Engineering Center for Digital Engineering Technologies Will Work on Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing

11:18, June 1, 2021

Scientists will create digital twins to solve environmental issues caused by spent nuclear fuel reprocessing

Sustainable growth of energy consumption in Russia and around the world the need to increase the use of energy used in nuclear fuel and renewable energy.

At the same time, the requirements for environmental friendliness and efficiency of consumed energy are constantly growing all over the world. For modern nuclear power plants, the problems of high activity of sustainable radioactive substances of spent nuclear fuel and thermal pollution of the environment are urgent. Therefore, the problems of reprocessing nuclear fuel are urgent for the nuclear industry and power engineering in general.

Specialists from the UrFU Engineering Center for Digital Engineering Technologies will take part in solving the problems of fuel processing within the framework of the Proryv project.

“Engineering Center for Digital Engineering Technologies together with the Institute of High-Temperature Electrochemistry of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences will be engaged in the formation of initial data for a preliminary assessment of the technical and economic indicators of technologies for pyrochemical processing of spent nuclear fuel, fast reactors. On the basis of 3D models, space-planning solutions have been developed for the placement of technological equipment in radiation-shielding chambers. The technology will solve the problems associated with the disposal of ecological nuclear fuel,” said Maxim Sapogov, General Director of Engineering Center for Digital Engineering Technologies.

The main goal is to create basic technologies and experimental equipment for the use of spent nuclear fuel and the use of a nuclear demonstration power complex in the framework of Russia's large-scale development of safe nuclear power based on a closed nuclear fuel cycle using fast reactors.

Proryv project is being implemented by Rosatom. Project is aimed at achieving a new quality of nuclear power, creating and commercializing a closed nuclear fuel cycle based on fast neutron reactors developing large-scale nuclear power.

The Engineering Center for Digital Engineering Technologies was created by the Ural Federal University in partnership with Advance Engineering under the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Industry and the Russian Federation. Engineering Center for Digital Engineering Technologies is a part of the innovative infrastructure of UrFU. The center is engaged in digital modeling, allows you to reduce the time for creating and testing various parts. The center uses “digital twin” technology, that is, a digital model that passes all tests in the digital space.