October 2000 Contents Highlights

Armenia Bulgaria Czech Republic Hungary

Kazakhstan Lithuania Russia Slovakia

Ukraine United States Cross-Cutting Activities Planned Activities

Armenia

Pilot training program implemented for Armenia control room turbine operators

During a two-week working session starting in mid-October, a specialist from U.S. contractor Sonalysts, Inc., worked with training and technical staff from Armenia NPP to finalize and implement a pilot training program for control room turbine operators at the plant. In addition, observers from the U.S. firm Human Performance Analysis Corporation and the International Atomic Energy Agency evaluated the implementation activities and provided feedback to the training program developers. This activity focused on assisting in the development of improved training methods and training expertise at Armenia NPP. (John Yoder, DOE, 301-903-5650; Don Draper, PNNL, 509-372-4079)

Main steam isolation valves installed at Armenia Unit 2

Seven main steam isolation valves manufactured by Hopkinson Ltd. and actuators manufactured by the U.S. corporation Enertech have been installed at Armenia Unit 2. Prior to the reactor's return to power in December 2000, the automation equipment for the valves also will be installed and tested. Burns & Roe Enterprises, Inc., is the principal contractor on this project. Safety analyses were prepared by Atomenergoproekt-Nizhny Novgorod, the Russian architect-engineer of the plant, and by Gidropress, the Russian nuclear system designer. Atomservice, an Armenian company, is performing the activities related to start-up and commissioning. Workers from Armenia NPP installed the valves as in-country contribution to the project. (Grigory Trosman, DOE, 301-903-6899; Rich Denning, PNNL, 614-424-7412)

Armenia Unit 2 gets new fire detection and alarm system

A new fire detection and alarm system manufactured by the Cerberus Corporation was installed, programmed, and tested at Armenia NPP. The new system is installed in parallel with the old system. Over the next year, portions of the old system will be progressively removed, and the operation of automatic systems (e.g., sprinklers) will be transferred to the new system. The new system is a modern design in which the locations of detectors are programmed into the monitoring system, thus allowing the exact location of a fire to be determined. Burns & Roe Enterprises, Inc., is the principal contractor on this project. (Grigory Trosman, DOE, 301-903-6899; Rich Denning, PNNL, 614-424-7412)