The article considers the analysis of operational aspects of restoring the flow rate of technological wells at uranium mining facilities developed using the in-situ recovery (ISR) method under conditions of progressing chemical and mechanical clogging of the near-wellbore zone. The relevance of the study is determined by the fact that a decrease in well flow rates leads to violations of the design operating regimes of ISR blocks, an increase in block development time, higher reagent consumption and operating costs, as well as an increase in technological and environmental risks associated with uranium production. The object of the study is technological wells of uranium mining facilities within the nuclear industry, operated in an industrial mode using the ISR method. The subject of the study comprises the operational parameters of wells and methods for restoring their productivity under conditions of near-wellbore zone clogging. The purpose of the study is to substantiate and evaluate the practical effectiveness of chemical decolmatation as a repair and rehabilitation method aimed at restoring well flow rates and improving the stability of operational regimes of the well stock. To achieve this purpose, the following research objectives are addressed: analysis of operational causes of flow rate decline in technological wells; assessment of the impact of clogging processes on the filtration properties of the near-filter zone; justification of the selection of chemical decolmatation as a restoration method; experimental evaluation of the effects of reagent treatment on well construction elements; analysis of changes in well flow rates and the stability of operational performance indicators before and after treatment. The research methods included laboratory testing, analysis and monitoring of production well operation data, as well as generalization of the results of pilot-scale and industrial trials conducted at operating uranium mining facilities. The research materials consist of production control data, laboratory test results, and operational indicators of the well stock. The results obtained demonstrate that the application of chemical decolmatation ensures the restoration of filtration properties of the near-wellbore zone, increases well flow rates, and enhances the stability of hydrodynamic operating regimes, thereby extending the inter-repair operating period. It is concluded that the inclusion of this method in standard repair and rehabilitation procedures for the operation of uranium mining facilities within the nuclear industry is expedient.

The relevance of this study is determined by the need to verify radiation monitoring data and to provide an objective assessment of radiation safety of the population residing within the 30-km surveillance zone of the Rostov Nuclear Power Plant (RoNPP). The objective is to analyze interannual dynamics of the radiation situation based on systematic measurements performed during 2021-2025. The study objects include atmospheric fallout, soil, and surface water (the RoNPP cooling pond and Tsimlyansk Reservoir) sampled at control points in Volgodonsk and Tsimlyansk. Gamma spectrometry and radiochemical analysis are applied to determine total β-activity and specific activity of technogenic (¹³⁷Cs, ¹³⁴Cs, ⁶⁰Co, ¹³¹I) and natural (⁴⁰K, ²³²Th, ²²⁶Ra) radionuclides. Statistical processing employs the non-parametric Mann-Kendall test, Sen's slope estimation, correlation analysis (Pearson/Spearman), paired Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and cross-correlation with temporal lags. Average annual values of radionuclide specific activity in atmospheric fallout (∑β, ¹³⁷Cs) consistently remain within background ranges typical for the European part of Russia (43-47% of the upper regional background boundary). ¹³⁷Cs content in soil (1-6 Bq/kg) and water (0.3-0.7 Bq/kg) do not exceed levels attributable to global fallout and is 1–2 orders of magnitude below drinking water standards. Statistical analysis reveals no significant monotonic trends for any monitored parameter (all p > 0.10) and no significant differences between sampling locations. In conclusion, the obtained data indicate the absence of a significant technogenic contribution from the RoNPP to the radiation situation in the surveillance zone. A continuous five-year measurement series is presented with application of modern non-parametric statistical methods for the first time in this region, enabling a transition from descriptive monitoring to quantitative assessment of radiation background stability.

