The nuclear icebreaker fleet of Russia is a unique potential that only our country has in the world. With its development, intensive development of the Far North began, since nuclear icebreakers are designed to provide a national presence in the Arctic using advanced nuclear achievements. At present, the state enterprise "Rosatomflot" is engaged in maintenance and operation of these vessels. In this article, we will look at how many active icebreakers Russia has, who commands them, what goals they solve.

Activities

The nuclear icebreaker fleet of Russia is aimed at solving specific problems. In particular, it ensures the passage of ships through the Northern Sea Route to the freezing ports of Russia. This is one of the main goals of the Russian nuclear icebreaker fleet.

He also participates in research expeditions, provides rescue and emergency operations in non-Arctic freezing seas and ice. In addition, Rosatomflot is responsible for carrying out repair work and maintenance of icebreakers, implementation of projects for the ecological restoration of the northwestern part of the country.

Some icebreakers even participate in organizing tourist cruises to the North Pole for everyone, they can get to the archipelagos and islands of the Central Arctic.

An important activity of the nuclear icebreaker fleet of Russia is the safe handling of radioactive waste and nuclear materials, which form the basis of the propulsion systems of ships.

Since 2008, Rosatomflot has been officially part of the state corporation Rosatom. In fact, the corporation now owns all nuclear maintenance ships and ships equipped with a nuclear power plant.

Story

The history of the nuclear icebreaker fleet of Russia dates back to 1959. It was then that the solemn launching of the first nuclear icebreaker on the planet, which was called "Lenin", took place. Since then, December 3 has been celebrated as the Day of the Russian Nuclear Icebreaker Fleet.

However, it began to turn into a real transport artery only in the 70s, when it was possible to talk about the appearance of a nuclear fleet.

After the launch of the nuclear icebreaker Arktika in the western sector of the Arctic, navigation became possible throughout the year. At that time, the so-called Norilsk industrial region played a key role in the development of this transport route, when the first year-round port of Dudinka appeared on the route.

Over time, icebreakers were built:

• "Russia";
• "Siberia";
• "Taimyr";
• "Soviet Union";
• "Yamal";
• "Vaigach";
• "50 Years of Victory".

This is a list of Russian nuclear icebreakers. Putting them into operation for decades to come predetermined a significant superiority in the field of nuclear shipbuilding throughout the world.

Local Tasks

At present, Rosatomflot is solving a large number of important local tasks. In particular, it ensures stable navigation and safe navigation throughout the entire Northern Sea Route.

This makes it possible to transport hydrocarbon and other various products to the markets of Europe and Asia. This direction is a real alternative to the existing transport channels between the Pacific and Atlantic basins, which are now connected through the Panama and Suez canals.

In addition, this path is much more advantageous in terms of time. From Murmansk to Japan, it will sail about six thousand miles. If you decide to follow through the Suez Canal, then the distance will be twice as long.

Thanks to nuclear-powered icebreakers, Russia managed to establish a significant cargo flow on the Northern Sea Route. About five million tons of cargo are transported annually. The number of significant projects is gradually increasing, some customers enter into long-term contracts, up to 2040.

Also, Rosatomflot is engaged in sea exploration, evaluation of raw materials and mineral resources on the Arctic shelf, which is adjacent to the northern coast of the country.

Regular operations are carried out in the port area called Sabetta. With the development of Arctic hydrocarbon projects, an increase in the flow of cargo along the Northern Sea Route is expected. In this regard, the development of oil and gas fields in the Arctic becomes one of the key areas in the work of Rosatomflot. According to forecasts, in 2020-2022 the volume of transported hydrocarbon products may increase to 20 million tons per year.

military bases

Another area in which work is underway is the return of the domestic military fleet to the Arctic. Strategic bases cannot be restored without the active participation of the nuclear icebreaker fleet. The task that stands today is to provide the Arctic garrisons of the Ministry of Defense with everything necessary.

In accordance with the long-term development strategy, in the future the main emphasis will be on the creation of a safe, reliable and efficient fleet.

Composition of the nuclear fleet

Currently, the list of operating nuclear icebreakers in Russia includes five ships.

These are two icebreakers with a 2-reactor nuclear plant - "50 Years of Victory" and "Yamal", two more icebreakers with a single-reactor installation - "Vaigach" and "Taimyr", as well as a lighter carrier with an icebreaking bow "Sevmorput". That's how many nuclear icebreakers there are in Russia.

"50 Years of Victory"

This icebreaker is currently the largest in the world. It was built at the Leningrad Baltic Shipyard. Officially launched in 1993 and commissioned in 2007. Such a long break is due to the fact that in the 90s, work was actually suspended due to lack of money.

Now the vessel's permanent port of registry is Murmansk. In addition to the task of escorting caravans through the Arctic seas, this icebreaker takes tourists on board to participate in Arctic cruises. He delivers those who wish to the North Pole with a visit to the land of Franz Josef.

The name of the captain of the icebreaker is Dmitry Lobusov.

"Yamal"

"Yamal" was built in the Soviet Union, it belongs to the "Arktika" class. Its construction began in 1986 and was completed three years later. It is noteworthy that at first it was called "October Revolution", only in 1992 it was renamed "Yamal".

In 2000, this active Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker made an expedition to the North Pole, becoming the seventh ship in history to reach this point on planet earth. In total, the icebreaker has reached the North Pole 46 times so far.

The vessel is designed to overcome sea ice up to three meters thick, while it is able to maintain a stable speed of up to two knots per hour. "Yamal" is able to break the ice, moving both forward and backward. There are several Zodiac-class boats and a Mi-8 helicopter on board. There are satellite systems that provide reliable navigation, Internet, and telephone communications. There are 155 cabins for the crew on the ship.

The icebreaker is not designed specifically for the transportation of tourists, but still participates in cruises. In 1994, a stylized image of a shark's mouth appeared on the bow of the ship as a bright design element for a children's cruise. Later it was decided to leave it at the request of travel companies. It is now considered traditional.

"Vaigach"

The Vaigach icebreaker is a shallow-draft icebreaker built as part of the Taimyr project. It was laid down at a Finnish shipyard, delivered to the Soviet Union in 1989, construction was completed at the Baltic Shipyard in Leningrad. It was here that the nuclear plant was installed. Considered commissioned in 1990.

Its main distinguishing feature is its reduced draft, which allows it to serve ships on the Northern Sea Route with entry into the Siberian rivers.

The main engines of the icebreaker have a capacity of up to 50,000 horsepower, which allows it to overcome an ice thickness of more than one and a half meters at a speed of two knots per hour. Work is possible at temperatures up to -50 degrees. Basically, the ship is used to escort ships from Norilsk that transport metal, as well as ships with ore and timber.

"Taimyr"

Knowing how many nuclear-powered icebreakers there are in Russia now, it is worth remembering the ship called the Taimyr, built as part of the project of the same name. First of all, it is intended for guiding ships along the beds of Siberian rivers, which is similar to the Vaigach ship.

His corps was built in Finland in the 80s by order of the Soviet Union. In this case, Soviet-made steel was used, the equipment was also all domestic. Nuclear equipment was delivered already in Leningrad. The ship has the same technical characteristics as the Vaigach ship.

"Sevmorput"

"Sevmorput" is an icebreaking transport vessel with a nuclear power plant on board. It is considered one of the largest non-military nuclear ships on the planet. It is the largest lighter carrier in the world in terms of displacement.

