obligatory requirements
– Optimal combination of evolutionary and innovative development
– Mature reference technology reduces risks and simplifies licensing
– Meeting the requirements of regulatory bodies and operators (EUR)
– Meeting the maneuverability requirements
– Possibilities for fuel cycle development including MOX and closing cycle
9 Competitiveness
– Lowest unit capital investments
– Extension of design service life
– Increase in efficiency
– Increase in load factor
– Cut down of the construction time of the standard Unit
– Reducing operation expenses
– Reducing waste

22
AES-2006
Design of AES-2006 with VVER-1200 meets the
mentioned trends to the highest extent

9 Power increased up to 1200 MWt

9 Design service life is extended to
60 years.
9 Efficiency is increased to 36 %.
9 Load factor is increased to 90 %.
9 The requirements for Unit load-
follow conditions are provided
in the design

23
 AES-2006
Design of AES-2006 with VVER-1200 meets the
mentioned trends to the highest extent
9 Evolutionary development with
application of reference technical
solutions based on VVER-1000 and
a wide use of up-to-date knowledge
and advanced technologies.
9 Current requirements of Regulatory
documents and EUR requirements
are met.
9 Using of 121 CPS control rods in
the reactor core presents wide
possibilities for development of fuel
cycles including those with MOX
fuel
9 Design value of collective dose for
operating personnel per one Unit
throughout the whole service life at
normal operation of all systems
does not exceed 0,4 man·Sv/year.
24
AES –2006 as an example of
VVER advantages
9 Inherent safety properties:
– usage of additional water inventory in hydroaccumulators of
the second stage core cooling system (for NV NPP-2 as
compared to VVER-1000 and to PWR).
– actuation of control rods under scram due to gravity forces;
– properties of self-limitation of the core power due to
negative reactivity coefficients by fuel and coolant
temperature and by power;
– usage of passive elements, isolation, limiting and discharge
devices;
– usage of inertia coastdown of special flywheel masses of
RCP set to provide the required drop of flow rate through
the core under loss of power.

25
Fuel cycles
9 To date the 12-month fuel cycle is accepted as the base cycle with
annual loading of 43 FAs (4-year fuel cycle) that makes possible to
assure the following:
– meeting the requirements for length of fuel cycle considering the mass of
FAs loaded;
– limitation of power non-uniformity.
9 In implementation of 18-month fuel cycle:
– number of FAs makeup in equilibrium cycle – 78 pcs.;
– fuel mass in one FA– 530 kg (первый этап модернизации);
– average enrichment of makeup fuel - 4,85 % in 235U;
– operation length - 521 EFPD (load factor ~ 0,95);
– maximum burnup fraction of FAs (without engineering safety factor) -
64MW*day/kgU;
– average burnup fraction of FAs unloaded – 46,7 MW*day/kgU.
9 In principle, implementation of 24-month fuel cycle. With this, usage of
long-term fuel cycles makes increase in NPP load factor and
decrease in efficiency of fuel utilization.

26
 Maneuverability
9 One of the main requirements for current design of RP and NPP is the
requirement for possible operation of the Unit in the conditions with changing
the load. The list and characteristics of these conditions are prepared taking
into account the lists of Russian utility and EUR requirements. Comparison of
characteristics of main conditions with changing of load is presented in the
Table.
Conditions AES-2006 EUR
Primary control
Change in Unit power not more than ±5 % Nnom ±5 % Nnom

Rate of power change 1 % Nnom/s Not regulated

Number of cycles 7·106 Not regulated
Secondary control
Change in Unit power not more than ± 10 % Nnom not more than ± 10 % Nnom
Rate of power change not more than 5 % Nnom/min not more than 5 % Nnom/min
Number of cycles 5·106 Not regulated
Power change of the Unit according to the schedule
Power change of the Unit 50-100-50 % Nnom 20-100-20 % Nnom

Rate of power change not more than 5 % Nnom/min not more than 3 % Nnom/min

Number of cycles 15000 (5 times a week) 2 time/day, 5 times/week

200 times/year

27
Prospective RP designs of large power.
Alternative design VVER-1200A (V-501)
9 Design aim is to minimize cost of construction,
manufacturing, mounting and maintenance due to 2-
loop arrangement and enlargement of main
equipment
9 Design concept:
– Cutting down the scopes and periods of construction and
mounting work, reducing amount of equipment, delivery of
maximum-finished equipment to mounting site;
– Increase in unit power of SG and RCP set;
– Increase in the secondary parameters to improve the Unit
efficiency.
– Keeping the principal VVER solutions, except for SG
transportability by railway;

28
Prospective RP designs of large power.
Alternative design VVER-1200A (V-501)
Plan view at the elevation of
steam generators

9 Steam generator:
– diameter 5,2 m
– length 20 m
– mass ≈ 790 t

29
Prospective RP designs of large power.
Alternative design VVER-1200A (V-501)

Vertical section of reactor

building

HA-2

Pressurizer

Steam
generator
RCP
Reactor

30
Prospective RP designs of large power.
Alternative design VVER-1200A (V-501)
9 Current approaches to optimization of safety
systems are realized:
• Scheme solutions exclude failures dependent of
initiating event:
– Simultaneous failures of channels of passive and
active systems,
– Simultaneous failures of active SS within one
channel (HP ECCS and LP ECCS).
• The requirement of SS diversity, independency, and
redundancy is met;
• Redundancy of two-channel system of emergency
power supply, during maintenance of station diesel-
generator.