During the construction and installation of a nuclear power plant, unavoidable changes are introduced into its design, resulting in differences between the actual physical condition of the constructed NPP and its digital design model. Due to the systemic limitations of traditional documentation methods, which record only those parameters considered significant at the time of acceptance of work, the as-built documentation does not always contain geometric information with the degree of detail required for engineering calculations. Certain engineering tasks arising during commissioning and start-up operations require data on the actual condition of facilities with a level of accuracy and comprehensiveness that is virtually unattainable through traditional visual inspection and manual measurements, but which can be achieved using modern terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) technology. An analysis of TLS application during commissioning works at nuclear power plants and during nuclear facility decommissioning is presented. Based on the experience of work at the backup diesel power plant of power unit No. 3 of the Rostov NPP, at power unit No. 2 of the Belarusian NPP, and during the survey of the main building of Novovoronezh NPP power units, the practical effectiveness of the method for solving specific engineering problems is shown: verification of the actual position of the equipment, justification of earthquake resistance, documentation of the condition of the object at the time of acceptance. A systematic discrepancy between traditional documentation data and the actual condition of installed equipment has been established. It has been established that once a point cloud is created, it is a long-term information asset, applicable both during commissioning and during subsequent operation. Possible directions of application of the TLS technology within the framework of the commissioning work and during the period of industrial operation are shown.  The conditions for rational application of TLS, its limitations and prospects for use at Russian-designed NPPs under construction, particularly at Akkuyu NPP, are considered

The article presents the data of arc discharge studies with combined power supply of the welding circuit from the main DC source and in the mode with an additional generator connected to it in parallel. The generator is used to form an auxiliary quasi-harmonic power supply component with frequency fk1 = 40000.0 Hz under given welding process conditions with coated electrodes. The scope of practical application of this method of feeding is nuclear power engineering, where it is in demand to ensure the quality of welded joints of steel structures and products at all stages: from manufacture to installation and repair. The quality and strength of welds, as well as the productivity in the manufacture of products in mechanical engineering, are largely determined by the correct choice of welding modes and the properties of arc discharge as a key element of the welding circuit. The study of arc discharge properties is an important task especially for manual arc welding under installation and assembly conditions. The properties of the welding arc in the study were evaluated according to a given set of criteria and their values, obtained oscillograms of the welding current and voltage, such as: statistical parameters in the form of coefficients of variation of the welding current, voltage, power. Parameters related to short circuits: frequency, their duration, arc time constant. Parameters characterizing the dynamics of signals were also taken into account: the amplitude of current and voltage fluctuations, the rate of change in current and voltage. The analysis revealed an improvement in the properties of the welding arc and a decrease in the inertia of changing its electrical resistance in given modes with combined power supply of the welding circuit.

The objective of this work is to develop an approach to analyze transients in nuclear reactors with strong heterogeneities. Currently, reactor plants for small modular reactors (SMRs) are being developed to provide consumers in remote regions with electricity and heat, foster the growth of isolated industrial clusters and territories, and facilitate the development of mineral deposits that require a stable and clean energy source. Advanced reactor designs feature complex configurations of fuel assemblies and cores due to additional control rods and new systems for excess reactivity compensation. This paper investigates a new approach called the surface moments method. The analysis of neutron angular distributions demonstrated that this method holds promise for analyzing systems with strong heterogeneities. The key difference of the surface moments method is a separate description of angular dependencies for two directions (on both sides of the interface) in the form of continuous functions. The theoretical foundations of the surface moments method are outlined. Its accuracy is evaluated against Monte Carlo simulations using model problems. The maximum error in calculating relative fission rates with the surface moments method for the presented problems was 0.6%. This is more than an order of magnitude lower than the maximum error of the diffusion approximation. Thus, the results demonstrate the feasibility of achieving high accuracy within a fraction of a percent and confirm the efficiency of analyzing cores with strong heterogeneities. The presented results give grounds to believe that the surface moments method can be useful for calculations of VVER-S and SMR.

The article evaluates the effect of the cooling water temperature on the pressure in the main condensers of a steam turbine installation C-1200-6.8/50 for nuclear power plants with a VVER-1200 reactor. Based on the results of the study, a simulated thermohydraulic model is created in the dynamic modeling environment of SimInTech technical systems, taking into account the influence of the heat and mass transfer process in the tower evaporative cooling tower and the thermal balance of the turbine condenser. The model makes it possible to quantify the effect of air temperature on the vacuum in the turbine condenser. Based on the data obtained, graphs of the dependence of the pressure in the condenser on the temperature of the main cooling water are constructed, with the help of which it is possible to predict the moment of the onset of operational limits. This assessment is especially relevant for nuclear power plants built in the southern part of central Russia, as well as for foreign projects of Rosatom State Corporation. The experience of operating cooling systems, especially with hard water, shows that compliance with the cleanliness requirements of internal devices is an important measure in maintaining the water-chemical regime and optimizing the operating modes of the cooling tower, therefore, the pollution parameter is introduced in the model description. The objectives of this study are to assess the influence of only external environmental conditions, namely ambient air temperature, without taking into account the process of sediment formation in the system. The practical significance of the work lies in the analysis of operational data to substantiate the need for corrective measures and modernization solutions that can be used by employees of JSC Concern Rosenergoatom Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant to improve the efficiency of the circulating water supply system with tower evaporative cooling towers.