Design and estimate documentation was originally developed back in 1978. Construction was carried out at the Zaliv plant in Kerch. It was launched in 1984, the ship was launched two years later. Officially commissioned in 1988

"Sevmorput" remained the only vessel of this type. It was planned to create another such ship at the Zaliv plant, but work was stopped due to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

First of all, the ship is designed to transport goods in lighters to the northern regions. It cuts through ice up to one meter thick on its own. Unlike most other icebreakers, it can also operate in warm waters. For example, at one time he performed cargo transportation between Murmansk and Dudinka.

At one time, the ship stood idle, there was even a threat that it would have to be handed over to "pins and needles" if the situation did not change. It has been upgraded since 2014. Now the ship is back in service, making regular flights, remaining the only operating cargo ship with a nuclear power plant.

Andrey Akatov
Yuri Koryakovsky
FSBEI HPE "St. Petersburg State Technological Institute (Technical University)", Department of Engineering Radioecology and Radiochemical Technology

annotation

The development of the Northern Sea Route is unthinkable without the development of a nuclear icebreaker fleet. The championship in the creation of a surface vessel with a nuclear engine also belongs to our country. The article presents interesting facts related to the creation and operation of nuclear-powered ships, their design and principles of operation. The new requirements for the icebreaker fleet in modern conditions and the prospects for its development are considered. The description of new projects of nuclear icebreakers and floating power units is given.

The Arctic is conquered only by people with a strong will who are able, regardless of the circumstances, to go towards the intended goal. Their ships should be the same: powerful, autonomous, capable of long exhausting transitions in difficult ice conditions. We will talk about such ships, which are the pride of Russia - about nuclear icebreakers.

Nuclear icebreakers ensure the escort of tankers and other vessels along the Northern Sea Route, the evacuation of polar stations from drifting ice floes that have become unsuitable for work and life-threatening polar explorers, as well as rescue ships stuck in the ice and conduct scientific research.

Nuclear-powered icebreakers differ from conventional (diesel-electric) icebreakers, which cannot stay at sea for a long time without calling at ports. Their fuel supply is up to a third of the mass of the vessel, but it is only enough for about a month. There were cases when caravans of ships got stuck in the ice just because the icebreakers ran out of fuel ahead of time.

A nuclear-powered icebreaker is much more powerful and has greater autonomy, i.e., it is able to perform ice tasks for a longer time without entering ports. This multifunctional vessel is an engineering marvel that Russians have a right to be proud of. Moreover, the Russian nuclear icebreaker fleet is the only one in the world, and no one else has such vessels. Yes, and the championship in the creation of a surface vessel with a nuclear engine also belongs to our country. It happened in the 50s. the last century.

Ice "Lenin"

The successes of scientists and engineers in mastering atomic energy led to the idea of ​​using an atomic reactor as a ship engine. New ship installations promised unprecedented advantages in terms of power and autonomy of ships, but the path to obtaining the coveted technical characteristics was thorny. No one else in the world has developed such projects. It was necessary to create not just a nuclear reactor, but a powerful, compact and at the same time fairly light nuclear power plant, which would be conveniently placed in the case.

The developers also remembered that their brainchild would experience pitching, shock loads and vibrations. We did not forget about the safety of personnel: radiation protection on a ship is much more difficult than at a nuclear power plant, because bulky and heavy protective equipment cannot be used here.

The first designed nuclear-powered icebreaker had high power and was twice as powerful as the world's largest American icebreaker, the Glacier, which placed special demands on the strength of the hull, the shape of the fore and aft ends, and the survivability of the ship. The designers, engineers and builders faced a fundamentally new technical challenge, and they solved it in the shortest possible time!

While the country was launching the world's first nuclear power plant (1954), launching the first Soviet nuclear submarine (1957), the world's first nuclear surface vessel was being created and built in Leningrad. In 1953–1956 The team of TsKB-15 (now "Iceberg") under the leadership of the chief designer V. I. Neganov developed a project, the implementation of which began in 1956 at the Leningrad Shipbuilding Plant. Andre Marty. The design of the nuclear plant was carried out under the guidance of I. I. Afrikantov, and the hull steel was specially developed at the Prometheus Institute. Leningrad plants supplied the icebreaker with turbines (Kirov Plant) and propeller motors (Elektrosila). Not a single foreign detail! 75 km of pipelines of different diameters. The length of the welds is like the distance from Murmansk to Vladivostok! The most difficult technical problem was solved in the shortest possible time.

The launching took place on December 5, 1957, and on September 12, 1959, the Lenin nuclear icebreaker under the command of P. A. Ponomarev from the shipyard of the Admiralty Plant (renamed A. Marty Shipbuilding Plant) went for sea trials. It became the world's first nuclear-powered surface ship, since the first foreign-made nuclear-powered ship (the nuclear-powered missile cruiser Long Beach, USA) was put into operation much later - on September 9, 1961 - and the first merchant ship with a nuclear power plant, the Savannah (also American) set sail only on August 22, 1962. The journey from Leningrad to Murmansk was memorable.

Icebreaker Arktika

While the ship was sailing around Scandinavia, it was accompanied by NATO planes and ships. The boats took water samples from the side to make sure the radiation safety of the icebreaker. All their fears turned out to be in vain - after all, even in the cabins adjacent to the reactor compartment, the radiation background was normal.

The operation of the nuclear icebreaker "Lenin" made it possible to increase the period of navigation. During its operation, the nuclear-powered ship traveled 1.2 million km and navigated 3,741 ships through the ice. There are many interesting facts about the first nuclear-powered ship. For example, he consumed only 45 g nuclear fuel(less than a matchbox) per day.

It could be converted into an arctic war cruiser. Among other things, the icebreaker served as a camouflage for Soviet nuclear submarines: the ship was heading along a predetermined course, leading nuclear submarines that were sliding in the depths under its hull to a predetermined high-latitude region.

Having worked with dignity for 30 years, in 1989 the nuclear icebreaker "Lenin" was decommissioned and is now at the place of eternal parking in Murmansk. A museum has been created on board the nuclear-powered ship, it operates information centre nuclear industry. But even today, the date of December 3 (the day the national flag is hoisted on the world's first nuclear-powered icebreaker) is celebrated as the birthday of the Russian nuclear icebreaker fleet.

From the Arctic to the present day

The nuclear icebreaker Arktika (1975) is the first ship in the world to reach the North Pole in surface navigation. Prior to this historic voyage, not a single icebreaker dared to go to the Pole. The top of the world was conquered on foot, by plane, by submarine. But not on an icebreaker.
The experimental scientific-practical cruise left Murmansk in an arc through the Barents and Kara Seas to the Laptev Sea and then turned north to the pole, encountering multi-year ice several meters thick on its way. On August 17, 1977, having overcome the thick ice cover of the Central Polar Basin, the nuclear-powered ship reached the North Pole, thus opening a new era in the study of the Arctic. And on May 25, 1987, another Arktika-class nuclear-powered ship, Siberia (1977), visited “above the planet”. To date, both vessels have been decommissioned.

Currently, the nuclear icebreaker fleet operates four vessels.