31
Prospective RP designs of large power.
Alternative design VVER-1200A (V-501)

Comparison of weights of the primary equipment

VVER-1200 VVER-1200A
Reactor 940 t 940 t
MCP 252 t 145 t
Steam generators 4 x450 = 1800 t 2 x790 = 1580 t
Pressurizer 215 t 215 т
RCP set 4 x139 = 556 t 2 x200 = 400 t
Total weight of the
3763 t 3280 t
primary equipment
Relative weight of the
primary equipment, 1,18 1,03
t/MW(th)

32
VVER-1200 EDF-1300 VVER-1200A

EPR AP-1000
33
Design of horizontal SG for VVER

9 Does not contradict the idea of reducing the

basement area. Allows for compact arrangement of
the equipment, easy maintenance and simplifies
withstanding of seismic loads;
9 Keeps advantages in the part concerning:
– Reliability (absence of vibrations, damages from foreign
objects, no accumulation of sludge at the tube sheet).
– Safety (reliable natural circulation, effective gas removal,
water inventory, “thick” tube).
– Convenience of maintenance and repair (easy access
on the primary and secondary sides, low irradiation).

34
RP designs of medium power

9 RP designs of medium power include RP designs

for NPP of power range of 300-700 MW el. to meet
the regional demands and export to developing
countries.
9 Designing of RP of medium power is proposed on
the basis of main equipment of RP of large power.
This leads to:
– extension of the main equipment service life;
– increase in heat engineering margins of the core cooling;
– less stringent requirements for characteristics of safety
systems;
– more flexible fuel cycle.

35
RP designs of medium power

9 RP designs of medium power :

– VVER-640 (V-407)
– VVER-600 (V-498)
9 The designs differ in ratio of application of passive
and active safety systems and the systems for
BDBA management and methods of their technical
feasibility.
9 In both designs the proven technologies, units and
systems are used in general, based on experience
in operation of the preceding generation of NPPs
with VVER.

36
RP designs of medium power

9 Main conceptions of RP with VVER-600:

– usage of the available equipment of designs
V-392M and V-491;
– 2-loop arrangement of RP;
– reactor with 2 inlet and 2 outlet nozzles;
– implementation of optimal application of redundancy,
independence and diversity principles for structuring the
safety systems with the optimal composition and
effectiveness;
– implementation of the concept of the core melt confinement
under severe accidents inside the reactor vessel owing to
inside and outside cooling.

37
RP designs of medium power.
RP design VVER-600 (V-498)

Spent
fuel pool

Reactor
RCP
Steam
generator

HA-1

Pressurizer

Ø 36 m.
38
RP designs of medium power.
RP design VVER-600 (V-498)
9 Comparison of weights of the primary equipment:

VVER-1200 VVER-600

Reactor, t 940 700

MCP, t 252 115
Steam generators, t 4 3450 = 1800 2 3450 = 900
Pressurizer, t 215 215
RCP set, t 4 3139 = 556 2 3139 = 278
Total weight of the primary
3763 2208
equipment, t
Relative weight of the primary
1,18 1,38
equipment, t/MW(th)

39
RP designs of small power

9 RP designs of small power include RP designs for

NPP with electric power of 300 MW for the regions
with small grids.
9 In OKB “GIDROPRESS” the design of 2-loop
reactor plant VVER-300 is on the stage of feasibility
study.
9 The design is based on technical solutions on the
equipment of the preceding designs of RP V-407.

40
RP innovative designs.
One-circuit RP VVER-SCP with supercritical
coolant pressure
9 VVER-SCP meets the target
indicators of
IV-generation VVER to the
highest extent.
9 Advantages of the proposed
design:
– High efficiency (42 - 45%);
– High breeding factor (>0,8);
– Low capital costs (reducing
of: metal consumption;
nomenclature and number
of equipment and systems;
containment sizes);
– Application of the proven
VVER technology and SCP
boiler-turbine units.
Reactor VVER-SCP with the
core of single pass of coolant 41
Conclusion
9 VVER reactor plants are based on technical solutions that
proved their reliability and effectiveness in the course of more
than 40-year operation experience.
9 The developed designs implement the evolutionary concept of
VVER reactor plants oriented not only towards safety
assurance of Units, but also towards increasing their economic
efficiency.
9 The main ways in improving the economic efficiency of reactor
plants are demonstrated. The considered trends in
development are indicative of high potential of VVER
technology development for solving the problems of power
engineering in the long-term outlook.

42