OREANDA-NEWS. May 19, 2008. Scientific Council of Research Institute of Atomic Reactors (NIIAR, Dmitrovgrad, Ulyanovsk region) has summed up the results of the institute’s research activities in Jan-Apr 2008.

The Council pointed out a number of interesting projects carried out by the materials science department:

— Postreactor study of fuel assemblies of new generation: reference fuel assembly-2 of WWER-1000 from Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant.
— Development of a technology for treating and drying destroyed spent nuclear fuel of WWER-440. This technology has been designed for treatment of spent nuclear fuel of Paks Nuclear Power Plant (Hungary) but can also be used for treating different types of non-hermetic fuel, for example, fuel of AMB (uranium-graphite) reactor.
— Study of fuel for floating NPPs with KLT-40.
— Study of experimental fuel element of BREST reactor with uranium-plutonium nitride fuel and lead sublayer after the first stage of irradiation in BOR-60 reactor to maximum burnup of 2.4%.

One of the key technological projects was the mounting of an automated line for production of MOX vibro-packed fuel assemblies for BN-600 (fast-breeder) reactor. Presently, the institute is starting up the system.

In Jan-Apr 2008 NIIAR completed the installation of new equipment for its Irradiation-Material Science Experimental Center under grant program of the Federal Agency for Science and Innovations. The institute started work under the federal target program for nuclear and radiation safety 2008–2015.

While summing up the results of NIIAR’s work in Jan-Apr 2008 the director general of the institute A.Bychkov pointed out that the institute had significantly increased the number of research projects for the needs of national consumers, which proves that the national nuclear power sector strongly needs the results of scientific research.