The failure of zirconium (Zr) fuel elements in Loss-of-Coolant Accidents (LOCAs) is primarily caused by the exothermic zirconium-steam reaction between the Zr fuel cladding and coolant water in VVER-type reactors, which generates explosive hydrogen gas and compromises cladding integrity. Enhancing fuel element safety can be achieved by replacing the Zr cladding with Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) materials that exhibit improved high-temperature oxidation resistance and reduced interaction with coolant under both normal and emergency conditions. LOCA is a design basis accident for VVER reactors, making the development of alternative cladding materials a priority for next-generation nuclear power plants. This study investigates the effective multiplication coefficient (Keff) of standard Zr-clad fuel rods compared to those with three candidate ATF cladding materials – FeCrAl alloy, SiC composite, and NiCr alloy–using detailed Monte Carlo simulations with the SERPENT code for the VVER-1200 reactor geometry. The results demonstrate significant differences among the materials: one candidate exhibits neutronic behavior very close to zirconium with minimal reactivity control, another shows a moderate but increasing penalty throughout the burnup cycle, while the third displays a substantial reactivity control that would necessitate major core redesign. These quantitative findings highlight the promise of select ATF materials as replacements for Zr, contributing to reduced oxidation risks, elimination of hydrogen generation, and decreased accident probabilities in nuclear reactors while maintaining acceptable neutronic performance. The calculations are specifically performed for the WWER-1200 nuclear power plant and provide essential data for material selection decisions and core design optimization.

In the presented article, the authors discuss the issues of measuring the coolant flow rate using neutron noise technology. The noise method for estimating the channel-by-channel coolant flow rate based on fluctuations in the intraband neutron flux has been widely used for VVER-440 cover fuel assemblies. To calculate the coolant flow rate, it is necessary to estimate the delay time of the signals of two direct charge sensors using the frequency method based on the local extremes of their coherence function. The equation of pure transport of temperature fluctuations is derived. Other cases are the presence of global neutron noise, uncorrelated noise on each measuring channel is not considered. The authors took into account horizontal coolant overflows between neighboring fuel assemblies for shell-less fuel assemblies of VVER-1200 reactor installations. The error in determining the coolant flow rate has been estimated. The concepts of sink structures and sink frequencies are introduced, which are an infinite sequence of periodic extrema – maxima and minima – spectral functions arising from trigonometric multipliers or terms of the type ,   ,  cos . The differences between the fuel assemblies -5 and the standard fuel assemblies for the VVER-1200 are briefly described. For the first time, the coolant flow rate in fuel assemblies-5 was estimated and compared with the speed in standard fuel assemblies for four time points. The necessity of monitoring channel-by-channel coolant flow rates is substantiated in order to identify fuel assemblies with consistently low and consistently high coolant flow rates. These conditions may be due to the specific loading of the core, the invariable design features of VVER-1200, namely, the diameters of the pipes in the blast furnace above this fuel assembly, the proximity of the core enclosure, the presence of an air defense system and thermal control channels in this fuel assembly.