Two icebreakers of the Taimyr class - Taimyr (1989) and Vaigach (1990) - are shallow-draft, which allows them to enter the mouths of large rivers and break ice up to 1.8 m thick. - due to their large draft, they are not able to enter shallow northern bays and rivers, as well as diesel-electric icebreakers (the latter due to low power and dependence on fuel supply). The problem was solved within the framework of a joint Soviet-Finnish project: specialists from the USSR designed a nuclear power plant, and the Finns designed the icebreaker as a whole.

The other two of the nuclear-powered icebreakers remaining in service are of the Arktika class; they are capable of breaking ice up to 2.8 m at a steady speed:

• "Yamal" (1993) - a smiling shark's mouth is painted on the nose of the nuclear-powered ship, which appeared in 1994, when, as part of one of the humanitarian programs, it took children from different countries peace to the North Pole; since then, the shark mouth has become his brand;
• "50 Years of Victory" (2007) - the world's largest icebreaker; the ship has an environmental compartment equipped with the latest equipment for the collection and disposal of all waste products of the ship.

As already mentioned, nuclear-powered icebreakers are capable of staying at sea for a long time without entering ports. The same Arktika clearly demonstrated this advantage, having worked without a single breakdown and without calling at the home port (Murmansk) for exactly a year - from May 4, 1999 to May 4, 2000. The reliability of nuclear-powered ships was also proven by Arktika: August 24, 2005 The ship has traveled a millionth mile, which was not previously possible for any ship of this class. Is it a lot or a little? A million nautical miles on a scale known to us is 46 revolutions around the equator or 5 trips to the moon. What a 30-year-old Arctic odyssey!

In addition to guiding Arctic caravans in the northern seas, since 1990, nuclear-powered icebreakers (Soviet Union, Yamal, 50 Years of Victory) have also been used to organize tourist trips to the North Pole. The cruise departs from Murmansk and, bypassing the islands of Franz Josef Land, the New Siberian Islands, the North Pole, returns to the mainland. From the board, tourists land on the islands and ice floes by helicopter; All Arktika-class icebreakers are equipped with two helipads. The ships themselves are painted red, which is clearly visible from the air.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the Northern Sea Route. This unique transport vessel (lighter carrier) with a nuclear power plant and an icebreaking prow is also assigned to the port of Murmansk. It is called a lighter carrier because the Sevmorput can carry the so-called lighters - non-self-propelled sea vessels designed to transport goods and ensure their processing. If there are no berths on the shore or the harbor is not deep enough, then the lighters are unloaded from the ship and towed to the shore, which is very convenient, especially in the conditions of the northern coast. With the help of special grips, the lifting device rigidly fixes the lighters and quickly lowers them into the water through the stern of the vessel. Containers can also be unloaded on the move, which was used in special cases.

It should be noted that until recently, the future of the one-of-a-kind nuclear lighter carrier was presented in a very black color: for many years the ship stood idle, and in August 2012 the Sevmorput was generally excluded from the register of ships and was waiting for the start of work on decommissioning operation. However, in 2013, they decided that a ship of this class would still be useful to the fleet: an order was signed to restore the nuclear-powered ship. The resource of the nuclear installation will be extended, the return of the ship to service is expected in the coming years.

So, we met with representatives of the family of nuclear icebreakers. Now it's time to understand their device.

How does a nuclear icebreaker work and work?

In principle, all nuclear icebreakers are built almost the same, so let's take as an example the latest of Russia's nuclear icebreakers - "50 Years of Victory". The very first thing that can be said about him is the largest icebreaker in the world.

Inside the nuclear icebreaker there are two nuclear reactors enclosed in strong cases. Why just two? Of course, to ensure its continuous operation, because the nuclear-powered ship faces the most difficult tests, which sometimes its diesel counterparts are unable to cope with. Even if one of the reactors exhausts its resource or stops for another reason, the ship can go on the other. During normal navigation, the reactors work together. Provided and reserve diesel engines(in the most extreme case).

During the operation of a nuclear reactor, a chain reaction of fission of uranium nuclei (or rather, its isotope uranium-235) takes place in it. As a result, the nuclear fuel heats up. This heat is transferred to the primary water through the fuel element cladding, which acts as a protective coating. The containment is necessary so that the radionuclides contained in the fuel do not get into the coolant.

The water of the primary circuit is heated above 300 °C, but does not boil, because it is under high pressure. Then it enters the steam generators (each reactor has four of them), pierced by tubes, through which the water of the second circuit circulates, turning into steam. The steam is sent to the turbine plant (two turbines are installed on the ship), and the slightly cooled coolant of the primary circuit is again pumped into the reactor by circulation pumps. To prevent rupture of pipelines during pressure surges, a special module is provided in the primary circuit, which is called a pressure compensator. The reactor itself is located in a casing filled with clean water (third circuit). There is no leakage of radioactive water from the primary circuit - it circulates in a closed circuit.

The steam generated from the water of the secondary circuit rotates the turbine shaft. The latter, in turn, turns the rotor of the generator, which generates electricity. The current is supplied to three powerful electric motors that rotate three propellers of reinforced strength (propeller weight - 50 tons). Electric motors provide a very fast change in the direction of rotation of the propellers and speed when the reactor is operating at a constant power. Indeed, an icebreaker sometimes has to change direction abruptly (for example, sometimes it cuts ice, moving back, accelerating and hitting an ice floe). The reactor is not adapted for such work (its task is to produce electricity), and the electric motor can easily be switched to reverse.

The steam of the second circuit, having worked out on the turbine, enters the condenser. There it is cooled by sea water (fourth circuit) and condenses, that is, it turns back into water. This water is pumped through a desalination plant to remove corrosive salts, and then through a deaerator in which corrosive gases (carbon dioxide and oxygen) are removed from the water. Then, from the deaerator tank, the feed water of the second circuit is pumped into the steam generator by a pump - the cycle is closed.

Separately, it must be said about the design of the reactor, which is called "water-water", since the water in it performs two functions - a neutron moderator and a coolant. A similar design has proven itself well in atomic submarines and was later brought to land: land-based VVER-type reactors, which are already operating and will be installed at new Russian nuclear power units, are the heirs of the boat ones. Icebreaking nuclear power plants also received excellent certification: not a single accident with the release of radioactive substances into the environment in the entire fifty-year history.

The reactor is not harmful to the crew and environment, as its rugged hull is surrounded by a biological shield of concrete, steel and water. In any emergency, with a complete power outage and even with an overkill (turning the vessel upside down), the reactor will be shut down - this is how the active protection system is designed.

The main work of the icebreaker is the destruction of the ice cover. For these purposes, the icebreaker was given a special barrel-shaped shape, and the bow has relatively sharp (wedge-shaped) formations and a slope (cut) in the underwater part at an angle to the waterline. The icebreaker 50 Years of Pobedy has a spoon-shaped bow (this is what distinguishes it from its predecessors), which makes it possible to break the ice more efficiently. The aft end is designed for reversing in ice and protects the propellers and rudder. Of course, the hull of an icebreaker is much stronger than the hulls of conventional ships: it is double, and the outer hull is 2–3 cm thick, and in the area of ​​the so-called ice belt (i.e., in places where ice breaks), the plating sheets are thickened up to 5 cm.

