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E-booklet Information about TVEL Corporation |
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Quality of production |
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VVER reactor fuel
VVER-440 fuel assemblies (FA) have been manufactured since 1963. Presently supplies are made to meet the demands of NPP in Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Eastern European countries and Finland.
A VVER-440 FA is composed of 126 fuel rods with zirconium alloy claddings, which are filled with fuel pellets of uranium dioxide.
To improve reactor physical properties and safety some fuel rods are filled with pellets containing gadolinium oxide.
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TVEL Corporation Address: 49 Kashirskoe shosse, Moscow 115409 Tel.: +7 495 239-49-22, +7 495 988-8282 (commutator) Fax: +7 495 988-8383 ext. 6956 E-mail: info@tvel.ru |
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| Interesting facts about nuclear energy |
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It is interesting to know that…
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In 1932 James Chedvik, a physicist, discovered a neutron, which brought about the beginning of a new nuclear era in the history of mankind. He became a Nobel Prize Winner too.
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The first nuclear power plant was built in Obninsk (Kaluga region) in 1954. It was equipped with uranium-graphite reactor type, called “Peaceful Atom”, with 5 MW capacity. This NPP has worked accident-free for 50 years.
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In Russia, NPPs generate about 16% of national electric power. At that, in the European part of the country the NPPs’ share in total electric power generation amounts to 20 %, and in the North-West – 39 %.
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In 2000, nuclear power industry was the first to achieve the “pre-perestroika” level of production, as compared with other industries. Since 1998 Russia’s NPPs have provided annual growth of electricity generation in an average by 7 Bln kWh.
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Questions & Answers
Nuclear fuel means fuel assemblies (FAs). FA is a complex construction, the main element of which being a bundle of fuel rods made from stainless steel or zirconium. A bundle of fuel rods is filled with uranium dioxide pellets, enriched to 5 % U235. Rods, sealed tightly and loaded with fuel pellets, are called "fuel rods". In order to reduce the gaps between fuel rods and to acquire the necessary structural rigidity, fuel assembly has a number of structural elements: tailpiece, cap and a set of spacing grids. In some cases, they are equipped with a shroud tube. Depending on the reactor types FAs have different number of rods.
Nuclear fuel is delivered by air, sea, railway and motor special transport. Previously, it is placed in high-strength metallic containers, specially certified for transportation of nuclear materials. A special route and transportation schedule are worked out; an additional control of safe transportation on the way is provided. Fuel transportation has never experienced a single accident resulted in enhancement of radiation background.
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