Our company, SALKO Engineering Group s.r.o., which is the authorized dealer for the product supply GERB Schwingungsisolierungen GmbH & Co. KG. has supplied the viscoelastic damper VD 630/426-15 to RNPP, power unit No. 3 and among other things the relevant regulatory documents were developed: the technical conditions (TU) for use in Ukraine, testing program and procedure for the viscoelastic damper series VD, in accordance with which the factory acceptance tests and acceptance tests were carried out.
Factory acceptance tests were carried out on July 24-26 at the site of GERB Schwingungsisolierungen & Co. KG (Berlin, Germany), in particular, the viscoelastic damper VD 630/426-15 TU EP for the steam pipeline of RNPP, power unit No. 3 was tested. Representatives of the State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety (SSTC NRS), the Directorate of the SE NNEGC “Energoatom”, Rivne, Khmelnitska, Zaporizhzhya and South-Ukraine NPPs have attended in this event.
The purpose of the tests was to check the compliance of viscoelastic dampers with the requirements of technical conditions and the requirements of regulatory documents on nuclear and radiation safety of Ukraine.
Determination of rated loads and loads characteristic of the viscoelastic damper VD 630/426-15 TU EP for Rivne NPP the power unit No. 3 was carried out on a special test unit.
The first use of viscoelastic dampers in nuclear energy relates to the early 80-ies of the last century within Konvoi-Project at the NPP of the Federal Republic of Germany. The general application of dampers series VD was obtained in the performance of task for seismic resistance of pipeline systems. For example, these dampers are used at all nuclear power plants in Eastern Europe. Operating experience was confirmed by the advantages of using the technology of high-viscosity damper for protecting NPP and CHP systems from operational vibration, seismic and shock impacts. In addition to the functions of dynamic seismic support, viscoelastic dampers are used as a means of reducing operational vibrations of NPP systems and pipelines at nominal, transient and emergency conditions. The use of high-viscosity damper technology provides significant advantages in ensuring the reliability and safety of the pipelines to be protected, reduces the number of installed devices, as well as the primary and operational costs of the protection system.
Currently, more than 5,000 thousand viscoelastic dampers are installed on the first and second circuits of nuclear power plants all over the world: in Germany, France, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, China, India, Japan, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, USA, etc.
Based on the results of the factory acceptance and acceptance tests, the acceptance commission confirmed the compliance of the equipment with the specifications and requirements of regulatory documents on nuclear and radiation safety of Ukraine.