When meeting with the ice field, the icebreaker with its bow crawls onto it, as it were, and breaks through the ice due to vertical force. Then the broken ice is moved apart and melted by the sides, and a free channel is formed behind the icebreaker. In this case, the ship moves continuously at a constant speed. If the ice floe has special strength, then the icebreaker moves back and runs into it at high speed, i.e., cuts ice with blows. In rare cases, an icebreaker can get stuck - for example, crawl onto a solid ice floe and not break it - or be crushed by ice. To get out of this difficult situation, water tanks are provided between the outer and inner hulls - in the bow, in the stern, on the port and starboard sides. By pumping water from tank to tank, the crew can rock the icebreaker and pull it out of the ice captivity. You can simply empty the containers - then the ship will float a little.

To prevent the bow from being covered with ice, a turbocharged anti-icing device is used on the icebreaker. It works as follows. Compressed air is supplied overboard through pipelines. Floating air bubbles do not allow pieces of ice to freeze to the body, and also reduce its friction on the ice. At the same time, the icebreaker goes faster, and shakes it less.

An icebreaker can be followed by one or more ships (caravan). If the ice conditions are difficult or the transport vessel is wider than the icebreaker, then two or more icebreakers can be used for assistance. In particularly difficult ice, the icebreaker takes the escorted vessel in tow: the stern of the nuclear-powered ship has a V-shaped recess, where the nose of the transport vessel is pulled tightly with a winch.

One of the interesting features of the 50 Let Pobedy nuclear-powered icebreaker is the presence of an environmental compartment, which contains the latest equipment that allows the collection and disposal of all waste generated during the operation of the ship. In other words, nothing is dumped into the ocean! Other nuclear-powered icebreakers also have municipal waste incinerators and wastewater treatment plants.

All nuclear-powered icebreakers and the Sevmorput lighter carrier were transferred under the control of the enterprise of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom - FSUE Atomflot, which not only operates them, but also technical support. Coastal infrastructure, floating technical bases, a special tanker for liquid radioactive waste, a dosimetric control vessel - all this ensures the continuous operation of the Russian nuclear icebreaker fleet. But in ten years, most nuclear icebreakers will be decommissioned, and practice has shown that we have nothing to do in the Arctic without them. How will nuclear icebreaking develop?

Development prospects

Until relatively recently, the prospects for the Russian nuclear icebreaker fleet were very gloomy. Newspapers wrote that the country could lose its unique fleet, and with it the Northern Sea Route (NSR). This would mean not only the loss of leadership and technology, but also a slowdown in the economic development of the Far North and the Arctic regions of Siberia. After all, there is simply no transport highway, including a land one, that could serve as an alternative to the NSR.

There are also questions to the existing nuclear icebreakers. The tonnage of ships navigating the NSR is gradually growing, and so are their dimensions. To ensure the required speed of wiring, a wide channel in the ice and increased power are needed. Therefore, the dimensions of the icebreaker itself should also be increased. But at the same time, a nuclear-powered icebreaker, which does not need a supply of fuel, begins to float, the draft becomes smaller and the ice-breaking capacity decreases. In order to increase the draft and protect the propellers from ice, it is necessary to build into the ship's hull a system of containers filled with water and giving additional weight.

Thus, even the existing nuclear-powered ships do not meet the latest requirements. Therefore, the modernization and development of the nuclear icebreaker fleet has become a truly state task and is under the close attention of the Government of the Russian Federation.

The project of a new type of icebreakers - LK-60Ya - is already being implemented. One of them, Arktika, has been under construction since 2013, the second, Siberia, was laid down quite recently, in May 2015 (at the same time, the icebreakers under construction inherited the names of the first two ships of the Arctic series). In total, there are three new vessels in the near future, including those mentioned.

What will be the new look of the nuclear icebreaker? Of course, it will combine the successful experience of creating and operating existing nuclear-powered ships and innovative approaches. But most importantly - new icebreaker It will be dual-draft (universal), which will allow it to successfully carry out operations not only at sea, but also in estuaries. Now we have to use two icebreakers, one of which (of the Arktika class) goes through deep-water places, and the second (with a shallow draft, for example, of the Taimyr class) passes through the rapids and enters the mouths of the rivers. The new project provides for the possibility of changing the draft from 10.5 to 8.5 m by the nuclear icebreaker by drying/filling the built-in tanks with sea water, i.e. one nuclear-powered icebreaker will be able to replace two old ones at once!

But two-draft nuclear-powered ships are not the limit of design thought. While icebreakers of the LK-60Ya type are being built, engineers are already working on the next project, which will bring nuclear icebreaker construction to a new stage of development. We are talking about a ship of the LK-110YA type (also known as the "Leader") - a large vessel with a propeller power of 110 MW. In terms of performance, the LK-110Ya will be far superior to the icebreakers of the Arktika class: the Leader will be able to break ice up to at least 3.7 m thick (two human heights!). This will ensure year-round navigation along the entire NSR (and not just along its western part, as it is now). At the same time, the increased width of the LK-110Ya will make it possible to carry large-capacity vessels. Currently, the project is at the stage of developing design documentation (the expected completion date for the "paper" part is 2016).

There is one more direction in nuclear engineering that needs to be mentioned. Icebreaking power plants KLT-40 proved to be so good that it was decided to include them in the project of a floating nuclear power plant (FNPP). It is indispensable in the underdeveloped regions of the country, including on the Arctic coast, since it practically does not need fuel supplies. There is no need to cut down the forest, build roads, bring building materials for it: they brought it, put it at a special pier - and you can use it. The resource ended - they hitched it to a tugboat and took it away for recycling.

FNPP can also be used in the development of deposits on the shelf of the Arctic seas to provide electricity to oil and gas platforms.

The first floating power unit - Akademik Lomonosov - was launched on June 30, 2010 at the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg. At the moment, the power equipment of the station has been completely manufactured; Reactor units and turbogenerators have already been installed, fitting-out work is underway.

Concluding the brief review, the following should be said: the development of the Arctic is a necessary condition for the development of Russia as a great maritime and Arctic power, and the safe use of nuclear energy determines the economic and technological growth our state. Therefore, there is confidence: the nuclear icebreaker fleet has an outstanding future and new achievements!

The first icebreaker in the world appeared in the 18th century. It was a small steamer capable of breaking ice in Philadelphia harbor. A lot of time has passed since the wheel was replaced by a turbine, and then a powerful nuclear reactor appeared. Today huge nuclear-powered ships are being hacked arctic ice huge power.

What is an icebreaker?

This is a vessel used in waters covered with a thick layer of ice. equipped with nuclear power plants, and therefore they have more power than diesel ones, making them easier to conquer frozen bodies of water. Icebreakers have another clear advantage - they do not need refueling.

The article below presents the largest icebreaker in the world (dimensions, design, features, etc.). Also, after reading the material, you can get acquainted with the largest liners of the world of this type.

General information

It should be noted that all 10 nuclear icebreakers that exist today were built and launched during the Soviet Union and Russia. The indispensability of such liners is proved by the operation that took place in 1983. At that time, about fifty ships, including diesel icebreakers, found themselves in the east of the Arctic, trapped in ice. Only thanks to the atomic bomb they were able to free themselves from captivity and deliver important goods to nearby settlements.

Nuclear-powered ships have been built in Russia for a long time, because only our state has long-term contact with the Arctic Ocean - the famous Northern Sea Route, the length of which is 5,600 kilometers. It starts at and ends at Providence Bay.

There is one interesting point: icebreakers are specially painted dark red so that they are clearly visible in the ice.

The article below presents the largest icebreakers in the world (top 10).

