Hot functional tests have been completed at unit 3 of the Xudabao nuclear power plant in China's Liaoning Province ahead of the reactor's start up, while the reactor pressure vessel has been hoisted into place at unit 2.
The Xudabao site (Image: CNNC)
China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced that hot functional tests - which simulate the temperatures and pressures which the reactor systems will be subjected to during normal operation - were completed at Xudabao 3 on 2 June.
Hot functional tests involve increasing the temperature of the reactor coolant system and carrying out comprehensive tests to ensure that coolant circuits and safety systems are operating as they should. Carried out before the loading of nuclear fuel, such testing simulates the thermal working conditions of the power plant and verifies that nuclear island and conventional equipment and systems meet design requirements.
