29.01.2008 // Department for Nuclear Science and Technology

Rosatom’s science: results of 2007 and tasks for 2008

Last year was crucial for the development of our nuclear industry. The so-called nuclear renaissance is gaining momentum. In 2007 we took a number of important steps to reform the industry. We launched the federal target program «Development of the Nuclear Industry of Russia in 2007–2010 and -2015,» the federal target program «Development of the Nuclear Weapons Complex in 2007–2010 and -2015,» adopted the federal target program «Nuclear and Radiation Safety in 2008–2015,» passed laws on the establishment of Atomenergoprom OJSC and Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation. We are carrying out large-scale measures to implement our national programs and to integrate into the world market and our science and technology are helping us much in the matter.

Science and technology are the core of our work and a firm basis for design and construction of nuclear power plants of new generation, modern types of nuclear weapons, ecologically friendly sources of energy, new materials, information and other technologies. In 2007 our scientific projects were mostly oriented towards the development of research and innovative potential in the field of use and production of nuclear energy.

Our research companies can be proud of their work in 2007: we have designed over 40 technologies; 11 of them have been applied at nuclear companies, 14 are being introduced; we have created 18 experimental stands, 40 test models of fuel assemblies, construction and protective materials, systems for treatment of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste; we have increased the share of innovative products in Rosatom’s total production; we have intensified our work to register rights to intellectual property, particularly, we have obtained over 30 patents.

We would like to point out the following projects:

TRINITI Research Center and TVEL OJSC developed two innovative methods: a highly efficient system for controlling hermeticity of fuel assemblies (the method is applied under stopped reactor for assessing the extent of a defect by calculating the activity of the gas produced by fission) and a system for defect analysis of the core of WWER reactor. The above methods are being introduced at Kalinin, Novovoronezh, Rostov and Balakovo NPPs and are supposed to reduce the downtime of the plants’ units. One idle day of WWER-1000 costs 36mln RUR.

VNIINM (All-Russian Research Center of Non-Organic Materials) carried out projects to improve nuclear fuel: tested fuel assemblies for high-density low-enriched fuel of research reactors; tested the technology of production of U-Pu and Pu fuel for fast-breeder reactors; designed materials for KVADRAT fuel assemblies for their use at foreign reactors.

The Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics is creating the world’s best heavy ion TVN system. In late 2007, for the first time in Russia, ITEP produced an intensive ion beam Fe16+ (accelerated to 4 GeV/nucleon). The system is supposed to be used in the field of high energy density and relativistic nuclear physics and to help to solve problems concerning radiation material science, nuclear data processing, nuclear fuel cycle.

The Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) continues modernizing the strongest accelerator in Russia, U-70. Last year they launched URAL-3OM, a linear injector accelerator with radio-frequency focusing, produced a beam of protons with energy of 30 MeV and pulse rate of 1 Hz. Jointly with the Institute for Nuclear Research, IHEP designed a system for study of radioactive changes. The institute discovered a rare process of structural photon radiation, which is essential for measurement of weak interaction constants, and a number of new particles and decays. This will help us to better understand the structure of particles and the principles of their interaction.

Among the key activities of our scientific complex are the fulfillment of our commitments under international projects and the development of international scientific-technical and foreign economic cooperation. This cooperation is carried out both in bilateral format and in the framework of global projects like Generation-4, GENEP, ITER. One of our major achievements in 2007 is the fulfillment of Russia’s commitments under ITER project: VNIINM and TVEL have designed and tested nano-structured superconductors and are organizing their commercial production. They have also designed a 50 kg pilot lot of niobium-tin strands and a solid 18 km niobium-tin strand.

One more interesting project is the design and trial of a testing tokamak at NIIEFA (Research Institute of Electrophysical Apparatus). This project is part of the Russian-Kazakh cooperation program. It is the first time in the last decades that Russia has designed such a complex system for research of controlled thermonuclear synthesis. The reactor has been sent to the Nuclear Research Institute of Kazakhstan and, as soon as it is launched, our scientists will be able to carry out modern research in the field of thermonuclear synthesis and plasma physics.  

So, you see that we have done really much. However, we must move further if we want to keep pace with our rivals. We need to reorganize our research institutes and their management systems. We have already started this work. On Aug 10 2007 Rosatom adopted a regulation for management of research and development projects. This document says that management should be based on the principle of priority. It has introduced such notions as «project manager,» «managing organization,» «research manager» and has enhanced the role of scientific councils by empowering them to plan actions under a project and to assess their results.

In Dec 2007 Rosatom adopted a consolidated schedule of research and development projects for 2008 so as to be able to announce relevant competitions in late 2007 and to start making contracts in Jan 2008. We have much to do this year. We have to develop work programs for each project, to examine them and to assess the results.

The establishment of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation has urged us to reform nuclear science. The existing system is not optimal and needs reformation. We should not forget that one of the objectives of the corporation is to preserve the unity of the civil and military sectors of nuclear industry and science.

One of the key tasks of 2008 is the development of new federal target program «Nuclear Power Technologies of New Generation» — a program aimed at ensuring the innovative development of Rosatom State Corporation and enhancing its competitiveness and development potential. The key components of the program are complex research projects to create prospective nuclear and radiation safety technologies, conversion of the nuclear industry to ecologically and economically attractive innovative technologies with fast-breeder reactors and closed fuel cycle, development of thermonuclear power engineering, search for prospective ways to use the energy of nucleus, participation in international projects.

As you may see, we have lots of tasks. I would like to say that the traditions of legendary Minsredmash, the unique scientific potential of our companies and state support will help Rosatom to grow into the world’s leader in the field of nuclear power engineering.