Water cooled and moderated natural circulation boiling water reactor (VK-300)

The VK-300 is a 250 MW(e) simplified water cooled and water moderated boiling water reactor with natural circulation of coolant and passive systems. The major technological principles of the concept are: the simplicity in design resulting from a single circuit scheme and natural circulation of coolant in the core; the use of water as a coolant and moderator the production of steam of required parameters directly in the reactor due to an integral arrangement; and strong reliance on passive features and systems to achieve a high level of safety. The VK-300 is a direct successor of the VK-50, - one of the simplified boiling water reactors developed in Russia The VK-50 has been successfully operated for decades at the Research Institute for Nuclear Reactors (RIAR) in Dimitrovgrad, the Russian Federation. In 2001, the design of the VK-300 of 750 MW(th), 250 MW(e) was developed to supply electricity and heat of up to 400 GCal/h within a nuclear co-generation plant to be built at the Krasnoyarsk Mining and Chemical Combine. This design was developed by Russian research and design organizations: the Research and Development Institute of Power Engineering (RDIPE) named after N.A. Dollezhal and also known as NIKIET, the Russian Research Centre 'Kurchatov Institute', and the Institute of Physics and Power Engineering (Obninsk), also involving the RIAR, VNIINM, VNIIPIET, VNIIPIPT and others. During project development, maximum use was made of the experience in design, production and operation of the following equipment used in the following operating reactors: VVER-1000 - reactor vessel, cap, internals, fuel assemblies, fuel elements, steam separators, structural materials; RBMK - in core power detectors, pulse current fission chambers, analogue level gauges and level indicators; VK-50 - core cooling by natural circulation of boiling water coolant; SM.3, IVV.10 research reactors - control and protection system (CPS) actuator drives. Several options were considered in the core arrangement and reactor design at the developmental stage of the VK-300 project to enhance safety and economic efficiency. Specifically, of all options considered the principle of passive operation of main safety systems was retained to achieve an optimum balance between the enhanced safety and improved economic characteristics. As of 2004, the project documentation on the VK-300 was developed for a four-unit nuclear cogeneration plant to be built in the Arkhangelsk region of the Russian Federation