Ishwardi (Pabna) Correspondent :
Dummy Fuel Assemblies (DFA) loading into the reactor pressure vessel at unit 1 of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant began on September 17, 2024. 163 DFAs and 115 Control and Protection System Absorber Rods (CPSAR) will be loaded within the next two weeks. Real nuclear fuel loading will begin after all the reactor parameters are met with the help of dummy assemblies. Specialists of Atomstroyexport, Atomtechenergo, and Rosenergoatom are performing the job. Project Director Dr. Zahidul Islam has confirmed the start of dummy fuel loading in the reactor pressure vessel of the first unit.
Rosatom media said in a press release on Wednesday (September 18), A dummy fuel assembly (DFA) fully imitates the design of standard fuel assemblies in terms of dimensions, weight, and materials, but without nuclear fuel.DFAs are designed to model the geometry of the reactor core and to confirm the hydraulic parameters of the reactor plant during circulation flushing and reactor cold and hot tests, which are essential to confirm its reliable and safe operation. DFAs are also necessary to master handling operations using the refueling machine.
Project Director Dr. Zahidul Islam said that all the equipments have already been prepared or tested for this. Dummy fuel loading work progress exposure as a preliminary to actual fuel loading. A number of tests are performed for dummy fuel loads. It is robotic or automatic process. Our Bangladeshi operators are controlling this process from the control room. Our operators are working on dummy fuel loading with the technical support of Russian experts. Dummy fuel loading work is a huge step for our physical start-up (real fuel loading) in future.