Russian Company InterPolaris Completes Testing of Heat Exchangers and Mechanical Filters for Nuclear-Powered Icebreakers

Russian company InterPolaris has achieved a significant milestone in the manufacturing project of equipment for nuclear-powered icebreakers, successfully completing tests on two shell-and-tube heat exchangers and two mechanical filters. These units are designed for the specific operating environment of nuclear-powered icebreakers, and passing the tests means the products meet design requirements in terms of strength, sealing, stability, and long-term service capability.

The shell-and-tube heat exchangers that passed verification are primarily used to heat water containing decontamination solutions using heating steam. Although this is a common heat exchange process in principle, in the icebreaker application scenario, the equipment must meet requirements far exceeding ordinary industrial standards. This horizontally arranged equipment is designed with consideration for continuous operation under prolonged ship listing conditions, with fixed structures capable of withstanding loads from various directions, and is required to maintain stable parameters and reliable sealing under complex sea conditions and operating regimes.

In terms of service life indicators, the heat exchangers have a design service life of approximately 40 years, with the ability to operate for 20 years or a cumulative 30,000 hours before the first factory-level overhaul. Such long-cycle service capability is particularly critical for nuclear-powered icebreakers, as these vessels operate for extended periods in polar and high-latitude sea areas, where equipment reliability directly affects the safety of the propulsion system, auxiliary systems, and overall navigation.

The mechanical filters that completed testing simultaneously are used to remove mechanical impurities from conveyed liquids, applied in the condensate-feedwater system of steam turbine plants, as well as in the makeup water and water treatment systems of reactor plants. The single-stage filter is equipped with a metal filter element, inlet and outlet nozzles, and vent and drain connections; the two-stage design connects two housings with metal filter elements and two sets of three-way ball valves, allowing flow path switching during maintenance of one stage, thereby ensuring continuous system operation.

The design service life of the mechanical filters is also approximately 40 years, with an operating resource of 25,000 hours before overhaul and a specified period of 20 years before the first factory-level repair. These tests were not a simple acceptance procedure but rather a verification of the equipment's comprehensive performance under vibration, temperature variations, pressure loads, and sealing conditions. Both the heat exchangers and filters were confirmed to meet the established parameters, demonstrating InterPolaris's technical capability and engineering execution level in manufacturing support equipment for nuclear-powered icebreakers.