Icebreaker Arktika

One of the largest icebreakers, the Arktika nuclear-powered icebreaker, went down in history as the first surface ship to reach the North Pole. In 1982-1986 he was called "Leonid Brezhnev". Its laying took place in Leningrad, at the Baltic Shipyard, in July 1971. More than 400 enterprises and associations, design and research scientific and other organizations took part in its creation.

The icebreaker was launched into the water at the end of 1972. The purpose of the ship is to guide ships through the Arctic Ocean.

The length of the nuclear-powered ship is 148 meters, and the board has a height of about 17 meters. Its width is 30 meters. The power of the steam generating nuclear plant is more than 55 megawatts. The technical performance of the vessel made it possible to break through ice having a thickness of 5 meters, and its speed in clear water developed up to 18 knots.

Below are the 10 largest (by length) modern icebreakers in the world:

1. "Sevmorput" is an icebreaker and transport vessel. Its length is 260 meters, the height corresponds to the size of a multi-storey building. The vessel is able to pass through a thickness of ice of 1 meter.

2. Arktika is the largest nuclear-powered icebreaker with a length of 173 meters. It was launched in 2016 and represents the first nuclear-powered icebreaker of the Russian Federation. Capable of breaking ice up to 3 meters thick.

3. "50 Years of Victory" - a sea nuclear icebreaker (the largest in the world) of the "Arktika" class, which is distinguished by its impressive power and deep landing. Its length is 159.6 meters.

4. "Taimyr" - a nuclear-powered river icebreaker that breaks ice in the mouths of rivers up to 1.7 meters thick. Its length is 151.8 meters. A feature of the vessel is a reduced landing and the ability to operate at low extreme temperatures.

5. "Vaigach" - built according to the same project with "Taimyr" (but it is a little younger). Nuclear equipment was installed on the ship in 1990. Its length is 151.8 m.

6. "Yamal" - famous for the fact that it was on this icebreaker that the meeting of the beginning of the third millennium at the North Pole took place. The total number of voyages of the nuclear-powered ship to this point was almost 50. Its length is 150 meters.

7. Healy - the most large icebreaker USA. In 2015, Americans were able to travel to the North Pole on it for the first time. The research vessel is equipped with the latest laboratory and measuring equipment. Its length is 128 meters.

8. PolarSea is one of the oldest icebreakers in the United States of America, built in 1977. Seattle is the home port. The length of the vessel is 122 meters. Perhaps, due to old age, it will soon be decommissioned.

9. Louis S. St-Laurent - the largest icebreaker built in Canada (120 meters long) in 1969 and completely modernized in 1993. This is the first ship in the world to reach the North Pole in 1994.

10. Polarstern is a German nuclear-powered ship built in 1982 and intended for scientific research. The oldest ship has a length of 118 meters. In 2017, Polarstern-II will be built, which will replace its predecessor and take over the watch in the Arctic.

The largest icebreaker in the world: photo, description, purpose

"50 Years of Victory" is a modernized experimental project of the 2nd series of icebreakers of the "Arktika" type. On this vessel, the shape of the bow in the form of a spoon is used. It was first used in the development of the experimental "Kenmar Kigoriyak" (icebreaker, Canada) in 1979 and convincingly proved its effectiveness.

It is the largest and most powerful in the world equipped with a modern digital automatic control system. It also has a modernized set of means for the biological protection of a nuclear power plant. It is also equipped with an environmental compartment equipped with the latest modern equipment that collects and utilizes the waste products of the personnel on the ship.

The icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" is not only engaged in the release of other ships from ice captivity, it is also focused on the implementation of tourist cruises. Of course, there are no passenger cabins on the ship, so tourists are accommodated in the usual cabins of the ship. However, the board of the ship is equipped with a restaurant, sauna, swimming pool and gym.

Brief history of the ship

The world's largest icebreaker - "50 Years of Victory". It was designed in Leningrad, at the Baltic Shipyard, in 1989, and 4 years later it was built and launched for the first time. However, its construction was not completed due to financial troubles. Only in 2003, its construction was resumed, and in February 2007, tests began in the Gulf of Finland. Murmansk became its port of registry.

Despite the protracted start, today the ship has more than a hundred trips to the North Pole.

The most powerful and largest icebreaker "50 Years of Victory" is the 8th nuclear-powered icebreaker, designed and built at the Baltic Shipyard.

"Siberia"

At one time, the Soviet Union had no equal in the field of building nuclear icebreakers. In those days, there were no such ships anywhere in the world, while the USSR had 7 nuclear-powered icebreakers. For example, "Siberia" is a ship that has become a direct continuation of nuclear installations of the "Arktika" type.

The ship was equipped with a satellite communications system responsible for fax, navigation and telephone communications. It also had all the amenities: a lounge, swimming pool, sauna, library, training room and a huge dining room.

The icebreaker "Sibir" went down in history as the first ship to make year-round navigation from Murmansk to Dudinka. In addition, it is the second ship to reach the top of the planet at the North Pole.

In 1977 (the moment the icebreaker was commissioned), it had the largest dimensions: 29.9 meters - width, 147.9 meters - length. At that time, it was the largest icebreaker in the world.

Importance of icebreakers

The importance of such ships will only increase in the near future, because in the future many activities are planned for the active development of natural resources located under the bottom of the great Arctic Ocean.

In some areas, navigation does not last only 2-4 months, because the rest of the time all the water is covered with ice up to 3 meters or more thick. In order not to risk the ship and the crew, and also in order to save fuel, aircraft and helicopters are sent from the icebreakers to carry out reconnaissance in search of an easier way.

The world's largest icebreakers have an important feature - they can autonomously navigate the Arctic Ocean throughout the year, breaking up to 3 meters thick ice of an unusual shape with their bows.

Conclusion

The USSR at one time had absolute dominance in the world in terms of the number of such ships. In total, seven nuclear-powered icebreakers were built in those days.

Since 1989, some icebreakers of this type have been used for tourist excursions, mostly to the North Pole.

In winter, the thickness of ice in the ocean averages 1.2-2 meters, and in some areas it reaches 2.5 meters, but nuclear icebreakers are able to navigate such waters at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour (11 knots). In ice-free waters, speeds can reach 45 kilometers per hour (or 25 knots).

Today, about 300,000 people live in the port city of Murmansk. The figure is not impressive, however, it is the largest city in the world located beyond the Arctic Circle.

The port is located on the Kola Bay, which never freezes even despite the polar latitudes, thanks to which ships and ships from all over the world can enter here. all year round. Thanks to the warm ocean currents, the Barents Sea is not completely covered with ice, and in the city itself it is not so cold in winter. Originating in the Caribbean, the Gulf Stream rushes across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe, washing the shores of Great Britain and Iceland along the way. The thermal power of this flow is equivalent to a million nuclear power plants. This is enough for the climate of Northern Europe to be mild and the Barents Sea to remain navigable all year round. Further, where there is no warm current east of Novaya Zemlya, the only ships that can freely navigate are icebreakers. A very important transport corridor passes through the ice of the Arctic - the Northern Sea Route through the ports of Murmansk-Salekhard-Dudinka. It not only opens up access to the territories of Eastern Siberia, but is also a promising route for international shipping. The route from the North Sea to the Sea of ​​Japan through the Suez Canal past pirate Somalia is 23,000 km, and if by icebreaker across the Arctic Ocean, then only 14,000.

