VERIFICATION STUDIES ON A METHODOLOGY FOR CONSTRUCTING UNDERGROUND COMPLEXES TO DISPOSE SMALL NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS IN THE ARCTIC CONDITIONS

The remote Russian Arctic territories containing significant national mineral resources are experiencing an acute lack of energy for the development. Almost absent or underdeveloped energy infrastructure is one of the main reasons why, in particular, promising projects for the development of unique gold, non-ferrous and rare-earth metal deposits are still not implemented. A real feasible solution to the problem of energy supply to remote areas is the use of small nuclear power plants (SNPP) as autonomous energy sources. The need to approach the autonomous energy sources to consumers causes additional requirements to reduce the risks of SNPP’s radiation impact on the environment and population. The integrated safety of nuclear energy sources, including the localization of possible internal incidents and protection from external dynamic man-made and natural effects, can be assuredly ensured with the underground deployment of reactor plants. The article presents the results of integrated studies on the development of scientific and engineering foundations for construction of underground complexes for the deployment of small nuclear power plants in the Russian Arctic hard rock massifs. The prerequisites for using the SNPPs to ensure the energy security of remote and hard-to-reach territories of Russia’s Arctic regions are briefly considered. On the basis of numerical modeling of physical processes associated with the exploitation of underground small nuclear power plants, the methodological approaches have been tested and recommendations have been formulated to optimize the design and volume-layout solutions of underground complexes. Based on the solution of problems related to the development of structural and volume-layout models of chamber workings for the placement of the main SNPP equipment, the main provisions of the methodology for the construction of the underground complexes in the Arctic regions are formulated.

1. Strategiya razvitiya Arkticheskoi zony Rossiiskoi Federatsii i obespecheniya natsional’noi bezopasnosti na period do 2020 goda. [The development strategy of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation and national security for the period up to 2020]. Utv. Prezidentom RF 8 fevralya 2013 g. no. Pr-232. Available at: http://docs.cntd.ru/document/499002465. (In Russian).

2. Adamov E. O. Sostoyanie razrabotok ASMM v mire i Rossii, prioritety i perspektivy ikh sozdaniya. [Development status of SNPP in the world and Russia, priorities and prospects of their creating]. Available at: http://www.innov-rosatom.ru/files/articles/ 5e334977fec5bf72d7dedcb904a914c0.pdf. (In Russian).

3. Atomnye stantsii maloi moshchnosti: novoe napravlenie razvitiya energetiki. [Low-power Nuclear Power Plants — a New Line in the Development of Power Systems]. Pod red. akad. RAN A. A. Sarkisova. Moscow, Nauka, 2011, 375 p. (In Russian).

4. Atomnye stantsii maloi moshchnosti: novoe napravlenie razvitiya energetiki. [Low-power Nuclear Power Plants — a New Line in the Development of Power Systems]. Vol. 2. Pod red. akad. RAN A. A. Sarkisova. Moscow, Akadem-Print, 2015, 387 p. (In Russian).

5. Naumov V. V., Nikul’kina I. V. Osobennosti razvitiya Rossiiskoi Arktiki. [Development features of the Russian Arctic]. Available at: http://sdo.rea.ru/cde/conference/3/file.php?fileId=54. (In Russian).

6. Proekt “Strategii razvitiya Arkticheskoi zony Rossiiskoi Federatsii i obespecheniya natsional’noi bezopasnosti na period do 2020 goda”. [The project of “The development strategy of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation and national security for the period up to 2020”]. Available at: http://narfu.ru/aan/institut_arctic/ strategy_AZRF_2010.pdf. (In Russian).

