According to a post by the "CNNC Group" official WeChat account, the domestic first nuclear power plant regulator pilot-operated safety valve jointly developed by the CNNC Group China Nuclear Power Research and Design Institute and the CNNC Su Valve Technology Industry Co., Ltd. has successfully completed all evaluation tests in Chengdu.
This safety valve is a core component of the first loop system of nuclear power plant reactors, playing a crucial role in ensuring the safe and stable operation of nuclear power plants. It is not only one of the highest safety-rated and most important valves, but also a domestically recognized equipment with extremely high localization difficulty in the nuclear-grade valve industry.
Before this, all operational and under-construction nuclear power plants in China relied on imported pilot-operated safety valves, posing a significant challenge to the country's efforts in achieving self-sufficiency in nuclear power development.
With its extensive research, design, testing, and small-scale manufacturing experience, the Nuclear Power Institute of China successfully achieved a technological leap in pilot-operated safety valves from single-function to multi-function, and from small to large capacity. Targeting the Pakistan C5 project as an application goal, they mobilized various resources to jointly conduct research and development.
Through relentless efforts, in 2019, the first domestic pilot-operated safety valve demonstration prototype was successfully developed. By the end of 2022, the equipment smoothly transitioned to the stage of component identification testing and successfully completed a series of crucial identification tests.
This test not only validated the equipment's performance and reliability but also broke through and mastered several advanced testing technologies during the process, further enhancing China's capability in identifying nuclear-grade valves and laying a solid foundation for the independent and domestic development of China's nuclear power industry.
