In the framework of its integrated offer on NPP construction, ROSATOM builds unique comprehensive solutions for automation of production processes (area: APCS – automated process control systems), manufactures and supplies electrical equipment, designs and constructs electricity supply facilities (area: Electrical Engineering). Considering that a share of the intellectual constituent (APCS and Electrical Engineering) in the cost structure of a nuclear power plant is estimated as near 20%, the serious attention is paid to development of these areas. Since 2016, this task has been assigned to the sectoral integrator, JSC “Rusatom Automated Control Systems” (JSC RASU, Moscow, a ROSATOM’s company), which has gained the title of the Chief Designer of APCS for nuclear power plants of Russian design.
An APCS is the administrative and engineering system which consists of automation equipment, operation procedures and involvement of personnel. It supports automatic performance of process equipment control and decision-making. APCS includes several levels of the process control (low, intermediate and high). The low control level means sensors sending signals on the equipment state which the system controls, the intermediate level is industrial logic controllers for processing the sensors’ information (using special software, they control actuators, collect and store system parameter operation data) which is sent to the high level – Main Control Room, which consolidates processed information flows and displays plant operators the confident data about the state of the power unit, as well as allows for monitoring of the plant electricity generation.
The development of APCS requires integrated supplies of various equipment. Therefore, orders are given to 22 sectoral producers of the control systems and electrical equipment: FSUE N. L. Duhov VNIIA, FSUE RFNC VNIIEF and its subsidiaries, Yu. E. Sedakov NIIIS and VEI, JSC UEMP, FSUE PSZ, FSUE Combinat Elektrokhimpribor, JSC PA Sever, FSUE E. Yu. Zababakhin RFNC VNIITF, JSC NIIEFA, JSC SNIIP, JSC M. V. Protsenko, JSC Consern Titan-2, JSC Krasnaya Zvezda, FSUE PSZ and others. As the integrating company, JSC RASU provides for planning, coordinating and razing efficiency of activity of sectorial partners.
JSC RASU designs APCS considering individual demands of customers and uniting functional subsystems into a whole, while providing for their interaction and joint operation during the entire lifecycle of NPP (including R&D, design, installation and startup supervision, servicing and modernization). Reliability and safety of supplied solutions are confirmed by many years of trouble-free operation. Over five years of operation in the industrial automation market more than six new NPP power units were started, including Rostov-4, Novovoronezh NPP-2 units 5 and 6, Leningrad NPP-2 units 1 and 2, and Belarus-1. Modernization of 80% of APCS equipment at Kalinin-1 was carried out. At the present time, the APCS design portfolio includes more than 30 nuclear power units.
The Electrical Engineering is the second mainstream activity of JSC RASU. To develop this segment, in the end of 2017, the single point of responsibility – Rusatom Elektrotekhnika (JSC RASU-RET, a subsidiary of JSC RASU) has been founded. The subsidiary’s interests include the consolidation of science and technology, production and human resources of sectoral organization-participants of the business to develop and bring to the market the competitive electrical equipment. Forming of integrated offers which take account of modern market trends includes design, development, manufacturing of electrical equipment, automation of electric grid facilities, technological grid connection, design and construction of substation and electricity supply transmission lines, comprehensive monitoring and in-service diagnostics of electrical equipment.
Clients are offered various integrated solutions for power supply of remote and geographically distributed facilities with a possibility to integrate RES elements (include a generator – hydro/wind power/solar panels/diesel generator, invertor, energy accumulation module, mobile and stationary substation, cluster digital substations). Solutions may be supplied as a set and separately, for example, as modular transformer substations (MTS) designed for receipt, transformation and distribution of alternating three-phase electricity. MTS are used at electricity supply facilities, electric power supply of industrial enterprises, in gas and oil mining, agricultural and urban facilities, as well as railway transport in any regions and different operating conditions (including those isolated of energy). Modular transformer substation may be built in a mobile option. This option is in demand when repairs or renovation of operating substation are carried out before their commissioning, for off-loading of grids in the peaking period. Stations of this type are different in a small area, simplicity in installation and adjustment. Owing to the distant monitoring and control function, there is a possibility to use such substations in the concept of Smart Grid.
To provide for supplies to the international market, JSC RASU carries out a full cycle of qualification, certification of products and services of sectoral organizations for conformance to requirements of Russian and foreign laws. One of the bright examples of this activity is the joint project of JSC UEMZ and JSC RASU on the design debugging and setting up production of low-voltage package modules for foreign customers (USG series — Ural Switchgears). i.e. international market. Low-voltage package modules (LVPMs) are designed for operation in in-house systems of power plants, including nuclear power plants, as well as at power facilities of various industries. They are used for electricity input, sectioning and distribution, including control of electric drives of actuators of different purpose. In April 2019 the French certification authority ASEFA issued a certificate of conformance to International Electrical Commission (IEC) for LVPMs cabinets of USG series. Also, these LVPMs passed verification tests for seismic and vibration impacts in the laboratory IABG (Ottobrunn, Germany). These certificates of conformance supports entering the exports market of such equipment supplies not only in the framework of construction of Russian NPPs abroad (Paks NPP II (Hungary), NPP Hanhikivi-1 (Finland), Akkuyu NPP (Turkey) etc.), but also for construction of other industrial facilities. In the coming 10 years, JSC RASU plans to supply more than 12,000 LVPM cabinets cost over RUB 20 bln to foreign construction sites of nuclear power plants only.
Today, JSC RASU-RET develops a number of digital solutions which, in near future, will be implemented at nuclear industry enterprises. In particular, the thing is the uniform digital platform for energy, cluster digital substation, own SCADA systems, platform for monitoring, diagnosis and predictive analysis of equipment condition, electric grid sectioning devices 6 (10) kV, wireless data transmission systems and other promising solutions.
For more detailed information please refer to JSC RASU’s website.