7. Voropai N. I., Saneev B. G., Ivanova I. Yu., Izhbuldin A. K. Sravnitel’naya effektivnost’ ispol’zovaniya atomnykh stantsii maloi moshchnosti v lokal’nykh energosistemakh na vostoke Rossii. [Comparative efficiency of the use of low_capacity nuclear power plants in the local power systems in Eastern Russia]. Atomnye stantsii maloi moshchnosti: novoe napravlenie razvitiya energetiki. Vol. 2. Pod red. akad. RAN A. A. Sarkisova. Moscow, Akadem-Print, 2015, pp. 59—71. (In Russian).

8. Ivanova I. Yu., Tuguzova T. F., Izhbuldin A. K., Simonenko A. N. Osvoenie mineral’no-syr’evykh resursov Severa: varianty energosnabzheniya. [Mineral resources development of the North: energy supply options]. Region: ekonomika i sotsiologiya, 2011, no. 4, pp. 187—199. (In Russian).

9. Naumov V. A., Gusak S. A., Naumov A. V. Atomnye stantsii maloi moshchnosti dlya energosnabzheniya arkticheskikh regionov: otsenka radioaktivnosti otrabotavshego yadernogo topliva. [Small nuclear power plants for power supply to the Arctic regions: spent nuclear fuel radioactivity assessment]. Izv. vuzov. Yader. energetika, 2018, no. 1, pp. 75—86. (In Russian).

10. Prikaz Federal’noi sluzhby po ekologicheskomu, tekhnologicheskomu i atomnomu nadzoru “Ob utverzhdenii zaklyucheniya gosudarstvennoi ekologicheskoi ekspertizy proekta “Rekonstruktsiya zdaniya 5 na FGUP “ATOMFLOT” pod khranilishche konteinernogo tipa dlya khraneniya (do 50 let) nepererabatyvaemogo otrabotavshego yadernogo topliva atomnogo ledokol’nogo flota” ot 28 fevralya 2005 g. no. 118. Available at: docs.cntd.ru/document/901950066. (In Russian).

11. Mel’nikov N. N., Konukhin V. P., Naumov V. A. et al. Nauchnye i inzhenernye aspekty bezopasnogo khraneniya i zakhoroneniya radiatsionno opasnykh materialov na evropeiskom Cevere Rossii. [Scientific and engineering aspects for safe storage and disposal of radiation-hazardous materials in European north of Russia]. Apatity, KNTs RAN, 2010, 305 p. (In Russian).

12. Naumov V. A., Rubin I. E., Dneprovskaya N. M. et al. Opisanie oslableniya neitronov v biologicheskoi zashchite metodom veroyatnostei prokhozhdeniya. [The description of the attenuation of neutrons in the biological protection by the method of probability of passing]. Preprint IPE-17. In-t problem energetiki AN Belarusi, 1996, 28 p. (In Russian).

13. Naumov V. A., Rubin I. E., Dneprovskaya N. M. Programmnyi kompleks KRATER dlya rascheta neitronno-fizicheskikh kharakteristik teplovykh yadernykh reaktorov. [Software complex KRATER for calculation of neutron-physical characteristics of thermal nuclear reactors]. Preprint IPE-14. In-t problem energetiki AN Belarusi. Minsk, 1996, 39 p. (In Russian).

14. Normy radiatsionnoi bezopasnosti NRB-99/2009. [Radiation safety standards NRB-99/2009]. Available at: http://docs.cntd.ru/document/902170553. (In Russian).

15. Fel’dman G. M. Metodicheskie ukazaniya po raschetam temperaturnogo rezhima gruntov. [Guidelines for the calculations of temperature regime of soils]. Yakutsk, In-t merzlotovedeniya SO AN SSSR, 1985, 70 p. (In Russian).

16. Amosov P. V., Novozhilova N. V. Analiticheskaya otsenka teplovogo vozdeistviya zaglublennoi atomnoi stantsii maloi moshchnosti na mnogoletnemerzlye gornye porody. [Analytical evaluation of thermal impact of subsurface small nuclear power plant on the permafrost rocks]. Vestn. MGTU, 2013, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 638—640. (In Russian).