The Lenin, built in 1959, was the world's first nuclear-powered icebreaker. Of course, before him there were diesel and steam icebreakers, but it was the nuclear ones that made it possible to take a completely new look at the development of the Arctic expanses. With the advent of nuclear-powered ships, navigation along the Northern Sea Route became possible all year round. The main advantage of a nuclear icebreaker is autonomy. It does not need to replenish its coal and diesel fuel reserves. This allowed the Lenin nuclear-powered icebreaker to cover 150,000 km in the first 6 years of operation and navigate more than 400 ships along the Northern Sea Route. It was replaced by nuclear icebreaker"Arktika", which laid the foundation for a whole family of icebreaking ships of the same class. In 1977, the Arktika became the first ship in the world to reach the North Pole while on the surface. The special design of the icebreaker's hull makes it possible to break through three-meter ice.

icebreaker Yamal photo

The main difference between the icebreaker and other vessels is the shape of the hull. The sloping nose resembles a spoon in shape. The icebreaker does not have a wave suppressor typical of other vessels. Below the waterline there is an ice protection belt made of 5 cm thick steel sheets welded together. The vessel also has a reinforced stem. This design allows the icebreaker to run into thick ice and break through it with its huge weight.

Anti-icing devices are installed along the entire side to prevent ice from freezing on the vessel during moorings. Air is supplied through them under pressure. Air bubbles escaping from the nozzles create foam that prevents the formation of ice on the icebreaker's hull. The icebreaker's rudder is made with a significant margin of safety than on conventional ships. This is a necessary measure, because often especially solid ice you have to overcome it in reverse, crushing the ice with propellers.

Today ROSATOMFLOT employs 6 nuclear-powered icebreakers. They conduct their main work from summer to late autumn, when the ice conditions are lighter, and in winter, scheduled repairs are carried out on ships. One of the operating icebreakers is Yamal.

The nuclear-powered icebreaker Yamal belongs to the Arktika class. The length of the ship is 150 meters, the displacement is 23 thousand tons, the capacity of the power plant is 70 thousand liters. s., maximum speed 21 knots. One charge of nuclear fuel is enough for five years of service.

The movement of the vessel is carried out from the navigation bridge by means of three controls, which receive energy from two nuclear reactors. This icebreaker is quite a maneuverable vessel. Changing from FULL REVERSE to FULL FORWARD takes just 11 seconds. When driving in three-meter ice, icebreaker makes its way with blows, the ship accelerates and breaks through the ice for several tens of meters, then moves back, and picks up speed again. The average speed in this case drops to two kilometers per hour. One of the main systems of an icebreaking vessel is a system of ballast tanks. It is available on all ships, however, on icebreakers, water tanks are used so that the icebreaker does not get stuck in the ice. Trim tanks, which are located on the bow and stern, are responsible for tilting along the longitudinal axis. An additional 1000 tons of water can be pumped into the bow tank to make it easier to break strong ice with weight. Heel tanks are on the sides, they deflect the ship along the transverse axis. All navigational information is displayed at the navigator's workplace. For reliability, the icebreaker has several radars of different systems. They help boatmasters to determine the position and the difference with other vessels.

The Yamal icebreaker is equipped with two nuclear reactors with a total capacity of 55 MW, a fuel reserve of 200 kg of uranium, which is enough for 5 years of continuous operation.

After the navigation bridge, the second most important room on the ship is the central control post. During the stay, nuclear reactors are muffled, but this does not mean that they are turned off, it’s just that all their processes are slowed down, the installations produce 1/1000 of their rated power, nevertheless they need to be constantly monitored. This is exactly what watch mechanics at the central control post are doing around the clock. The dosimetrist on duty monitors the readings of hundreds of sensors installed throughout the icebreaker, if the radiation background is exceeded somewhere, an indicator on a special shield will immediately light up. In addition to automatic measurements, control measurements are regularly carried out in the reactor compartment. The central compartment has its own strict access control. A ship reactor does not differ in principle from a reactor at a nuclear power plant, only on a ship it is smaller and more compact.

Water circulates in the core, into which the rods are immersed, inside which there are uranium pellets. When a free neutron collides with a nucleus, it decays with the release of a large amount of energy, two new neutrons fly out of it, which split new uranium nuclei. Thus, a chain reaction occurs, which heats the water up to 300 degrees. To control the temperature, graphite rods are lowered into the reactor, which absorb excess neutrons. The higher the position of the rods, the fewer neutrons it catches and the more active the chain reaction is. Circulation pumps constantly pump water through the reactor, removing heat to heat exchangers. When the reactor is shut down for the duration of the stop, the nuclear reaction inside almost stops, and there is practically no radiation. Nevertheless, everyone leaving the reactor compartment undergoes mandatory dosimetric control. A special installation will even feel an infected speck of dust that has settled on the suit, and if it finds it, the door will not open and the mechanic will have to go for decontamination.

According to the principle of movement, the Yamal icebreaker belongs to nuclear steam-electric ships. That is, electricity for engines is generated using steam heated to 300 degrees in a nuclear reactor. The steam pressure is 30 kg sq. see Turbines on icebreakers are different from those installed at nuclear power plants. At nuclear power plants, to increase efficiency, the turbine consists of three sections designed for different pressures. On ship installations, power had to be sacrificed for the sake of compactness. From the turbine is a long shaft. It has three generators that generate a total of 27.5 thousand kW, and two turbines with six generators generate 55 thousand kW. This would be enough to operate approximately 50,000 household electric kettles. All this energy is spent on the operation of marching electric motors. Electric generators produce alternating electric current with a voltage of 1000 volts. Motors require direct current to run. A whole transformer compartment copes with this problem. A propeller shaft emerges from the electric motor, at the end of which a propeller is located. When the captain on the bridge gives the command "FULLY FORWARD", the engine starts to rotate at 20 rpm, and all this speed is transferred to the propeller, when the captain gives the command "FULLY FORWARD", the engine rotates at 150 rpm, and this accelerates the icebreaker to its maximum speed of 22 knots.

The watch on the icebreaker lasts 4 months, but it happens that people are delayed for one year. Therefore, it is very important that sailors can relax and feel at home at any time. It is for recreation on board that there is a real pool. There is one thing about the stern of an icebreaker that sets them apart from other ships. The fact is that in conditions of heavy wiring, and when the ice is difficult, ships are towed on the "mustache". The vessel stands immediately behind the icebreaker and is pulled up by the towing winch in such a way that the bow of the vessel falls into a special recess. Thus, ice closures are excluded between the towed vessel and the icebreaker, and, in turn, the wiring becomes much easier. For movement in the Arctic, it is very important to have an accurate picture of the ice situation, so all icebreakers have a helipad with a helicopter hangar. On the fifth bridge, located above the wheelhouse, searchlights with 50 kW lamps are installed, which, with a powerful sheaf of light, snatch the space in front of the icebreaker, illuminating the polar ice.

On November 20, 1953, the Council of Ministers of the USSR adopted Decree No. 2840-1203 on the development of a powerful Arctic icebreaker with a nuclear power plant. The icebreaker was intended for piloting in the ice conditions of the Arctic along high-latitude routes and along the Northern Sea Route of transport ships, as well as for expeditionary navigation in the Arctic. The resolution was preceded by an appeal to the government by academicians A.P. Alexandrova and I.V. Kurchatov, together with the leaders of a number of industries and the Navy, which stated that the appearance of a powerful nuclear icebreaker in the Arctic would make it possible to more effectively use the Northern Sea Route as the country's most important transport route, and at the same time would be a convincing demonstration of the seriousness of the intentions and plans of the USSR to use nuclear energy in peaceful purposes.

