Hydrotesting of the catchment basin of evaporative cooling tower 3 at unit 2 of Russia’s Leningrad II nuclear power plant has been completed.
The tests were carried out in two stages. First, experts filled the open reservoir tank to the design level of -1.35 metres, and after a day - to the level of -0.300 metres from ground level. In total, 28,000 cubic metres of water were required to test the catchment for strength and tightness.
The reinforced concrete slab at the bottom and the fence of the catchment basin, due to their constant contact with water, are made of hydraulic concrete, characterised by high water resistance, frost resistance and compressive and tensile strength.
“The main purpose of the tests was to verify the special characteristics of building materials and the quality of work on the construction of the pool as a whole,” explained Alexander Belyaev, chief engineer of Leningrad II. “Plant personnel, throughout the entire process of hydrotesting, conducted round-the-clock monitoring of the water level and the absence of leaks in this technological element of the cooling tower. As a result, not only the tightness of the drainage basin was confirmed, but also its ability to withstand the serious loads envisaged by the project in relation to the hydraulic structure of the plant.”
The cooling tower is 167 metres tall - one of the highest industrial facilities in the Leningrad Region - which will provide water cooling to the circulating water supply systems of the Leningrad NPP.
At Leningrad II-2, one evaporative cooling tower was built instead of the two built for Leningrad II-1. This significantly reduced capital costs and local energy consumption, as well as reducing the area of the nuclear power plant site while maintaining all the requirements of technology and safety, the plant noted.
