Russian-Belarusian solution for emergency reactor cooldown

Russian and Belarusian scientists have come up with a way to cool down nuclear reactors fast in an emergency. The information was released by Mr Vasily Fomin, Deputy President of the Siberian Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAN), at the Novosibirsk session of the permanent seminar opened under the aegis of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union of Belarus and Russia to focus on scientific cooperation between the two countries, BelTA has learned.

In the project to design the cooldown solution the Russian side was represented by the S.S. Kutateladze Thermal Physics Institute of the Siberian Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences while the Belarusian side was represented by the United Energy and Nuclear Research Institute Sosny.

Vasily Fomin said the scientists had suggested using a gas-droplet system that can shut down a reactor nearly twice as fast as conventional solutions.

Upon the initiative of Russian Railways the Siberian and Belarusian scientists have suggested a method to restore overhead wires on railroads, reducing their deterioration by several times. According to the source, the method allows restoring the existing wires while they are powered. The deteriorated section is determined by special equipment and then a special compound is sprayed over the wires with 25,000V voltage.

The product is ready for commercial use. The technology can be used for railways and tramways.