The next government decree of August 18, 1954 specified the task of creating the Lenin nuclear icebreaker in terms of timing, stages and main performers of the work. The design of the nuclear icebreaker was entrusted to the Leningrad TsKB-15 (later the Iceberg Central Design Bureau). V.I. was appointed chief designer of the icebreaker. Neganov. The development of the project for a nuclear steam generating plant (APPU) was entrusted to the Design Bureau of the Gorky Plant No. 92 (later OKBM). The chief designer of the APPU was approved by I.I. Afrikantov. The scientific management of the icebreaker project was entrusted to A.P. Aleksandrov, and the nuclear reactor - on I.V. Kurchatov, who later transferred his powers to A.P. Alexandrov.

The following were involved in the development of the main elements of the nuclear power plant: OKB-12 (reactor control and protection systems), SKBK of the Baltic Plant (steam generators), VIAM (fuel elements of the reactor core), SKB LKZ (main turbines), the Elektrosila plant (main turbogenerators and electric motors ), Kaluga Turbine Plant (auxiliary turbogenerators), TsKBA (fittings), etc.

The construction of the nuclear icebreaker was entrusted to the Leningrad "Admiralty Plant". The following main parameters of the nuclear icebreaker were determined: displacement - 16,000 tons, maximum length - 134 m, width - 27.6 m, draft - 9.2 m, maximum speed in clear water - 19.5 knots, cruising autonomy - 1 year . The power of the main propeller engines is 44,000 hp. The use of electric propulsion made it possible to improve the maneuverability of the icebreaker, which is important for forcing heavy ice, moving as part of caravans and breaking up ships in ice. To ensure the reliable movement of the vessel, an increased redundancy of systems and equipment of the power plant was provided: three reactors, four main turbogenerators, two power plants with five auxiliary turbogenerators and a backup diesel generator.

Three reactors with a capacity of 90 MW each provided a total production of 360 t/h of steam at temperatures up to 310ºС and a pressure of 28 atm. Each reactor had two circulation loops with two steam generators, two circulation pumps and one emergency pump. A steam pressure compensation system in the primary circuit was used. In the reactor core, fuel based on uranium dioxide with 5% enrichment in uranium-235 was used.

The technical design of the APPU OK-150 was developed in March 1955, and on June 17, 1955, at the nuclear power plant section of the NTS of the Ministry, it was approved and recommended for production.

During the development of the APPU project, for the first time, a number of complex scientific and technical problems were solved. One of them was a significant increase in the duration of the core campaign and the economical use of nuclear fuel. The implementation of the decision proposed by the scientific leadership to introduce burnable absorbers into the core to compensate for excess reactivity made it possible to increase the campaign of the core up to 200 days, and the use of zirconium alloys in the structural elements of the core made it possible to reduce uranium consumption by 1.5 times compared to cores where stainless steels were used for this purpose.

Instead of the initially designed submersible emergency protection rods introduced into the core by the pressure of the pump, rods moving inside dry sleeves and introduced into the core under the action of springs were used as reactor reactivity control organs. In biological protection, scarce and cheaper materials were used: steel, water, heavy concrete.

The LIPAN scientists constantly provided great assistance to the designers of the APPU at all stages of the design of the installation: A.P. Aleksandrov, N.S. Khlopkin, B. G. Pologikh, and others. The role of Academician A.P. Aleksandrov, who by the beginning of the creation of the APPU OK-150 already had extensive experience and authority in the nuclear industry. He was involved in solving issues not only of a scientific, but also of an engineering and production nature. LIP AN employees participated in the performance of complex computational work, since the APPU was the most important and complex part of the entire power plant and was created for the first time with insufficient knowledge about the properties and features of the reactor operation in shipboard conditions.

Work on the manufacture of equipment for the OK-150 installation began at plant No. 92 in 1955, having received the status of a task of paramount importance. Control over their implementation was carried out directly by the chief designer of the Design Bureau I.I. Afrikantov. The rhythm of work on the creation and manufacture of OK-150 equipment was very intense. The workshops of the plant worked in three shifts, the design bureau employees worked “from dark to dark”, regardless of personal time. After signing the working documentation, it was immediately launched into production. Penalties were imposed for failure to meet deadlines. Of course, there were mistakes, but they were quickly eliminated, as good relations were established between the designers and technologists of the plant's workshops.

The nuclear icebreaker "Lenin" was laid down at the shipyard "Admiralty Plant" in Leningrad on July 27, 1956, and already on December 5, 1957, the icebreaker was launched. In 1958-1959. it carried out the bulk of the work on the installation of systems and equipment of the nuclear plant. The most intense was the final stage of construction, installation and testing of APPU. As the installation of equipment, fittings and pipelines of the APPU progressed, specialists from the Design Bureau and Plant No. 92 were sent to the Admiralty Plant to provide technical assistance.

The clear organization of work and the selfless work of numerous teams that participated in the creation of the first APPU, largely contributed to the timely, record-breaking delivery of the Lenin nuclear icebreaker. Its construction was completed on September 12, 1959, and on December 5, 1959, the icebreaker was transferred to Murmansk shipping company MMF USSR. The icebreaker became the world's first surface vessel with a nuclear power plant, and in terms of power it had no equal among icebreakers around the world.

Since the navigation of 1960, the Lenin nuclear icebreaker has been working in the Arctic, escorting ships on the most difficult sections of the Northern Sea Route. The fact that its operation is still experimental was somehow immediately forgotten. He was one of the main participants in the early escort of ships with timber on the route "the mouth of the Yenisei River - the Barents Sea". In the middle of navigation, the icebreaker worked mainly in the Vilkitsky Strait, which is covered with heavy ice even in summer and is freed from them only for a short time in the presence of favorable winds. Of great importance was the work of the nuclear icebreaker "Lenin" in the late autumn of 1960 at the end of navigation, when it was necessary to take out of the ice not only ordinary ships, but also ice-class ships. The nuclear icebreaker "Lenin" also carried out high-latitude expeditionary voyages. In 1961, the expedition of the research drifting station "North Pole-10" landed from its board. From it, drifting automatic radio meteorological stations were repeatedly deployed along the boundaries of the pack ice. Important scientific research was carried out from the icebreaker.

During the six navigations of the icebreaker "Lenin" with APPU OK-150, it provided assistance to 457 vessels, more than 62,000 miles were covered in ice. The nuclear power plant worked flawlessly for about 26,000 hours, demonstrating its performance in the most difficult conditions operation - with gusty rolling in waves, ship strikes on ice and frequent changes in load. The experience of its creation and operation provided valuable material for the further improvement of nuclear ship installations. In particular, the possibility of significant simplifications technological scheme and installation design, reducing the number of fittings, control systems, etc. The reliability and stability of the operation of reactors with large self-regulation capabilities turned out to be higher than expected. From this, it was concluded that on an icebreaker, without compromising the survivability of a nuclear power plant, one can limit oneself to two or even one reactor instead of three. In addition, the property of the self-regulation of the reactor, in turn, made it possible in the future to abandon its automatic regulation in new installations.

During operation, some shortcomings in the design of the first installation also appeared, first of all, insufficient reliability certain types equipment, low maintainability, etc.

