[en] Application of NPP mathematical models reflecting internal physical couplings in NPP components (simulating models) and models reflecting external geometrical characteristics of NPP components (reactor geometry models) is described in short. In spite of high costs of these models their application permits to avoid sometimes unplanned outages and to decrease personnel irradiation doses

[en] The methods of ultrasonic defectoscopy and eddy currents are considered, as well as nondestructive testing equipment used during NPP inspection. The measures to increase the efficiency of nondestructive testing are discussed. Special attention is paid to testing programs. The possibility of revealing defects in the whole cross section of product walls in the case of unilateral access, high sensitivity to crack detection, informativity, objectiveness and safety use are the main advantages of the ultrasonic method. This method is especially useful to NPP equipment during operation. The method of eddy currents is applied to control ferrite and austenite steels including those under water inside reactor. In this case the necessity of mechanical and electric contact with controlled surface is excluded and there is a possibility of process automatization

[en] Practical measures realized by the NRC to ensure the NPP safety in the USA at design and operation stages are discussed. These measures concern the introduction of quantitative safety standards and improvemept of collecting and analyzipg documentation on NPP operation failures. Quantitative safety standards are related to the probability of.immediate or remote death of men as a result of an accident. To improve collection and analysis of operation documentation it is supposed to use computers to a greater degree than up to now

[en] The main aspects of the United Kingdom fuel policy are analyzed. The possibility of using the new energy sources such as wind power, energy of waves, tide solar geothermal and thermonuclear energy is discussed. It is noted that in the large-scale power engineering for the purpose of fuel economy it is necessary to use schemes with combined production of heat and electric power. Construction of NPPs with thermal reactors having the total power of 40 GW by 2000 is projected as maximum program. Large commissioning of fast reactors is planned at the end of this century and at the beginning of next one. The exact date is determined by economic reasons, in particular, by the ratio of specific costs for thermal and fast reactors and relative cost of fuel cycle depending on the natural uranium cost. Favourable financial position of foreign partners and optimization of specifications of the NPP with a gas-cooled fast reactor (the use of helium or carbon dioxide is possible) make it possible to realize this reactor concept at the present stage approximately in two years. It is concluded that the development of methods for converting coal into liquid and gas fuels and transition to electric power production at NPPs are the main directions in fuel policy. In the future the use of wind and solar energy for district heating is the most favourable for the United Kingdom while the geothermal energy is the least perspective. In the far future the using the thermonuclear fusion is also perspective

[en] Consideration is given to various measures taken at USA NPP_s with BWR reactors, in order to present pipeline cracking due to intergranular stress corrosion: substitution of materials, induction heating hydrogen water-chemical conductions etc. Data on practical application of these measures, their experimental substantiation and prospects of future works are presented. Extensive activities on presenting corrosion cracking of NPP equipment, performed in the USA and other countries is noted

[en] Management-technical problems related to the implementation of program of NPP service life prolongation are considered. First studies on the given problem at the Surry-1, Monticello and Calvert Cliffs NPPs are reported. The importance of determination of NPP readiness coefficient dependence on its age is pointed out. Such indices as designed and licensed service lives of NPP are defined

[en] The technique of the double-exposure holographic interferometry ensuring the study of plasma possessing strong refraction is described. The essence of the suggested technique consists in the analysis of dispersive and focusing properties of the aligned hologram considered as a double-component optical system. The scheme of reconstruction of such hologram devices for studying thetapinch plasma and processes arising during radiation interaction with plasma is described

[en] Optical and visual methods and nondestructive hardware used in the process of NPP inspection are considered. Measures directed to increase efficiency of these methods are discussed. Special attention is paid to automatization of signal processing based on application of microprocessors

[en] Specific features and optical scheme of a holographic device for plasma diagnostics in high-current Z- and THETA-discharges are described. The device makes it possible, by using a single hologram recorded by the double-exposure method, to obtain a number of interferograms with different frequencies and band orientations, and also shadow photographs. The essence of the double-exposure method is that holograms of two fronts corresponding to different physical states of the object being studied are recorded on a single photographic plate. With the holograms being illuminated by a laser beam, the wave fronts recorded on them are reconstructed, and by analysing these fronts the spatial distribution of optical characteristics of the plasma is determined. The holographic device comprises two units: a hologram-recording unit and a holographic interferometer. The light source is a ruby laser with controlled generation. A opaque mirror and a resonant reflector form a cavity. Q-modulation of the cavity is effected by controlling the running diffraction grating in an acoustic cell. The system for forming object and reference beams comprises a light-dividing element and telescopic systems forming wide parallel beams. The telescopic system in the path of the object beam has a 50-fold magnification, that makes it possible to enlighten through windows a discharge chamber of a diameter of 100 mm. The telescopic system in the path of the reference beam has a 60-fold magnification. The object and reference beam are combined on a hologram in a holographic camera comprising mirrors and a casette unit. Reconstruction of holograms is made by means of a holographic interferometer. Shadow images are obtained by closing the reference beam in the corresponding arm of the interferometer. Results that illustrate the operation of the device are given

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