INCREASES THE NUMBER OF OPERATIONS

Fuel pellet drying section started being operated at Ulba-FA plant.

Uranium dioxide fuel pellets need to be dried to control and reduce hydrogen content in them. The thing is that redundancy of this gas, especially in operated reactor at NPP, results in so called hydrogen brittleness of nuclear material. The latter can have a negative effect on reliability of fuel rods, fuel assemblies and a reactor operation as a whole.

To exclude potential exceeding of hydrogen content accepted values, the period between the fuel pellet drying and loading into the fuel rods shall not be longer than 96 hours. If this period is exceeded, the fuel pellets shall be re-dried.

The plant had sent the fuel pellets to Uranium Division of UMP JSC under the previously executed contract before Ulba-FA commissioned the drying section.

The introduced section uses drying furnaces as a basis that secure drying of 1100 kg of the fuel pellets in Uranium equivalent per shift.

Ulba-FA LLP acted as an organizer and customer in the project of the drying section establishment. Mashzavod LLP designed and manufactured the furnaces. KAP Technology LLP performed electrification and automation works. UDI UMP JSC was responsible for furnaces thermal calculations and also participated in the design works of the section.

Now Ulba-FA LLP’s activity has become even more self-sustainable, that will positively influence both the quality of the product, and relations with the end user.