The main result of the operation of the first APPU of the icebreaker "Lenin" was that the possibility of creating ship nuclear power plants, their high safety and efficiency was confirmed in principle. The very field of application of nuclear energy was chosen very successfully - powerful linear icebreakers, where the unique properties of a nuclear energy source provided the most tangible, indisputable advantages over traditional solutions, including in terms of safety and economic indicators.

Unlike the Lenin icebreaker, the Savannah cargo-passenger vessel with a nuclear power plant, created around the same time in the United States, had a purely experimental purpose. Its operation solved the limited task of demonstrating the operability and safety of a nuclear vessel. She did not show any obvious economic or other advantages over traditional vessels of the same purpose. The vessel was operated from 1962 to 1969. and after the completion of the planned test program, it was decommissioned (converted into a floating museum), remaining an ordinary episode in the US nuclear program. Civil nuclear shipbuilding in this country did not receive further development. In the USSR, on the contrary, the creation of the first nuclear-powered icebreaker marked the beginning of the development of a new high-tech industry - nuclear shipbuilding - and, ultimately, the emergence of a whole fleet of nuclear-powered ships.

After the commissioning of the Lenin nuclear icebreaker, by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated May 14, 1960, for the creation of a nuclear installation for this ship and for merits in the development of domestic reactor building, the Design Bureau of Plant No. 92 was awarded the Order of Lenin. This order was also awarded to TsKB-15 and the Admiralty Plant of Small and Medium Enterprises of the USSR. Scientific supervisor of works A.P. Aleksandrov, chief designer of the icebreaker V.I. Neganov, chief designer of APPU I.I. Afrikantov and locksmith of plant No. 92 S.D. Kuznetsov was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor. Two groups of specialists (12 people in total) were awarded the Lenin Prize, including the leading specialists of the OKB N.M. Tsarev, V.I. Shiryaev, D.V. Kaganov and A.M. Shamatov. In addition, a large group of designers, accountants, OKB technologists (practically all involved in the development of the OK-150 installation project), as well as a significant number of workers, engineers and managers of plant No. 92 were awarded orders and medals.

Given the positive results of the operation of the nuclear icebreaker "Lenin" in 1960-1963. and the important economic role that icebreakers play in the development of remote areas of the Far North, the government of the country in 1964 adopted two resolutions providing for the design and construction of a series of new nuclear icebreakers of project 1052. The resolutions determined the procedure for designing and supplying equipment to the lead nuclear icebreaker of this series.

On the basis of these resolutions, the Iceberg Central Design Bureau developed the terms of reference for the reactor plant, and OKBM sent out counterparty cards to all interested enterprises and organizations in order to obtain consent for the development and manufacture constituent parts steam generating plant. The main equipment and systems of the new APPU were developed by OKBM and the Iceberg Central Design Bureau.

In accordance with the terms of reference for the reactor plant for nuclear icebreakers of the new series, OKBM carried out pre-draft studies of five options for the installation and "Justification for the choice of APPU for nuclear icebreakers of project 1052".

In 1966, the sixth navigation of the Lenin nuclear icebreaker with the OK-150 reactor plant was completed. By this time, the main equipment of the installation has exhausted its resource. In addition, a leak appeared in the vessel of one of the reactors. However, the rest of the equipment of the main power plant and ship structures were in a satisfactory condition and could work for a long time, provided that the APPU was restored to working capacity.

End of development draft design The OK-900 APPU gave grounds to specialists from various departments to raise the issue of replacing the APPU of this icebreaker, which has exhausted its service life, with a new OK-900 installation. To this end, OKBM carried out studies on the layout of the OK-900 installation in the dimensions of the reactor compartment of the Lenin icebreaker. One of the options successfully “fitted” into the premises allotted for installation. Chief designer of APPU I.I. Afrikantov, having appreciated the advantages of this idea, won support for the proposed option for repairing the icebreaker in the MSM. After that, the first deputy Minister of Medium Machine Building A.M. Petrosyants instructed OKBM to develop detailed materials (calculations, graphs, demonstration drawings, etc.) on the replacement of the unit, on the timing and cost of the work, on the technology of dismantling and installation of equipment, and on the manufacturers of the OK-900 APPU equipment.

The technical design of the APPU was developed at the end of 1966 under the scientific guidance of the IAE. Kurchatov and with the participation of the Iceberg Central Design Bureau, IAT AN and contractors. Pressurized water reactors were also used in the new reactor plant. The number of reactors has been reduced from three to two, since their reliability, according to the operation of the first icebreaker installation, turned out to be higher than originally expected. Two reactors completely provide the icebreaker with an exit from the ice and return to the base in case of failure of any equipment. The energy content of the cores was increased several times, and their physical parameters and circuit characteristics were changed in such a way as to improve the self-regulation properties of the reactor plant.

The resource of all equipment was significantly increased, the design of the 1st circuit was simplified by reducing the lines and eliminating the fittings on them. The unit was more adapted to repairs due to improved access to the equipment, vertical execution of mechanisms, concentration of the main removable parts in the equipment room serviced by a mobile crane. The APPU was equipped with an integrated automation system, which freed the personnel from constant shifts in its premises. Thanks to all this, the crew was reduced by 30%, the cost of 1 MWh of energy was reduced by half, and the amount of repair work was reduced by four times.

Considering that the government decree on project 1052 did not provide for the testing of the installation on its ground prototype, and the complex tests of the APPU were supposed to be carried out during mooring tests of the lead icebreaker of this project, the use of the OK-900 installation on the Lenin nuclear icebreaker made it possible to check all the accepted schematic and design solutions for a new installation in real conditions, to work out systems and equipment before launching them into mass production for icebreakers of project 1052.

The work to replace the OK-150 automatic control unit with the OK-900 unit was carried out by the Zvyozdochka shipyard in Severodvinsk.

On March 16, 1970, factory mooring tests of the modernized unit of the Lenin nuclear icebreaker began. On April 20, 1970, the interdepartmental commission began work. She highly appreciated the quality of installation of the OK-900 installation, mechanisms, units, systems integrated automation and other works performed by the Zvyozdochka plant and its contractors.

On April 23, 1970, at 02:30, the port side reactor No. 2 was launched, and on May 1, 1970, the starboard side reactor No. 1 was launched. The reactors were brought up to the energy power level on May 4 and April 29, 1970 (No. 1 and No. 2, respectively). After that, the OK-900 installation began its long and successful work, which continued until the decommissioning of the Lenin nuclear icebreaker.

By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated April 10, 1974, the Lenin nuclear icebreaker was awarded the Order of Lenin for its great contribution to the Arctic transportation of national economic cargo and the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. To the permanent captain of the icebreaker B.M. Sokolov, who replaced the retired first captain of the Lenin icebreaker P.A. Ponomarev, an honorary worker of the navy, an honorary polar explorer were awarded the Orders of Lenin and the October Revolution, and in 1981 he was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor.

Despite the fact that the systems and equipment of the APPU OK-900 worked reliably, without failures, starting from 1984, the Lenin nuclear icebreaker was operated only on the route Murmansk - Dixon Island during June-December, i.e. in the most favorable ice conditions . This was caused by the deteriorating state of the ship's hull and internal structures, since the design life of the icebreaker's hull - 25 years - had already been exhausted. At the end of 1989, based on a combination of indicators of the state of hull and ship structures, it was decided to stop the operation of the icebreaker.