17. Mel’nikov N. N., Amosov P. V., Novozhilova N. V., Klimin S. G. Ekologiya podzemnykh ob"ektov yadernoi energetiki v usloviyakh kriolitozony. [Ecology of underground nuclear power facilities under permafrost conditions]. Yaroslavl, OOO “Printkhaus-Yaroslavl’”, 2015, 119 p. (In Russian).

18. Mel’nikov N. N., Amosov P. V., Gusak S. A. et al. Otsenka teplovogo vozdeistviya podzemnoi atomnoi stantsii maloi moshchnosti na mnogoletnemerzlye gornye porody. [Evaluation of thermal action of underground nuclear low-power station on the permafrost rocks]. Arktika: ekologiya i ekonomika, 2014, no. 1 (13), pp. 30—37. (In Russian).

19. Mel’nikov N. N., Amosov P. V., Klimin S. G. Rezul’taty chislennogo modelirovaniya teplovogo sostoyaniya kriolitozony pri ekspluatatsii mnogomodul’noi podzemnoi atomnoi stantsii maloi moshchnosti. [Numerical modeling results of cryolithic zone’s thermal state while exploiting an underground multi-module small nuclear power plant]. Arktika: ekologiya i ekonomika, 2017, no. 2 (26), pp. 82—90. (In Russian).

20. Iudin M. M. Geomekhanicheskaya model’ otsenki mekhanicheskikh svoistv merzlykh gornykh porod v massive. [Geo-mechanical model of evaluation of mechanical properties of frozen rocks in massif]. Vestn. YaGU, 2008, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 40—45. (In Russian).

21. Korchak A. V. Metodologiya proektirovaniya stroitel’stva podzemnykh sooruzhenii. [Methodology for the design of underground structures]. Nauchnoe obosnovanie podzemnogo stroitel’stva: Izbrannye trudy uchenykh Moskovskogo gosudarstvennogo gornogo universiteta. Moscow, Akademiya gornykh nauk, 2001, pp. 197—227. (In Russian).

22. Orlov A. O., Smirnov Yu. G. Obosnovanie effektivnykh sposobov razmeshcheniya podzemnykh kompleksov atomnykh stantsii maloi moshchnosti v rossiiskoi Arktike. [Substantiation of efficient ways of placing underground complexes of small nuclear power plants in the Russian Arctic]. Izv. vuzov. Gornyi zhurn, 2016, no. 4, pp. 18—23. (In Russian).

23. Orlov A. O, Smirnov Yu. G., Gusak S. A. Osnovnye metodicheskie printsipy obespecheniya bezopasnosti stroitel’stva podzemnykh kompleksov atomnykh stantsii maloi moshchnosti v usloviyakh rossiiskoi Arktiki. [Basic methodological principles for ensuring the safe construction of underground complexes of small nuclear power plants in the Russian Arctic]. Izv. vuzov. Gornyi zhurn, 2017, no. 5, pp. 31—38. (In Russian).

24. Smirnov Yu. G., Orlov A. O. Analiz mirovogo opyta stroitel’stva podzemnykh atomnykh stantsii i otsenka vozmozhnosti ego ispol’zovaniya dlya arkticheskikh regionov Rossii. [Analysis of the world experience in the construction of underground nuclear power plants and assessment of the possibility of its use for the Arctic regions of Russia]. Vestn. MGTU, 2016, vol. 19, no. 1/1, pp. 47—52. (In Russian).

25. Smirnov Yu. G., Orlov A. O. Mnogobar’ernaya sistema bezopasnosti pri stroitel’stve i ekspluatatsii podzemnykh atomnykh stantsii maloi moshchnosti v usloviyakh Rossiiskoi Arktiki. [Multi-barrier safety system for construction and exploitation of underground small nuclear power plants under the Russian Arctic conditions]. Vestn. KNTs RAN, 2017, no. 1, pp. 93—98. (In Russian).