Rostov NPP's Self-Developed Device Cuts Instrument Calibration Cycle from 60 Days to 5 Days

The metrology team at Russia's Rostov Nuclear Power Plant has recently developed and put into operation a device for calibrating high-precision measuring instruments, reducing the relevant instrument calibration cycle from approximately 60 working days to 5 working days—a twelvefold reduction in time.

The project was completed by the plant's metrology personnel within the framework of the Rosatom Production System. Previously, some high-precision instruments at the plant requiring regular maintenance and calibration had to be sent to specialized laboratories, with the entire process involving document preparation, equipment transportation, cargo escort, and coordination with external personnel, typically taking about two months. With the new device in operation, calibration work can now be completed on-site at the nuclear power plant, reducing the need for external organizations and equipment procurement.

According to reports, the device is essentially a pressure chamber capable of providing specific temperature, humidity, and pressure conditions to meet precision measurement requirements. The developers used flasks from drinking water filter systems to create a vacuum, forming the vacuum environment required for calibration; to facilitate on-site operation, the centralized repair workshop also fabricated a dedicated support frame for it. The plant's metrology department has already obtained the relevant accreditation required for using the device.

Ekaterina Dudkina, an engineer at the Rostov NPP metrology department, stated that the instrument calibration time has been reduced from 60 working days to 5 working days, and the work no longer requires additional procurement of expensive equipment or the involvement of external personnel. A process that previously required a team of 5 people can now be completed by 2 specialists.

Rostov NPP is part of the electric power division of Rosatom, located on the shore of the Tsimlyansk Reservoir, and currently operates 4 nuclear power units equipped with VVER-1000 pressurized water reactors. Each unit generates approximately 25 million kWh of electricity per day. The plant accounts for over 70% of the electricity generation structure in the Rostov region and approximately 30% of the unified power system of southern Russia.