Petrozavodsk Branch of JSC “Mechanical Engineering Division-technology” (a part of machine-building division of Rosatom State Corporation – Atomenergomash and a Karelian regional branch of the Russian Engineering Union) has successfully completed hydraulic tests of the first Reactor Coolant Pump (RCP) housing from the set of reactor coolant pumps housings intended for the first power unit of nuclear power plant Rooppur (the People's Republic of Bangladesh).

Hydraulic testing is one of the most important types of inspections to be carried out during manufacture of the pump housings. It is an instrumental in confirmation of strength and tightness of the items. According to the testing schedule, the RCP housing is to be filled with specially prepared water, which is then heated with steam. The minimum temperature of the housing wall heating is 52 degrees. The pressure is to be built up to 24.5 MPa (over 240 atmospheres) and held within 10 minutes.

Upon the pressure reduction, the visual inspection of the RCP housing is to be performed. The commission has confirmed that the first item passed the pressure tests successfully. After that, the outer and inner surfaces of the pump housing, as well as the circumferential weld joints are to be subjected to the repeated liquid penetrant testing.

The RCP housings are the items belonging to the first safety class. At a nuclear power plant, the reactor coolant pump set provides coolant circulation from the reactor to the steam generators and operates under the coolant pressure of about 160 atmospheres and at a temperature of 300 degrees. The extent of supply for one power unit consists of four spherical RCP housings.

Rooppur NPP equipped with two VVER-1200 reactors with a total capacity of 2400 MW is being constructed under the Russian project 160 km from the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka. For the first nuclear power plant in Bangladesh, it has been decided to choose the Russian project with VVER-1200 reactors, which was successfully implemented at Unit 1 of Novovoronezh NPP-2. This is the evolutionary project of Generation III + which meets the international safety requirements completely.