Abstract. The current development paradigm of the Russian Federation is characterized by increased attention to ensuring technological leadership and state sovereignty. In this regard, the importance of high-tech single-industry towns, such as those hosting the Rosatom State Corporation, is growing. Despite their unique resource potential, these territories face an outflow of qualified personnel and image limitations due to their closed status, which poses the challenge for researchers to find strategic management tools that take into account the need for qualitative growth of their reputation. The objective of this article is to develop and test a methodological approach to the strategic analysis of the reputational potential of high-tech single-industry towns and, based on this, the formation of a development roadmap for the studied territories with the aim of ensuring and maintaining technological leadership. The research methodology is based on a three-stage algorithm: the first stage included a PESTEL analysis, Porter's Five Forces Framework, and key success factors analysis, while the second stage included a dynamic SWOT analysis using the methodology of P.A. Mikhnenko, with an expert assessment of the impact of external and internal environmental factors, and the third stage, a prioritized roadmap for developing the reputational potential of nuclear single-industry towns was developed. Results: key challenges (competition for human capital, environmental quality requirements, closed administrative-territorial entity restrictions) and opportunities (government support, new technologies) are identified; It is substantiated that the market power of consumers and suppliers shapes the «reputational vulnerability contour»; balanced dynamic assessments of strategic development alternatives for nuclear single-industry towns are obtained; and a roadmap for developing the reputational potential of nuclear single-industry towns through 2030 is developed, including nine areas grouped into three priorities (urgent, medium-term, and long-term implementation). The proposed approach can be used to update the socioeconomic development strategies of cities where Rosatom State Corporation operates and to formulate a unified reputation management policy for them.

This paper considers the increased interest in learning foreign languages among students who combine their studies with work in the nuclear industry. With the rapid development of nuclear energy in Russia, young professionals involved in the construction of new nuclear power plants gain valuable practical experience and experience-based advantages for their future career growth. The current requirements to work at energy facilities necessitate a strong command of foreign languages. However, students working at nuclear power plants often lack the time to immerse themselves fully in language learning. To solve this problem, it is proposed to introduce individual study schedules and network planning methods, which ensures an even distribution of educational material throughout the entire study period. In order to optimize the number of assignments and evenly distribute time for individual studies, it is necessary to carefully plan and monitor the educational process. In this case, it is advisable to use the "network planning and management" method, which relies on a network diagram. The work schedule is subject to strict mandatory supervision, which completely eliminates any deviations from the plan. When using a network approach to planning, the total amount of required texts to study and recommended additional reading materials specified in the program is reduced to a basic minimum. The advantage of using network methods for planning work is the ability to distribute tasks over time, taking into account available time reserves, which allows for adjusting the start date and duration of a task to fit the student's available time. This approach enables even students with lower academic performance to complete the minimum amount of required and additional reading.

This paper presents a quantitative analysis of occupational injury dynamics and the economic effectiveness of industrial safety measures in the Ulba Metallurgical Plant JSC (UMP JSC) for the period 2020-2024. The study is based on internal corporate reporting data, including the Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR), the number of lost-time injuries, annual expenditures on occupational and industrial safety, and leading indicators reflecting the condition of the safety barrier system. The results show that LTIFR amounted to 0.18 in 2020 and increased to 0.28 in 2021 (the maximum value within the analyzed period), after which it declined to 0.00 and remained at this level throughout 2022-2024. In parallel, total safety expenditures increased from 1,382,325 thousand KZT in 2020 and 1,608,726 thousand KZT in 2021 to 2,102,982 thousand KZT in 2022 and 2,814,728 thousand KZT in 2023, followed by optimization to 1,997,480 thousand KZT in 2024. The data demonstrate a reduction in LTIFR from 0.28 to 0.00 over a four-year interval and its sustained maintenance for three consecutive years. The economic evaluation of risk reduction measures was performed using the Expected Annual Loss (EAL) approach. The present value of costs (PV(C)) is approximately 25 million KZT, while the present value of prevented losses (PV(ΔEAL)) reaches 59 million KZT over a 10-year horizon at a 12% discount rate. The benefit-cost ratio (BCR) exceeded 2.0, indicating a positive net present value of the implemented safety measures. Leading indicators showed significant improvements: coverage of critical control inspections increased from 60% to 90%, training coverage rose from 85% to 97%, the proportion of non-conformities decreased from 18% to 9%, the average time required for corrective actions was reduced by more than half, and near-miss reporting increased from 40 to 80 cases per year. The findings confirm the systemic nature of the achieved effect and demonstrate that the trajectory «increased safety investment – zero LTIFR – expenditure optimization» is consistent with the ALARP principle. Sustained zero LTIFR in 2022-2024 is associated with a combination of engineering, organizational, and behavioral measures and is accompanied by a positive economic return on safety investments.